Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread

I think I gained 5 pounds when I made this. It's a lot like Pringles...once you pop, you can't stop! The only changes I made were using white onions for green, chopped black olives instead of sliced, and light mayo. Here's the original: Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread

Ingredients
1 loaf French bread
6 ounces, (1 jar) pimiento-stuffed green olives
6 ounces, (1 can)  weight black olives
About 1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 stick butter, room temperature
½ cups Mayonnaise
¾ pounds (1 1/2 cups) grated Monterey Jack Cheese (I used a mixture of jack cheeses)

Chop both types of olives. Stir together: butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and onions in a mixing bowl. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.

Verdict: So rich, so good...addicting...do I need to go on?!

No PB Puppy Chow AND Santa Hats

I wanted a no peanut butter puppy chow, so I came up with this idea. I think it worked well! Also, I made Santa Hats to go with the Christmas treat. I will detail how to make the Santa Hats in another post.

Ingredients for Puppy Chow
3/4 C chocolate chips--semi-sweet
3/4 C butterscotch chips
9 C corn Chex
1 C powdered sugar (or more)

Melt chips in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then at 10 second intervals until smooth. Meanwhile, add Chex to a large bowl (I used a gallon baggie). Then, pour the chocolate/butterscotch mixture over the Chex, stirring well, until all Chex are covered. In another baggie add the powdered sugar. Add the chocolate covered Chex to the powdered sugar and shake until well coated. Place in a large bowl to dry.

VERDICT: Tastes great!

Bean-Taco Dip

ned to make this dip back in college, and forgot about it until I saw it in a cookbook. There are many variations, and even I change it up from time-to-time. Anyway, here's how I made it a few weeks months ago. (I've got some recipes coming--just need to take time and write them up.)

Ingredients
1 can spicy refried beans (if you can't find them, mix a can of fat free refried beans and green chiles)
1 cup (or a little more--I didn't measure) homemade guacamole
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup light mayo or Miracle Whip
taco seasoning--to your tastes
1-1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
About 2 TBSP onions, cut
1 small Roma tomato, cut
1 can sliced black olives

To assemble: Spread beans on the bottom of a dish, then spread guacamole over that layer. Mix the sour cream, mayo and taco seasoning together. Spread over the guacamole layer. Sprinkle shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes and olives over the taco seasoning layer. Let chill for at least 1 hour.


VERDICT: Enjoyable for 3 nights!

Ranch Pretzel Nuggets

We love the ranch flavored pretzels, but they are VERY bad for you. So, I decided to try my hand at making them, so I can control the ingredients. This tastes about the same, and has A LOT less calories.

Ingredients
1 lb sourdough pretzel nuggets
2 TBSP vegetable oil (you might be able to get away with 1 1/2)
3 TBSP ranch dressing powder (I used Hidden Valley Ranch)

Pour nuggets into a gallon sized plastic storage bag, then add the oil. Seal the bag and shake vigorously until the oil has been distributed. Next, add the ranch dressing powder, and shake until all pieces are coated well. Let sit for at least an hour so the flavors may meld.

VERDICT: Nice alternative!! However, the flavor is not as strong as the ones in the store. I don't have an issue with that, but if you do, you might want to add some garlic powder.

Christmas Dinner, Appetizer Style: Stuffed Mushrooms, Candy Bacon, Pineapple Bacon and Chicken Wings

So, when you have 4-5 foot snow drifts to dig out from (and, THANK YOU to the kind neighbor who helped us dig out when a private plow pushed a 6 foot snow bank into our driveway!!), and you're spending the day playing on the Wii Fit, you want something to munch on! Rather than making a big Christmas Dinner for two, I decided to make appetizers for dinner. In the interest of full disclosure, I accidentally bought chicken wings with the sauce already on them, so all I did was heat them up. But, I did make the sauce for them!

Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 lb of stuffing mushrooms, washed and stems removed
8 oz fat free cream cheese
3 TBSP dry Hidden Valley Ranch powder
2 oz reduced fat cheese, colby-jack or mild cheddar
OPTIONAL: Sometimes I cut up the stems and add them, and sometimes I add crumbled bacon

Place mushrooms in a baking pan, removed stem side up. Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese and ranch powder (and optional items if you wish). With two spoons, stuff the cheese mixture (about 2 TSP or so--depending on the size of the mushroom) into the centers of the mushroom. When complete, shred the reduced fat cheese and sprinkle over the top of the stuffed mushrooms. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan immediately, and place on paper towels until ready to serve.

Candy Bacon
Ingredients
Center-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 width
brown sugar

Dredge the bacon in brown sugar, coating both sides well. Place on a baking sheet line with foil, preferably using a metal baking rack so the grease drains. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure they don't burn.

Pineapple Bacon
Ingredients
Center-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 width
brown sugar
pineapple chunks
toothpicks, optional

Dredge the bacon in brown sugar, coating both sides well. Take a pineapple chunk, and wrap the brown sugar bacon around the chunk. You may place a toothpick in the center to secure the bacon around the pineapple, but I don't usually do this. Place seam side down on metal grate, or foil lined baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, watching to make sure they do not burn.

Chicken Wings
Ingredients
1/2 package of chicken wings, additional hot sauce if desired
1/4 cup Hellman's light mayo
1/4 cup light sour cream
1-2 ounces, shredded Parmesan cheese
Dry Ranch powder, optional

Cook wings until done, and add additional hot sauce if desired. For the dip, mix the mayo, sour cream, cheese and Ranch powder. Let flavors blend for 20 minutes before serving.


VERDICT: We had a fun lunch, and enough for leftovers!! Even though it sucks to be snowed in, we're making the best of it.

Taco/Burrito Meat

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

Want a great filler for your tacos and burritos? Try this filler--it tastes great and stretches a pound of hamburger! Plus, since I'm laid up with a backache, I knew I could sit down while it was cooking. Sorry--but due to my back problems, posting may be sporadic. Although, I'm thinking of making some cookies later on tonight. MAYBE.


Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger, cooked and crumbled
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
About 1/4 cup water
1 can fat free refried beans (spicy would be good, too!)
Taco seasoning (I used 1/4 c of my taco seasoning, and that's the equivalent of 1 packet)

After browning the burger, add the tomato sauce, water (I swished it around in the sauce can to get all of it out) and taco seasoning. Stir until seasoning is distributed, then add beans. Cook until thickened and heated through.

Serve with tacos or burritos.

VERDICT: This is amazingly good! My parents usually add tomato sauce to their tacos, but after reading a recipe from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi, I decided to add the beans. Let me tell you--THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION! I'm positive this meal could feed 10 hungry people! Plus, it tastes great.

Cheese Puffs and Maggots with Eye of Newt

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I was being creative last night and trying to gross out my husband, so I came up with this festive menu.While the Maggots with Eye of Newt is my design,the cheese puffs are courtesy of Cooking During Stolen Moments.

Ingredients for Maggots with Eye of Newt
2 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 jar green olives
1/2 lb. hamburger

After cooking macaroni, add sauce, meat and olives and cook until hot. Garnish with strips of Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients: Cheese Puffs
1 1/4 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese (I used Colby-Jack this time)
2 1/2 T. butter or margarine
1/2 c. flour
1/2-3/4 tsp spices (I used garlic and paprika)
1 small jar of green olives

Mix everything together except for olives until it resembles a dough. Then flatten out a small round of dough and wrap it around the olive (I always put too much on and then take some off). Repeat until dough is gone. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.


VERDICT: What a yummy meal! I've made the cheese puffs before, and we always like them! And, as you can tell, we are HUGE fans of olives, so the cheese puffs are great with the olives, but we have used jalapenos in the past. The Maggots with eye of newt is pretty good, too!

Peanut Butter Popcorn

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This is my favorite non-plain popcorn recipe. I found it in a community recipe book from back home and decided to adapt it for my needs. We enjoy this the most while watching movies or sports and drinking beer. I should tell you that these are approximate measurements. I don't always measure when I make this recipe.

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

Pop the popcorn in an air popper and set aside. Meanwhile, add sugar and syrup to a pan and cook over medium heat until boiling. Boil for at least one minute then remove from heat and add peanut butter, mixing well. Pour over popped popcorn and fold ingredients until mixed--not every piece will have peanut butter on it. Add salt and fold once or twice. Let sit for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to meld.

THIS IS FABULOUS. Sometimes we make more, sometimes less. The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled. ONCE AGAIN: THIS RECIPE IS GREAT AND YOU MUST MAKE IT.

Mom's Easter Crosses

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

My mom always made these for our Easter baskets when my brothers and I were younger, because her mother did it for her. Since Mom was super busy this year, she asked me to make the crosses. They're super simple, yet fun!

To make just ONE cross you need the following:
1 regular sized Snickers candy bar
2 fun size Snickers candy bars
1 wooden toothpick
1-2 cups of butter cream frosting (I colored mine with yellow and green paste, but you an do any color)

Take wrappers off of candy bars and lay the regular size Snickers vertically in front of you. Approximately 3/4 of an inch from the top of the Snickers bar insert the toothpick so that the toothpick goes all the way through the bar and is horizontal to you. At this point there should be about 1/2 inch of toothpick on each side. Then, carefully attach one fun sized Snickers bar on each end of the tooth pick.

Frost with your name/names, flowers, leaves, etc. The design changes each year. Since I have been teaching myself how to frost cakes I decided to practice leaves on the crosses this year.

Both of my brothers love these and Jeff loves anything that involves Snickers, so since I'm a betting woman, I would bet that this is one tradition that's going to keep on going.

Note: I forgot to take a picture until we got home tonight. I ate the part that said my name, Toni, on the cross above, so I just added another fun sized bar that I had on hand.

Stained-Glass Eggs

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I am going to start trying to take pictures of the items I make. Let's see how this goes! Anyway, a little while ago I found this post from The Barefoot Kitchen Witch and I knew I had to try it--if only to watch people squirm when they eat their deviled eggs on Sunday.

1 dozen eggs
pinch of salt (used in case an egg cracks--or you can use a pickle)
food coloring
cold water

Gently place the eggs into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. My rule of thumb is that the water should cover the eggs by at least 1 inch. Then, add the salt and bring to a boil. Note: Since I have an electric stove once the eggs come to a boil I shut off the heating element, but leave them on the burner. After 3 minutes I place the lid on the pan and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 12-15 minutes. After about 12 minutes I take the eggs out and place them in a colander and place ice on top until the eggs are cool to the touch.

While the eggs are cooling, prepare the food coloring. Add enough water to the colored paste (I used Wilt0n's) to create the color you want.

Once the eggs are cool, gently crack the shells on the eggs. I found that first cracking the bottom, then the top of the egg was easier than just rolling it on a table top.

After cracking the shells add the eggs to the colored water and let sit until desired color is reached. I left mine in for about 4.5 hours.

What I found is that all I had was pastel food coloring--and so I did not get deep colors. But, I think they looked great!

When we get back from our friend's wedding tomorrow night I will cut the eggs, remove the yolks and make the deviled eggs. To make the filling mix the following together:

Hard boiled yolks from the eggs--crumbled
Light Miracle Whip
Ground pepper

Pipe into the egg halves. Before serving sprinkle with paprika.

Guacamole

My brother wanted this recipe, so here it is... a twist on In@ G@rten's guacamole dip.

2-3 Haas avocados, taken out of shell and diced
1 Roma tomato, squeezed of juice and diced
Approximately 1/2 tsp garlic
1/4 c. finely chopped white onion
Tabasco sauce--as much as you like (I generally go with 5-10)
The juice of 1/2-1 lime
Baked tortilla chips

Mix first 4 ingredients together, then mash with a fork or potato masher, leaving small chunks. Mix in Tabasco sauce to taste, then add the lime juice. The mixture should be somewhat creamy, but not runny. Let sit for at least 1/2 an hour. Serve with baked tortillas.


This is my favorite guacamole recipe and I make it whenever we want a fairly healthy dip. Sometimes I just run a knife through the mixture and leave it very chunky--it's great on tacos.

EDIT: 11/14/2010 I have been omitting the garlic in this dip, because I really just don't like garlic that much! However, it really doesn't taste different! Also, I use bottled lemon juice, and that works great, too.

Caken Balls

Wahhahahaaaa....I renamed these from Cake Balls, because the word balls remind me of an Adam Sandler movie. Anyway, I got this recipe for free from etsy.com and decided to give it a try this week.

1 9x13 inch chocolate cake, crumbled (mixed, baked and cooled)
1 can of chocolate frosting
White chocolate coating
Assorted decorating sprinkles

Mix the crumbled cake and chocolate frosting together and form into balls. Refrigerate cake balls until cool. Meanwhile melt white chocolate coating (I used white almond bark) and coat the cake balls. Place in refrigerator until firm.


Jeff loved these, and I liked them, but didn't love them. I really like the cake ball itself, but didn't care for the coating, and I don't know what I could substitute. I would make them again, though. I used a chocolate butter cake mix and milk chocolate frosting.

Bacon Ranch Dip

We were not hungry for supper tonight, so I made a dip to eat with crackers and tortilla chips.

4 0z fat free (or 1/3 Less Fat) cream cheese
1/4 c. Light Miracle Whip
1/4 c. light sour cream
4-5 strips cooked and crumbled bacon.
1 1/2 TBSP Hidden Valley Ranch powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Mix together thoroughly.

We ate it right away, but I would let it sit for 1-2 hours or longer to let the flavors meld. We both liked it, and right now it's down in the basement with Jeff, so I hope I can taste it tomorrow and let you know if tastes different.

Flake O'Chicken

A lighter version of deep fried chicken tenders. I really like how these have a little crunch to them. My mom uses butter and rice krispies on her crispy chicken, but this is A LOT healthier.

1 lb chicken tenders, or cut chicken breasts into strips (for fun, dice chicken and make chicken poppers!)
1 cup fat free plain yogurt or buttermilk
2 cups crushed corn flakes (as always, I use generic)
OPTIONAL: 1-2 tsp of your favorite spice (sometimes it's just salt & pepper for me, other times it's dry ranch, or a chili powder.)

Mix corn flakes and spice (if using) in a shallow pan (I like to use a pie pan). Place yogurt or buttermilk in a bowl. Dip chicken in yogurt or buttermilk and shake off excess, then place in corn flakes. Place on greased pan and cook in a 400 degree oven until done (about 25 minutes).

I make these a lot, because I can change the spices with the chicken. I don't coat the bottom of the chicken with corn flakes, because they just get soggy.

Ham and Cheese Wraps

EASY, EASY, EASY. I think even the cats can make this one.

Flour tortillas
Light Miracle Whip
Ham slices (any kind)
Cheese slices (any kind)
torn spinach

Slather some good ole LMW on a tortilla. Then, cut cheese slice in half and put on tortilla lenthwise, so that you have one long l shape. Add as much ham as you would like and put torn spinach on top. Roll tightly. Then eat.