Super Bowl XLVII or Festivus Maximus 2013

Super Bowl weekend is upon us soon and it is an a great weekend for me.  My awesome/beloved Baltimore Ravens have made it and only you Maryland people will understand...Festivus Maximus!  (In 2000, the Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick would not allow his players to discuss the possibility of competing in the Super Bowl. Instead, he and the rest of the Ravens players and staff referred to the playoffs as Festivus, and the Super Bowl as Festivus Maximus.)

In my opinion and because I am too lazy to do the research, Super Bowl Sunday is most likely the biggest snacking “holiday” in the USA. Everybody wants to snack during the game and wait for the commercials. And be serious here, unless your team is in the big dance, you only watch for the food and commercials.

As for myself, I will be enjoying the game in Maryland with my Rosy and friends at Hooters.  This however does not effect my collection of recipes I have been gathering and testing for the big weekend.

  'Wannabe' Jalapeno Popper Party Dip

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese together in a saucepan over low heat until evenly blended. Fold in bread crumbs, jalapeno peppers, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir dip until Parmesan cheese is melted, 2 to 5 more minutes

Brown Sugar Smokies

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
• 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.

Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.


Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Wraps

Ingredients

• 6 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded 
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 12 slices bacon 

Directions

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Spread cream cheese to fill jalapeno halves. Wrap with bacon. Secure with a toothpick.

Place on the grill, and cook until bacon is crispy.

Candied Bacon Pigs

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) package little smokies sausages
• 1 pound bacon slices, cut into thirds crosswise
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, divided 
• 1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can cola-flavored carbonated beverage
• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste (optional) 

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Wrap each little sausage with 1/3 slice of bacon, and secure them with toothpicks.

Place the appetizers on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with 3/4 cup of brown sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven until the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 40 minutes; turn the appetizers after 20 minutes.

Remove the appetizers from the baking sheet with a slotted spoon, and place into a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of brown sugar and the five-spice powder over the smokies, and drizzle with the cola. If desired, add hot sauce to taste.

Set the cooker to High, and cook 4 hours. Serve warm.

Triple-Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

Ingredients

• 1pkg.  (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix (13x9-inch pan size)
• 1pkg.  (3.4 oz.)  Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1cup  cold milk
• 1cup  Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2cup  powdered sugar
• 1-1/2cups  COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
• 3oz.  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 1/2cup Dry Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

PREPARE and bake brownies in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package; cool. Meanwhile, beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled.

SPREAD over brownies.

MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min., stirring every 30 sec. Spread over pudding; top with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour, serve.

And now for a drink...I have posted this before, but it can stand to be posted again since it fits! Happy Festivus Maximus!


The Baltimore Raven-tini

• 3 oz Vodka 
• 1 1/2 oz of cranberry juice 
• 1/2 oz blue curacao
•  1/2 oz sweet and sour mix
•  1/2 of lemon-lime soda 

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake gently.  Add more Blue Curacao if color isn't purple enough.  Serve in a chilled Martini glass. Rim with sugar if desired.

Peanut Butter Pie...Oh My!

Seeing as I wrote about Easter dinners last April...I thought I would take this April to write about pies.  I have written about pies before...lemonade pie, pumpkin pie, etc...This year for Easter, I made a chocolate cream pie and one of my personal favorites: Peanut Butter Pie.

I had never had peanut butter pie till about 10 years ago when I spent my first Easter with my ex's family. She has an aunt that makes all these killer pies.  Her peanut butter pie was heavenly.  Then...I had my friend Sue's peanut butter pie.  OMG!

So after some begging and pleading...Sue has graciously given me her peanut butter pie recipe with permission to share it with you lovely people as long as I give her credit and I always give credit where credit is due.

Sue's Peanut Butter Pie

• 1 - 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened

• 2 cups powder sugar

• Peanut Butter to taste...I used a whole 15oz jar of Skippy

• 1 - 8oz tub Cool Whip

• 1 Gram Cracker Pie Shell 

Whip cream cheese, powder sugar, and peanut butter together until fluffy.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Poor into crust.  Chill for at least an hour.  

I served it with some whipped cream on top.  I think my next go round with it I am going to try a chocolate crust.  Thanks again Sue, you are the best!!!


J.J.'s Chocolate Cream Pie

• 1 - 4 oz package chocolate Jell-O instant pudding

• 1 c. heavy Whipping Cream 

• 1/2 c. Cool Whip 

• 1 baked 8 inch pie shell or Gram Craker 

Mix pudding using 1 cup whipping cream, blend in Cool Whip. Spoon into a 8 inch pie shell. Garnish with chocolate curls and Cool Whip if desired. Chill for at least 1 hour.

I am one of those peanut butter lovers.  I love almost anything with peanut butter in or on it.  Another one of my favorites is peanut butter fudge.  My Mother had this covered...I always loved her peanut butter fudge the best.

Mom's Peanut Butter Fudge

• 4 cups white sugar• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk• 1 cup butter• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff 

1.Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside. Butter a 3 quart saucepan. 
2.Place buttered saucepan over medium heat, and combine sugar, evaporated milk and 1 cup butter within. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. 
3.Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Beat vigorously until smooth. Pour quickly into prepared baking dish. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Hint: As with all fudge recipes, cooking time will vary depending on factors such as humidity and altitude. For best results, use the softball test to make sure the fudge has been cooked enough. Also the best way to cut fudge…use a pizza cutter!!!

Super Bowl Snacks Part 1

Super Bowl XLV is this Sunday. Of course a game this big needs fabulous snacks....Here is part one of some of my favorite game day snacks! Go Packers!

 

 

BUFFALO POTATO SKINS

INGREDIENTS

 

• 4 medium (about 8 oz each) baking potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp hot-pepper sauce
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp onion powder
• 1⁄2 cup bottled lite blue cheese dressing – RANCH for me as I find Blue Cheese deplorable.

 

PREPARATION

 

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Pierce potatoes in 2 or 3 places with a fork. Bake directly on middle oven rack 45 to 55 minutes until tender when pierced. Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Have a rimmed baking sheet ready.

 

2. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes lengthwise in quarters. With a spoon, scoop pulp from skins, leaving a 1⁄4-in.-thick shell (reserve pulp for another use). Place skin side down on ungreased baking sheet.

 

3. Mix butter, hot sauce, salt and onion powder in a small bowl. Brush evenly on potatoes. Bake 15 minutes or until browned at edges and crisp. Serve with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

 

BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pocketless pita breads
• Garlic-flavored cooking spray
• 2 each reserved cooked chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed, meat shredded
• 2 Tbsp plus 8 tsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• 4 reserved quarters cooked yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup each crumbled blue cheese and chopped celery – Again I skip the blue cheese...Fontina is nice.

 

PREPARATION

 

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. Coat pitas with cooking spray and place on baking sheet. Put chicken in a bowl; toss with 2-Tbsp hot sauce.
2. Spread each pita with 2 tsp hot sauce. Top with chicken, sliced pepper and mozzarella cheese.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until bottoms are crisp and cheese has melted. Remove from oven; sprinkle with blue cheese and celery. Cut in wedges.

 

 

BLT Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup torn lettuce
• 8 slices bacon, cokoed crisp and crumbled
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese in small bowl. Spread onto serving plate. Top with lettuce, cooked bacon, plum tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Chill until serving. This is great served with crisp breadsticks for dipping, along with some chewy Italian bread slices.

Pizza Dip

Ingredients:

 

• 8 oz. container soft cream cheese with garlic
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni - mini peperonis work great too!
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer ingredients in order given in an ovenproof pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until dip is hot and bubbling and cheese is melted. Serve with crackers, breadsticks, or crusty fresh bread slices.

Hot Spinach Dip

Ingredients

 

• 2 teaspoon(s) olive oil, plus more for baking dish
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 clove(s) garlic , minced
• 2 pound(s) spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup(s) milk
• 8 ounce(s) bar cream cheese
• 3 dash(es) Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dash(es) hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 3/4 cup(s) shredded mozzarella
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Baguette slices, breadsticks, chips, or crackers, for serving

Directions

 

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2.Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.
3.In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
4.Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

 

Country Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon
• 1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 boiled egg, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook bacon until crispy. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the grease, and crumble. Set aside.

 

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add a tablespoon of the bacon grease and some salt and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let the potatoes cool and then cut into bite-size pieces.

 

In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, relish, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing.

 

Toss potatoes, onion, and egg in dressing. Add bacon. Serve chilled.

Philly Cheesesteak Bites

 

Like mini crustless quiches! YUM!

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb Deli Roast Beef
• 1 medium Red Onion
• 1/2 medium raw Green-bell Pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 cup Cheese, Provolone
• 5 egg
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions

 

Dice onion and pepper. Saute onions and peppers till golden. Add beef and Worcestershire sauce and saute for 1 minute. Set aside to cool. When cool mix all ingredients together. Spoon into lightly greased (Pam works great) mini muffin tins. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Makes 24.

Wegmans

Last Wednesday I went on an adventure with the fabulous Melissa. We go on a few adventures but this one was special…she introduced me to Wegmans. Holy Cow! What a store! It is a foodie’s paradise…the cheese section alone was like the size of my house…that’s just specialty cheeses not even including the everyday cheeses you buy at your normal grocery market. I got some beautiful cheeses for a very reasonable price…Jarlsburg and very sharp cheddar. Also on a side note I got my cat litter at Wegmans for $3 cheaper than I pay for it at Wal-Mart. I also found Cheerwine there and I didn’t have to go all the way to North Carolina.  They also had an awesome international section and a crazy hot food bar...again like bigger than my house.  The store is HUGE!

 

I made some brownies with Cheerwine today. I used a box brownie mix and replaced the water with Cheerwine. So very yummy! You can do this with almost any soda you like. I also like to use Dr. Pepper for this. I found this on the Cheerwine website. I plan on trying it soon.

 

 

 

Cheerdevil Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
• 1 cup Cheerwine soft drink
• 1 tsp almond extract

Directions:

 

Mix the cake mix as directed on the box, but use the Cheerwine in place of water for the liquid. Also, add the almond extract which is not called for on the box mix.

 

Bake the cake as directed on the cake mix box.

 

Then, make the Cheerwine Cake Frosting.

Cheerwine Cake Frosting

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter or margarine (let soften)
• 1/3 cup Cheerwine soft drink
• ¼ cup cocoa (baking powdered chocolate - usually near the flour in the grocery)
• 1 lb box powdered sugar (or 2 ½ cups if bought in bulk bag)
• ¼ tsp almond extract

Directions:

 

Mix together butter and Cheerwine with a mixer. Add cocoa, powdered sugar, and almond extract and mix until smooth.

 

Spread frosting on cool Cheerwine Cake.

 
That’s how to make an easy Cheerwine Cake using a cake mix. It’s a unique tasting cake and also a very pretty cake. In fact, Cheerwine Cake has become so popular that a local baking company has teamed up with Cheerwine for a ready-made Cheerwine Cake.

 

If you can’t get Cheerwine in your area, then check out the Cheerwine web site. They do ship this great Southern soda. So, you can try this terrific soft drink and cake even if you don't live in the South.

 

Hey Joe...

There is a beautiful little specialty type store called Trader Joes. I do adore it. When I lived in Ohio I had been to Trader Joes once. I always have been one to like unusual type stores. Case in point…Jungle Jim’s, but that is another entry in itself.


The fabulous Melissa started bringing me this trail mix from Trader Joes. It called Tempting Trail Mix. It is a mix of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dried cherries, cashews, and peanuts. It's sweet, salty and chewy all at the same time. It is freaking awesome. I don’t like raisins at all and the dried cherries are awesome. Melissa also told me about this Colby-Swiss cheese I got and tried. Very awesome. I was also able to acquire some delicious pastrami from there. I quiet enjoy the place and a lot of their stuff is very reasonable for it to be a specialty store. Now that I know there is one not too far up the road from me…I shall be visiting more often.

I also have found recently a lot of people do not know what pastrami is. Pastrami is a popular delicatessen meat usually made from beef and, traditionally in Romania, also from pork and mutton. Like corned beef, pastrami was originally created as a way to preserve meat before modern refrigeration. For pastrami, the raw meat is brined, partly dried, seasoned with various herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed. In the United States, although beef navels are the traditional cut of meat for making pastrami, it is now common to see pastrami made from beef brisket, beef round and turkey. Tasty stuff it is.



White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3. Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Penguins!?!

Aren't these just cute? They are pretty simple too! Impress your next guests!

Cream Cheese Penguins

Ingredients

• 18 jumbo black olives, pitted
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 18 small black olives
• 1 carrot

Directions

1.Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.

2.Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.