Basil Goat Cheese Sliders

I love hamburgers, I seriously think I always will. I have never met a hamburger I didn't like....Well, I guess that is not true since some of the fast food joints have some pretty nasty burgers.....anyway......Sliders seem to be the big deal these days, which totally cracks me up because I remember being a kid and eating Burger Bundles from Burger King, I think you could get 6 little burgers all together or 3.......HA! This recipe is probably one of my favs simple yet different burger.....I LOVE Goat Cheese.....we use it a lot in wraps, pasta, stuff in burgers or chicken, and on crackers......I am sure there are more condiments and toppings you could have on this but I try to keep my sliders as simple as I can....these can be served on small dinner rolls or mini buns too........I just love chewy, dense, and sturdy bread which is why I use ciabatta......I am not a big fan of my bun falling apart......as usual the meat mixture can be adjusted to your tastes....

Makes: 6-8 mini burgers depending on your size

1lb Hamburger

1-2 T Fresh Basil, chopped

1 T Sweet Onions, minced

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1-2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Garlic Salt, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Ciabatta Bread/Rolls, Cut to the size of your burger (We toast our on the grill)

Goat Cheese, sliced

Toppings:

Basil Mayo

Arugula

Campari Tomatoes (or Romas), sliced

Preheat your BBQ Grill. Gently mix hamburger, basil, onions, garlic, Worcestershire, Garlic Salt, Salt & Pepper. Form into mini patties, gently pressing in the middle so your patties will stay more flat. Grill to your desired tastes, in the last 2-3 min of cooking add on a slice of goat cheese to warm it up. Serve on ciabatta rolls with Basil Mayo, Arugula & Tomatoes....

Super Simple Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We love to try new recipes and as with most of the recipes I make I always make changes to improve on what is there.....This was the first time I have made lettuce wraps and I know it will not be the last....This recipe is a great base recipe that I know I will be evolving on as I continue to experiment, I am thinking some rice wine vinegar would be a good addition and maybe some sesame oil or chili oil and possibly some garlic.....But we liked this as it too.....So wrap it up and enjoy!

Serves: 4-5

1/2 C Hoisin sauce

1/4 C Crunchy or Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 C Miracle Whip or Mayo

1-2 Squirts Sriracha Sauce

¼ t Red Pepper Flakes

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1T Vegetable oil

Salt & Pepper

1 bunch Green Onions, finely chopped

1 head Boston Bibb lettuce, washed, dried & separated

Carrot sticks, very thinly sliced

Celery sticks, very thinly sliced

Cucumber, seeded & very thinly sliced

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Set aside. Heat oil over medium high heat and add in turkey. Season with salt & pepper and brown until cook through, stir in onions and saute for 1 min. Reduce to medium and stir in sauce continue cooking for 5 minutes, stir frequently. Fill lettuce with meat and veggies. Enjoy!

Easy Apple Dip

So I went to a baby shower not too long ago and there were apples with homemade caramel dip. It was really good and I have no idea how they made it. So I was talking one of my friends and she was telling me about a homemade dip with cream cheese and brown sugar....I was intrigued as I love caramel dip and apples, so off to the Internet I went. Man there are tons of recipes out there for caramel dip, but I really wanted something simple and easy.....So here goes, this was super good and approved by all 3 of my girls! I suppose you could use less sugar and I may try that next time.....

Makes: Big Bowl Full

1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 C Brown Sugar, I always used the dark brown one

1/4 C Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Mix Cream Cheese. Add in sugars and mix well. Stir in vanilla. Serve with you favorite apples, we like Granny's, Gala's and Fuji's......Store in the refrigerator.

Sausage Dip

So the fall for us brings "Snack Saturday".......We love to eat finger foods and snacks all day while enjoying College Football....This is one of our staples.....I will warn you it is not healthy but it sure is good....I suppose most food is like that....Anyway the best thing about this dip is it is so versatile, you can change the tomatoes and the chips to tortiall or crostini....to a totally mix it up.....

Makes: A bowl full!

1 lb Ground Hot Sausage

1 14.5-15oz can of Italian Style Tomatoes (Or like I said, any of your favorite)

1 8oz package of Cream Cheese

1 BIG Bag of Stacy's Pita Chips, Simply Naked Flavor (I buy a huge bag at Costco)

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, brown up the sausage and drain off the grease. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, reduce heat. Cook until melted completely and hot throughout. Serve with Pita Chips....

My Dad's Meatballs

So my dad is an awesome cook.....I grew up eating some amazingly good food. His mom was French and that might just say it all and I believe I get my passion for cooking from him and her.....I still have cravings for those childhood favorites...."Can I get some Honey with my Dinner Roll".....But getting recipes to paper from my dad isn't always easy....and here is why, he is a natural.....he just knows the right amounts and goes with it....I too have become some what like that, I think all cooks are like that for the most part.....This is probably why I would rather cook then bake......Now why do I bring this all up now....'cause the recipe I am about to post has a few ingredients I have put the measurements as eyeball.....So good luck....These meatballs can be used in any recipe calling for them....we predominately use them in Spaghetti, my all time childhood favorite meal!.....But I have also used them in the Traditional Cocktail Meatball Recipe, you know the one with Jelly and Chile Sauce and they were great....This make a bunch, so I usually will bake them off and freeze them. Then you are all set for when you need them.....

Makes: A Hefty Amount

3 lbs Ground Beef

2 lbs Hot Sausage (Jimmy Dean or similar)

1/3-1/2 C Bread Crumbs

1/3-1/2 C Milk (equal to bread crumbs)

2 Eggs

Minced Onions, eyeball

Red Pepper Flakes, eyeball

Garlic Salt, eyeball

Salt & Pepper, eyeball

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Roll out in to the meatball size of your liking. Bake for 18-20 min.

Homemade Garlic Bread

I LOVE bread.....especially crunchy rustic breads. I grew up eating the store bought aluminum foil garlic bread, which isn't that bad but I find that is has a tendency to have too much butter and is never crispy enough for me.....So it was high time I made my own.....This was my first attempt and I loved it. I even saved the leftovers in the fridge and reheated in the oven the next day......Anyway this was big hit with all the family.....this could easily be used as a side dish to grilled food or an appetizer with marinara.......

Serves: 6

1/4 C Butter, softened

1-2 T Mayonnaise

3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Dried Basil

1/4-1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/3 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 loaf Rustic Bread or French Bread, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven broiler. In a medium bowl combine butter, mayonnaise, garlic, oregano, basil, and pepper. Spread mixture evenly between the two halves. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Broil for 5 min or until toasted to your liking. Slice and Serve.

Tomato Basil Marinated Shrimp

So my husband loves shrimp.....His favorite way to have it is Grilled and we use many different marinades.....Probably a favorite it Cilantro Lime Marinated Shrimp but we created this one with items from our pantry.....It turned out really good and we really enjoyed it. The girls even liked it.....and they can be picky eaters, but I must admit it was their first time having shrimp.....glad we will be able to eat it more often......Think grilled shrimp cocktail......

Serves: 6

4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Chili Sauce or Tomato sauce
2-3 T Red Wine Vinegar
2 T Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 lbs Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Skewers (if using bamboo be sure to soak for 20 min or more)

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, basil, cayenne pepper. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

I love tomatoes......I mean LOVE them.....I even have a few plants in the backyard growing like weeds....I can not wait to taste the fruit from them. Anyway, I also love bread and put them together and I am in La La Land......I developed this recipe when Shawn and I were living in Boston, grilling on our tiny tiny Weber BBQ, we were pretty new at using briquetts as they were always hotter when we were done cooking.....but I can proudly say we rock with briquetts these days.....We actually use the all natural hard wood ones.....they burn hotter and last longer and we like that they are natural.....Ok, so on with the recipe.....Easy, Simple and Good.....

Serves: 6 or more

1 Loaf Rustic Bread or Baguette, sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled & halved

4-5 Roma Tomatoes, diced

2-3 T Red Onion, finely diced

5-6 Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (rolled & cut in strips)

2-3 T Red Wine Vinegar, to taste (sometimes I use more & you could use Balsamic instead)

Splash Olive Oil (I just swirl a bit around the bowl)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Goat Cheese, optional (we love it, so we spread on before tomato)

In a bowl stir together tomatoes, onion, basil, vinegar, oil and salt & pepper, set aside. Rub Garlic on all break slices. Grill bread, turning once, until lightly toasted with grill marks. Platter up and serve with goat cheese and tomato topping....

Puppy Chow

Ok, So I have had this unopened jar of Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter in my pantry for awhile, I think we traveled with it down here when we moved.....Well, I am an All-Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Gal......Yes, I keep my PB in the Fridge......it's what we all eat and we all like (including the kids)....and to me it taste way better then the keep-in-the-pantry PB, which, to me taste as though it has a ton of sugar in it........So I have been trying to figure out what to do with the one in my pantry that also contains the evil Partially-Hydrogenated Oil....Well, I decided what the heck I will cook with it.....So the one recipe that came to mind was something I grew up eating and I figured it was a good time to introduce this favorite of mine to my kids (in small amounts, of course)......and now it looks as if my girls too LOVE Puppy Chow......It's just all around goodness.....Beware, it is addicting....and next thing you know, it's all gone.....

Makes: A whole lot (But goes fast)

1/2 C Butter
1 C Creamy Peanut Butter
2 C Chocolate Chips
1 (17.5 ounce) package Crispix Cereal
1 lb (box) Confectioners' Sugar

Melt the peanut butter with the butter and chocolate chips. Place cereal in large bowl and pour the sauce over the cereal and toss until well coated.

Place the coated cereal in a large paper sack then add the confectioners' sugar, fold down the top of the bag and shake to coat.

Eat and Enjoy!!

Chicken Gorditas Tex-Mex Style

Ok, my love affair with Mexican and Tex Mex has caused me to love to eat and make Gorditas....My favorite place to get them is down in Historic Market Square from one of the street vendors.....Pretty hard to pass up a $3.00 meal!.....Goes perfectly with the beer you can drink while shopping there.....they keep it simple downtown, meat or beans, cheese, lettuce and Guacamole.....and of course hot sauce on the side......Well it inspired me to surf through some of my Mexican Cookbooks to find a traditional gordita recipe.....The filling I made up on my own and still may need some tweaking.....but for a first run at it.....it turned out pretty good....I am posting it so I won't forget what I did.....We have had these twice now and I just love them.....the corn taste is so good....I Love "Little Fat Ones".....

Chicken Filling: Makes enough for a few meals

2 lbs of Boneless Chicken Meat (I used a combo of Thighs and Breasts)

1 14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes w/Zesty Jalapenos

1 Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Jalapeno, Finely Chopped

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Juice of 1 Lime

1-2 tsp Cumin

1-2 tsp Chile Powder

1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

Salt & Pepper

Put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Chicken is ready when it easily shreds and falls apart. Once ready shred meat in crock pot. It will be juicy, so use tongs to serve in gorditas, tacos, enchiladas or burritos.

GORDITAS: Makes 10 small/med pockets

1 3/4 C Masa Harina (Instant Corn Masa Flour)

1 C + 2 T Warm Water

1/3 C All Purpose Flour

1 scant teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Salt

Garnishes

Cheese

Cilantro, chopped

Lettuce/Cabbage, mixed or your favorite

Guacamole

Hot Sauce or Salsa

Lime Wedges

Making the Dough

Mix masa with the warm water. Knead the masa to make it soft cookie dough consistency, adding more water if needed. (I usually add 1-2 tablespoons more) Knead in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough into 10 portions and roll into balls. Cover with plastic to keep moist and to keep from drying out.

Heat a non stick oil rubbed griddle or pan over medium heat.

The next step is flattening out. If you have a tortilla press (I do not) it works best because it gives the most even disks, be sure to line with plastic on both sides. Gently Press a ball of dough to 4 inch diameter and it should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you do not have a tortilla press here is another easy way to do it. Place a piece of plastic (plastic wrap or plastic cut from a plastic storage bad) on the counter. Wrap a flat bottom dinner plate with plastic, place 1 ball of dough on the plastic wrap and place wrapped dinner plate on top of dough ball. Gently and evenly press ball flat to about 4 inch diameter and 1/4 inch thick. My dinner plates actually have a 1/4 inch lip and 5 inch diameter on the bottom so it works perfectly. Place flattened gordita on griddle and cook for 1 1/2 min and then flip and cook another 1 1/2 min. The gordita will be lightly browned but still uncooked. Remove to a plate and continue pressing and griddle cooking the remaining gorditas. Finished product should look like this:

Finishing the Gorditas

In a deep heavy skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 inch oil over medium to medium high heat until oil is hot enough to make the edge of a gordita sizzle sharply (about 350 degrees). One by one fry gorditas turning them after 15 seconds nicely crisp but not hard. The total fry time should not be longer then 45 seconds. When they are ready most will have puffed up a little like pita bread. Drain on paper towels.

Once they are all fried use a small knife to cut a slit in the edge of each one about halfway around its circumference, making a pocket. Fill with about 1/4 cup of chicken and garnish with your favorites.

Capt-n-Crunch Chicken w/ Creole Mustard Sauce

I just love this recipe.....it is definitely one of my favorite not so great for you snacks...basically because it is fried. I suppose you could bake it but its so quick to fry up. Anyway if anyone has eaten or use to eat at Planet Hollywood (most seemed to be closed these days) this recipe is very similar to their Captain Crunch appetizer.....I first made this for the Twins 2nd birthday and it has been a hit every since.....both girls love it....one of our family favorites for Snack Saturday's......

9/22/08: Ok, so I am updating this, I just took chicken tenders, breaded them and cooked them in the oven @ 425 degrees for 12-13 min, or until done. They turned out great, the only change from the recipe below is I added a little bit of salt to the flour breading. I will tell you they are not as crispy but still really good. I will probably use this way in the future as we are trying to cut down on the frying.....Plus the girls really like the strips...I think Kiara ate 3-4 tenders....I have included a pic of the baked ones...

Serves: 6

4 C Captain Crunch Cereal

3 C Corn Flakes

1 Egg

1 C Milk

1 C Flour

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Pepper (Lil Salt if baking in oven)

6 Chicken Breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces

Vegetable Oil, for frying

Coarsely grind or crush the two cereals together and set aside. Beat the egg with milk and set aside. Stir together flour, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Dip cut up chicken pieces into the seasoned flour. Coat well and the shake off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture, coating well and then dip into the cereal mixture coating well. Heat oil in a large heavy pan (or deep fryer) to 325 degrees. Drop coated chicken pieces into the oil and cook until golden brown and fully cooked, 3-5 min depending on size. Drain on paper towels (I season with a little salt) and serve with Creole Mustard Sauce.

Creole Mustard Sauce :

1 C Mayonnaise

1/4 C Natural Stone Ground Mustard (Whole Mustard)

1 T Yellow Mustard or Spicy Brown Mustard

1 T Horseradish

1/2 tsp Cider Vinegar

1 Dash Worcestershire

1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Water

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (can use less if you want)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 T Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 T Crushed Garlic Packed in oil (or you can mince fresh with a dab of oil and salt)

1 tsp Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp Celery, finely chopped

1 tsp Onion, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. I like to chill mustard sauce about 2 hours before serving.

Best Bran Muffins

I am not a muffin eater I usually prefer croissants, breads, brownies, and sconces......but there are two muffin recipes that I absolutely love, these bran muffins and blueberry corn muffins (recipe to be posted at later date).....These bran muffins are the best.....the are so good and moist......not too sweet....and just all around are yummy......this recipe makes about 2 dozen....it is an easy recipe to double.....which is nice since you can leave the batter in the fridge for a few weeks and bake as many as needed at a time.....

Makes: About 2 dozen

1 C Boiling Water

2 C Kellogg's All Bran

1 C General Mills Fiber One Bran

2 C Buttermilk

1/2 C Shortening

1 1/2 C Sugar

2 Eggs

2 1/2 C Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Mix the two cereals in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the top. Stir in the buttermilk and set aside. In a large bowl cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add cooled cereal to the sugar mixture and stir. Stir in flour, soda and salt until dampened. Do not over stir. Bake as many as desired @ 375 Degrees for 15 min. Spread with butter if you desire and Enjoy!

Party Flank Sandwiches

We love sandwiches in this house....from Panini's, to toasted cheese, to oven baked....you name them we eat them...here is a twist on a steak sandwich........you can cook it all up and put it in 1 giant loaf of Rustic Bread and slice or you can buy demi loafs and serve the sandwich individually....I usually make 1 big loaf but since I was at Costco I actually picked up some rustic bread that were individual size which it the picture you will see.........I just love crusty rustic bread sandwiches.....

Makes: 1 Large Sandwich or 4-5 Individual Ones

1.5 lbs Flank Steak

Favorite Steak Seasoning

1-2 T Olive Oil (I use garlic flavored)

1 Large Sweet Onion, thinly slices

Salt & Pepper

1 Bell Pepper, thinly sliced (Red, Orange, or Yellow....what ever looks the freshest)

3-4 cloves garlic

1 T Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Hot Sauce

1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 T Flour

1 C Beef Stock or broth

1 Lg Loaf Rustic Crusty Bread (or small individual loafs)

10-12 Slices Provolone Cheese

Prepare bread: Slice bread in 1/2 lengthwise, scoop out some of the middle on the top side or both if you like. Toast loaf at 375 degrees for 5-7 min. Set aside.

Season Steak with steak seasoning and Grill for 5-6 min per side for med-rare, cook longer if you want it cooked more. Pull off and let rest.

While steak is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan over med heat add onions, salt & pepper. Cook for 7 min add in garlic, peppers, mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Cook for another 4-5 min, add in flour stir and cook for 1 min. Add Beef stock and simmer until nice and thick. After Steak has rested slice and add to pepper/onion mixture and stir well.

Layer cheese on both sides of the bread and scoop meat mixture on to the cheese and close sandwich. Cook in oven @ 375 until cheese melts about 5-7 min. Slice into wedges & serve....

Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip

One of my favorite party dips to make beside Jalapeno Crab Dip (to be posted at a later date)...There are so many variations to this dip so feel free to experiment with this one. I still experiment with it, I actually just made it the other day and added a tablespoon of the marinate from the marinated artichokes...it added a little zing.....but the trick is making sure you get good quality marinated artichokes with a flavor you like, if you do not like the marinated artichokes they do have canned ones and ones w/o marinade....This recipe makes and 8x8 pan for a crowd....1/2 the recipe for a smaller group.....it also can be lightened up by using low fat cream cheese and low fat mayo.....Serve with your favorite bread or crackers......

Makes 8x8 glass pan

2 8oz Pk Cream Cheese, softened at room temp

2 Small Jars Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained & chopped (can stir in 1-2 T of the marinate)

1 10oz package of Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed, drained & squeezed

3/4-1 C of Mayo

1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

1 Lemon, juiced

1 C+ Parmesan Cheese or Parmesan Cheese Blend (Asiago/Parm/Romano), shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat Cream Cheese and Mayo together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into dish, top with extra parm cheese if you like and bake for 25-30 min until hot throughout. Serve with your favorite fresh bread, toasted bread, crackers or tortilla chips.....

Holiday Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Here is a sweet and sour recipe for meatballs that I made when the twins turned two. They love them, their uncle Joel loves them.....its a different recipe then the usual chili sauce and grape jelly (although those are good too)...I usually serve as appetizer but you can thicken the sauce and serve over rice.....You can make your own meatballs, use your favorite recipe or create one....I actually use pre-made frozen meatballs from Costco....I know totally lazy....maybe someday I will use my Dad's spicy meatballs for this recipe.....

2 lbs of Frozen Meatballs
1 20oz can Pineapple Chunks, drained w/juice reserved
1/3 C Water
3 T White Vinegar
1 T Soy Sauce
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Johnny's Seasoning Salt
1 Carrot, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped (you can use Red/Orange/Yellow too)

Make sauce in the crock pot by adding in Reserved Pineapple juice with enough water added to make 1 cup, 1/3 C water, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar, and ginger and stir. (if you want a thicker sauce add in some cornstarch) Add in pineapple, carrots, bell peppers and meatballs. Stir and turn crock pot on high for 4-6 hours until bubbly and meatballs are hot through. Serve as a snack at a party or thicken the sauce and serve over rice.....

Black Olive Dip

So I have been eating this recipe since I was a kid. I love it. Its is my turn to recipe for pot lucks and work parties. Its easy and quick and good. Not too good for you but what good food is these days. I love to serve this with sourdough bread, but your favorite bread will do......

1 1/2 C Mayo

1 1/2 C Sour Cream

2 Tablespoons Onion, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons Johnny's Seasoning Salt

2 teaspoons Fresh Dill, chopped

2 small cans chopped Olives

Mix all ingredients together and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. I prefer to let it sit overnight. Serve with fresh sliced bread or crackers.

Fresh Salsa

Ok....So I love Tortilla Chips and Salsa! I have enjoyed making salsa from scratch for a few years and I learned how buy reading the ingredients of one of my favorite fresh salsas. So here is a base recipe and no I don't have exact amounts because I believe that salsa making lies in the taste of the maker.......Nana Anna, Sindy and I made this particular recipe today and boy was it tasty......Roasted Corn would be a good addition to this base....Like I always say get creative as I know we all have different tastes....

Assorted Tomatoes, Diced and slightly drained (I usually use a combo of regular vine ripened, roma's, romanitas, cherry, grape, pear....so use your favorites)

Assorted Peppers, Finely Diced and ranging in heat (Jalapenos, Anaheim, Banana, and so many more, we get them at the Farmers Market and there are at least 30 or so varieties, have fun!)

Walla Walla Sweet Onion, Finely Diced

Cilantro, Finely Chopped

Fresh Lime Juice, to taste

Apple Cider Vinegar, small amount to taste

Cumin, to taste

Tomato Paste, to taste and slightly thicken

Hot Sauce, to taste (I use Tapatio)

Chipotle Tabasco, to taste

Salt & Pepper

Mix Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, and Cilantro in a bowl. Season to taste with Lime Juice, Vinegar, Cumin, Tomato Paste , Salt & Pepper, taste by using a tortilla chip....for us its usually not hot enough and that is when we add the Tapatio Hot Sauce and Chipotle Tabasco....Mix and taste, re season until you get your salsa to your liking.....Serve with Chips or use in your Mexican Recipes.....

Sweet Sixteen Bean Dip

This dip came about watching March Madness last year....as you can see we love College Sports in our house. We were watching the Cougs play Vandy last March and we were hoping the Cougs would make it to the Sweet Sixteen.....but we all know the outcome....Anyway I threw together a bunch on ingredients that I had in the pantry and fridge and it turned out pretty good.......I feel its always good to have a few chip and bean dip recipes....

1 16oz Can Refried Beans

1 8 0z Package Cream Cheese, room temp

1 14.5 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes, drained

1/4-1/2 C Nacho Style Jalapenos (depends on how spicy you want it)

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning

Hot Sauce to taste, I use Tapatio

2 C Mexican Cheese (Blend of Cheddar and Pepper jack)

Mix all ingredients except 1 Cup of the shredded cheese in a bowl and then pour into an 8x8 baking dish or a similar size. Top with the remaining cup of cheese...more if you like. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min, until cheese is melted and dip is hot all the way through. Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Chile Con Queso

One of my family's favorite party time dips. We love to enjoy this one during College Football Season and after watching College Football Live last night on ESPN I was inspired to blog about a few snack/appetizer recipes. This one is super easy.....and can be easily altered to accommodate tastes and heat.

3 15oz Cans Chile w/No Beans
1 7oz Can Diced Green Chilies (or Jalapenos if you like it spicy)
1 Bunch of Green Onions, Chopped

16 oz of Velveeta Cheese, Cubed

3+ Dashes of Tabasco (or your favorite hot sauce)

Combine all ingredients into a crock pot put the lid on. Turn on high and let cook until cheese it totally melted and dip is hot and bubbly, stirring occasionally. It usually take about and 1 and 1/2 hours or so. You can serve it two ways......pour over a pile of tortilla chips or serve in a bowl along side a bag of tortilla chips. If you don't have a crock pot you can do this on the stove as well on a med to med-low heat.