Charleston Cheese Dip

This is the most amazing dip! The original recipe comes from Trisha Yearwood, and she knew what she was doing when she put this recipe together! How can you go wrong with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and BACON? YUM!

Charleston Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 Ritz Crackers or any buttery cracker, crushed
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

My Variation: I used sharp cheddar cheese and Colby cheese, and then threw in a little shredded Pepper Jack cheese. I did not have any Cayenne pepper, so I used a little Chipotle Seasoning and some black pepper. I also used my freeze dried Green Onions and Chopped Onions from Thrive. I thought about adding some bacon bits to the cheese mixture and then decided not to, but I think that would make it even better! I will definitely do it next time! The thought of that warm bacon mixed in with the cheese...ahhhh...pure heaven! 

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the mayonnaise, cheeses, onions, and spices. Spread this mixture in a small baking dish. (I doubled the recipe and used a 9" x 13: pan, so you might want to try a 8" x 8" dish or a pie pan or something small like that.)

3. Crush your crackers and sprinkle on top of cheese mixture. 

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Then top with the bacon and serve warm with crackers, pita chips, tortilla chips, or whatever sounds good to you. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Yes, this is for real!! The only thing that would make this better is to have brownies in it somewhere! I'm working on that one next.

Ingredients:
Batch of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough (or ready made cookie dough) 
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish (or whatever size you have!) with non-stick baking spray.

2. Take 3/4 of the cookie dough and press it into the pan like a crust. You will want to go about halfway up the sides of the dish with the dough.

3. In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese, eggs and sugar until smooth and well mixed.

4. Pour cream cheese mixture into cookie dough crust.

5. Drop remaining cookie dough in balls or clumps on top of the cream cheese mixture. 

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until the cookie is done and the cream cheese mixture has set. I prefer mine just barely done. I do not like it overcooked. 

7. Let it cool, then place it in refrigerator to chill for a few hours before serving. DELICIOUS!!

Notes:
1. If using prepared cookie dough, you might need 2 large rolls of dough or a tub of it from Sam's Club.

2. Brownies must find their way into this dessert, and then I will have my 3 favorite sweet treats in one heavenly dessert. I was thinking of putting brownie batter blobs on top of the cream cheese mixture instead of the remaining cookie dough. Mmmmm...Let me know if you try it!

Source: This recipe comes from one of the most wonderful, talented teenagers I know: Madilyn Johansen. Thanks for this delicious recipe, and for making it for us!

Ham Delights! A Party Favorite!

These are soooo delicious! I made 2 huge pans of these for a party, and every single one of them were eaten! Definitely a PARTY FAVORITE! And they are are so simple to make!

 

This picture does not even show how yummy they were...once they came out of the oven, they were quickly devoured, and I almost didn't get a picture! Someone laid down their plate to get a drink, and I snapped a quick picture! 

Ingredients: 

1 Pkg of King's Hawaiian King Rolls 

2 sticks melted butter (1 cup)

2 tsp poppy seeds

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 TBSP yellow mustard 

1 TBSP of finely minced onions, or freeze dried onions

a little salt - maybe 1/4 tsp

Ham slices

Swiss cheese slices 

Directions:

1. Open the package of rolls. With a long serrated bread knife, slice the whole pack of rolls in half, so that you have a top and a bottom. Place inside a large casserole dish or put on a cookie sheet.

2. Mix the butter, poppy seeds, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard, onions and salt in a bowl. Spread about half of butter mixture over the bottom part of the rolls. I just pour it on and take the back of a spoon to spread it out edge to edge. Then do the same with the underside of the top half. Reserve a little butter mixture to spread on top of the rolls when finished.

3. Layer ham slices on the bottom. I like at least two layers of ham. Then layer with plenty of Swiss cheese. Place the top of the rolls to make the sandwiches, and spread on any remaining butter.

4. Cover with tin foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls are warmed through and the cheese is melted. Be careful to not burn the bottom of the rolls. 

5. Take out of oven, and slice into separate sandwiches. Better grab one fast before they are all gone!

Notes: I have made these without poppy seeds and less butter before. You can also use cheddar cheese if you would like, and omit the onions if you don't care for those. And I have not found any good substitute for the Worcestershire sauce! Just go buy some! : )

Source: My mother has made these for years!

Quick and Easy BBQ Chicken

This is the most tender, juicy chicken, and it SO EASY!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts (as many as you need to serve your family)
Pepper
BBQ Sauce (your favorite bottled sauce, or homemade)

Directions:
1. Cut up chicken breasts into 3-4 pieces each, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the size you would like each cooked piece to be. (I make sure to trim off any fat.)

2. Put them in a casserole or baking dish. Put pepper on them if desired.

3. Pour on your favorite barbecue sauce. WE LOVE the Kraft Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. I just put on enough barbecue sauce to cover the top of the chicken. Do not add water. Cover with tin foil.

4. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. (Check the center piece and make sure it is not pink! The chicken should be white and have clear juices.) When I am feeding a large crowd and have 2 pans full of chicken in the oven, it will take about an hour to cook through. 

Note:
This can also be done in a crock pot!

Pictures:

Cut up chicken and place in pan.

Pour on your favorite barbecue sauce. We really like Kraft Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Barbecue sauce. 

Spread out the sauce. 

 Cover with tin foil and bake until chicken is done. (About 30 minutes.) Then ENJOY! You will love how it is so tender!

Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll

Yesterday my friend Marcia made this for us, and my family went crazy over it! It is delicious and quite easy to make!

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped ham (approx 8 oz)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and milk. Whisk until smooth. Add flour and salt. Whisk to combine.

3. In larger bowl, gently whisk eggs until blended. Add cream cheese mixture and mix well.

4. Line your pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper is long enough to go over the sides, so the egg mixture cannot run under the parchment paper. She used a "jelly roll pan", which is about 12" x 17". 

5. Pour egg mixture into pan. Bake 30-33 minutes or until omelet is puffy and golden. 

6. While that's cooking, chop ham, shred your cheese if you need to, and slice the green onions. 

7. Remove omelet from the oven, and immediately spread on a thin layer of Dijon mustard. (Optional) It doesn't have to be an even coat. Just spread some around on the omelet. Sprinkle on ham and cheese and onions if you desire (saving a little to garnish the finished omelet roll).

8. Roll up the omelet, removing the parchment as you go. Garnish with cheese, ham and onions. Let sit for 5 minutes or so until the cheese melts. Slice and serve! Delicious!

Notes: I could imagine all kinds of variations with crumbled bacon, ground sausage, different cheeses, sauteed onions and mushrooms, or other veggies. I think I'm doing a veggie bacon omelet roll up this morning!!

The egg mixture has been cooked, and she just sprinkled ham and cheese on it.

Now she is rolling it up, while removing the parchment as she rolls it.

Here is the finished omelet roll. It's so yummy! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Source: My amazing friend Marcia Ennis. I think this recipe was adapted from a Pampered Chef cookbook. 

Easy 100% Whole Wheat Bread

I made many whole wheat bread recipes and almost gave up on ever finding one that was light and soft, until my friend Kelly Wilde shared this one with me. I have never made another whole wheat bread recipe since! It is so light and soft that many people don’t believe it’s 100% whole wheat! Plain ingredients – no tofu or enhancers needed.

Ingredients:
3 cups hot water                                
1 TBS salt                                                    
¼ cup oil                                              
1/3 cup honey
8-9 cups whole wheat flour (I like to use Hard White Wheat, but Hard Red or a mixture is good too!)
2 TBSP yeast
1 egg

Directions:
1. Stir water, salt, oil, honey and yeast together. Add 4 cups whole wheat flour and egg.
Mix in a mixer for 4-5 minutes.You can use a Bosch or Kitchen Aid type of mixer, or just use bowl and wooden spoon. This will be thin like a batter. Mix it well. This will help your bread have a nice texture, and it's easier than kneading it once all the four has been added in.

2. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour. Mix well. Add 2-3 more cups of flour. The dough has enough flour when it is still a little sticky...if using a Bosch, it will pull away from the sides of the bowl and not stick to the sides of the bowl any longer. That's the precise moment when you know you have enough flour added in. Remember that it is better to have a little less flour than too much! Too much flour makes a very stiff and dry bread! Knead or mix 10 minutes. 

3. Preheat oven to 325°.

4. Let the dough rise in the bowl until double. Punch down.  

5. Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and put in pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. (See photots below)

6. Let the dough rise until double in pans. Bake 35 minutes at 325°. 

7. Let the bread sit in pans for 10 minutes after baking. Then take out and let it cool on a bread board or wire rack. Or eat immediately with butter and honey or homemade jam, and you will think you are in heaven. Once the loaf has mostly cooled down, you can bag it and freeze it if desired. It will be good in the freezer for a few months. 

I had just put the dough into the pans.

Now they have risen enough and are ready for the oven.

This is so beautiful to me. But if you let it rise much more than this, it will rise too much and then deflate, and you will have a sunken in bread. You can still eat it, but it will look funny and be a little dense. Still good though. With a little practice, you will learn when when your bread is ready for the oven.

Source: Original recipe came from my amazing friend Kelly Wilde about 20 years ago. : )

Quick and Easy Beef Stew Soup

There's nothing more comforting on cold days that a warm bowl of delicious soup! This is a recipe I make all of the time because it is so fast and easy, especially of you are using canned food or dehydrated or freeze dried food. And you know me, I don't measure anything when I am cooking, and I make abnormally large pots of soup, so this will be a different kind of recipe format...you can make as little or as much as you'd like. I think you will love this soup!!

Here are the ingredients that I throw in a big pot: (Use whatever amount you like. See my notes.)

Water

Beef bouillon cubes or granules

Salt, Pepper

Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (or any kind of tomato product you like to use. I like a quart of home canned plain tomato juice from the garden)

Onions (freshly diced, or dried)

Potatoes, diced

Carrots, cut (fresh or canned)

Barley (optional)

Beef (fresh, canned, or freeze dried)

Directions:

1. I fill the pot with almost as much water as I would like to have soup. Did that make sense? I also add the tomato juice, sauce or crushed tomatoes....whatever tomato product you like. You can also use tomato powder. Turn it on and start it boiling while you get everything else ready to add in.

2. Add some bouillon cubes or granules to taste. And some salt and pepper.

3. Throw in the onion. I always use dried onions. Use as many or as little as you'd like. 

4. Put in your carrots. I grew carrots and canned them, but I also have used store bought canned carrots, or fresh sliced. 

5. Cut up as many potatoes as you would like. I usually think of at least one good sized potato per person and I double it. (I feed teenage boys!)

6. Add the beef. Most of the time I use a few cans of the yummy canned beef from Aldi's. It comes with a gravy, and I add all of it to the soup. You can cut up raw beef and throw it right into the soup. Or you can use freeze dried beef and throw it right into the soup. It turns out great either way.

7. I really love barley. so most of the time I add a little barley to this soup.For my very huge pot of soup, I only add about 1 1/2 cups, so you may want to add about 1/2 cup at the most. Barley absorbs a lot of water, so make sure you have enough water in the soup as the barley cooks. Add more water if needed.

8. Make sure the soup has enough salt while it is cooking. If it doesn't, add more salt or bouillon.

9. Let the soup simmer on medium high until potatoes are done. Serve with crusty bread. YUM!

How To Make Melissa's Yummy Cinnamon Rolls - Photo Tutorial

I originally posted this on my own blog, but wanted to share it here also since so many people are enjoying this recipe! Perfect for Christmas morning, or to take to Christmas parties! I promise they are easy to make, and they are sooooo delicious! 

(I know this picture is obnoxiously large, but I wanted you to be able to get up close and personal with these cinnamon rolls. ha! ha!)


1. Start with the 30 Minute Roll Recipe
Note: This recipe makes about 50 cinnamon rolls! You might want to half the recipe!

Mix and rest 10 minutes:

3 ½ cups warm water                          

¾ cup sugar (OR 1/2 cup honey)

1 cup oil                                                

6 TBSP Yeast (Less yeast may be used, but rising time will be longer)

Add:

1 TBSP Salt                                          

3 eggs (can use egg powder and water)

10 ½ cups flour (wheat flour turns out really light and fluffy)

Mix in mixer or knead. Shape into rolls. Raise 10 minutes. *Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until done. 

2. Here’s How to “Shape into Rolls”

Cut dough in half. Roll out one of the sections into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick (or so!) Spread soft or melted butter over the dough. Spread a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon over the butter. (I use about 4 cups of brown sugar to 3-4 TBSP of cinnamon. I go heavy on the cinnamon and never really measure. I just dump it in until it taste the way I want it to.) Roll up. Cut into 1 inch sections and place on cookie sheet. Let rise for about 10 minutes or so. Repeat with other section of dough, or just make them into dinner rolls.

*I prefer to bake them at 375 degrees until they are starting to lightly brown and dough is done in the middle. Take out of oven and let cool for about 5 minutes or so. Spread on or drizzle on the frosting.

Photo Tutorial:

Start off by shaping the dough roughly into a rectangle.

Roll out the dough about 1/4" thick. This will take practice.

Spread soft or melted butter over dough. 

Put cinnamon sugar on the dough.

Spread it out smoothly - feel free to use your hands.

Roll up the dough.

Cut into 1 inch slices.

Place them neatly on a cookie sheet and let them rise. This is a "jelly roll pan", which is half of a sheet cake. You can put them on smaller pans that just hold 12 cinnamon rolls.

Bake them in the oven and look how beautiful they are!

Oh. My. Yumminess!

Spread on your cream cheese frosting. (Recipe below)

I wish you could smell these and taste them! Make some! YUM!!!! 

3. Here’s How to Make the Frosting

Okay, I have to admit that I never measure! But here is an estimate….Soften about 8 oz of cream cheese and 3 tablespoon of butter in a large plastic bowl. Add 3-4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a few (maybe 4??) tablespoons of milk. Mix with hand mixer…you may need to add more milk or powdered sugar to get the right consistency you like. I like it kinda thin like a cake batter, not thick like cake icing.

4. Enjoy!

Eat immediately with a glass of milk and enjoy! They are good for a few days, but you will want to warm them up for about 8 seconds in the microwave!

Pumpkin Bars

This is such a moist and delicious cake! Every time I make it for church or family activities, it is eaten down to the very last crumb! 

Ingredients:

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs 

1 tsp baking soda 

2 cups flour   

½ tsp salt   

2 tsp baking powder                               

2 tsp cinnamon                                    

2 cups canned pumpkin

Directions:

1. With wire whisk or electric beater, blend together oil, sugar and eggs until creamy. 

2. Combine baking soda, flour, salt, and baking powder. Then add to creamy mixture. Add cinnamon and pumpkin. Stir until well mixed. 

3. Pour into jelly roll pan. (Or two 9x13 casserole dishes.) 

4. Bake 350° for 25-30 minutes, making sure center is done. Let cake cool before frosting.

Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese               

6 TBSP butter                       

1 tsp milk

1 tsp vanilla                          

2 cups powdered sugar       

dash of salt

Cream together and spread on cooled cake. ENJOY!!

3 Layer Ice Cream Cake

This is the most awesome ice cream cake, and it's so easy to make! You have to try this!

Ingredients:
1 pack of Oreos
3 quarts of your favorite ice cream
1 box ice cream sandwiches - keep in freezer until ready to use
Cool Whip

Instructions:
1. You will need a springform pan. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut strips of wax paper to line the pan. The spray will help the wax paper stick to the pan.

2.. Put about half of the Oreos in a blender and blend to make fine crumbs, or small chunks, whichever you prefer. (You can also put the Oreos in a bowl or zip lock bag and crush with a wooden mallet. Sometimes I use the bottom of a drinking glass and gently tap to break the cookies into small pieces.) Save a tablespoon of crumbs or chunks to sprinkle on top of the final layer. Add a little water to your crushed Oreos so that they stick together a bit and you can press them into the bottom of your springform pan. I used a little too much water by accident and made almost an Oreo brownie. : )  It was good, but I prefer the bottom more crumbly instead of gooey.

3. Cut several ice cream sandwiches into 4ths like the picture shows. You will need enough to line the whole pan. That will depend on the size of your springform pan. I used about 8 ice cream sandwiches for mine. I personally like the WalMart brand better than some of the name brands I have tried.They have a good shape and texture for this. It's a messy job, so be prepared to ruin a few and eat them.

4. Line the pan with the pieces of ice cream sandwich. Make sure the outside rounded edge of the icecream sandwich is facing up and against the pan. This will be what everyone sees when you take off the springform pan, so try to make it pretty.

5. Scoop out about 3/4 of the ice cream for your first layer and put into a bowl. The whole quart would be too much. If you have a smaller springform pan, then maybe half of it would do...I have bought the fancy pints of ice cream for making these in a smaller springform pan. Stir the ice cream until soft and smooth. We have been known to add chunks of brownie, nuts, huge Oreo chunks, or whatever we are craving in each layer! Yum! Pour into pan. You may want to put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes or so to let that layer get firm. if you don't, your layers will not be straight.

6. Repeat step 5 for the 2nd layer.

7. Repeat step 5 for the 3rd layer. 

8. Spread Cool Whip over the top. Try to make it look pretty. I make little peaks on mine by using the back of the spoon. I can't explain that...just try to make it look pretty. : )

 9. Sprinkle some Oreo crumbs on the top. This is as creative as I get, but I'm sure you could add some special touches to make it look really pretty. 

10. Put it in the freezer and let it freeze hard for 24 hours. Every time I have made it in the morning and tried to serve it that night, it was not frozen enough and it was more of a blob than beautiful layers. Take out of freezer and remove the outside of the springform pan and the wax paper. Cut and serve! Everyone will love it! : )

Notes: 

1. I did not freeze each layer before I added the next because I was trying to hurry, and I ended up with waves of color and not exact layers. (See picture below.) No one cared though and we ate every last bite of this! 

2. My favorite one I have made had pink, white and green layers. The colors were beautiful with the Oreo bottom and the Cool Whip topping. I used a strawberry ice cream, but the ice cream was white, so we added a drop or two of red food coloring to make it pink. Then we used a vanilla bean vanilla ice cream for the middle. For the 3rd layer, we used a mint chocolate chip ice cream, but the ice cream was white, so we added a few drops of green food coloring. It was stunning and the flavors were amazing!

3. Feel free to add cookie pieces, brownie chunks, nuts, mini marshmallows, or whatever you like in your ice cream! 

Brown Sugar Muffins

My children ask for these muffins more than any other I make! They are DELICIOUS! 

Ingredients: 

½ cup oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg (I have used powdered eggs and it turns out great! 1 TBSP Egg Powder plus 2 TBSP water)

2 cups flour (we think whole wheat flour taste the best in this recipe, but white flour is good too)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk (you can stir in a few TBSP milk powder with the flour and then add 1 cup water)

1 tsp baking soda

Instructions:

1. Stir oil, egg, vanilla, milk and brown sugar together in a bowl. 

2. Then stir in dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda.) 

3. Spray muffin tins with non stick spray or use cupcake liners. Fill 12 muffin cups with the batter.

4, Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until center of muffin is done. Better grab one, because they disappear quickly!

Notes: The food storage substitutions turn out really well. And the whole wheat flour gives it a great texture and density that we all love. My family does not love it when I make oatmeal for breakfast, but when I have brown sugar muffins to go with it, they do not complain!

Source: Original recipe from my sister-in-law Margo Coombs

Mini German Pancakes

My friend Jillian Ennis (soon to be Jillian Mendez in 26 days!) made these scrumptious Mini German Pancakes for us yesterday! They were DELICIOUS! You can top them with any kind of fruit, powdered sugar, syrup, cinnamon sugar, lemon sauce, or whatever your heart desires!

Mini German Pancakes

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or spray muffin tins well.

2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Or you could whirl it in a blender for a few seconds until smooth. 

3. Fill baking cups with the batter almost full if you want them to puff up high like the picture below. (Makes 12-18 depending on how high you fill the muffin cups.)

4. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. They will puff up really high while baking, and then deflate a bit as they are cooling.

5. You can fill with fruit topping or a lemon sauce, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or use cinnamon sugar and maple syrup, whipped cream, or whatever sounds good to you! 

This one came out with a heart in the middle! How sweet!