Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I was craving this dip and since the Chilis nearby closed I decided to make some at home. I couldn't find a recipe I liked 100% so I adapted Paula Deen's recipe from the Food Network. It was so yummy and made a lot so next time I will probably cut it in half!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used 8oz of cream cheese instead - mayo is yucky!)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used 8oz.)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (I used mozerella cheese)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor.
Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a chafing dish and keep warm over a low flame. Serve with bagel chips.

Amish pumpkin bars

I was in the mood for pumpkin bars today and could not reach my mom by phone to get her recipe. I googled pumpkin bars and found so many recipes online. I eventually decided to make this Amish recipe that I found because I figured you usually can't go wrong with Amish baking.
Loved it! It was just enough pumpkin flavor.

Delicious Pumpkin Bars
These bars are delicious by themselves or even better, topped with the heavenly cream cheese frosting included in this recipe.
BARS:
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. each, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 tsp. each, salt and cloves
1 c. oil
2 c. pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 cup raisins (omitted because I didn't have any)

FROSTING:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 3-ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened (I used 6 oz. fat free cream cheese - I love cream cheese)
1 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees, grease 9x13 baking pan. To make the bars, combine all ingredients except raisins and beat on low until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed and stir in raisins. Pour into greased pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

For frosting, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Frost after cooling and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Pide with yogurt dip

Pide with yogurt dip from Cooking Light

After visiting a Persian restaurant with some friends from that area of the world and loving the food, they made me some beef tongue, prepared in a Persian style. I decided I wanted to try making a traditional Turkish appetizer at home to go along with the beef tongue, which, by the way, was delicious and very tender. I love trying food from different cultures.

Ingredients
Dip: 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1/2 cup minced green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) block
1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

Pide: 8 cups all-purpose flour (about 36 ounces)
2 teaspoons salt
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 1/3 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
Cooking spray
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (these you ususally have to purchase at a Turkisk/Persian market)

Preparation

To prepare dip, combine the first 8 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until blended and smooth. Cover and chill until ready to use.
To prepare pide (PEE-dah), lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add water; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 500°.
Place a 13 x 15-inch baking sheet in oven; heat 10 minutes.
Place egg yolk in a small bowl; set aside. Remove baking sheet from oven; lightly coat with cooking spray. Quickly turn dough out onto preheated baking sheet. Pat or roll dough to edges of pan, being careful not to touch hot pan. Brush dough with egg yolk; sprinkle with nigella seeds.

Bake at 500° for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; release pide from baking sheet with a thin spatula. Place on a wire rack. Using a serrated knife, divide bread by making 4 lengthwise cuts and 3 crosswise cuts to form 20 equal portions. Serve warm or at room temperature with dip.

Yield
20 servings (serving size: 1 piece pide and about 1 1/2 tablespoons dip)
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Nutritional Information
CALORIES 224(14% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 1.9g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.3g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.1g; SODIUM 353mg; PROTEIN 7.3g; FIBER 1.6g
Sabine Zempleni, Lincoln, Nebraska ,
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Cooking Light, JANUARY 2006

Chocolate Chip Cheescake Bars

These are a very sweet, yummy treat and not hard to make.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Cookie Dough Ingredients
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1.5 cups mini chocolate chips

Cheesecake Ingredients
2-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars together. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set aside one third of the dough for the topping. Press the remaining dough into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 min.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Spoon over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of reserved dough over the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Oreo Truffles

These are so yummy! I took them into work at Christmas time and my coworkers ate them faster than the other Christmas goodies I brought.

2 hours 2 hours prep

Ingredients:
1 package regular size Oreo cookies, crushed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package white almond bark
1 package chocolate almond bark

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together. Roll into walnut size balls. Chill for an hour. Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark. Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark. Allow to harden on wax paper. Takes about 15 min. While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark. I just use a sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner to drizzle the almond bark.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

This dip is so yummy and easy to make! It's vey rich and does taste like cookie dough. Daniel is not much for sweets and he even dug into it. I tried it with graham crackers and vanilla wafers and liked it better with the graham crackers. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip (adapted from Recipezaar)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves. (You can also do this in the microwave but watch it closely. The butter/sugar mixture will boil over fast. Stir every 30 seconds or so.)

2. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar for 1 minute.
4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.
7. Garnish with additional chips, if you choose.
Serve with Nilla wafers or graham crackers.
**Note: after refrigerating the dip it will be pretty solid and un-dippable so make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you plan on serving it, so it has time to soften up.

Apples and Cream Pie

I made this for a dessert at Thanksgiving and it was a hit.

Apples and Cream Pie

1/2 cup honey
3 apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Crust:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine honey and lemon juice in large skillet. Add apples and cook until tender.
Combine crust ingredients and press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well and pour over crust. Remove apples from skillet with slotted spoon and arrange on top of filling.
Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over top of apples. Bake at 350 for 50 to 65 minutes until center is set. (Use knife test; insert in center. If it comes out clean, it's done.)