Bacon & Tomato Dip

This is something that I haven't made yet.  I ripped it out of my insurance company's magazine a couple of months ago and want to try it.  The paper keeps sitting on my desk, and honestly, is in my way.  So, I thought I would go ahead and post this recipe just to clean off my desk.  :)  It sounded delicious to me.  Maybe something good to make for a early season tailgate.

Bacon & Tomato Dip

4 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. diced green onion
1/4 c. diced green pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
pepper, to taste
1 c. crispy, crumbled bacon
1 large tomato, diced, seeds and juice discarded

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, cheese, onion, green pepper, garlic and pepper.  Add bacon and tomato and mix thoroughly.  Serve with corn chips.

**I've now made it and it is delicious.

Carmelitas

Well, hello there!  We've spent a couple of months settling in with new baby.  Again, blessed with food from friends and family to keep me out of the kitchen for a VERY long time.  But I had to share this one recipe.  I've had it pinned for a while waiting for the perfect time to make it (which really isn't now for the post baby diet).  However, I've been thinking about it since I watched the Olympic trials in Oregon and saw Carmelita Jeter run.  And then last week, she's certainly been in the spotlight in London...making me think of these dang cookies!  As you can see by looking at her, she probably doesn't eat stuff like this.  But looking at me, I do!  They are incredible!  I followed the exact same recipe that was online, but I actually think it was too much butter.  Well, I also used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet because they are my favorite...just personal preference.  I may try to cut back on the butter and follow the recipe below next time.

Carmelitas

32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. flour
1 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
6 oz. milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.


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Now that I got that out of my system, it is time to get back on track.

Loaded Turkey Potato Skins

I hope you are starting to load up on those fresh fruits and vegetables!  In fact, this morning we went to the farmer's market close to our house and loaded up on some corn, peas, butter beans, blueberries and our first Chilton county peaches of the season before heading to the park.  I haven't been making many new things around here lately.  I have been putting foods up in the freezer at lightning speed in preparation for Baby Pea, but all of those recipes have already been shared.

This is the one new thing I have made recently.  We are a big beef family!  In fact, cattle put shoes on our babies' feet and food on our table.  The Dish Washer is pretty hard to please when it comes to replacing ground beef with turkey, so whatever I make better be good.  I found this recipe on Skinnytaste and changed it up a bit to what we like, using a can of Rotel tomatoes and omitting the corn and black beans.  He definitely said he could eat it again, so I thought I would share to remember the recipe.

Loaded Turkey Potato Skins

Light Corn Salad

Truly, you can't beat this Corn Salad that I make.  It is a hit everywhere we go.  But, honestly, it isn't something we eat everyday because it isn't that healthy.  I choose to make it for large crowds to share.  I found this recipe for a corn salad that is delicious and light!  It will be perfect for using up that fresh corn and those cherry tomatoes this summer.  You won't be disappointed.  It would also be the perfect picnic salad because there isn't any mayo.

Light Corn Salad

4 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut off (or freezer corn equivalent)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 gloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. coarsely chopped green onion
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat.  Add corn to the oil and cook until tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in garlic and cook another minute.  Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar until most of the liquid has cooked out.  Add tomatoes and stir another minute.  Remove from heat and stir in green onions.  Serve warm or make 1 day ahead of time and serve chilled.

Apple Julep

I signed up for Sunday school breakfast this month and decided Mother's day would be a great day to take a few things.  I decided to try my luck again at making another drink since I don't really think the Brunch Punch went over very well with the guys last time.  While this is probably still a "girly" drink, it is less punchy and easier for, at least, my guy to handle.  In addition to this drink, I took Sausage and Egg Casserole and Grape Salad.

Apple Julep

4 c. apple juice
1 c. orange juice
1 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. lemon juice

Mix all juices together and serve well chilled.

Of course, I doubled the recipe to make sure we had enough.

Biscoff Crunch Cookies

I made a special treat this week to send to The Dish Washer's coworkers.  I've had my eye on this one from Picky Palate for a while now.  These cookies are absolutely delicious!  They have crunch from the Biscoff cookies but yet are a soft cookie once baked.  The white chips just send it over the top.  I think these may be my new "go to" cookie.

If you aren't familiar with Biscoff cookies, this is what they look like.

If you've ever flown Delta and had their delicious cookies, THIS is the exact cookie now sold in our local stores!  Woohoo!

Biscoff Crunch Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
20 finely ground Bischoff cookies
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
20 crushed Biscoff cookies (coarsely crushed)
2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.  In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add eggs then vanilla until well combined.  In a large bowl add the flour, ground Biscoff Cookies, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine then slowly add to wet ingredients until just combined. Add coarsely chopped Biscoff cookies and white chips until just combined.With a medium cookies scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies**

**I used a smaller cookie scoop and it made well over 4 dozen cookies!

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I love the time when I can make a meal for a family with a new baby.  I didn't realize how HUGE this blessing was until I had my own baby and was so thankful for not only the food it brought but the company stopping by, even if just for a brief time.  It was so nice to see real, live people still in this world!  This was my second meal this month to take to a new baby's family and it would have been the third if I lived closer to my friend who also just had a new baby.  All three are girls...all I know, other than my own boy due soon, are new baby girls being born!  Tonight's family has two older children, and sometimes coming up with something you think kids might eat can be tricky.  Although, some children eat better than some adults I know, you just never know.  The Bun is a big meat and fruit eater.  We struggle with him considering a french fry the only vegetable in the world, and so I am always looking for ways to sneak in some veggies.  Mix them in a creamy sauce and even he will eat them.  Who wouldn't, right?  (But, really?  Are veggies mixed in with cream and pasta really that healthy for you and worth the trouble of sneaking?)  This recipe I found online had plenty of praise in the comment section about children eating it happily, so I knew I couldn't go wrong.  I think it is delicious, super easy and fast to make, and made the whole house smell so good!

Sorry there is no picture tonight because I was in too big a hurry to get out the door (and even burned their bread a little bit).

Chicken Florentine Pasta

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
4 c. fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 c. cooked and shredded chicken
2 (10 oz.) containers Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Italian cheese and herb (next to cream cheese in the grocery store)
ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. box of bowtie pasta
1-1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well and run under cool water to quit the cooking process.  Meanwhile, in Dutch oven, heat olive oil and cook onion until tender on medium heat.  Add garlic and cook one minute.  Next, add spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken and pepper and stir until warmed through.  Add cooking creme and stir until combined.  Lastly, add bowtie pasta and stir until well combined.  Pour into 9x13 pan and cover with mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly.

**This recipe could be halved easily or you could make the whole recipe and separate into two 8x8 pans and save one for later.  I would cover with cheese and then freeze (covered in foil) before baking.  Thaw completely and bake according to directions.

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I also made the no fail, Honey Bun Cake tonight.  And earlier in the month, I chose to take Chicken, Green Bean and Rice Casserole.  And I even made the Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake that seems to be all the rage on Pinterest these days, but I'll have to make it again to be able to give my opinion of it.  I can say that it smelled great baking!