Dessert Cheese ball

Ok, I couldn't find this recipe on the blog, which was shocking to me since we have been enjoying it for a long time...
Did I miss it?

Dessert Cheese ball

Cream until fluffy
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter (not marg)
1/4 tsp vanilla

Gradually add while beating
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tb packed brown sugar

Stir in
3/4 c mini chocolate chipps

Roll in chopped pecans (I forget to buy these pretty regularly)  or something else...or nothing

Serve with graham crackers or nilla wafers

Hot Spice Punch

24 oz Hawaiian punch (three cups) (has to be the red kind)

1/2 container of frozen orange juice concentration

1/2 concentrate can (from the OJ) of lemon juice (which is about 3/4 cups)

1/2 gal water (8 cups)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

Bring it to a boil and then simmer it for 15-30 minutes.  Serve hot or cold.

Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup toffee bits

Instructions

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
3. Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
12 oz frozen or fresh cranberries (use frozen for Sara's sake)
4-5 green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
2 cream cheeses
wheat thins

Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely shopped. Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped.  Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness

When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9 inch pie dish.  Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving.  Serve with wheat thins

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is from the Our Best Bites book.  

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef

2 tbs dehydrated onions

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Sauce

3/4 c packed brown sugar

3 tbs flour

1 1/2 c water or pineapple juice

1/4 c white vinegar

3 tbs soy sauce

Combine meatball ingredients and shape into 1 inch balls.  Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Place under the broiler in your oven for 5-7 minutes or until the meatballs begin to brown. 

In a large saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil.  Add the meatballs and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often 

Little Smokies

Buy little smokies

Put in a crockpot with 1 cup grape jelly and a 12 oz container of chili sauce.  

Warm up

Stuffed Mushrooms

I realized that some of our traditional New Year's Eve stuff wasn't up here and thought I would change that.  This is adapted from the Lion House Cookbook

50 medium sized fresh mushrooms
1 lb italian sausage
1 package 8 oz cream cheese
3 tbs fresh parsley
3/4 tsp garlic powder
shredded mozzarella

Wash and remove stems from mushrooms
Cook sausage
Mix in cream cheese, parsley and garlic powder
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil
Stuff mixture in mushrooms
Put cheese on top of stuffed mushrooms
Cook at 400 for about 30 minutes

Cheesy Pepper Dip

This is an awesome warm dip.  I am a huge fan! 


From: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/cheesy-roasted-red-pepper-dip/


Ingredients
7 oz jar of roasted red peppers (about 1 cup)
4 cups grated pepper jack cheese
8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cups mayo
2 T minced onion
3 cloves garlic
1 T dijion mustard


Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don’t add moisture to the dip. Then dice ‘em up.


In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese and the diced peppers. Place in an 8×8-ish dish (pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you’re going to cook it later and you can even make it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the dish. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 min.


I tagged this as a New Years Eve appetizer.  Its not, but I figure if anyone wants to search for good dips, it fits into that category :)

Fiesta Dip

I think we originally got this one from the Lion House cookbook, but I can't remember.  Danielle and I love this one and every year we decide we need it for New Years Eve even when we are out voted (yay go us).  I also like to eat it for dinner.

Cook 1 lb of italian sausage, drain out the grease.  Add two cream cheeses and two cans of rotel, mix well.  Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

So this is one of my most favorite things in the world, and now that we tried it for New Years Eve, I think everyone sees the wonder that it is :)

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/02/jalapeno-popper-dip/

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light works great)

1 c. mayonnaise (light also works here, but DON’T use Miracle Whip!)

1 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 4-oz. can fire roasted green chilies

1/2-1 4-oz. can diced jalapeno peppers*, drained
optional: 8oz bacon, cooked and crumbled

1-2 sourdough baguettes, sliced, and/or crackers

*1/2 can is mild with a little bite, a whole can is definitely on the spicy side, but if you’ve got taste buds of steel, you might prefer a 7-oz. can. 4 ounces definitely pushes the limit for my husband and I and our kids won’t touch it.

Preheat oven to 350. If using bacon, reserve 2-3 Tbs and sprinkle on top of dip before baking.  Combine cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, and garlic and stir until smooth.  Add jalapenons and green chilies.  If using bacon, stir in remaining bacon.  Spread dip into a 9″ pie plate or a small baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining bacon if using.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.

I really like it on sour dough bread that I have toasted, but we also learned that it is good on baguettes.  

Tostada Dip (I am not calling it 7 layer dip because there is not 7 layers)

Tostado Dip/7 Layer Dip

1st layer-1 can refried beans mixed with 1/2-1 TB chili powder (when I am in a hurrry, I leave out the chili powder)

2nd layer-guacomole-fresh avocado and mix is better but in a pinch I use it from a tub

3rd layer-mix 1 cup sourcream, 2 TB taco seasoning, and a sploosh of milk all blended together

4th layer-shredded cheese

5th-7th layer-your choice of tomatoes, green chilis, olives, etc. I usually just put some salsa on the top and think it is great

Lemonade Cheeseball

This is originally from all recipes but I have modified it in the last few years.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
• 3 heaping tablespoon powdered lemonade mix-like Countrytime. I like pink. (the recipe says one, but this is not enough)
• The recipe also calls for graham cracker crumbs-you are supposed to roll the ball in this but I think that is soggy and gross. So, I use that sparkly sugar at mom's house.

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and lemonade mix using an electric mixer. Refrigerate for 3 hours-(ok then I blop it all on a piece of saran wrap, wrap it up and roll it around to make a ball...THEN put in the refrigerator and let Hailey lick the beaters)
2. They say to make into a ball after chilling-I don't, do I do it before. Then unwrap, sprinkle with sugar and eat with graham crackers or nilla wafers or your finger...but not someone else's finger

Danielle