Cheese Ball Appetizer

These are a staple at my house for holidays and any special occasion.  I am the one who always makes them and I also really like them.

We have two different recipes, one for the most of my family and one for me and the rest of my family who are trying to cut calories.

Like most of my favorite recipes, this one can be altered depending on what you like:)  So don't be afraid to throw different things in and get creative.

Calorie-full Cheese Ball

1 8oz block of cream cheese

1 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1-2 t garlic salt

1/2t onion powder

1 t parsley flakes

Mix this all together in a bowl with a wooden spoon and then roll into a ball and serve on a plate with crackers.

Calorie-light Cheese Ball

1 8oz block of cream cheese

1/2 bunch green onions sliced

1/2 t turmeric

1t garlic powder

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Mix together everything but the almonds. Roll into a ball and then roll in the almonds  to create an outer layer of almond slices. I really like this recipe- the turmeric is essential!  

Enjoy guys!

  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The weather is warming up so soups become less and less popular as BBQs start to take over meal times.

But I live in Utah. Utah's only seasons are Winter and Construction. So there will be one more cold patch before summer really hits and when that time hits I am going to pull out this recipe and eat some delicious soup.

The great thing about this particular recipe is that I can eat it in the summer if I want. Just eat it with tortilla chips and its basically a taco without the tortilla:)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a crock pot dump the following ingredients:

3 cans black beans…undrained

3 cans diced tomatoes with chiles….undrained

2 cups frozen corn..16 ounces

1-2 packages of taco seasoning….(Schilling, McCormack envelopes)

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts…can be frozen, I use 5-6 chicken tenders

Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours….pull out chicken breasts and shred.  Place back in crock pot and keep warm until served.  Can be served with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese, and/or guacamole.  About 10 cups.  

Enjoy!

Neiman Marcus Cookies

There are a gazillion chocolate chip cookie recipes out there and most of them taste the same, or pretty similar at the least. Different recipes may taste slightly different or have a different texture or a different type of chocolate, but for the most part-- nothing too drastically different.

This cookie however is the mother of all cookies. It is to Toll House what Ralph Lauren is to the clothing section at Wal Mart. This is the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie. 

{I feel like I'm writing a really cheesy persuasive essay.... that's what I get for being a comm major :)  }

So for all you chocolate lovers... here you are:  (:

The Neiman Marcus Cookie

Makes about 30

INGREDIENTS:

2½ cups rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate chips
1½ cups chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown and set on the outside but still look a little undone in the middle. That's okay - they will finish setting up after you remove them from the oven. Let cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!!

Green Drink

This is one of those recipes that everybody reads and thinks that I am insane for drinking it, but its really good.

When I am in the habit of drinking this Green Drink every morning, I feel really good and have a lot more energy. Also, I tend to eat healthier throughout the day and not crave junk food .... which is always a good thing:)

You can really alter this recipe to be however you want it.

The biggest part of the drink is spinach. Usually the drink also has parsley, cucumber and celery.  I would recommend seeding the cucumber first. Unless you have a really good blender, the seeds will stay intact and be an awkward chunk as you drink.

I like to put a little Ginger root in my drink because Ginger is really good for your digestive health.

Fruit is what you want to taste the most. I usually use apples, oranges, and pineapple.

This is my recipe:

Green Drink

2 cups spinach (stems and leaves)
2-3 apples (cored and quartered)
1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
half of a cucumber (seeded)
half a bunch of parsley
half an orange (separated)
1/4 inch of ginger root. (I don't cut this up into smaller pieces because it is easier for the blender to grab)

Wash all of the ingredients and put them in a blender.
Blend really well and pour into glass. This can serve 2-4 people depending on how much you like to drink.


I also really like carrots but I usually don't use them because my blender doesn't blend them really well and my drink ends up chunky.

Here is a link to the Green Drink by Dr. Oz (I'm not really a fan but I do like this recipe on his website)  figure out what you like and enjoy.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-green-drink

Oven French Toast

Anyone who knows me also knows that my mother and I used to run a cafe.
There were only two of us to take care of the entire cafe. We were lucky and my siblings and father came in to help some of the time, but for the most part it was just me and my mother.

We were faced with the challenge of serving a high volume of people with just the two of us.

We served breakfast five days a week so we had to come up with ways to serve many people a hot breakfast without breaking our necks. We served a version of French Toast and got a great response every time.  Its made the night before and cooked in the oven so the prep time is minimal.

Cranberry-Orange  French Toast 

French Bread (sliced on a diagonal)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 cube butter
1/3-1/2 cup milk
1-2 oranges (for zesting)
1/4 t cinnamon


1. melt the butter in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
2. sprinkle the cranberries and 3/4 of orange zest into the butter
3. place bread in a single layer on top of the butter layer
4. whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and remaining orange zest in a separate bowl
5. pour egg mixture on top of bread and cover with foil
6. refrigerate over night, make sure it is level in the fridge
7. pull out of fridge and bake, covered at 375 until bread is no longer soggy... roughly 30 minutes

Making Veggies Fun

I hate vegetable trays. Not because I don't like veggies, I do, I just think they always look shabby when being served at events.

If you are hosting an event and want to make a nice presentation, here are a couple ways to present dip-able veggies in a different and fun way.

Baguette Dip Bowls

Cut off the ends of a baguette loaf so there is a flat edge.
Hollow out the center and put your favorite dip in the center.
Julianne vegetables and place them in the bread bowl with the ends resting in the dip (see picture)





You can do the same thing with hollowed out bell peppers instead of baguettes:) Those make a really pretty presentation!







These are really fun appetizers and really easy.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Deli vs packaged lunch meat

So this blog is not necessarily about cooking. But it is about food.

Sandwiches are something that we all eat often and they are a good way to keep the calories down and stay healthy.   However, you might be eating some really awful stuff in your lunch meat. Most packaged lunch meat is riddled with fillers and preservatives. It can contribute to gut problems. So if you are having any kind of GI disorder or discomfort, look at your food especially lunch meat because it could easily be the culprit.

Don't assume that because it comes sliced fresh from a deli that it is good for you.  Much of the common deli meat is just as poor quality as the packaged stuff.  I have found two brands that are really good both in taste and quality: Boars Head and Columbus.

I know this is a really weird post but I just have so many friends and family members with bad guts that I felt like I wanted to share this tid-bit that I have discovered:)