Tips:

Instead of a menu this week, here are some extra recipes to use those Christmas dinner leftovers and also some dips to serve at your New Year’s get together.

• This is an unexpected canape and a handy little finger food.
  • Roll about 1 teaspoon full your favorite cream cheese dip into a ball. Press it between two walnut halves. Lay on a platter to serve.
• Save dry cereal odds and ends to add to your Chex mix when you make it.
• Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting it in the fridge. It will keep much longer.

Recipes:

Sheala’s Ham and Noodles
(For Using Leftover Ham)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. egg noodles, cooked
1/2 lb. ham, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Mix first three ingredients together in a casserole dish and bake at 350° for 20 minutes until warmed. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serves 4.

You may add 1 package of any vegetable.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
(For Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes)

3-4 cups mashed potatoes
4 oz. cream cheese, softened in microwave
1 clove of garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder, to taste
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Mix potatoes, cream cheese and garlic and place in a 1 quart greased baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted.

Eggnog Pound Cake

2 Tbsp. margarine
2/3 cup sliced almonds

Grease Bundt or tube pan with margarine and press almonds into sides and bottom

Cake:

1 package yellow cake mix
3 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 eggs
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Beat everything together until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

David’s Favorite Dip

1 jar Kraft Old English cheese spread
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup nuts, chopped

Mix ingredients. Roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Most of the time we just mix it and serve in a bowl without wrapping it. Serve with chips.

Blue Cheese Dip (Jill’s favorite)

1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 small package (2-3 Tbsp.) slivered almonds, toasted*
2 Tbsp. chopped ripe olives

Mix everything. Chill. If you want to make a ball or log then save out the almonds and roll it in them.

*To toast your almonds lay them on foil or a pan and heat in a 400° oven until brown. Watch carefully.

Serve with chips.

This dip tastes like some very expensive ones that you can buy pre-made. Be sure to use dried herbs and not powdered. Dried herbs are the bigger flakes that haven’t been ground fine.

Herb Dip

1 clove garlic, crushed or garlic powder
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. each of dried basil, dill weed, marjoram, thyme,
           pepper

Blend all ingredients together. This will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Here’s a recipe for you fruit lovers!

Cinnamon Sour Cream

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Mix and serve with fresh fruit. You can use this as a fruit salad dressing. too. If used as a dressing, then you can use canned fruit and garnish with coconut and/or toasted chopped almonds or nuts.

Photo By: wEnDaLicious

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This is a Christmas favorite of my son’s but it can be served New Year’s or any time you want a quick and easy dip. -Jill

PS. Happy Birthday son of mine. Love you.

David’s Favorite Cheese Dip

1 jar Kraft Old English cheese spread
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup nuts, chopped

Mix ingredients. Roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Most of the time we just mix it and serve in a bowl without wrapping it. Serve with chips.

We leave the nuts out because no one around here but mom, my sister in law and I would eat it.

      -Tawra

photo by: rbitting

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Whether it is for that afternoon of football or a holiday party, here is a fun and yummy snack everyone will love. Serve with chips, crackers or bagel chips.

Pizza By The Scoop

2 pkgs. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 bottle (12 oz.) chili sauce
6 oz. of your favorite meat, cooked and chopped*
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup each mozzarella and cheddar cheese

Mix cream cheese and sour cream. Spread on 12 inch pizza pan. Spread with chili sauce. Sprinkle remaining ingredients in order that are listed on top.

*Canadian bacon, ham, bacon, hamburger

photo by:  anitakhart

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Tips:

• When traveling with food, spray the lid or the foil covering with non stick cooking spray to keep things from sticking to the covering.
• Your pizza cutter is not for cutting just pizza. Yes, I have said this before but it is worth repeating. Use your pizza cutter to cut lattice strips for pies or to trim the edges you need removed from things like sponge cakes or hard brownies.
• Make your life easier. Find and use as many cooking shortcuts as you can. For example, if you cook ground beef ahead of time and keep packets of it in your freezer, your prep time for many meals will be 15 minutes or less. This works great for spaghetti, lasagna, tacos, enchiladas, casseroles, taco salads, etc.
• If you are tired or in a hurry and a recipe calls for chopped onions or minced garlic, you don’t need to take time to do all of that. Just pull out the garlic powder or onion powder and use it for seasoning instead. Some gourmets may have a heart attack over this, but they probably haven’t been juggling a colicky baby and 2 toddlers all day, so give yourself a break. Forget the chopping if you need to.

Quick and Easy Menu:

Barbecue Taco Platter*
Fruit Plate
Fruit Dip*

Recipes:

If you double this recipe, it makes a large batch (big enough to feed a party of 20 guests or 2 teenage boys.)

Barbecue Taco Platter

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
1/4 cup water

Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 cup milk

Mix and spread on a plate. Top with ground beef mixture and toppings listed below. Then drizzle with barbecue sauce. Serve with tortilla chips.

Toppings

Lettuce
Chopped green chilies
Chopped green onions
Cheese
Tomatoes

Here’s an even faster version of the above recipe from my mom:

Taco Platter

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Fiesta Dressing Mix

Mix everything and spread on a platter. Serve with tortilla chips.

Toppings to add:

Refried beans
Hamburger
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Olives
Green onions
Chopped green chilies
Cheese

 
This fruit dip is a little different, but if you like hot things, you should enjoy it. If you prefer your dips cool and sweet, try the second recipe. Both recipes are quick and easy!

Spicy Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) jar strawberry or raspberry preserves
1 (16 oz.) jar picante sauce
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

Mix preserves and picante sauce. Pour over softened brick of cream cheese. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Easy Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. lemon juice

Take cream cheese out the night before so it is very soft. Whip with a mixer, add milk and lemon juice and whip together.

photo by: jeffreyww

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More Creative Ways To Use Thanksgiving Leftovers

If you are like us, you spend the week after Thanksgiving eating leftovers. I personally think the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. To me, the best tasting breakfast in the world is a hot cup of coffee and piece of leftover pecan pie. You must eat this early, of course, before the other members of the family are up so you can savor not only the moment, but also each bite of the pie. It gives me the emotional and physical strength I need to go in and face the havoc and the rest of the leftovers in the kitchen from the day before.

There have been years, though, after having eaten turkey and the never ending relish dish in every shape and form known to man, I did wish I could finally see the last of them. Here are some recipes to help give that endless supply of leftovers a different look!

Cranberry Chops

6 pork chops
1/2 cup cranberry or apple juice
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. spicy mustard
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Salt and pepper to taste

Place chops in slow cooker. Mix juice, cranberry sauce, sugar and mustard together and pour over chops. Cook for 7-8 hours. Take out chops. Mix cornstarch and water in a saucepan and stir until smooth. Slowly add cooking juices to the cornstarch and water. Boil and stir until thick. Salt and pepper and serve with chops.

Crustless Sweet Potato Pie

This is a cross between a sweet potato pie and the traditional sweet potatoes and marshmallows. It’s the best of both dishes combined into one delicious recipe!

6 cups warm sweet potatoes, mashed
1 cup milk
1 egg
5 Tbsp. margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
18 large marshmallows

In a large bowl, mix everything except the marshmallows. Beat well. Pour into a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Bake uncovered at 325° for 40-45 minutes (just to heat through). Top with marshmallows and bake about 5 minutes longer or until marshmallows turn brown.

Stuffing Supreme

Make some stuffing, either from a box or from scratch. Add to it dried fruit, apricots, cranberries, apples, raisins or whatever you like. Toss in some nuts and roll into balls about the size of large meatballs. Bake at 375° uncovered for 20-25 minutes.

Here is a recipe where you get to have your pie and eat it too — without the hassle of a pie crust. Remember, canned pumpkin is another item that goes on sale this time of year. Stock up on it to use later in the year!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Crust:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats, quick cooking
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine

Combine and press into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes until lightly brown.

Filling:

2 (15 oz. each) cans pumpkin
2 (12 oz. each) cans evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt

Beat all the above until smooth and pour over baked crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Topping

2 Tbsp. margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts

Combine and sprinkle over the above (after it has baked the 45 minutes) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Store leftovers in fridge.

Turkey Crescent Roll Bake

Leftover turkey
Leftover veggies, cooked (Don’t forget to use the veggies from your relish dish. Cook them in the microwave first.)
Leftover gravy 1/2 -1 cup
grated cheddar cheese
1 can crescent rolls or refrigerator biscuits

Layer the leftovers and cheese in a greased pan. If using crescent rolls, open them and lay in rectangles pressing seams together. Cut into strips and place in a lattice work design on top of everything. If using biscuits, just flatten slightly and lay on top of everything. Bake until crescents or biscuits are golden brown and everything is hot and bubbly.

Sweet Potatoes

If you have a few leftover mashed sweet potatoes, add them to the stock of your vegetable soup for a thicker soup with a different but good flavor.

Mashed Potato Balls

Velveeta
Mashed potatoes
Ritz crackers or potato chips, crushed*

Cut the Velveeta into 3/4 inch cubes and shape leftover mashed potatoes around each cube. Roll them in the crackers or chips and bake at 350° until they are golden brown.

*This is a good way to use those leftover potato chip crumbs that are always left at the bottom of the bag. You might experiment with different flavored chips to see how they change the taste. For example, sour cream and cheddar chips, onion flavored chips or even some nacho flavored chips would create interesting flavors.

Cranberry Fruit Dip

This is a great way to use your leftover cranberry sauce and that little bit of whipped topping.

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup cranberry sauce
1 cup whipped topping

Beat the cream cheese and cranberry sauce together. Then fold in the whipped topping. Serve with fruit.

Save this recipe for Christmas or New Year’s and serve with fruit like red and green grapes, apples, kiwi, strawberries, etc.

Vegetable Stuffing Bake

Leftover stuffing
Leftover veggies, cooked (things like broccoli, cauliflower, corn, Brussels Sprouts)
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 -1/2 cup milk American or Velveeta cheese

Press leftover stuffing into a greased pan or baking dish. Layer veggies on top of that. Lay slices of cheese to cover everything next. Mix soup with enough milk to make it easy to pour and pour on top. Bake at 350° about 20 minutes until all is heated through and bubbly.

photo by: vintagehalloweencollector

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Another Homemade Salsa Recipe!

We will be getting our first frost soon. My daughter in law just called and said "Help! What do I do with these bags of green tomatoes, peppers and onions? How do I make salsa?!"

I figured that many others are in the same boat too. After telling her to save me some tomatoes so I can cook fried green tomatoes, I gave her my favorite salsa recipe from our Dining on a Dime cookbook. There are two homemade salsa recipes in Dining on a Dime and this one is my favorite. The brown sugar seems to bring out the flavors of the veggies so well.

Homemade Salsa #2

4 large ripe tomatoes
3 cans (6 oz) tomato paste
4 large green tomatoes, skinned
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 onions, chopped
12 jalapeño peppers, seeded, chopped.For extra hot, leave in seeds
4 tsp. garlic powder or 6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped

Process all ingredients in a food processor. Place in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Can. If your family eats a lot of salsa there is no need to can it. Just refrigerate. Makes 6 pints.

Photo By: OakleyOriginals

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Eat Healthier With These Easy Diabetic Menus

We are often asked to provide diabetic menus and recipes. I have been on a diabetic diet many times just to lose weight and then as a need when I had gestational diabetes.

You don’t have to have diabetes to use these diabetic menus and recipes. They are also excellent menus to use for eating healthier or for sensibly losing weight.

There isn’t anything magical about a diabetic diet. The most important thing to remember in a diabetic diet is DON’T EACH SO MUCH!!

You might be thinking, "but it’s not that easy!" Well, after taking a diabetic eating class, reading tons and tons of information on it and practicing it myself I can tell you, "YES IT IS!!"

You just have to stop making excuses and do it! I am including myself in that, too, because I still have 30 pounds to lose or I run the risk of developing diabetes in the next year or so, so maybe I can motivate myself to do it, too.

Here are some general guidelines about eating with diabetes:

• Cut your portions. Fill your plate, eat it and then don’t re-fill it.
• One half of the plate should be vegetables and fruit. Then one quarter should be grains and one quarter meat.
• Drink all the sugar free coffee and tea you want, but don’t forget to drink water.
• Use low-fat, low-calorie salad dressings, mayonnaise, margarines, jams and jellies. You can still have the flavor, but without so many calories. I personally don’t like the taste of anything "diet", so I just eat half the normal serving amount.
• Avoid a lot of high fat foods or fried foods.

Really, that’s about it. Here are some menu ideas and recipes to help you get started. Please feel free to share your favorite diabetic menus and tips!

Tawra

Diabetic Breakfast Menus

Menu 1:

1 small (2 oz.) bran muffin
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup fat-free milk
banana

Menu 2:

2 slices whole-wheat toast
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 small banana

Diabetic Snack Ideas

Snack Option 1:

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts

Snack Option 2:

1 cup fat-free milk
2 small fig cookies

Snack Option 3:

12 red or green grapes
1/2 cup cottage cheese

Diabetic Lunch Menus

Menu 1:

2 slices whole-wheat bread
3 oz. lean roast beef
2 tsp. mustard
1 cup cooked vegetables

Menu 2:

1 serving (10 oz.) beef barley soup
1 dinner roll
1 medium apple

Diabetic Dinner Menus

Menu 1:

3 oz. chicken breast, sauteed with
1 cup vegetables of your choice
1 Tbsp. olive oil (for cooking)
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup fat-free milk

Menu 2:

1 medium pork chop
1 dinner roll
2 tsp. margarine
1 small salad
1/2 cup fresh fruit salad

One the hardest parts for me about a diabetic diet is eating a lot of vegetables. I just don’t like them plain and butter and cheese do make them taste MUCH better! One of the best ways to combat this is to make one of these low calorie high protein dips that go with most vegetables.

Cottage Cheese Dill Dip

2/3 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons dill weed
Pepper and paprika to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Blend until smooth. Serve with your favorite veggies. 150 calories.

VARIATIONS: Experiment with different herbs to your taste.

Cottage Cheese Dip

1 (12 oz.) package cottage cheese – not creamed
6 Tbsp. Skim Milk
1 1/2 tsp. instant minced onion
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. finely chopped pimento
1 Tbsp. snipped parsley

Beat all of the above ingredients together, but do not cream the cottage cheese. Chill. This dip is good on a baked potato.

Easy Cottage Cheese Dip

2 tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup creamed cottage cheese

Put ingredients into a blender, cover and process at high blend until smooth and creamy. Use in place of sour cream in any dip recipe. It is higher in protein and lower in calories. Yields 1 cup.

photo by: karimian

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Blue Cheese Dip
(Jill’s favorite)

1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 small package
(2-3 Tbsp.) slivered almonds, toasted*
2 Tbsp. chopped ripe olives

Mix everything. Chill. If you want to make a ball or log then save out the almonds and roll it in them.

*To toast your almonds lay them on foil or a pan and heat in a 400° oven until brown. Watch carefully. Serve with chips.

Photo By: A writer afoot

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Cinnamon Sour Cream Fruit Dip

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Mix and serve with fresh fruit. You can use this as a fruit salad dressing. too. If used as a dressing, then you can use canned fruit and garnish with coconut and/or toasted chopped almonds or nuts.

 Photo By:  A Gude

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This dip tastes like some very expensive ones that you can buy pre-made. Be sure to use dried herbs and not powdered. Dried herbs are the bigger flakes that haven’t been ground fine.

Herb Dip

1 clove garlic, crushed or garlic powder
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. each of dried basil, dill weed, marjoram, thyme,
pepper

Blend all ingredients together. This will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months

From Dining on a Dime

photo by: livinginmonrovia

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