Hot Artichoke Dip

This is one of my favorite dips to bring to a party. It is easy to make and always tastes wonderful. A friend of mine brought this to one of my parties once and after downing 1/4 of it, I asked her how to make it. For those that don't know me, I have an extreme aversion to mayonnaise. I don't eat it on anything and don't eat anything that has it in it. This recipe has mayonnaise in it - but I couldn't taste it at all. So this is the one recipe of mine that you will find this ingredient in.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 can Artichokes
1 cup real Mayo (full-fat tastes best)
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 clove Garlic minced or 1 tsp already minced
1 tblsp chopped Tomato (optional)
2 tblsp chopped Green Onion (optional)

Drain and chop artichokes. Mix in all but tomatoes and onions. Spoon into 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown. Sprinkle tomato and onion on top.

Apple Bread

In my ongoing quest to find a use for the 5 pounds of apples that my mother in law has gifted me, I was desperate to find something to make with apples that was not a pie. I found this recipe for Apple Bread on All Recipes by Jennifer. This bread was pretty good, but I would bake it less (start at 40 minutes) and I did make some changes based on some user suggestions: I added 2 Tsp of vegetable oil, I used half brown and half white sugar and I used pumkin pie spice instead of cloves. Another user suggested a glaze of 1 C powdered sugar and 2 Tspn. Half and Half. I did not try this, but will next time.

Apple Bread

1/2 C Butter Softened
1 C Sugar
2 Eggs
2 C All Purpose Flour
1 Tspn Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 Apples - Peeled, Cored and Chopped

1) Preheat Oven to 350

2) In a Bowl mix Butter and Sugar until Sooth and Creamy. Beat in Eggs.

3) In a Separate Bowl, Sift Together the Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon and Cloves. Mix into Butter Mixture until Moistened. Fold in the Apples. Transfer into a Lightly Greased Loaf Pan.

4) Bake 1 Hour in Preheated Oven. Cool in Pan for 15 Minutes before Removing.

Jiffy Casserole

I was searching for something quick and easy to make for dinner tonight. On those days that you don't really feel like cooking, a casserole always seems to be the best option. I found this casserole and loved the following things about the Jiffy Casserole: The ingredients are ones that I always have on hand, It is inexpensive to make and It is yummy. I found this recipe on All Recipes by LadyGuin 2. I did alter this recipe a little based on other All Recipes user comments. I used 2 cans of soup instead of 1, used other spices such as garlic and onion powder and topped the casserole with cheese at the end.

Jiffy Casserole
Serves: 5

1 Tbspn Vegetable Oil
2 Onions Sliced
1 Pound Ground Beef
5 Potatoes Peeled and Cubed
Salt & Pepper
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 C Water
Paprika

1) Preheat Oven to 350

2) Heat a large skillet over medium heat and pour in oil. Saute onion in oil until browned (5-10 minutes) and set aside. In the same skillet brown meat and drain

3) Place a layer of potatoes into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and spread a layer of beef over the potatoes, followed by a layer of onions.

4) Repeat layers, ending with potatoes. In a medium bowl combine the soup with the water. Mix well and pour over the casserole. Sprinkle with paprika to taste

5) Cover and bake for 1 hour

Pumpkin Dip

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin - and I was introduced to a great dessert that will hit the spot that doesn't involve frozen pie crust or preheating your oven! I was having a chill night with some girls and one of them brought this amazing dip that it is nearly impossible to stop eating once you have started.

Pumpkin Dip

3 oz Cream Cheese Softened
1/2 C Powdered Sugar
1 C Canned Pumpkin (1/2 Can)
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ginger
8oz Tub Cool Whip

1) Beat together Cream Cheese and Powdered Sugar

2) Add Pumpkin, Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and Stir Well

3) Fold in Cool Whip

4) Serve with Cookies, Graham Crackers, Apples or Vanilla Wafers...or just eat with a spoon :)

Lemon Dill Sauce

I found this great recipe for a Lemon Dill Sauce that can be used on top of salmon, chicken - whatever you like. I have seen a lot of versions of this sauce on different websites with additional ingredients such as mayonnaise, shallots, white wine, etc. This one is pretty simple and I usually have all of these ingredients on hand. My one complaint about this recipe is that there is too much ground mustard in it; I would probably use 1/2 of what the recipe calls for if not less.

Lemon Dill Sauce

2 Tbspn Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp Dill Weed
1/4 tsp Lemon Juice

Salmon with Brown Sugar & Mustard Glaze

My husband came home a great catch from his fishing trip; salmon! One of my favorite fish to make, I am always looking for new recipes to try. I found this one on Food Network by Bobby Flay.It is a highly rated recipe, an average of 5 stars out of 85 reviews. This recipe asks you to grill the salmon, but because that isn't always the most practical thing in the world - I broiled it which was just as good.

Salmon with Brown Sugar & Mustard Glaze

3 Tbspn Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbspn Honey
2 Tbspn Butter
1/4 C Dijon Mustard
2 Tbspn Soy Sauce
2 Tbspn Olive Oil
1 Tbspn Finely Grated Ginger
Vegetable Oil
Salt and Black Pepper
8 Salmon Fillets, 6 oz Each

1) In a small saute pan, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let it cool

2) Preheat the grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt & pepper to taste. Place the salmon on the grill skin side down. Coat the flesh of the salmon with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6-8 minutes turning once after 5 minutes.

Apple Crumb Pie

This is the season for Homemade Apple Pie, and I have found a great recipe. It is the perfect combination of sweet, delicious, crumbly goodness. I found this recipe on Allrecipes by Jackie Smith. It gets an average 5 star rating out of 262 reviews; it doesn't disappoint.

It is a little sweeter than most apple pies, so you should make this one if you like the kind of apple pie that is crumbly with cinnamon and sugary flavors. The photo features the lattice-style topping which was a special request from the husband, but normally I would just leave it as it - it gets a beautiful golden brown.




Apple Crumb Pie

1 9 inch pie shell deep dish
6 C Thinly Sliced Apples
1 Tbspn Lemon Juice
3\4 C White Sugar
2 Tbspn All Purpose Flour
1\2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1\8 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1\2 C Raisins (Optional)
1\2 C Chopped Walnuts (Optional)
1\2 C All Purpose Flour
1\2 C Packed Brown Sugar
3 Tbspn Butter


1) Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees

2) Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in raisins and walnuts if desired and spoon into pie shell.

3) In a small bowl mix together 1\2 C flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

4) Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden brown.