Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a fabulous night however they chose to celebrate!  At the start of a new year I am always eager and curious to see what the Lord has in store for me.  My prayer for my life in 2011 is "Abba (Daddy) I belong to you."  No matter what happens this next year it is so reassuring to know that I belong to the Lord, and that He is the one watching out for me and my family.  A few of my other goals for this upcoming year are:


1. Write down my Grandma's stories of her childhood.

2. Potty train Carson.

3. Visit my awesome sister, Gabby, in Portland.

4. Memorize 2 Bible verses a month.  My sister Lydia is doing this for 2011 and challenged me to do it with her.

6. Keep going and improve on my blog!!  I have LOVED writing this blog and thank you for being one of  my readers!!

Let's go 2011!

Mini Quiches

These mini quiches are my very first quiche making experience!  I have always enjoyed quiche that other people have made but had yet to do it on my own.  The recipe said prep time was 35 min and I doubled the recipe. They did take me a while to get in the oven but after one bite all thoughts of time went out the window.  The crust was just right, light and flaky, buttery, a little crumbly when you bite into it.  Ahh!  The filling was just as good.  Awesome flavors of ham, Swiss and cayenne having a little quiche party. I wouldn't have minded even more of the quiche filling but mini muffin cups are only so big.  I had trouble not eating all of these, so I could accurately tell you about them on here of course, not because I have no self-control :)

Mini Quiches  Source:  Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook,  also available at Betty Crocker.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C Original Bisquick Mix

1/4 C butter or margarine, softened

2 tbsp boiling water

6 slices of bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled.  (I used ham instead because we still had some of our awesome Christmas ham leftover :)

1/2 C half and half

1 egg

2 tbsp green onions, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 C (2 oz) shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl combine Bisquick and butter.  Add boiling water and mix with a fork until completely combined and a soft dough forms.

3. Press rounded teaspoonful of dough into bottom and up the side of each muffin cup.  I found it easiest to divide the dough into all the cups (and even out as necessary) first and then press it into the muffin shape.

4. Divide the bacon (or ham) evenly among muffin cups.

5. In a small bowl, beat half and half and egg.  Add in green onion, salt and cayenne pepper.

6. Spoon 1 1/2 tsp of egg mixture into each muffin cup.  Sprinkle with Swiss cheese.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set.

8. Store any remaining quiches in the refrigerator.

*These Mini Quiches can be made a day ahead of time.  Store quiches in an air tight container the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, place quiche on a cookie sheet and cover loosely with tin foil.  Reheat at 375 F. for 10 minutes or until hot.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip

You will want to dip, dunk, plunge, submerge, immerse, (okay I think you get the picture :) whatever you can into this stuff!  Another recipe from my mother in law, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip is one of her annual holiday staples.  It is so yummy that you don't need to have fancy cookies to eat with it.  Mom usually serves graham crackers and vanilla wafers.  I do believe I was caught swiping up the little bit off the plate I couldn't get with a graham cracker and licking it off my finger this year.  I guess my sisters in law know me- they didn't even comment :)

This dip can be formed into a ball and covered  in chopped pecans or left unformed and served in a bowl.  Mini chocolate chips are recommended so that each bite has some chocolate in it. I forgot to get mini chips at the store and my boys were sleeping when I made this so just imagine lots of cute little bitty chips sprinkled in.  I don't think may mistake will hinder anyone at our house from digging in :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip  Source: Matt's Mom

Ingredients:

1- 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 C butter

3/4 C powdered sugar

3/4 C mini chocolate chips

3/4 C chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Blend together cream cheese, butter and vanilla.

2. Add powdered sugar and brown sugar. 

3. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

4. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

5. Optional: Shape into a ball and refrigerate for 1 additional hour.  Roll ball in chopped pecans.

This recipe linked to: Good Cheap Eats

Meatball Mini Burgers

One of the things I like about party food is how cute things look in miniature.  Just so teeny that you can't resist eating them!  I saw the idea for these adorable Meatball Mini Burgers at Betty Crocker and have been anxiously awaiting the time to make them.  Matt and I gobbled these right up.  We loved the biscuit in place of a bun, it was fantastic!

Betty Crocker's recipe includes making the sauce from scratch.  I am sure that their recipe would taste great but I went the easy route and used store bought barbecue sauce.

Meatball Mini Burgers  Source: Betty Crocker

 

Ingredients:

32 frozen store-bought meatballs, thawed 

Barbecue sauce

8 slices American cheese, quartered

1 can (8 biscuits) Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers biscuits

1 egg

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Place biscuits on a baking sheet.  Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces but do not separate the pieces yet.

3. In a small bowl, combine the egg and water.  Brush egg mixture over the top of the biscuits and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.

4. Bake for 14-17 minutes.  Once slightly cooled, separate the biscuit quarters.

5. Meanwhile, heat barbecue sauce and meatballs in a saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until meatballs are hot, stirring occasionally.

6. To assemble the burgers, split each biscuit quarter in half to make a tiny bun. To the bottom half add a saucy meatball and a quarter piece of cheese, then add the top part of the biscuit.  Secure with a toothpick. 

*Betty Crocker recommends the Grands Flaky Layers variety of biscuits, I had regular Grands and they worked fine although I think they Flaky Layer biscuits don't get as tall and may make a better bun.  I also waited until after baking to quarter my biscuits.

This recipe linked to: New Year's Eve Appetizer List at Your Homebased Mom

Cheesy Rotel Dip

If you're having a New Year's party you will without a doubt want Cheesy Rotel Dip with tortilla chips as part of your party spread.  Don't spend the extra money on the ready made cheese dips, this one only has two ingredients and is ready in about 5 minutes!  It is sooo good- great cheesy, melty, deliciousness and just the right amount of kick from the Rotel.  I almost didn't post thinking a fancier appetizer may be better, but honestly, who has time to only have fancy things at their party?  You will love this, your guests will love this and you will have time to invest on other appetizers.  Perfect.  Bust out your small crock pot to keep this party favorite warm all the way until midnight (of course, it may be gone way before then!)

Cheesy Rotel Dip  Source: Rotel

Ingredients:

16 oz. Velveeta

14.5 oz. can Rotel (or any diced tomatoes with green chilies blend) undrained  

Directions:

1.Cube the Velveeta and melt in the microwave for 1 minute.

2. Add the undrained Rotel to the Velveeta and microwave at 1 minute intervals stirring to combine until all cheese is melted.
3. Put in a crock pot to stay warm.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers

Christmas may be over and instead of feeling post-holiday let down I am completely looking forward to New Year's Eve!  Honestly the main reason I like New Year's Eve is that I LOVE party food.  New Year's is not a family holiday for us so my friends and food are the star :)  All this week I plan on sharing yummy party munchies.  Get your friends together and plan a New Years shindig!

My mother in law served these Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers on Christmas Eve.  I was floored by how amazing they are!  Seriously!  Just by looking at them I didn't expect to fall in love but I did :)  Carson my little foodie loved them too, in fact he may have eaten more of them than I did!  If you like dill these are your new best friend!

Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers  Source: Matt's Mom

Ingredients:

12-16 oz. plain oyster crackers
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix (I wouldn't use my Homemade Ranch mix for this because it is not Buttermilk)
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2-1 tsp. dill (if you really like dill feel free to add a little more :)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4-1 C vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 F.
2. In a large bowl combine vegetable oil and Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix.
3. Add dill, garlic powder and lemon pepper.  Stir to combine.
4. Add oyster crackers and stir until evenly coated.
5. Place crackers on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 min.

Christmas Joy

Merry Christmas!!!  I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas!  Matt surprised me with a thoughtful gift and he really liked what I got him but our biggest joy was watching Lincoln and Carson open their gifts!!!  I tried to take pictures of the boys while they opened their presents but in each one they looked like they had blurs for hands, which I guess was actually fairly accurate given their world record speed for unwrapping gifts! 

Carson carried around his Lightning McQueen and other Cars characters all day long.  The Hot Wheels motorized race loop has gotten a ton of play time!

Lincoln was crazy excited with his new tool set and guitar!  Sometimes he played both at once  :)

What was your favorite part of Christmas this year?