Veggie Dill Dip

We've been making this veggie dip for family gatherings and parties for over 30 years. Today I mixed up a bowl and will take a tiny container to work each day this week along with some beautiful
veggies. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp dill weed
a pinch of love

Mix and refrigerate.

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Fresh Salsa

There's nothing like taking fresh ingredients and making a big bowl of Festive Fresh Salsa! This week I used my first ripe tomatoes and fresh corn right off the cob! Part of this recipe comes from a good friend and then I played around with the rest. You'll never want store bought salsa again!

1 15oz can black beans (rinse and drain)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild or hot)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (or 1 can)
1/2 purple onion, chopped
2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP lime juice (takes 2 limes)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill to enhance the flavor.

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New Cream Cheese Dip

We always looked forward to Mom's dried beef 
Cream Cheese Ball for the holidays. Like any cheese ball  the cracker usually broke as we tried to spread the hard mixture. I thought it would be nice to make a creamier mixture to dip and scoop with a cracker instead. This is what I came up with and now it's a family favorite!

1- 8 ounce pack of cream cheese, room temperature

1 jar chipped beef, rinsed, pat dry

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp Miracle Whip

2-4 squirts Worcestershire

1- Tbsp horseradish or 1/4 cup Woeber's Horseradish Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 

Rinse the salt off the chipped beef and pat dry with a paper towel, then chop.  Using electric mixer combine cream cheese, Miracle Whip, Worcestershire, horseradish and sour cream until smooth. Add chopped beef and onion. Pour in a liberal amount of love. Mix well. Keep refrigerated until needed. Serve with crackers.

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Mom's Deviled Eggs

Mom makes the best deviled eggs... until this past Easter, when my father announced that mine are "better than your Mom's"! It took a lot of practice and patience because there was always something that didn't go right. Sometimes I couldn't peel the shells if my life depended on it. Other times I couldn't get all the lumps out of the filling. Often they were filled haphazardly or didn't have that tang. Finally, I got it right!

12  boiled eggs

3/4 cup Miracle Whip
2 squirts mustard
2 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
a dash of love
Sprinkle paprika

Helpful Tips:

• Use eggs that are at least a week old.
• Set eggs out for half an hour so they're not cold. 
• Place in a pan of cool water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 - 12 minutes. 
• Place pan in sink and run cold water over the eggs. As they begin to cool, tap each egg to crack shells and place back in cold water until completely cooled. Shells should come right off. 
• Use the food processor to mix the filling. It turns out very smooth.  
• Place filling a small Ziploc bag, snip off the corner and squeeze into the eggs.
• Sprinkle paprika before serving.

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Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

A nice switch from the original cheese ball. This is great with graham crackers.

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
 Optional: 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Mix in powdered sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
5. Optional: Shape chilled mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic and chill for another hour.
6. Roll cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.

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Spinach Dip

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
16 oz sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Thaw spinach and squeeze excess water.
Stir together soup mix, sour cream, mayonnaise until blended.
Add spinach, green onions and water chestnuts.
Cover; chill 2 hours. Stir before serving.

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Dawn's Deviled Eggs

Photo from Pinch My Salt

A friend shared her Deviled Egg Recipe using Slaw Dressing, which creates a creamy, tangy filling.  I am fond of the Macaroni Salad recipe using Slaw Dressing so I know this will be a hit. We will try this along
with many other new recipes this Easter.

12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled 

1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup Marzetti's Slaw Dressing

Squirt of mustard

dash vinegar

pinch salt
pepper, optional

Cut the shelled eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks into bowl and mash well with a fork. Add Miracle Whip, slaw dressing, mustard and vinegar. Add Salt & pepper to taste. Continue mixing vigorously until filling is smooth & creamy. If lumpy, use the back of a spoon to smash against side of bowl.
Place filling into a piping container with star tip or use a ziploc bag by clipping a small hole in the corner. Pipe into each egg white. Sprinkle with Paprika. Refrigerate until served.

Below are suggestions for cooking the eggs.
I like boiling them for 10 minutes then run under cold water until cooled off. give each egg a little tap to crack and continue to sit in cold water for a few more minutes. Shell should slip off without damaging the egg whites.

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Sharon's Pimento Cheese Spread

I just love having my mom living in Ellet now. She is such a good cook and I've been able to get some of her recipes written along with much needed guidance. A couple months ago she made Pimento Cheese Spread and I fell in love with it. I would take a sandwich to school for lunch and zap it in the microwave for 10 or 20 seconds just to take the chill off it. Yum! She made it again last week and this time she wrote down the ingredients. Well...I tried to make it tonight and this is where I think I went wrong. First, I used finely shredded sharp cheddar instead of regular shredded. Second, I used Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise. Third, Mom said to drain the pimentos and I don't think I did that very well. Let's just say I think I need to follow this exactly next time to get a batch like Mom's.  

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Pinch of garlic powder

4 oz. jar of pimentos

In mixing bowl beat cream cheese, mayo and garlic powder until softened. Add cheddar cheese, mix until well blended.  Add well drained Pimentos, stir gently until blended.

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Cream Cheese Ball

2 – 8 ounce packs cream cheese, room temperature

1 jar chipped beef, rinsed, pat dry

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp Miracle Whip

2 squirts Worcestershire

1 – 2 Tbsp horseradish or fresh minced garlic

½ lb finely chopped English walnuts

With electric mixer combine cream cheese, beef and all ingredients

except walnuts. Form into ball, roll in chopped nuts. Refrigerate overnight. 

Cream Cheese Dip

~updated 1/1/2014

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Veggie Bar

1 pkg Crescent rolls

1 – 8 oz cream cheese, at room temp

½ cup miracle whip

½ cup ranch dressing

½ cup each: broccoli, cauliflower, green/red pepper, crated carrot

Pat out rolls on cookie sheet. Do not stretch. Bake for 8 minutes at 400. Cool

Mix cream cheese, miracle whip, ranch dressing with mixer.

Spread over crust. Sprinkle with chopped vegetables. Press lightly.Cut into 2 inch squares.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

 from Lora Bojorova (Christie's former student and adopted daughter)

2 – 8 ounces of cream cheese

¾ cup red hot buffalo wing sauce

1 cup ranch dressing

2 large cans chicken breast

8 ounce cheddar cheese

Mix everything in skillet until well blended and heated. Keep in crockpot. Use tortillas for dipping.           

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Original Chex Party Mix

1 stick margarine or butter

1 TBSP Seasoned Salt

3 TBSP Worcestershire

3 cups of each- Corn, rice, & wheat Chex cereal

2 cups mixed nuts

1 cup pretzel sticks
1 cup garlic bagels or sesame treats

Place all cereal, nuts and pretzels, garlic bagels in large bowl. Melt margarine in microwave or saucepan. Remove from heat, add seasoned salt and Worcestershire. Drizzle over cereal mixture, turning with rubber spatula until cereal is well coated.

Place in 2 9 x 13 cake pans or large blue roaster.  Bake at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 
Cool completely before storing in airtight container or baggie.

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Blessing Mix

Bugles corn snacks as the cornucopia, horn of plenty.
Pretzels for arms folded in thanks and prayer.
Candy corn for the five kernels of corn that
The Pilgrims were each allotted during the winter.
Dried fruits for the celebration of the harvest. 
Peanuts represent the seeds of a bountiful harvest
for the next season if they are planted and well tended. 
Add other ingredients such as dry cereals, candies, 
Or marshmallows can also be added.

Make this mix as a family and eat while discussing each ingredient and how it relates to Thanksgiving.

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