Horsey Radish Cheese Spread

Each year I go to the Southern Christmas Show here in Charlotte.  Each year I have to try the different dips that are out for everyone to sample.  I seldom walk away without purchasing at least 1 package.  This year I discovered a new flavor.  It's Amelia's Chowda Shack - Horsey Radish Dip.  The dip is simple to make using the flavoring packet, mayo and sour cream and I love horseradish but wanted to Think With My Taste Buds and see if I could come up with something other than dip.  So in the kitchen I went and this is what I came up with:

1 cup soft cheese (velveeta type), melted
1 pkg (8 oz.) sour cream, softened
1/4 cup mayo
1 pkg Horsey Radish Dip

Mix all together.  Serve with crackers and/or veggies.  When stored in the refrigerator, let sit out for about 30 minutes to soften.

This spread was such a hit at work that one of the girls wanted the order form for Rand Hill Farms so she could order her own flavor packets. 

Hash Brown Quiche

Got leftover ham?  This is wonderful way to use some it up. 

What I came out with wasn't what I originally had in mind but this turned out to be simply wonderful!  If you like ham, cheese, hash browns, peppers and onions, you'll love this dish.

1 pkg (20 oz.) Hash Browns with peppers and onions
4 eggs, whisked
1 cup chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice of flavor)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together.  Line muffin pans with paper liners sprayed with non-stick spray.   Spoon mixture into liners.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until egg is set and slightly browned.  Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

Comments - This is perfect for leftover ham but is also great with sausage or bacon.  They are perfect for a Brunch, breakfast and can be eaten on the go.  You can't help but love these.  Think With Your Taste Buds and come up with even more variations.

Sweet Potato Pie

I found a recipe for the 'Perfect Pumpkin Pie' and decided to try making it into a Sweet Potato Pie. Above is my finished product.  View the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.  This is a pie worth making!

Duncan Hines Carrot Cake

Through the Foodbuzz/Tastemaker Program I was asked to try some of the newest Duncan Hines products.  I've told you how delicious the chocolate and vanilla glaze goes with my Chex Mix Munchies so this time I'm going to tell you about the New and Improved Carrot Cake Mix.

I was really impressed when I opened the box and found a bag of dehydrated carrots and raisins.  Now that makes it really taste homemade without the hassle of peeling and shredding the carrots.  To plump them back up you simply soak them in the same water that will be added to your mix. 

A friend of mine sent me a recipe for a carrot cake that had pineapple chunks added to the batter.  I decided to give this a try this using the Duncan Hines Carrot Cake Mix.  The carrots and raisins are soaked in 1 1/4 cups of hot water so I cut the hot water down to 3/4 cup, stirring them frequently to allow all to absorb.  Then I added to the carrots and raisins 1/2 cup of, not pineapple chunks, but drained crushed pineapple.  This mixture was added to the batter as instructed in the directions.  It worked perfectly!  The cake came out moist and with just a hint of pineapple.  So good!

Now for the icing I did something different.  A few days ago I made a Strawberry Pretzel Salad for a neighbor.  One of the layers called for 1 pkg (8 oz.) softened cream cheese and 3/4 cups of sugar beat until fluffy.  Then 1 carton (10 oz.) cool whip, which I beat in instead of folding in.  This is what I used for my carrot cake icing.  It makes a lot so you can ice heavy even between the layers.  Afterwards I sprinkled just the top with chopped walnuts and since I still had icing left I made a 'nest' on top which I filled with chopped pineapple and a couple of cherries.  This is one delicious cake!  No one will ever guess that it was made form a mix!

Newman's Own Pizza

Again, through Foodbuzz and Tastemakers I received a coupon to buy and try one of the Newman's Own Pizzas.  I buy Newman's pasta/spaghetti sauces and know how great they are so I had high expectations for their pizza.  There are 8 different flavors to choose from and all looked good but I decided to give the Supreme a try, giving me a taste of several flavors combined.  The Supreme is topped with Italian Sausage, Uncured Pepperoni, peppers and onions, which are all favorites of mine.  I had never heard of Uncured Pepperoni so was unsure of how that might taste.  After reading the package I found that Uncured Pepperoni has no added nitrate.  When I opened the package I was a bit unsure as to how this thin crusted pizza was going to taste.  It had maybe 10 pieces of pepperoni, I could see a few pieces of Italian sausage and several scattered pieces of peppers.  I really couldn't see how so few toppings could possibly create a tasty pizza.  Well, what do I have to loose?  I had already preheated my oven so about 12 minutes later I was ready to slice and eat.  All I can say is OH MY!  I don't know how they did it but this pizza had one of the best blends of taste that I've ever eaten.  I could taste the pepperoni, sausage and the sweetness of the peppers.  It was actually better than delivery pizza!  Each bite had its own taste.  It was like eating bites of several different pizzas. Now I want to try the White sauce pizza, and the Roasted Veggie, and the Roasted Garlic & Chicken.  Actually I want to try all of them! 

Chex Mix Munch

Foodbuzz and Duncan Hines sent me coupons to try Duncan Hines' Amazing Glaze. I wanted to think outside the box and not do the traditional cakes or cookies so I decided to make a Chex mix.  With the holiday season coming up as well as those Sunday football game gatherings, this makes a delicious yet fiber filled snack. And it's simple.  Here is all you need to do.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large baking dish with sides mix 3 cups each of wheat, rice and corn chex. Add a cup of broken pretzels, 1 cup of nuts (more if you like a lot of nuts) and 1 10oz. pkg of Bugles.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cereal is hot, stirring about every 5 minutes.  Just before taking the cereal from the oven, heat your Amazing Glaze as directed on the package. Immediately after removing from the oven drizzle about 1/2 the chocolate and 1/2 of the vanilla glaze over the hot cereal.  Using 2 large spoons, toss well to keep the cereal from clumping.  Makes one really large popcorn bowl full of delicious munch!

Comments - Of course you can make changes.  You can change up the cereal, change up the nuts, I used peanuts but pecans, walnuts or even mixed nuts would be good.  I also used salted peanuts for the salty sweet taste.  You can add more or less glaze depending upon your own taste.  And what do you do with the left over glaze?  Cookies, cakes, cupcakes or make more Chex Mix Munch.  Always Think With Your Taste Buds!

Deviled Egg Carrier

I don't know why I haven't thought about this before.  What could make a more perfect egg carrier than the actual crate.  Be Family All Natural Vegetarian Fed Eggs come in the perfect container for transporting eggs, especially if you aren't concerned about getting your dish back. 

Step 1 - When making your cutting your eggs, don't cut them lengthwise but around the center of the egg so they will fit nicely in the center portion of the carton.

Step 2 - Simply fold the egg protection portion over your eggs.

Step3 - Fold the sealing portion over your eggs.

 This carton gives you the room to carry 12 egg halves without crushing or smashing plus it gives you the perfect storage container.  When ready to serve, simply take a spoon and scoop your egg half out of its compartment, please it on a serving dish and toss the carton, or wash it for use another time. 

The eggs themselves are delicious.  The hens are fed no synthetic hormones, no antibiotics and no animal by-products.  The carton - it's just an added treat.

Disclosure - This posting is completely my own.  I have received no compensation whatsoever for my opinion and idea.

Stir, Laugh, Repeat Award

If you look to the right you'll see the award presented to me by Become.  I'm proud of this and wanted to share it with everyone.

Michael Nelsen

Blogger & Editor

Michael.Nelsen@become.com

 

Tidbits for Pain

Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines.

Crusty Baked Fish

This recipe came to me by way of a friend.  I'll post it as she sent with my changes added.

nonstick cooking spray
1 egg white
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (out of all-purpose, used self-rising)
1/4 cup cornmeal (used self-rising)
1/4 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs) (used about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp. salt-free Cajun seasoning (didn't have Cajun so I used Old Bay)
1 lb. catfish fillets, halved (4 pieces) (don't like Catfish so I used Talapia)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray the surface of a flat, non-stick baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  (You may ask why spray a non-stick  pan with non-stick spray - it acts like oil in the pan.  You can also get this effect by spraying the meat while cooking).  In a shallow bowl beat egg white until it forms soft peaks.  Place flour on a sheet of wax paper.  On another sheet combine cornmeal, panko and seasoning.  Dip fish in  the flour and shake off excess.  Dip in the egg white.  Roll in the cornmeal mixture.  Place on baking pan.  Spray the tops of the fish with cooking spray and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms of the fish are browned and the fish is sizzling.  Remove from the oven and turn the fish over.  Return to oven and bake about 5 minutes longer or until the fillets are browned and crisp.

Comments:  I personally love my fish with a crispy crust.  I also love the slight taste of cornmeal.  I found both with this recipe.  It was like having good ole "fried" fish without the grease and smell. And as you can see, I didn't let my being out of something keep me from enjoying a good dish.  I simply decided to Think With Your Taste Buds

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Soup

This soup comes out a little thick but oh so good.  I decided to use the stuffing mix instead of crackers giving it just a little more of that heart warming sage taste.  This is a great recipe to have on hand using leftover turkey in place of the chicken.  Find my recipe on Martha's Recipe Cabinet and my rating for Bear Creek Soup Mix by going to The Good, The Bad, The Maybe.

Chicken Mozzarella

I'm running a little behind in my posts but good things are usually worth waiting for and this dish is one of the good ones.  Foodbuzz and Tastemakers along with Newman's Own sent me a couple of sauces to try with the hopes of my coming up with a recipe that is tasty, easy, family friendly and can be prepared within 30 minutes.  With my Chicken Mozzarella I nailed all of these plus.  Not only is this dish simple to make it's a dish that can be prepared as individual servings cooking all at one time or as needed making it the perfect dish for a busy schedule family.  So here is all you do to make this tasty little dish.

To make a serving for 4:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Cook 1/2 lb.  spaghetti according to package directions.
Divide spaghetti into 4 individual dishes that are oven safe.
Place 1 pre-cooked, breaded chicken breasts over top of spaghetti.
Divide 1 jar of Newman's Own pasta sauce over the chicken breasts making sure to cover the spaghetti.
Top with shredded Mozzarella cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and the dish is piping hot.

Comments:  I used the Tomato & Basil Bombolina Pasta Sauce. When I make up a new dish and serve it to some of my lucky food testers, I tell them very little about the dish.  All 3 of my food testers that tried this dish remarked about it's "clean" taste.  One thought it may have a touch of lemon added another wanted to know if I added a tiny bit of mint.  It was the Basil they were tasting and they all 3 loved it.  For my chicken I used a pre-cooked, all white meat product to cut down time.  When baking the assembled dish, watch your cheese.  You want the dish hot but you don't want to burn  your cheese.  If you find your cheese starting to brown, lay a sheet of non-stick foil over the top.  For the individual dishes, I shop at a discount pottery house that carries many styles and colors of individual baking dishes for about $1.00 each.  These are perfect to have around not only for this dish but also for serving baked potatoes, corn on the cob and even freezing individual dishes.  And as I said before, this dish is perfect for serving as needed.  You can bake all 4 dishes, wrap, refrigerate/freeze, and microwave as needed.  Perfect to serve that someone who didn't make it home in time for dinner with the rest of the family. 

Tidbits about words

 "lollipop"
is the longest word typed with your right hand.

Sorry for not posting

This is Puff last Christmas as he opened his presents.

I want to say that I'm sorry to those who follow my site but Monday I had to put down my best friend.  Puff had been there for me every day of his almost 14 years.  Greeting me when I came in and loving me no matter what.  He was there as my nurse when I had back surgery and any time in between that I simply didn't feel good.  If you're an animal lover, you'll understand what I'm going through.  If you aren't, you're missing out on some of the best non-conditional love you'll ever have.