Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

· 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, & diced

· 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped

· 2 tablespoon minced red onion

· 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

· ¼ t. salt

· 6 egg roll wraps


Method:

Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up over the filling.

Fold side corners in and roll toward the top corner. Wet the edges of the top corner with a little water. Then fold top corner over and press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Slice egg rolls diagonally across middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce.




Honey Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

· 3-4 teaspoons white vinegar

· 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

· 1/2 cup honey

· 1/2 cup chopped cashews

· 2/3 cup fresh cilantro

· 2 garlic cloves

· 2 green onions

· 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

· 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

· 1/4 cup olive oil

Method:
To make dipping sauce, use a blender or food processor to puree all listed ingredients except olive oil. Blend until well pureed. Then stream in olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.

My Notes:  I LOVE THESE!!  I am not a big fan of egg rolls, but these are GREAT!   My mom gave me the recipe.  In the picture I have the dipping sauce on the egg roll, but you can just use it as a dipping sauce also.

Taco Soup

Prep:5 min.
Cooking Time:10-15 min.

1 lb. Ground Beef, browned and drained
1  46oz. Can Tomato Juice
1 can Corn, drained
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can Kidney Beans, optional
1 can Olives, chopped, optional

Fritos
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream

Mix together all ingredients and heat through.  Put Fritos in the bottom of bowl, add soup, then put grated cheese and sour cream on top.

Enjoy!!

My Note:  I really enjoy this recipe, it has been in our family for as long as I can remember and I have great memories of eating it with my family growing up.  It is fun for the kids and still a great taste for the adults.  I also like to put a little hot sauce in mine to spice it up a bit.

I forgot to take a picture of this when I made it for dinner, so sorry and next time I make it I will repost this recipe with a picture. 

Best Sloppy Joes

My mom sent me this recipe and said it was the best Sloppy Joes she has ever had.  The person that gave her the recipe took it to a church function which is where my mom tried it and said it was definitely worth trying.  So... These are on my menu this week.  I will let you know what I think about them.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 T olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper finely chopped
2 garlic cloves pressed
1 small can tomato paste
1 can Chicken Gumbo Soup adding one can water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T. prepared mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. worchestershire sauce
splash red wine vinegar
seasoning to taste (San Francisco's Chili Mix, garlic and onion powder, ground pepper and Lawry salt.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil and meat to pan and begin to break it up. When almost browned, add seasonings and brown sugar. When browned, add vegetables and reduce heat to medium adding the Worchestershire sauce, vinegar, ketchup and cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste, soup and water - stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, simmer and cook mixture for 30 minutes longer or until desired consistency.

Commercial Calphalon Pan on Amazon 75% off

I was over at my favorite blog again and noticed a nice deal on some cookware that I just had to share.  Amazon.com, has a great deal on a Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid.  It is currently 75% off AND has Free Shipping!!  Yeah!!  This pan usually sales for 119.00 and you can buy it now for $29.99 delivered.   That sounds great to me.  Just head on over and get yours before they are gone.  

Thanks, Hip2Save!! 

Cupcake Bugs

My girls have been begging to make cupcakes for weeks.  They got a cupcake maker for Christmas and used all the mixes that came with it in one day (if only came with 4 mixes and they each made one cupcake).  So... I made cupcakes and let them frost and decorate them with their frosting machine.

Then, I remembered that my sister-in-law gave me a really neat recipe book for cupcakes for Christmas.  It is called "Hello, Cupcake!"  It is full of a ton of really neat ideas for decorating cupcakes.  And the best part is, they are all pretty easy and you don't have to have all the professional tools to make them.  In fact, most people have all the tools needed to make most of the cupcake designs.   So.. I got out the cupcake book and started looking through it.  I wanted to find something that I could just play around with that wouldn't take too long and that I already had all the ingredients for.  I ended up with these:

All I did was frost the cupcake and then roll the edge in a plate full of sprinkles.
Then I melted some dipping chocolate and put it into a Ziploc sandwich bag and cut off the very tip of one corner.  Using the templates from the book, I squeezed the chocolate from the bag onto wax paper and made the bugs and then stuck the M&M's in the right places..  The book had 6 different bug designs, but I only used three; the spider, the tick, and the centipede.  I thought they turned out quite cute. There are also templates for an ant, a beetle, and a scorpion in the book.

I just used what I already had in the house, so that is why there are pick M & M's on them.  I had those left over from a girl Baby Shower that I did.  But it worked out good because my girls had picked out pink cupcake cups and Red Velvet Cake Mix.  So they were very "PINK" cupcakes.


These would be great for a Halloween Party, just use different colored  M&M's so they look a little more scary.

After making these, I can't wait to try out some of the other ideas in the book.  I will let you know when I try them and how they turn out.

Tortilla Wrap Appetizers

I made these for a baby shower and then forgot to take a picture of them, so sorry no picture yet.  I will make them again soon though and then add a picture at that point.

2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Milk Recipe Original Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
2 green onions, minced
4 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 c. diced red pepper
1/2 c. diced celery
1 can sliced black olives, drained

Mix first 3 ingredients. Spread on tortillas. Sprinkle on remaining ingredients. Then roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours. Cut as thick as you like - 1/2 to 1 inch slices.

I got this recipe from Cooks.com.

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

Last night for dinner I tried a new recipe, and boy am I glad that I did.  I picked up some Tilapia from Kroger and it was the individually wrapped ones.  They were really easy to use.  I found this recipe a couple of months ago from "What's for Dinner?" and have been wanting to try it, but have been quite busy and kept forgetting to buy the fish.  So when I finally bought I now wish I had picked up the fish earlier because this dish is probably one of my favorites.  It had a great combination of flavors and I especially like the breading on this.  The pecans and buttermilk really add a great taste.  The other great thing is that the Tilapia is a very mild tasting fish and you can't even tell it is fish.  But if you don't like fish, try this breading with Chicken, I think it would be just as good. 

Prep: 5 min.  Cook:  6-10 min.

Servings: 4

 1/2 C dry breadcrumbs

2 T. finely chopped pecans

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 C low-fat buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

3 T. all-purpose flour

4 (6 oz) tilapia or red snapper fillets

1 T vegetable oil, divided

4 lemon wedges

• Combine Bread Crumbs, Pecans, Salt, Garlic Powder, and Pepper in a shallow dish.  
• Mix together Buttermilk and Hot Sauce in a separate small bowl.
• In another shallow dish add the flour.

• Coat each Fillet with flour, then dip in buttermilk mix, and then coat with the bread crumb mixture.
• Heat Oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place the fillets in the oil and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

• Serve with Lemon Wedges.

 My Note:  This is a quite easy recipe to make.  I only used 1/2 of the hot sauce called for because I was afraid it was going to be too hot for my girls to eat, but I couldn't taste any type of kick so it might not be hot if all the hot sauce was added.   I also used Olive Oil instead of Vegetable Oil, and I had to use more than was called for.  The fish started to stick a little, so I just poured some more oil in.  I did serve with Lemon Slices, but the fish was so good that only one of my daughters put the lemon on her fish, the rest of us used the lemon in our water instead.

To see the post from "What's for Dinner?" and see her comments on this dish go over Here.

Cooking Tip of the Week!

To get more juice from a lemon when juicing it you have two options:

1.  You can microwave it on High for about 10-15 seconds before squeezing. 
2.  You can roll the lemon on it's side, pressing gently with your palm. 

Both of these will give you up to double the amount of juice you would get from a lemon just squeezing it.

Christmas Truffles

I know it is after Christmas, but honestly these truffles are good anytime of year and they are really easy too.

I got this recipe from a neighbor a couple of years ago.  She uses it a lot when she does catering parties and things and everyone always loves them.

Ingredients:

1 Package Oreos
1 Package Cream Cheese
Dipping Chocolate

Put Oreos in blender, a few cookies at a time, and blend until chopped small.  Then transfer to a medium bowl and add soften Cream Cheese.  Using a mixer, blend until smooth.  Roll into small balls and place on a pan covered with wax paper.  Put in the refrigerator or freezer, and let set until hardened.  Dip into dipping chocolate and let set until completely dry.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

My Notes:  You can use any flavor of Oreos to add a little different flavor to the truffles.  We really like to use the mint Oreos.  Also, when chopping the Oreos in the blender, just chop them to your liking.  I like to do it so most of it is crumbs but there are a few chunks.  I think it makes it more fun and tastes better when eating.

Remember to put these in either the Fridge or Freezer after you make them, or the cream cheese in them will go bad.

You could also use this recipe to make the Bloodshot Brownies for Halloween!

I'm Back!!

Okay, I have been gone for a while.  Not really gone gone, just gone from this blog.  I really have missed taking pictures of everything I was making, posting my recipes and the new ones that I was trying, and I really regret not getting the holiday recipe contest on its way. 

I am not back and ready to Rock and Roll.  I probably won't be posting as often as I was before, but I do not want to go 3 months between posts again.

So I am sorry, that I haven't been keeping this up, I had some friends and family say they really missed seeing my posts and trying my recipes.  I am sorry to you all.  I don't really have an excuse as to why I haven't posted in a while, except to say, I just needed a break from the internet all together.

To get me going again though, I am asking you to email me your favorite recipe for me to try.  I am going to try a bunch on new recipes in the coming weeks.  I won't be trying a new one every day, but I would like to try a couple new ones per week.  If you have any that you love, email them over and I will cook them up and have my family to the taste testing.  Then I will let everyone know how it goes.

Tip of the Week!

Always have a couple sets of Measuring Cups and Spoons on hand.  When you are doing a lot of cooking in a day, or even just one complicated dish, it's nice to not have to stop and do the dishes to continue with the recipe.

Tip of the Day!

If your gravy has turned out a little greasy, you can add a little baking soda to it and it will get rid of it.

Tip of the Week!

When picking a melon, smell it for freshness and ripeness.  Make sure it is heavier in weight (heavier=juicer) and that the spot on the end where it was plucked from the vine is soft.

Tip of the Week!

For fluffier, whiter Rice, add one teaspoon of Lemon Juice per quart of water, while cooking.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Okay, so the voting for our Halloween Recipe Contest ended last night and I just came to check on the results and it appears we have a clear winner.

Our winner is Mandy with the Cookies 'N Cream Jack-o'-Lantern Popcorn Balls.


Thank all of you so much for your submissions and the time you took to come and vote on your favorites. 

Mandy will now have a chance to pick her price, she either gets a year subscription to the Taste of Home magazine, full of many great recipes and cooking ideas, or a $10 Visa Gift Card.   Congratulations Mandy.

Now for the time to announce the winner from the drawing.  There actually ended up being quite a few names in there from entering and referring people.  So... I drew the name this morning and the winner is... Jami.  She sent in the Red Cinnamon Apples, and the Chocolate Six-Legged Spiders.  Congratulations to Jami for the win, she has won a $5 Walmart Gift Card.

Thanks again to all those that entered my Halloween Recipe Contest.  I hope everyone had fun and got some great ideas for all those Halloween get togethers.

Just a reminder that I will be having a Holiday Recipe Contest coming up soon.  I would appreciate your feedback though.  Should I do a Thanksgiving, and Christmas one separate, or should I combine them and just do a Holiday Recipe Contest?  What do you think?  Leave a comment or email me and let me know.

Tip of the Week!

When using Sugar Cones for ice cream, put a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of the cone before adding the ice cream.  This will keep the cone from getting soggy and leaking through the bottom of the cone.

Chicken Lo Mein

Okay, so this is my experimental recipe for the week.  I got it from Recipe Zaar.  I really liked this recipe, it was quite simple and very good tasting.  I have go agree that you should not substitute the Sesame Oil for another oil, because you could really taste it and it tasted really good.  Plain olive oil would not work.  I do wonder though if Peanut Oil would taste good as well.  The Sesame Oil is pretty expensive, at least I couldn't find any that was cheap, so I might be tempted to use Peanut Oil to see how it tastes since is is so much cheaper.  I added Mushrooms to mine and it was great, I was going to add Brocoli, I think that would be a great addition, but I forgot to pick some up at the store while I was there so maybe next time.  There will be a next time too.  The whole family loved it and so did I.  Thank you Recipe Zaar for a great recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3 (3 ounce) packages oriental-flavor instant ramen noodles, reserve 2 seasoning packets
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce, we use the Lite Soy sauce

2 cups coleslaw mix, packed
4 eggs, hard-boiled, sliced
Directions

1 In large, deep frying pan with lid, place chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper, into 1 Tbl. olive oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

2 Cook over medium heat, covered, for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is done.

3 Remove chicken from pan to cool slightly. Cut into bite-sized pieces, toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, cover and set aside. Do not drain frying pan. Add 1 1/2 Tbl. sesame oil to pan.

4 In pot, boil 3 pkgs. Ramen noodles for 3 minutes.

5 Drain and RINSE WELL.

6 Drain again and add to frying pan with 2 Tbl. soy sauce, cole slaw mix, reserved chicken and 2 of the seasoning packets from noodles.

7 Stir fry, stirring, over med-low heat for 3-5 minutes or til cabbage mix is tender and all is well mixed.

8 Top each individual serving with sliced or chopped egg if desired.

9 Also serve with additional soy sauce if desired.

10 Makes 4-6 servings.

11 *Do not substitute another oil for the sesame oil! That's what really makes this dish.

12 Nice additions: mushrooms, pea pods, water chestnuts, cooked broccoli and baby corn.

FREE Cooking With Stock Recipe Booklet!

There is another Free Recipe Book available.  Kitchen Basics is offering up a Free Recipe Book called "Cooking with Stock, 6th Edition."  Go over here to request yours.

I just requested mine and am excited to get it.  I always like new recipes and when they are free it is even better.

Thanks,  It's Hip to Save!

LET THE VOTING BEGIN!!!!!!!!

Okay so I have be going back and forth trying to narrow down the entries for my Halloween Recipe Contest to my five favorite recipes.  I have to admit I have had quite a hard time to do this, so....  I am changing the rules. I am going to give you my six favorite recipes to vote on instead.  So... HERE THEY ARE!!

In no particular order  (I actually get annoyed when people say this, because there is usually some kind of order, but I am putting it anyway).

1.  Loaded Baked Potato Soup
2. Chocolate Six-Legged Spiders
3. Frightening Fingers
4. Cookies 'N Cream Jack-o-Lantern Popcorn Balls
   
5. Strawberry Ghosts
6. Pumpkin Pizza

So here they are.  I have set up a poll on the sidebar and everyone will have until 12:00 Midnight, Pacific Standard Time, on October 25th, 2009, to vote for their favorite Halloween recipe.

The recipe with the most votes at that time will be deemed the winner, so tell your friends and family to come on over and vote.  I think you can vote once per day, but you can vote for multiple recipes, or just one, whichever you would like.  This is my first poll I am putting up, so we will see exactly how it works.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN THE FINALS, AND LET'S START VOTING!!!

If you would like to see all the entries into the Halloween Recipe Contest you can go over Here.

All Day Apple Butter

Here is our last entry into our Halloween Recipe Contest.  It was sent in by Sarah.  This is what she had to say about this recipe.  "I found this recipe a long time ago when I tasted some made my my roommate and it's just the right time of year for the apple harvest.  It makes the house smell like cinnamon too. - I changed 5 1/2 lbs. apples to one dozen.  In the picture, it is only half done.  I'll find out how it is in the morning ;)"




INGREDIENTS:

* 1 dozen apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 4 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Thank you Sarah for your entry and Good Luck in the Contest.  I will be announcing the 5 recipes that are the finalists shortly, and then the voting can begin.  Good Luck to all.