Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream

Is there anyone on your Christmas list that just isn't easy to shop for? Well, this homemade drink might be just the thing.  Turns out that Irish Cream is really easy to make.  it took me 5 minutes to pour all the ingredients into a blender and mix it up.  Just buy a fancy glass bottle and wrap it up beautifully and you're done!

I don't usually slug down Irish Cream by itself so I'm not sure how great this information is, but they look very close to each other.  They smell very much like one another.  I think this version is thicker if you use heavy cream (which I did) and it might be a little stronger than the original (feel free to use a little less whiskey).  I drank some tonight in my coffee and it was really good, its also good over ice, just sayin.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream
Recipe from Running From The Law

Ingredients

• 1 cup light or heavy cream
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 2/3 cup Irish Whiskey (or less, this amount makes a strong drink)
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Cooking Directions

1. Pour all the ingredients into a blender and mix until well combined. That's it.
2. Store in your refrigerator for up to two months.
3. **You can also skip the booze and add some skim milk instead, if you're looking for a non-alcoholic version. 

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

This appetizer is one that I brought to a New Years party that I attended.  They were a huge hit and lots of people asked me for the recipe.  So, here is is.  Very simple to put together.  The ingredients aren't hard to find and if you've got yourself a little time for assembly they aren't complicated.

I've made them several times since that night and I've discovered that cooking them on a rack vs directly on a pan really helps with two things.  First: you don't get the pooling of melted brown sugar and bacon fat around each tater tot, which in turn makes them difficult to get off the tin foil.  Second: They crisp up better and aren't as gooey.

The combination of sweet and salty, combined with a yummy tater tot is delicious. Prepare yourself for a lot of people asking how they're made.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Ingredients

• 2 cups tater tots, at room temperature
• 4 slices (or more) thin sliced bacon, cut into quarters
• 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. Line a jelly roll pan with tin foil and place cooling racks on top the tin foil.
3. Take a tater tot, place a piece of cheese on top, wrap in bacon, roll in brown sugar and place on the prepared pan.
4. Continue until all are wrapped.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The bacon should have started to get crisp around the edges and be golden in color.
6. Let cool a little before removing from the pan.
7. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Slow Cooker Chili

Winter seems to have finally hit here in the South.  A little snow this morning, not much but it's just a teaser about what's on it's way.  I might be the only one happy about that.

Because of this cold weather, now is an excellent time to post this chili recipe.  I usually just wing my own chili and it always turns out well, so it was unusual for me to follow a recipe.  But it was going into the slow cooker so I thought a recipe might be helpful.  I'm so glad I tried it.  Talk about yummy.
I loved the texture and the fact that it wasn't overly soupy.  I used one regular Rotel can and one mild just in case but it wasn't too spicy at all.

We served ours with some sour cream and some shredded cheese but there are ton's of things that would be delicious on top.  I can tell you that crushed up Dorito's are also really good on top.  Don't ask me how I know that.

If you're looking for a basic chili recipe that will appeal to a large group, this is it!

Slow Cooker Chili

Recipe from CookingClassy

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14.4 ounce) cans diced onion with green chili's
• 3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water or beef broth
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Cooking Directions

1. Add the oil to a large skillet, when hot add the diced onion. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add to a preheated 7 quart slow cooker.
3. Use the same pan to brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain all but 2 Tbsp of fat. Pour into the slow cooker with the onions.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans and stir. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
5. Add the beans and heat through about 10 more minutes. Add 1/2 more beef broth or water if you want it soupier. 
6. Serve with your choice of toppings.  Some recommendations are shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped chives, crackers, cilantro, red pepper flakes, hot sauce. 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is a quick and easy recipe to make for dinner or an appetizer.  If you're making it for dinner just serve it on top of some rice.  For an appetizer just dig in with some toothpicks.  Everyone loves sweet and sour and when you add it to the convenience of meatballs, it just can't be beat.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients

• 2 pounds frozen meatballs
• 1 (10 oz) jar sweet and sour sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cubed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cubed (I used orange)
• 1 medium onion, cubed
• 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks

Cooking Directions

1. Place the frozen meatballs in the slow cooker.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix together and then pour over the top of the meatballs. Stir until coated.
3. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours or 4-5 hours on high. 

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm glad to get this week over.  The cold weather has once again arrived and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

During some of my many hours searching the Internet for recipe ideas, I stumbled up these yummy buffalo cauliflower bites.  I usually eat cauliflower raw but I love buffalo sauce so I thought I'd give this one a try.

The cauliflower gets dunked into a batter before you bake it.  Then you roll it around in a sauce as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Pretty much the same procedure as regular chicken wings although you probably don't use a "batter" with chicken.  Anyway, I thought they were delicious. You could pretty much put buffalo sauce on anything and I'd like it.

This would make a great snack for the Super Bowl.  I might even try it without the batter next time, just to cut off a few more calories.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Recipe from Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut up. About 6 1/2 cups
• 3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. Spray a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.
3. Mix the water, flour and garlic powder together to make a batter.
4. Dip the cauliflower into the batter until coated, you can scrape off the excess. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix the melted butter and Franks sauce together.
6. After the cauliflower comes out of the oven, coat in the sauce mix and serve.

Simple Artichoke Dip

Talk about an easy recipe!  Three ingredients and it's delicious!

I have a small obsession with artichokes.  Seriously, I eat them plain and in salads, I throw them in pasta and on pizza.  I love them.  I also loved this recipe.  I do warn you, if you're not a mayonnaise fan you will probably want to try another recipe.  You can certainly taste the mayo in this one. Also, I recommend you use some artichokes that are in brine.  You can rinse the brine off if you want but that salty briny flavor is really good in combination with the other two ingredients.

I love how easy and delicious this recipe is.  Definitely a keeper.

Simple Artichoke Dip

Recipe from South Carolina Hometown Cookbook page 18

Ingredients

• 1 - 14oz can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and place in an oven proof dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with pita chips, sliced bread or crackers.

Slow Cooker Texas Chili

Tis chili season!  Finally, I love chili and I loved this recipe because: 

1) It can be cooked all day in the slow cooker. 
2) If you get rid of that tiny bit of brown sugar it's compliant with my Whole30 plan. 
3) It's SPICY, I dig spicy. 

There is something about chili that is both comforting and energizing for me.  Probably because I eat it most often when there is a game of some sort on TV. 

I wanted to try this new recipe because I was having dinner club at my house this past weekend and it was going to be a super crazy day, so I needed a slow cooker recipe. I literally threw this together in about 20 minutes before I had to run off to a soccer game.  When I got home my house smelled so good!  I just had to clean up a little and change for the dinner club crew and I was done.  Slow cookers are a brilliant invention. 

There is definitely some kick to this recipe but not so much that you can't enjoy the taste of it. The meat just falls apart and the spices have cooked into the meat and the veggies. Great cold weather meal!

Slow Cooker Texas Chili

Recipe from The Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes.
• 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
• kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 - 4.5 ounce cans chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 3/5 cup chili powder
• 1 - 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1 - 2 Tbsp green hot sauce
• scallions, fresh cilantro, sour cream or shredded cheese for topping

Cooking Directions

1. Add the oil to a large frying pan and heat on high heat.
2. Toss the meat with 1 Tbsp of brown sugar and 1 Tbsp of salt.
3. Cook the meat until browned on all sides in the hot fry pan. Do not crowd the meat, do this in several batches.
4. Transfer the cooked meat to the slow cooker.
5. In the pan you used to cook the meat, add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes.
6. Add in the garlic and cook an additional minute. 
7. Add the green chilies, cumin, chili powder, diced tomatoes and 1 1/2 cup of water and let simmer for about 3 minutes. 
8. Add the tomato mixture into the slow cooker with the meat and cook on low for 7 hours. 
9. Add the hot sauce and the remaining 1 Tbsp of brown sugar. 
10. Serve with suggested toppings or corn chips. 

Bacon-Chicken Crescent Ring

I know I'm not the only one who has trouble getting dinner on the table when you've got such a hectic schedule during the week.  

Right? I'm not alone here right? 

I'm going to go ahead and assume you're experiencing these issues too.  Seems like there is very little time after school and before the extra-curricular activities.  I don't usually go for store bought products like canned crescent roll dough but lets be honest, I'm not going to whip it up on a weeknight either.  A little extra help from the store can help sometimes. 

This quick dish can be made quickly and you can add or remove any of the ingredients you don't think your family will eat.  I made it exactly as the recipe called for and my daughter wouldn't touch it because of the red peppers.  Oh well. 

Fairly simple to assemble, once you know what it's supposed to look like.  I like lots of pictures so I thought this might help.

The bacon inside really adds a nice smoky flavor that my husband and I enjoyed.  The flavors all meld together really well.  This ring bakes up beautifully and is easy to reheat and even take with you on the run. Great quick dinner option. 
Bacon-Chicken Crescent Ring

Recipe from "tasteofhome 100 BEST recipes 2011" page 80

Ingredients

• 2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 can (10 oz) chunk white chicken, drained and flaked
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I used coarse ground)
• 1 Tbsp Italian dressing mix

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Spray a 14 inch pizza dish with non-stick spray. 
3. Open both cans of crescent roll dough, break the dough apart into the perforated rectangle pieces and start laying them about 3 inches away from the edge of the pizza pan, wide side facing toward the middle, corner piece drooping over the edge. (see picture)
4. Overlap the dough pieces until all the pieces are down.  Squeeze the seams together on the wide side pieces. 
5. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl. 
6. Scoop out the mixture with a large spoon and spread evenly over the wide side of the dough. 
7. Grab the triangle pieces that are hanging over the edge and pull them over the top of the filling (there will be gaps that aren't covered). Tuck the dough corner under the wide side. (see picture). 
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Guacamole

One item you can count on disappearing from your party is guacamole. Everyone seems to love it!

When I was visiting my family in Oregon a couple of weeks ago, I was asked to put together a guacamole for an event.  Turns out, everyone loved it.  My aunt suggested I put in the cumin and it was the perfect ingredient!  You can make guacamole a million different ways but this one seemed to be the winner for us.

Keep in mind, air is the enemy of avocado's too.  Get that lemon juice in there and mixed in well so it doesn't turn a funky color on you!

Enjoy!

Guacamole

From Alissamay's kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocado's, seed and skin removed
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
•  the juice from 1 small fresh lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper sauce (like Tobasco)
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Use a medium bowl to mash the avocado with a fork. Some chunks are fine, it's up to you how smooth you want it.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the cilantro) and mix well, tasting as you go.
3. Add the cilantro last, right before serving.

Quick Jalapeño Cream Cheese Poppers

Talk about a quick and easy party favorite!  This recipe is really to put together at the last minute.  It takes no time at all to bake and run out the door to a party.  I used some pickled jalapenos that I made and I loved them even more.  The slight pickled flavor made it spectacular for me.

I've got some pictures below to demonstrate how to use the refrigerated crescent roll dough.  This isn't complicated, I just think pictures are really handy. 

The crescent roll dough you buy in the refrigerated section is easy to use.  That "pop" still scares me silly. Just open the can and take out the dough without unrolling it.  There is a perforation down the center, break it in half.  Unroll the two sections but pinch the seams together that separate the four sections, so you have two long rectangular pieces.
Slather on the cream cheese.
Roll up, cut, bake. Easy.

Once baked up, they buttery tender crescents just add to the deliciousness of the filling.  The jalapeños are spicy but get mellowed out from the cream cheese.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Quick Jalapeno Cream Cheese Poppers

Recipe from High Heels & Grills

Ingredients

• 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup jalapeños, minced (I used these pickled jalapeños)
• Crumbled bacon (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375º
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and jalapeños.  You can mix in the bacon if you are using it. 
3. Open the can of crescent roll dough and put it on your work surface WITHOUT separating it. 
4. Break the roll in half where it is perforated. You want two long rolls of dough, so pinch the seams together on each roll so you have two continuous rolls of crescents. 
5. Spread the cream cheese mixture oven the top of each rectangle. Roll each roll up starting from the short side (so the roll is the long way).  Cut into 11-16 pieces depending on how big you want them. 
6. Bake for 11-13 minutes. 

Caramel Bacon Buns

Will you believe me if I told you I JUST made these? They're still warm actually.  I'm taking them to a party tonight and I'm pretty sure they're going to be loved by all.  I wasn't sure at first but once they started baking and my house started to smell like caramelized bacon I was pretty sure they'd be good.  I was right, they are.  Thank you Pinterest!

I've got to say, I'm not usually very fond of canned biscuits but when it comes to this appetizer, I really do think they are the best choice.

I'm not really sure if this falls under the appetizer or dessert category since it is covered in caramel sauce, but I think appetizer is perfect.  They are sweet but not over the top sweet.  The bacon gets sort of candy like on top the bun.  Just heavenly. I can't wait to share these tonight!

Caramel Bacon Buns
Recipe from Oh, Bite It!

Ingredients

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits
• 1 jar caramel sauce (for ice cream)
• 1 package (about 8 pieces or so) bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º
2. Spoon a little caramel sauce into the bottom of 20 mini cupcake. I found a scant tsp was about right.
3. Sprinkle as much bacon on top of the caramel as desired. About 1/2 a tsp.
4. Cut each biscuit in half and lay one half on top of each caramel/bacon cup.
5. Line a separate baking sheet with tin foil and place it on the rack under the rack you are going to cook these on, to catch any drips that might occur. 
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. 
7. Get a cookie sheet ready so you can flip the buns over on top of it. 
8. You can drizzle extra caramel sauce over the top if desired. 
9. Makes 20 mini buns, serve at room temperature. 

Southern Style Boiled Peanuts

Boiled Peanuts are one of the things I had never heard of when I moved to the South. Why would you boil a peanut, I would ask.  While down in Louisiana visiting family, I saw that boiled peanuts were everywhere!  Like, at every gas station. So, I tried one.  And I hated it.  I mean, they're soft.  Aren't peanuts supposed to be hard?

OK, fast forward to years later when I was out on the lake with my friends.  There was a boat on the lake that was a concession stand, basically.  But onboard they sold boiled peanuts, and everyone was buying them.  What is wrong with these people, I silently wondered.  Ok I'll try one.  You know what? It wasn't that bad.  So eventually I started to even like them.  They are soft, but they are salty and sometimes spicy and pretty darn good.

Nowadays I just make them myself.  I don't hang out at the lake like I once did but that doesn't mean that I can't have some boiled peanuts. They are somewhat time consuming so plan ahead.  The good news is that I've also made these in a crock pot so at least you've got options.  The cooking time will be the same in the crock pot if you cook it on high. Just test them every so often for the saltiness you like and or spice.  The nuts should be soft but not mushy.

I might have had slightly more then 5 pounds, so I added about 1/2 cup more salt and cooked for about 30 minutes longer.

Southern Style Boiled Peanuts

Recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 5 lbs raw, unsalted peanuts in the shell
• 1 cup salt
• 5 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled

Cooking Directions

1. Add the peanuts and all of the remaining ingredients to a large pot. Cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil and cover, lower heat and let boil for 3 hours.
3. Taste the peanuts and add more salt if desired or cook longer if they are not soft enough for your taste.

Secret Buffalo Wing Sauce

It's not uncommon in my house for either my husband or I to just have a sudden wing craving.  We love them!  Some nights you just gotta have wings and they are so easy it seems silly not to cave in an make them.  Granted, this recipe does require a small amount of time to throw the sauce recipe together, but it's very likely that you have all of the ingredients on hand AND it doesn't need that much time to simmer.  I had the wings and sauce done in about 30 minutes or less.

This isn't your typical wing sauce, in lots of ways it isn't typical but it's so very flavorful.  I found myself wishing I had some bread to sop of up leftover sauce with.  It's not spicy so I gave some to my daughter to try and sadly, but predictably, she didn't like it.  But she doesn't like anything.

Feel free to spice yours up by adding more hot sauce or some minced jalapeño. I truly loved this sauce, it's got a lot of butter in it so that's probably one reason I loved it, but it's also got a lot of complex flavors that melted together so nicely.

I will absolutely make this recipe again.  No doubt about it!

Secret Buffalo Wing Sauce

Recipe from Food Network Sierra's Grandma's Secret Buffalo Wing Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• 5 Tbsp tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano, fresh or dried
• dash beer
• dash hot sauce (I used Franks)

Cooking Directions

1. This recipe is enough for about 20 pieces of cooked chicken wings.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar.
3. Use a whisk and add the remaining ingredients, adding the beer last to taste.
4. Cook over low heat until smooth and the flavors have melded, about 10 minutes or so.
5. Pour over cooked chicken, stir to coat and serve hot.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

I'm happy to say that our neighborhood dinner club is back in session.  It seemed to sort of disappear last year and we never got back to it.  Thankfully we're back and boy am I glad.  I love hanging out with the girls from my street. I'll post the dinner club recipes soon!

I was trying to think of a good theme and decided since it was January that I should stick with the idea of eating healthier.  I can tell you, we did NOT suffer through bland boring food that night.  These turkey meatballs were so tender and moist, the sauce sort of seeped into the meatballs so even though they didn't look like they were coated with sauce you definitely got the bite from the buffalo sauce.  Full of flavor!

My husband was out of town at the time but once he got back and had some leftovers he was hooked.  He wanted me to tell you all that this would be a fantastic addition to your Super Bowl party food!  I think he's right.  And you can't beat the fact that they're cooked in the slow cooker, this will give you time to spend with your guests and the game and not being stuck in the kitchen.


Slow Cooker Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
Recipe for Turkey Meatballs found on Food.com
Recipe for Sauce found on the back of the Franks Red Hot bottle

Meatballs

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 whole egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Sauce

• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup wing sauce (I used Franks)

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a medium bowl making sure the ingredients are well dispersed.
2. I used a small cookie scoop to get even sized meatballs. Roll them in your hands to make them a nice round shape. 
3. Place the meatballs in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.
4. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for about 3-4 hours.

Creamy Bacon Parmesan Dip

So, a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we had recently had a thunderstorm and according to Southern folklore we could expect snow in 7-10 days.  Well, it took a little longer than that but we did get snow last night.  They cancelled school today and everything.  How much snow did we get? About and inch.  Yep, that's all. The road are really icy so I am glad school was cancelled but there isn't even enough snow to make a snowman.  Not to mention it's not sticky enough.  Oh well, we'll take it.

If you're stuck home like we are today you might want to work on your game day plans, or maybe you just want a tasty snack.  If you're a bacon fan, you'll be in heaven with this one. Bacon is the star ingredient in this dip, ton's of flavor from the crunchy bacon and the creamy cheeses. Easy to throw together and the ingredients are readily available at most every supermarket.

I made this dip to the Bronco/Patriot game at a friends house

Make sure the dip is good and hot when served!

Creamy Bacon Parmesan Dip

Recipe from Buns In My Oven

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cooked
• 1/4 whole sweet onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature and cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Mince the onion and add to a hot skillet with the butter. Cook until the onions have softened and started to brown slightly. Should take 5-10 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, crumble the bacon into small pieces and then add the remaining ingredients including the cooked onion.
4. Stir together until creamy and add to a small heat proof dish.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Superbowl 2014

Is your favorite team playing in the Super Bowl this year?

We are sort of divided in my household since my husband is a die hard Patriots fan (I love them too) and being from a state where we don't have a professional football team I could either grow up loving Seattle or Denver….I chose Denver.  Luckily my husband was at work for the last game so I didn't have to hide my schizophrenic episodes of rooting for two teams at the same time in the same game.  It was a no lose situation for me, sadly not the same for my husband.

I've compiled some great recipes you could use to entertain some friends for the big game!

Spinach Roll-ups

This roll-up has everything but the kitchen sink in them but the flavor's meld together perfectly.  You get the creaminess of the cream cheese, the crunch of the water chestnuts, the bite of the jalapeno and the heat from some spice.  What more can you ask for? 

Onion Strings

My mouth waters every time I think of these onion strings.  They are perfect. Crunchy, flavorful, I use a lot of pepper in the batter and I recommend you do to.  Well if you like pepper that is. Perfect game day food, but you might want to hide all remaining onions in your house or else you'll be frying all night.  People LOVE this recipe. 

Quick Queso

Cheesy, spicy goodness.  Who doesn't love cheese dip?  You can throw this together in literally minutes and it's always a hit. 

Samoa Brownies

This post is taking off on Pinterest.  If you're looking for a gooey, rich, chocolaty brownie then you've found it.  It's nice to have a decadent dessert that you can hold in one hand for the big game and this fits the bill. If you've ever had a Somoa Girl Scout cookie and loved it then you will love these!

Ham and Bean Soup

Everyone is going to be making chili for the game, why not switch it up a bit with this yummy, thick, satisfying soup.  Serve it along side a bottle of hot sauce and some crackers. Yum!

BBQ Chicken Crescents

Another quick and easy recipe that your guests will love, BBQ chicken!  Wrap it up in a store bought crescent roll and you've got yourself a quick bite for people to grab and gobble up. 

Restaurant Style Salsa

Salsa and chips are the classic snack food for so many types of get-togethers. This recipe will quickly become your favorite.  Ton's of flavor but don't worry about the heat level, you can customize it to your own liking.  Great to top off some nacho's!

Pizza Balls

Pizza might be an easy way to get your crowd happy for the game but did you know you can make it quickly and easily in your own kitchen? The kids love em and so do the adults.  They are easy to eat and very portable, yet not as messy as traditional pizza. 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

What's the last thing you want to do on game day? Be stuck in the kitchen!  Don't be, use your crock pot to your advantage! Meatballs do so well in a slow cooker and this sweet and sour sauce is right on!

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Finger food is key to a good party and who doesn't like cheese crackers? Everyone loves these crackers.  Full of cheesy flavor and a classic cracker crunch.  You can't go wrong with these crackers.  Make sure to give yourself a day or two before the game to make them since they do require some time.  Totally worth it. 

Spinach Roll-ups

This has to be one of my favorite recipes from long ago.  I can't believe I've waited so long to make them again because they are so so very good. I got this recipe from my friend Kari and at first I made it all the time for parties or whatever. So for a New Years party that we were invited to I knew that I wanted to make something that was tried and true and proven to be loved.

The party was so much fun and there was ton's of good food but everyone did indeed love these roll-ups. They are packed with flavor and texture.  From the bite of the spinach to the crunch of the water chestnuts and jalapeño, combined with the creaminess of the cream cheese mixture you just can't beat it.  You might be thinking when you look at the ingredients that this is way to spicy for you but it's not.  Trust me.  If you remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño you won't get all that heat and the other spicy ingredients just add flavor and not ton's of spice. Of course if you want something spicy you can leave the seeds in, add more chili powder or more cayenne pepper sauce. It's up to you.

There are quite a few ingredients in this roll-up but they are worth it, also allow for a little bit of refrigeration time so the flavors can blend together and the roll-ups won't fall apart when you cut them.
Enjoy!

Spinach Roll-ups

Recipe from Kari S.

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry using several paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. 
• 1/2-3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 pkg (8 ounce) cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper sauce, such as Tobasco
• 1 package ranch salad dressing mix
• 1 can (8 ounce) water chestnuts, chopped
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
•  6-8 large flour (or whole wheat) tortilla wraps

Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients (except the tortillas) in a large bowl. 
2. Spread about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the mixture evenly over one tortilla, leaving about 1/2 inch space around the outer edges, then roll up tight and wrap in plastic wrap or tin foil. Repeat until all the mixture is gone. 
3. Refrigerate the rolls ups. 
4. When ready to serve, remove the wraps from the plastic wrap or tin foil and cut into 1/2 inch slices. 
5. Makes 6-8 whole wraps before cutting. 

PW's Onion Strings

I can't believe it's taken me so long to post this recipe.  A funny thing happens every time I've made these onion strings.  They get eaten before I can snap a decent picture.  Honest.  OK I may have been the one to eat them all before it occurred to me to grab my camera.  I've had to make them three times before getting a picture.  Torture I tell ya, pure torture.

The first time I ever made them was last summer for a neighborhood barbecue, no picture taken. I made them again recently for my husbands birthday dinner and they disappeared in no time and no picture.  I made them again the very next night for another dinner and finally grabbed some pictures.  I had to show you a picture because my husband is a onion ring connoisseur and he's very particular about the kind of onion rings that he likes.  He likes the thin sort of onions with a light flaky layer of breading so they are nice and crunchy.  These babies totally fit the bill.  The seasoning is perfect, the onions are flavorful and the breading is thin yet crispy.

If you've got a few extra calories to use one of these nights I highly suggest you splurge on this recipe.  They are so darn good!

PW's Onion Strings

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 whole large onion (I used yellow)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt (scant)
• 1 quart (or 2 quarts) canola oil
• pepper to taste

Directions

1. Slice the onions very thin and place in a large bowl
2. Pour the buttermilk over the top of the onion and stir around so it's fully covered. 
3. Let soak in the buttermilk for at least an hour. 
4. Combine the dry ingredients in another large bowl or a large zip lock bag. 
5. Heat the oil to 375º
6. Line a plate or bowl with paper towels (for the cooked onion strings)
7. Dredge a handful of the sliced onions into the flour mixture and then plunge into the hot oil.  Fry for a couple minutes or until they are golden brown.  Remove to the prepared paper towel lined dish. 
8. Repeat until they are all cooked, serve hot. 

Quick Queso

I know many of you will be attending a party of some sort this coming weekend.  I have a quick easy suggestion for an appetizer you can bring with you.

First of all, I saw these cute tortilla chips at WalMart.  Then I grabbed a cube of white Velveeta and a can of Rotel tomatoes and that's it!  I know many of you might already have this recipe, but if you don't you're missing out on some quick party magic.  Easy, delicious!

There is a slight "kick" with this, if you prefer no kick you can also just add some mild salsa.

Another suggestion is to brown some breakfast sausage or some Italian sausage and stir that in as well. So many possibilities.  The version above has the pretty red, green and white colors though. Very festive.

Quick Queso

Ingredients

• I box White Velveeta
• 1 can (10 oz) Rotel (tomatoes with green chilies)

Cooking Directions

1. Cut the Velveeta in large chunks and put into a large saucepan.
2. Begin melting over low heat.
3. Add the can of Rotel, juice and all. Stir until smooth.
4. Serve warm.

Chewy Triple Chocolate Brownies

Sometimes you just gotta have a brownie right? I don't know what it is but every so often I just gotta have one and nothing else will do.  I've made some amazing one's in the past but there are so many different recipes that I feel it is my duty to try as many as possible.

I also like to change it up a bit by adding frosting to my brownies sometimes but I find it hard to find the perfect texture and flavor.  A regular cake frosting doesn't always do the trick for me.  I lucked out on that aspect by finding this frosting recipe.

The last necessity I have for a good brownie is that is chewy and fudge more than caky.  If I wanted cake I'd eat cake.  Know what I mean? I lucked out by finding this recipe too, it totally fits the bill in the texture department for me.

And most importantly it was the perfect thing for my craving.  I'm a very happy camper right now.

One last thing, I realize I have Halloween sprinkles on these brownies, I did in fact just make these this weekend and I could only find Halloween sprinkles, and sprinkles were a requirement of my daughter.  Feel free to use whatever sprinkles you have on hand, or exclude.  I leave that to your discretion.

Chewy Triple Chocolate Brownies

Recipe modified slightly from AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chunks (or nuts of your choice)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch dish
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder and mix until combined. 
4. In a separate medium bowl combine the oil, eggs, corn syrup and vanilla extract.  Whisk together. 
5. Pour the liquid mix into the flour mix and combine.  Fold in the chocolate chips (or nuts) and then pour into the prepared dish. 
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. 
7. Set aside to let cool slightly while you make the frosting. 

Brownie Frosting

Recipe from AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp milk
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 dash vanilla extract

Directions

1. Add the butter, milk and sugar to a medium sized saucepan and cook until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolving.  Bring to a full boil and boil for 30 seconds. 
2. Remove from the heat immediately. 
3. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until smooth.  Add the vanilla extract and mix. 
4. Pour over the warm brownies.