Mexican Dip

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!  I love that this holiday is so festive!  But to me this holiday means summer is just around the corner!  My very favorite Mexican dip looks even better with won ton wrappers!. This is a great appetizer as that it not only looks good but taste fresh!  For the base--take won ton wrappers and spray a regular size muffin pan with pan and lay 2 wontons opposite each other, bake until golden. 

For the filling:

1 can Del Monte Corn (I use the small cans)
1 can Bush's black beans
! cup of FRESH salsa that you find in the produce department of your grocery (do not use jarred salsa!!)
cumin to taste
sour cream and cilantro to garnish

MY TIP:  You can make this as a dip without the wontons and serve tortilla chips instead.
MY OTHER TIP:  This is not a recipe to make ahead, as for some reason it does not taste fresh.  For best results make just before serving.  This is such a easy recipe it will not take time away from your guests!
MY OTHER TIP:  The wontons can be made in advanced and stored in an air tight tin.

Butter

My preferred style of entertaining is typically in the evening with drinks and appetizers or a summer BBQ outdoors or some themed event. But I recently hosted a weekend brunch.  I made a few recipes already in my blog--biscotti and frittatas.  I also served some fresh juice assortments, bacon, toast, muffins,  fruit, blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and this very simple presentation for butter.

Seriously, this could not be simpler and can be made ahead, making them even more simple!.  Just soften butter and put into candy molds and freeze.  Unmold when ready to use.  (I have been doing this for years--Thanksgiving--turkey molds, Christmas--tree molds, Easter cross molds, well you get the idea!).  For some reason, people are really impressed with this very simple presentation.

MY TIP:  You may have to tap or even slam (well almost a slam) these to get them to release from the mold.

MY OTHER TIP: The colder these are, the easier they are to release. If they will not come out, put them back into the freeze to harden.

Pirogi Heaven

I love Chicago, any time of the year, even in the winter!  There is always so much to do!  On a spur of the moment trip, we took in a great lecture at the Cultural Center, spent hours at the Art Museum where we explored the Picasso exhibit and discovered an authentic Polish restaurant!  Chicago always has the unexpected!   I must prefix that we went to a very stylish, sophisticated, upscale looking Asian restaurant that had me at the first hello.  Unfortunately, the food was way to sweet for my taste, so I left hungry.  My daughter Google a restaurant near the Loop, which led us to Pirogi Heaven purely by accident. Definitely not upscale, but a simple, immaculate, authentic Polish restaurant that was wonderful and took me back to Krakow!

Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushroom

There is just something about mushrooms that I love.  I like them raw, sauteed and stuffed!  I have yet to met a stuffed mushroom that I don't like.  This one is very simple!

Remove mushroom caps
Cook 1/2 pound of sausage until no longer pink
Mix with cream cheese
Bake at 350 degrees until hot

MY TIP:  Use the reserved mushroom stems in an omelet the next morning!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

This is my youngest daughter's favorite appetizer recipe.  Simply chop chicken breast into 1 inch by 1 inch chunks and wrap them around one half strip of bacon and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. These are so simple even my youngest daughter who did not inherit the "cooking gene" makes these.  (I do have great hope for her, since she told me that "chopping vegetables is relaxing".  I told her if that is the case she will end up being a really good cook someday!  Here's to her getting out of restaurants and Whole Food's Hot Bar and into her own  kitchen where the best food is prepared!

New Year's Resolutions

Yes, that's plural!   Although I don't have 2,013 of them, I do have a few.  That way, at the end of the year I can always say I achieved some of my resolution!  My first resolution is to blog at least once a month! (Did you notice the gap from November to now, apparently some of my friends did!!!)  Second, of course is to exercise at least 5 times a week.  And third,  is to eat healthy.  These should be fairly easy to keep!

Now to my house goals, which for some strange reason are harder for me to keep.  Don't get me wrong, I manage to update and redecorate each year, but they are not always the rooms I intended!  Again, this year I did not buy new light fixtures for the inside of my home, nor did I buy new rugs for the kitchen and dining area, and I did not reupholster my gathering room benches.  And I probably won't this year unless I find something that I truly love.
 
I did manage to take down the wallpaper in our master bedroom and sitting area and repaint.  I also painted the lower level bedroom and the multipurpose room.  Along with taking down the wallpaper in my daughters bedroom and having custom bedding, curtains and ponder area covers made.   I also found new  bedding for the second bedroom in the lower level that coordinates nicely with the bathroom, that I redecorated last year. 

I was hoping to do more to my house this year, but my big distraction was that we bought some rental properties.  We ended up tearing everything out of all three places.  I pretty much spent most of my time redecorating (flooring, ceramic tile, vanities, counter tops, paint, lighting, etc, etc and even the kitchen sink!!  I also (along with my husband) painted two entire houses!!!

So for this year, I plan to paint my daughters bedroom, put new ceramic tile in 3 out of 4 of my bathrooms (one has hardwood floors so I don't need to do that one,)  find new planters for the front of the house, since the one I bought last year broke (!).  And I hope to find lighting (don't quote me on the last one!)  But who knows what 2013 will bring???  So here's to being open minded!!!

Pull-a-part Pizza

What a great season this has been for the Irish!!!  Number 1!!!  10-0!!!!  This pull-a-part pizza bread is an
easy football party appetizer!

 Ingredients:

• 1 3 1/2 - ounce package sliced pepperoni, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
• 1 11 - ounce package (12) refrigerated bread-sticks
• 1 cup pizza sauce, warmed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine pepperoni, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
2. Cut dough into 1-inch pieces with a kitchen scissors or sharp knife. Arrange 1/3 of the dough pieces in prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers 2 more times.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm with pizza sauce.