Greek Tomato and Feta Dip

Whoa baby was this ever good!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. It looks so fresh and tasty and I have developed a real obsession affection for Feta cheese. Doug and I were going to have this as an appetizer before a simple pork chop and pasta salad meal. Well here is what happened.....

Yes, it was that good!

Needless to say, we are having pork chops tomorrow! 

Here's what you need to put this deliciousness together...

1/3 (about) cup olive oil

3-4 roma tomatoes, diced

4-5 green onions, sliced thin

4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons Greek seasoning ( In the spice section at WalMart, Cavender's brand, yellow/red label)

1 french baguette 

Start by pouring olive oil onto your platter. Let it coat the bottom. you may need a little more or less, you be the judge.

Top oil with tomatoes, green onions, Feta cheese and Greek seasoning.

Using a spoon, gently mix everything together. 

Warm bread, then slice thin.

Spoon dip onto sliced bread and enjoy. 

This was so good guys... I could have eaten it with a spoon and no bread...mmmm! 

It reminded us of bruschetta, which we love. I can't wait to try it in the summer months when the tomatoes are garden fresh! 

For all you family members, you will be seeing this at a family gathering in the future!

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Pesto Chicken Pizza

A quick and easy recipe idea I found on the internet and changed it up a little to suit Doug and I. We did indeed enjoy it with a glass of Chardonnay. It doesn't make a lot, enough for 2 people or you could cut it smaller and use as an appetizer, which I think would be great.

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed or any type of pizza crust
4 tablespoons of basil pesto
1 cup of cooked, shredded or diced chicken, tossed with a little olive oil
1 cup, more or less, mozzerella cheese, shredded
parmesan cheese for sprinkling
salt and pepper to taste


Unroll puff pastry and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Squish together any cracks.

Top with pesto spreading all the way to the edges.  Feel free to add more if you would like. We love it, so the more the better!

Sprinkle chicken (I salted and peppered the chicken), then the mozzarella and finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese if you like.

Bake at 400* for 15 minutes. It should be golden brown and crust cooked. If not, give it a few more minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.

Pepperoni Pizza Dip

You are going to love and hate me for this recipe...it is sooo good, just maybe not so good for you. But seriously everything in moderation is my motto and I'm sticking to it.  Make this when you are having lots of people over, or cut the recipe in half to help curb the temptation to sit down and eat the whole dish!

8oz shredded mozzarella
8oz shredded cheddar
1 cup mayonnaise, not low fat or fat free
1 ½ cups pepperoni, I always use Turkey pepperoni, chopped
½ cup onions, diced
½ cup green pepper,diced

1 can (6oz) chopped black olives, chopped

**optional ingredients: small jar of green olives, chopped, small can of chopped mushrooms, drained 

Chop pepperoni, and dice onion, and green pepper.

In a large bowl mix all ingredients.

Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish.

Bake at 350* for 25 - 30 minutes.

Serve hot with a substantial cracker or chips. We like Wheat Thins with this recipe.

Little Pigs in a Blanket

On a rainy, fall  Saturday, when you are suppose to travel to watch the local university football team play their #1 rival on an NFL field, and you make the decision NOT to, based on the potential of severe weather, Mom better make some good treats to eat while watching said game on a pretty fuzzy internet feed. Here's a sampling of what we ate...

Little Smokie Sausages
Refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent  Rolls

Unroll crescent rolls.

Using a pizza cutter, cut rolls into long thin strips. (about 4 per roll)

Wrap strips around sausages, leaving ends exposed.

Some times my strips were too long, I just cut it in half and made 2 out of those. 

Place on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350* for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with ketchup, mustard, bbq, or your favorite dipping sauce...

Make these for the people in your house...

they are easy, 

taste great, 

take only 2 ingredients,

 kids love 'em, 

adults love 'em, 

and I know you will too!

Seriously though, these little babies with some mac and cheese and apple slices would make a perfect fall lunch or dinner!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans Mexican corn, drained
4-5 Roma tomatoes, or tomatoes of your choice
6 green onions, sliced thin
2 ripe avocados, diced
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
Cumin, lots of cumin, to taste
Fritos corn chips, the "scoops"

*Combine all ingredients in large bowl, except Fritos.

Taste to make sure you have enough cumin, add more if needed.
I love cumin, so I do this step several times. :) 

Stir gently to combine.

Let sit several hours or overnight for flavors to really develop.

Serve with Fritos corn chips, or some "Wheat Thin" type crackers.

Yum-O!

This is so good I can eat it as a side dish without the chips. It's great to take to pot-lucks and keeps several days in refrigerator for leftovers. 

*If you are making this for the next day, you can leave out the avocados until it is closer to serving time. Either way, it still tastes great.

Deviled Eggs

Who doesn't love a good old fashioned deviled egg?? The recipe I use is what my mom used when I was growing up...probably what her mom had used when she was growing up. My grandma's name was Cammie...not her real name, that was Mary. But my brothers and I called her Cammie. When my oldest brother was little he couldn't say grandma, instead he said, "Cammie," and it stuck. We are her only grandchildren who called her that (and our children, her great grandchildren, did too), made me feel kinda special! So here are my family's old fashioned deviled eggs, I love 'em.

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced in two (from end to end), with the yoke removed to a small bowl.
1/3 to 1/2 cup  Mayo or Miracle Whip, makes no difference to me, I like to use a light variety (may need a little more or a little less, I really never measure this)
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

To make the egg filling:
In small bowl add all ingredients except egg whites.
Mix well with a fork or even a small hand mixer to remove most of the lumps...it doesn't have to be lump-free, just no huge lumps or really lumpy filling.

To fill the eggs:
The eggs in the picture were filled with a pastry bag with a fluted attachment. I like them this way, but remember I live with much testosterone and once in a while I like things pretty. Really though, I usually only do this if I am serving them to folks other than my family.
You can simply fill the eggs with a couple spoons, like making drop cookies, or fill a zip lock bag with the filling and snip a corner off and squeeze the filling into the eggs. It doesn't matter how you fill them, they will still taste great!

Rotel Cheese Dip

1- 14 oz can Rotel tomatoes
1 lb Velveeta Cheese, cubed

Melt together in a microwave safe bowl, serve.

OR

Place all ingredients in crock pot and set on low.
Warm slowly, stirring occasionally until melted.
May take a 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve with Tostitos type chips.

This recipe is easily halved for a smaller crowd.

Tortilla Appetizers

These are so tasty and take only a little time to throw together. I like to make them earlier in the day or even the day before to let the flavors really mingle and get to know each other. Everyone in our family loves these and request them often!

1 package large tortillas
2 -8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (it is fine to use low-fat)
1/3 cup mayonnaise, can substitute Miracle Whip(can use light)
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
2 -2 1/2 oz package sliced, pressed, cooked ham

Combine cream cheese and mayo.

Spread a thin layer on each tortilla then sprinkle each with green onion and black olives.

Place 4 pieces of ham on each tortilla.

Roll up tortillas, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, cut each tortilla in 3/4 inch slices.

Makes about 64 appetizers.