Oh boy, just what I need to do; find another dip that I cannot live without. I had remembered this dip from the 70’s when one of our distant relatives made it for us one night. I didn’t have his recipes, so thought I would try to recreate it as best I could remember. I served it Fri night to our kids who were visiting us from Austin and we all decided it was wonderful. Takes a little more time and effort than the traditional one you make with just velveeta and a can of diced tomato with green chiles, but it is so worth it.

6 oz of velvet cheese
5 oz of casero (quasi fresco-whole milk cheese, I used El Mexicano brand
1/2 large green bell pepper
1/2 large red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green chiles
1/2 cup milk
1 teas cumin
1 teas garlic powder
1/4 teas red pepper (ground)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tables oil
Heat oil in skillet and saute green and red pepper with onion until veggies are tender.
If needed, you can add about 2 tables water to this and continue cooking until the peppers and onion are tender. Add the cheese which you have cut up into cubes and the green chiles, seasonings and milk. Cook on top of stove until mixture is bubbling and completely mixed and cheese is melted. Fry your own flour tortilla and corn tortillas instead of buying them. When each batch is friend and crisp, sprinkle a little salt and garlic salt (not powder) over them while hot. Serve with dip.
(If you live neat a Kroger, they make their own tortillas and we buy the salsa flavored ones and fry them up as chips. Just cut the round tortillas up into 8ths and fry in oil until crisp).

Being in Florida for Thanksgiving has allowed Christi and I to look through magazines looking for different meals, quick and easy, since she is now the proud mom of a 2 month old precious little girl. We came across this one and it is a winner:

30 cherry tomatoes ( about 1 1/4 pts)

1/2 of a medium avocado, seeded, peeled and cut up

2 oz cream cheese, softened

3 tables basil pesto

1 teas lemon juice

Snipped fresh basil

Cut a thik slice from the top of each tomato. If desired, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each tomato so it stands upright.

Using a small spoon or small melon baller, carefully hollow out tomatoes. Linve a baking sheet withh paper towels. Invert tomatoes onto the towels. Let stand for 30 min to drain.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a food processor, combine avocado, cream cheese, pesto, and lemon juice. Cover and process just until combined.

Place tomatoes, open ends up on a serving platter. Spoon filling into the tomato cups. If desired, cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill for up to 4 hours. If desired, sprinkle with snipped basil before serving and serve on basil leaves. Makes 30.

A Most Perfect appitizer for the holidays with color, taste and ease!

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 (8 oz) carton sour cream

1 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large tomatoes, chopped

Belgian endive leaves

Combine mayo and sour cream in a medium bowl, stirring well with a wire whisk; stir in bacon and tomato. Spoon 1 tablespoon onto individual Belgian endive leaves or serve with Melba toast rounds.

*You could also split snow pea pods and fill them with this dip instead of the endive leaves. Either gives you the color for appearance and the taste is wonderful with either.

This has got to be the BEST appitizer EVER! Our dear friend, Peggy is told by all of her friends that each time we get together for anything, she has got to bring this dish because we are so hooked on them. I could eat a dozen and usually do. We fight over who gets the last few. They are just so good. Here they are, very simple and very good.

Can of whole water chestnuts

Bacon

Take slices of bacon and cut in two. You will need a piece for each water chestnut. Wrap a piece of bacon around each chestnut and place on foil which you have sprayed with Pam and place in a preheated 350 oven for about 30 min. While they are in the oven, mix 1/2 cup chile sauce, 1/2 cup mayonaise and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Take this mixture and pour over the chestnuts and bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve with a toothpick in each one. Trust me, you will never know there is mayo in this sauce. It is just really outstanding and so easy to prepare…..

Makes 8-12 servings (although there were 16 of us and we had plenty)

This was the best dip and you will be hooked on it at first bite, I promise.

2 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tables taco seasoning from prepared taco season packet (more to increase spiciness)

2-3 tables canned jalapeno slices, finely chopped (can add more if desired)

1 15-oz can white shoepeg corn, well-drained

1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese, divided into 3/4 cups

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream and beat until smooth.

Beat in taco seasonings and jalapenos. Beat into this mixture one of the 3/4 cup of shredded cheese.

Fold in corn and mix well.

Place mixture into a 9 inch or comparable sized prepared baking dish (sprayed with Pam)

Cover the top with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Garnish top with a few sprinkles of taco seasoning.

Bake at 300 degrees until cheese is bubbly. Do not overbake, it won’t be creamy.

Serve warm with tortilla chips. Yummy.

2 packages (about 40 mushrooms) cleaned and let dry on cloth towel

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach (which you have squeezed the water out after it has thawed)

1/2 cup Italian flavored ground turkey

1/2 cup parmesan shredded cheese

1 teas of the following:  garlic powder (not salt), Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

4 tables balsamic vinegar

Brown the ground turkey. Set aside when done. Take the cap out of each mushroom and finely chop into the done turkey. Sprinkle the garlic, salt and pepper into turkey  mixture. I added at this point about 1 teas Lawry’s seasoning salt and 1 teas dried parsley and 1 teas Italian seasoning. Add 2 tables of the butter to the mixture and cook over low heat until the mushrooms are done. Add the cheese and two tables balsamic vinegar. Spray two pans with Pam. Place the whole mushrooms into pans which will fit all 40. Stuff each mushroom with as much mixture as possible. Take the oilive oil and the remaining butterand remaining vinegar.  Melt together in microware and drizzle over the mushrooms. Bake at 375 degrees until mushrooms are tender.  (About 20 minutes)Serve immediately.