Game Day Dip

With Super Bowl XLV fast approaching I'm starting to think about all the great food to eat and what I'm going to make. I like football although I'm more of a college football fan, but that doesn't stop me from looking forward to the Super Bowl every year. I really look forward to the food more than the game itself. One of my favorite dips to make for games is this Pizza Dip. Ohh it's soo delicious. I love to toast up some French Bread to serve it with, it seriously tastes like a pan-style pizza!!! This is definitely a must try dip!!

Pizza Dip
source: Family Circle

• 1 - 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can sliced black olives
• 4 oz pepperoni, chopped
• 1 can sliced mushrooms

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, oregano, parsley, basil, and Italian seasoning. Spread mixture on the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate or shallow baking dish.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Then cover with the pizza sauce.
3. Top with remaining cheeses and your favorite pizza toppings, I like to add pepperoni, green peppers, olives and mushrooms. Refrigerator over night. This is BEST made the night before, but can be serve the same day.
4. Bake 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, you can also microwave for 5 minutes if you would like. Serve Hot!!
5. Serve with French bread, Triscuits, tortilla chips, bagel chips, bread sticks, or whatever you like. For the French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces and spread onto a baking sheet. Then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toast for about 15 minutes.

BIG Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these a few weeks ago and they didn't last long! I found them to be MUCH better then the recipe on the back of a bag of chocolate chips, which is how I usually make my chocolate chip cookies (not very inventive I know!). Mine usually come out flat but these were nice and thick and 3 times the size of a regular cookie which made them even more enjoyable!! Definitely best with a glass of milk :)


Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp table salt or fine sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees
2. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mix in vanilla and beat until well incorporated.
3. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
4. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
5. Weight out the dough into 4 ounce portions and gently roll into a ball.
6. Place each on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the pre heated oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on how gooey you would like the interior. Bake until lightly browned but be careful not to overbake.
7. Let cool on rack and store what you don't immediately eat in an airetight container.

Tips:

• These are best eaten on the day they are made, especially warm out of the oven!
• To freshen them after a few days, give them a quick nuke in the microwave for 5-10 seconds
  
  

Chinese Done Right

Many people choose to start working out or eating better for their New Year's resolutions, so in keeping with this theme I decided I'm going to try and find healthier meal options for dinner! My first choice, Chinese. Stir-fries can be loaded with sodium and saturated fat, but they don't have to be! I found this recipe on TheNest.com and served it with a 1/2 cup rice per serving. I also added green and red peppers, water chestnuts and red pepper flakes. This proves you don't have to sacrifice flavor to save calories!!

Sweet Orange Chicken - Serves: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced carrot

• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Hoisin sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Stir water into cornstarch in small cup. Set aside.
2. Heat large frying pan or wok on medium-high until very hot. Add cooking oil. Add chicken. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until browned. Add carrot.
3. Combine remaining 6 ingredients in small bowl. Add to chicken mixture. Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for about 6 minutes until chicken is no longer pink inside and carrot is tender-crisp. Stir cornstarch mixture. Add to chicken mixture. Heat and stir for about 1 minute until boiling and thickened.
   

1 serving: 229 Calories; 9.1 g Total Fat (3.6 g Mono, 2.3 g Poly, 2.2 g Sat); 76 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrate; 1 g Fibre; 22 g Protein; 191 mg Sodium

A Birthday Present

Yesterday we celebrated a birthday, Christmas and New Year's all in one! Dave's uncle's birthday was at the beginning of December but he lives out of town and wasn't able to make it back here on Christmas Eve due to him working and the weather. So instead we got to celebrate all three at once. Dave asked me if I would make a cake for him and he wanted it to look like a present. I decided to go with a square cake to look like a box.


For the cake I just used a chocolate pre-made cake mix. I made a chocolate ganache for the filling and used chocolate buttercream for the frosting. When using a filling you need to pipe a thick line of frosting around the edges of the first layer and THEN fill will the filling. This is to keep the filling inside the cake and prevent it from dripping down the sides of the cake. I then refrigerate it for about 15 minutes to firm up before I continue.

Then I place the second layer on and frosted a crumb coating with the chocolate butter cream to keep all the crumbs from mixing in with the rest of the frosting. This really isn't that important for this kind of cake since I covered it with fondant but I find it easier to frost the cake as this one was very moist! Once the crumb coat is on you put in the refrigerator again just to firm up and then you can frost your cake beautifully. Once frosted I covered it with marshmallow fondant I tinted green. I then tinted some fondant brown and rolled out ribbons and a name tag.

Chocolate Ganache

Bring 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour mixture over chocolate chips and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth let stand 15 minutes or until filling reached desired consistency. As the chocolate mixture cools it gets thicker.

I love seeing all the layers!