Caramel Apple Toffee Dip

 This delicious dip gets rave reviews wherever it goes. 

Ingredients: 

1 8oz package of cream cheese (room temperature)

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 8oz package of Heath English Toffee Bits

caramel sauce or caramel apple dip in a tub or homemade caramel

4 Granny Smith apples

Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

2. Fold in half the bag of toffee bits, reserving 1/4 cup for later.

3. Transfer to serving bowl, pour caramel layer on top, then add toffee bits as a garnish.

4. Store in fridge until ready to serve with sliced apples.

Heather's Holy Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped (any type will work)
1 bunch of cilantro, snipped

1 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 avocados, mashed

Directions:

1. Combine chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and garlic. 

2. Add mashed avocado, then add salt and lime juice to taste. 

3. Serve with chips or with Mexican food of any persuasion. 

This guacamole does not store well, but there won't be any leftovers anyway.

Ginger's Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:
2 pkgs crescent roll dough
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
½ c mayo
¼ c chopped green bell pepper
¼ c chopped red bell pepper
¼ c chopped broccoli tops
¼ c chopped cauliflower
¼ c chopped green onions (optional)
¼ c chopped roma tomoatoes
¼ c chopped cucumber
¼ c strips of carrot

1- Roll out dough onto a cookie sheet. Press together the seams and bake as directed. Cool.
2- In medium bowl combine cream cheese, ranch dressing and mayo till smooth.
3- Spread onto crust. Top with whatever veggies you like. Press the veggies into the spread
with another cookie sheet.
4- Cut into 24 squares and enjoy!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

by Alli Louthain

Salsa:4 kiwis, peeled and diced
4 Fuji or Gala apples, peeled and diced
3 lbs frozen mixed berries (approx)
1/4 cup sugar
2 T brown sugar
6 T jam (any flavor-I used guava jelly)

Allow frozen fruit to thaw. Combine all ingredients well and allow to chill in fridge for at least 15min before serving.

Chips: (Oven at 350 degrees)
30 tortillas
cinnamon and sugar mixed
Melted butter or butter flavored PAM (or Alisha said she just sprays it with water)

Spray cookie sheet with PAM. Brush each tortilla with either butter or coat with PAM spray and generously sprinkle cinnamon and sugar blend over it. Use pizza cutter to cut tortilla into 8 triangles. Line triangles onto cookie sheet. Once cookie sheet is full, bake for 8-10min.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

2 TBS. butter

3 TBS. diced yellow onion

2 tsp. chopped garlic (I've used refrigerated minced garlic...still great!)

4 1/2 tsp. flour

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup half & half

2 bouillon cubes

4 oz. cream cheese

2 TBS. grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach

6 oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped.

Directions:  In saucepan, heat butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat until onions are soft.  Add the flour and mix well.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Add the heavy cream, half & half, and chicken base.  Mix well and heat until almost boiling.  Reduce heat to simmer and add cream cheese, Parmesan, and pepper jack.  Blend well while adding cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt.  Squeeze out the liquid from the spinach in the sink and then add it to the mixture.  Add the artichoke hearts, blend well.  Optional:  when ready to serve, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 3-5 minutes or until brown on top.  Top with fresh diced tomatoes.

Also from M's blog

Mariel's Stuffed Mushrooms

1 cube (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 bunch green onions
Garlic Salt (to taste)
1 roll Jimmy Dean sausage.
1 to 2 pkgs. fresh mushrooms

Directions:  Cook the sausage and crumble.  In another bowl, whip the cream cheese with some garlic salt and a little milk, to taste.  Chop desired amount of green onions and add to cream cheese mixture.  Stir in crumbled sausage (I usually do about 3/4 of it).  Wash mushrooms and pop out the stems.  Line them up, upside-down on a sheet pan.  Spoon some of the mixture into the mushroom holes and overflowing out the top.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

*directly from Mariel's blog

Awesome Black Bean Salsa - a la Joni

Ingredients:
3-5 Roma Tomatoes
2-3 Avocado's
1 Can of White Shoe peg corn
1 Can of Black eye Susan beans
3 Green onions

(chop tomato, avacado and green onions)

Dressing:
3 Tbs of Water
1/4 Cup of Vinegar
2 Tbs of Olive oil
1 package of Italian dressing

It usually taste better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours to add flavor to the tomatoes. Also add the avocados right before serving so they won't go brown.

Marshmallow Fondue

So, I don't think I've ever had more people ask me for a recipe in such a short period of time. We had fondue night last night and, this was my contribution:

1 bag mini marshmallows
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 t. almond extract

Stir until melted. Enjoy!

Super easy, super tasty.

Homemade Guacamole

Amy taught me how to make this great avacado at our trip to the Smoky Mountains over the fourth. It is easy and a big hit!

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, snipped
2 t. lime juice
1 t. salt
1 avacado, mashed

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except avacado, and get yourself a very tasty pico de gallo. Add mashed avacado and salt/lime juice to taste. Eat all in one day or the avacado will go bad.

Amanda's Famous Green Tomatillo Salsa

In the fiesta flat, we'd have regular parties (hence the name...fiesta...) One of the amazing parties we girls threw was a salsa bash. That was the first time I tasted this most amazing green salsa. Amanda has since made it for me a couple of times but I have never made it for myself. Next opportunity, I'm there!

Without further ado:

1 lb tomatillos, shucked, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro washed
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1-3 jalepeno peppers (to taste
Blend it all up in a food processor or blender, and serve!

Sweet Popcorn Chex Mix

Ingredients:

9 cups oven-toasted corn cereal squares
4 cups popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups (7 oz.) slivered almonds
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED™ Milk Chocolate & Caramel Morsels
1 pkg. (6 oz.) sweetened dried cranberries

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 250° F. Grease large roasting pan. Mix cereal, popped popcorn and nuts in roasting pan.

COMBINE brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. Pour evenly over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly.

BAKE for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan, stirring frequently to break apart mixture. Stir in morsels and cranberries. Store in airtight container.

Courtesy of Kraft Foods

Tasty Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can yellow corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
5 green onions, finely sliced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste

Directions:
1. Stir the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil to serve.

Courtesy of All Recipes

Fondue!

Best Ever Chocolate Fondue

½ (16 oz) can chocolate syrup
½ (13 oz) jar hazelnut-chocolate spread
½ cup milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons half-n-half

Dump everything into a medium micro-wave bowl and nuke for 1 to 3 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds. Pour into a fondue pot over sterno to keep warm. Serve with graham
crackers, pound cake cubes, pretzels, pineapple chunks, apples, pears, Etc.

Marshmallow Fondue

1 pkg mini marshmallows
½ cup heavy cream
1 T almond extract

In a saucepan melt pkg. marshmallows with some heavy cream until smooth. Pour into fondue pot and serve with cubes of fresh fruit or Rice Krispie treats cut into cubes.

Caramel Fondue

1 large can evaporated milk
1 large bag Kraft caramels
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix over low heat until smooth and thick. Pour into fondue pot and serve with chunks of bananas, wedges of apples, and cubes of pound cake.

Cheesy Fondue

2 c. (8 oz.) sharp shredded cheddar cheese
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. diced, cooked ham
1/2 c. chopped green onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Mix together ingredients until smooth. Microwave 1 minute to soften ingredients. Place ingredients in fondue pot to keep warm.
Serve with broccoli, pepper strips, cauliflower, celery, carrot sticks, mushroom caps, boiled new potatoes.

Cheese Fondue

1 block cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Garlic salt
2 Loaves French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes,

Mix cheeses and milk in saucepan, add garlic salt and mix very well. Cube bread and serve cheese mixture in heated fondue pot. Serve, using long forks to dip bread in cheese.

Cheesy Bacon Pinwheels

Ingredients:
1 (8-oz) cream cheese
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup chopped cooked bacon
2 Tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 package Pillsbury crescent rolls
¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients except crescent rolls. Separate crescent rolls into four rectangles. Spread cream cheese mixture on each. Roll up like cinnamon rolls. Cut up into 16 pieces (with dental floss) and place on cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Courtesy of Steph F