Royal Icing

This icing is sooo delicious and easy! You can make your sugar cookies from scratch if you like but I find it much easier to just use the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix. I've used this recipe a couple times on Valentine's Day and also for hospital favors when my niece was born.


Ingredients for Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted


Directions:

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.
Use the Wilton Color Gels or any food coloring to color the icing. Just a small little dab will color it plenty.

Poppyseed Chicken

This is a dish that is easy and good to make for pot lucks, funerals, etc. I made it for my sister-in-law after she had baby Mia and they loved it. It is such a good comfort food.

Ingredients:

2 or 3 chicken breasts, boiled and cut in small pieces
1 16 oz sour cream2 cans cream of chicken
2 tbls of poppyseeds (I don't measure - I just shake a ton in)
1 roll of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter
white rice

Directions:

Mix the first 4 ingredients and put in a baking dish. Cover with crushed up ritz crackers. Melt a stick of butter and pour on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350. Serve over rice.

Easy Summer Appetizer

Ingredients:

toothpicks
small mozzarella balls
fresh basial leaves
cherry tomatoes
salami
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Directions:

Assemble one mozzarella ball, one piece of basil, one cherry tomato, and one slice of salami on a toothpick. Repeat until you have the number desired. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Buffalo Wing Dip

I got this idea from a friend this summer at a pool party/pot luck. It was sooo good so I decided to try and re-create it for an "appetizer contest" we had the following week. I won!!! This was probably the simplest thing in the contest but I won because people couldn't stop going back for more.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Frank's Hot Wing Sauce

1 whole pre-cooked rotisserie chicken

1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1 big bottle of ranch dressing

2 packages of cream cheese

1container of crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

With your fingers, shred the chicken from the rotisserie chicken and put into mixing bowl, add the hot wing sauce, cheese, ranch dressing, shredded chicken and mix together. Pour into the baking dish (on top of cream cheese) then Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese on top and put into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I like to serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.

Crescent Pepperoni Rolls

This is the easiest appetizer/snack/finger food to make and is especially yummy for kids! I stole this recipe from Jordan's "Nana". There is is so much you can do with these crescent rolls but she gave me the idea to spread them with Mascarpone cheese, put Pepperoni on them and then roll them up and stick em' in the oven! They are not very low fat but I made them last weekend for the football game and they were D-lish!

Ingredients:
1 tub mascarpone cheese
1 bag of pepperoni
1 tube of Crescent dough

Directions:
Roll out the dough, tear along perforated edges to spread out each roll. Spread on the mascarpone cheese, add pepperoni and roll up into a crescent roll! Cook according to directions on the dough. Easy!

*You can always modify to make a slight difference with low-fat crescent dough and turkey pepperoni. *

Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad is a healthy side dish to make at home or bring to a pot-luck. It is more a summery dish but delicious any time!

Ingredients:

4-5 cucumbers

1 16oz. tub of light sour cream

3 tbsp. white vinegar

1tbsp. sugar

1 whole onion

Directions:

Peel and slice all cucumbers. Slice onion into rings. In a large salad bowl, mix cucumbers, onions and rest of ingredients and voila!

The Best Tacos!

Since this is my first official post on my recipe blog, it is only appropriate that I start out with my famous tacos (passed down from my mom). These tacos have always been my favorite and every time I make them, they are a hit! People always ask what the secret is to make these and the answer is HOMEMADE taco shells and La Victoria's green taco sauce, mmm!

Ingredients:

ground beef or ground turkey (a little more healthy and just as good)

Lawry's Taco Seasoning packet

White corn tortillas

sour cream

tomatoes

shredded cheese

lettuce (if you want)

La Victoria's Green Taco Sauce (you can get this in mild if you don't like spicy)

Directions:

Brown the meat and cook according to the directions on the seasoning packet (very easy). Set aside and make taco shells. To make the taco shells, heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. With tongs, place tortilla into hot oil. With the tongs hold the tortilla into a taco shape and fry one side at a time until golden brown and crisp. You can also make homemade tortilla chips this way too by cutting the tortillas into triangles then frying. I'm telling you it makes all the difference in the world! Place the tortillas onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the extra oil, let cool and then fill your taco to your liking!