Say Cheeeese!

     I was looking through my file and found this recipe for cheese balls.  The only thing I don't like about cheese balls is when I try to cut a piece off to spread onto a cracker, it's always awkward.  Plus it holds up the guests behind you.  I came up with a solution for this problem.  I took this recipe and rolled it into 6 dozen individual cheese balls!  Now the guests can put one on their plate and not inconvenience anyone.

     I have a baby shower and a jewelry party coming up soon. This recipe made enough little cheese balls for both events.  They'll look beautiful once they're on a platter!  I can't wait to share with you the other things I'm making for the shower.  The shower is in 2 weeks, so stay tuned!

Cheese Balls

2 - 8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese

16 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded

16 oz. mild cheddar, shredded

1 lb. Velveeta

1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Pecans and parsley, finely chopped and mixed together

Let cheeses reach room temperature.  I put on plastic gloves and squished it all together until creamy.  Add Worcestershire sauce and onions.  Mix well.  You can either divide the mixture into 4 large cheese balls or make 6 dozen miniature cheese balls.  Roll cheese balls in the pecan and parsley mixture.  They can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks or in the freezer for 2 months.

Another Version

Here is another version to the Funeral Sandwiches I posted the other day.  These are called Ham Delights.  They're not as sweet as the Funeral Sandwiches, but equally delicious.  I'll make them sometime and post a picture.

Ham Delights

1 tin of twin rolls

1/3 lb. Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese (or both)

½ lb. deli ham lunch meat (thinly sliced)

1 stick of butter, melted

1 Tb. dried minced onion

1 ½ Tb. mustard

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ Tb. poppy seeds

Mix onions, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds in a bowls and set to the side. 

 Slice rolls through the middle and lay the top to the side.  Brush the inside of the bread with butter.  Brush mustard mixture on top of the butter.  Lay the ham on top of the bottom half of the rolls.  Top the ham with cheese.  Place the top layer of bread back on top of the ham and cheese.  Cut the rolls.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Good Friends, Good Food

Over my Christmas Break, I attended a party with some of my school friends. One of the many delicious foods that was shared was something called Funeral Sandwiches.  I have no idea why they would be called that, but they were really good.  My friend said she found the recipe on Pinterest.  Of course she did.  She finds EVERYTHING on Pinterest ... don't you Jennifer?  Everything she finds is fabulous.  I made them tonight for tomorrow night's dinner.  What I like the best is that you can make them the night before, put them in the refrigerator, and pull them out the following night.  Then you just have to pop them in the oven for 15 minutes.  It's as good as using the crockpot!  I'll post the picture tomorrow night.

Funeral Sandwiches

1 package of King's Hawaiian Rolls

1/2-1 lb. good ham deli meat

Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 c. butter, melted

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. mustard

2 T. brown sugar

dash of onion powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. Layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half back on.  Mix the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder together. Pour the mixture over the buns, covering each one well. Cover with Saran wrap and marinade between  4 to 24 hours.  Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.

 

Christmas Dinner

Since my grandparents passed away, I've been trying to adjust to a new type of Christmas.  If you know me, you know two important facts.  The first is I'm not fond of change and the second is family is at the top of my list of favorite things.  We used to gather at my grandparent's house on Christmas Eve for a big Italian dinner that always, always, always included boiled shrimp, lasagna, and meatballs.  There was lots of other food, but we could count on those three items being part of the menu.  We all started by standing around the kitchen island or sitting at one of the tables with a bowl of hot shrimp laughing and talking with my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters.  I miss that.  This year we all gathered the day before Christmas Eve at my mother's club house and had the closest thing we've had to a family Christmas dinner since the loss of my grandparents.  It was wonderful having so many of us together.

Christmas day is also different.  We would all get together again for a Christmas dinner on Christmas Day.  Now we stay at our own homes for a variety of reasons.  I realized last year I would need to start some kind of new tradition to make Christmas Day dinner special and to help me move on from the past.  I decided a standing rib roast would be a treat.  Since Publix puts rib roasts on sale Christmas week, it helps with the budget of a big meal.  I only make this dinner once a year so that makes it special too.  This year I made a rib roast dinner again.  I must say it was delicious and enjoyed by the three of us for a couple of days.  I should have taken a picture because it was beautiful.  I guess you'll have to wait until next year for a picture. Sorry.  Maybe you'll forgive me if I share the recipe.

Standing Rib Roast

1  3 rib standing rib roast (or whatever size you may need)
1 sliced onion
1 bag of baby carrots
1 bag of baby potatoes
2 - 3 ribs of celery
butter
salt & pepper to taste
garlic powder
3/4 cup horseradish sauce
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Set the meat out of the refrigerator for about an hour to knock the chill off.  Rub butter on the inside of a 9x13 baking dish and on the sides of the roast.  Put the roast in the dish with the fat side up.  Spread the carrots, onions, and potatoes around the meat.  I cut the potatoes in half, but I don't think you would have to do that.  Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder over the meat and veggies. Cover with tin foil.  Place the dish in the oven preheated at 450 degrees for 1 hour.  Mix the horseradish sauce and Worcestershire sauce together.  Pour the mixture over the meat after it has cooked for 1 hour.  After that, reduce the oven's heat to 250 degrees and cook for 2 more hours.  If you have a larger rib roast, it will need to cook longer.

Tortellini! It as much fun to say as it is to eat!

You have to admit, it's fun to say the names of Italian food.  Try it!  Tortellini!  Fettuccine!  Maranara!  See, I was right.  Or maybe I'm just easily amused.  Hmmmmm.

Last Sunday I found two $1 coupons in the paper for Buitoni Pasta.  The grocery store had it on sale this week so with my coupons, the price wasn't so bad.  I made two trips to the grocery store today because I forgot the Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese on the first trip.  After I returned home the second time, I realized I didn't have the fresh broccoli.  I did have a bag of frozen broccoli so I used that instead.  Fresh would have been better, but I didn't have it in me to go to the grocery store three times in one day.  One day I'll get my act together and get everything on one list.  Today wasn't that day.  Maybe tomorrow ... or the day after.

Broccoli Cheese Tortellini

 1 jar of Ragu Alfredo sauce
1 cup fresh broccoli florets

2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated chicken and cheese tortellini

1 ½  cups shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add pasta and broccoli.  Cook uncovered, over medium-low heat for 8 - 10 minutes.   Drain the pasta and broccoli.  Stir in Alfredo sauce, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.  Stir in cheese and pepper into broccoli mixture.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6 - 8 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally. 

It looked better on the plate, but I ate it before I realized I had not taken a picture.

Just in Time For Fall

A friend of mine made a pumpkin cake and brought me a piece.  The only thing I didn't like about it is that it disappeared so quickly.  The cake was so moist and so good!  Her cake didn't have icing.  I added that part. If you want to cut a few calories, leave the icing off.  It's good either way. It's the perfect cake for Fall.  Thanks for sharing Cindy!

Pumpkin Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding

4 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

1 cup of canned 100% pure pumpkin

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ can cream cheese icing

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the icing. Beat on low for 30 sec, then on medium for 4 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 10 inch Bundt tube pan.  Bake at 350 for 50-55 min or until wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 15 min.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Microwave icing for 40 seconds.  Spoon over the top of the cake.

Time Saving Tip

Sometimes, out of nowhere, I'm struck with a moment of brilliance!  Yesterday was one of those moments!  They don't happen often,so when it does, I have to capitalize on  it.  I do have to give some credit to hubby.  He suggested I put it on my blog ... and Pinterest.  When he suggested that, I knew it was a good idea!. 

My daughter's father-in-law is in the hospital, so I have the grandbabies for the weekend  YAY!.  The youngest needs her food cut into little pieces.  I whipped out the pizza cutter and sliced everything up in seconds!  I'm not having that baby wait for her food a second longer than she needs to.  Spoiled?  Absolutely NOT!  Loved to pieces?  YES!  I sliced up a hamburger patty as fast as lightning, pizza in a flash, pancakes and cheese toast speedy quick!  Was she a happy girl?  She's always a happy girl.  But now, she's a happy girl who doesn't have to wait as long for her food.