Jalapeno Popper Scoops

This recipe uses the classic jalapeno popper flavors and puts the dip into scoop tortilla chips for a fun appetizer.  This would be perfect for a New Years Eve party.

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat oven to 375

Mix together the usual jalapeno popper suspects until evenly distributed:

8oz cream cheese

1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 large jalapenos, diced

Lay out the scoops on a foiled pan and then fill each of the scoops.  
The picture below was about half of the mixture.  

Bake for 10 minutes until nice and toasty.  

I turned our oven to a low broil for the last couple minutes.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you have a great day.

Reindeer Chow

Ms. Emily gets very excited about setting out snacks and treats for Santa.  This reindeer chow was a fun mix to make and very tasty.  I love these kinds of recipes that you can have an idea with and then do your thing to make it what you want it to be by adding in your favorites and leaving out things that don't tickle your fancy.

This is an easy no-bake recipe that makes a bunch.  It is a great little something extra to include in goodie containers to share with neighbors and bonus points because it is fun to make with your kids.

Let's Get Crafty!

Ingredients:

4 cups Chex cereal

3 cups Cherrios

1 cup Pretzels

1 cup M&Ms (we did peanut butter filled)

Peanuts would be good too (we didn't do those because Emily didn't seem excited about them)

20oz White chocolate melting chocolate

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sprinkles 

Line a large baking sheet with wax paper

Combine the cereal, pretzels and nuts then set aside

Melt the while chocolate with the vegetable oil until smooth.  Add a little vanilla, if it tickles your fancy.

Pour the chocolate over the cereal and gently stir until the white chocolate covers the rest of the ingredients.

Add sprinkles over the top until your heart is content.

Ours dried and was ready to eat pretty fast.  Maybe 30 minutes - tops.

Merry Almost Christmas!

Jalapeno Popper Egg Rolls in the Air Fryer

The filling options for egg rolls are endless.  When you love jalapeno poppers like us - it is fun to find different ways to use the filling.  These were amazing.  I love the crispiness you get with the air fryer with a little less guilt.

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat the air fryer to 370 for a couple minutes

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 green onion, sliced

1 cup cheddar cheese

3 large jalapeno peppers, finely diced

1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 package egg roll wrappers (the brand we buy has 15 in one package)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Stir together the filling ingredients (first 6 in the list) and then wrap up the egg rolls.  

Our air fryer can now fit 5 at a time without over crowding.

Brush vegetable oil on all sides of the wrapped egg roll and place in the air fryer

"Fry" for 10 minutes turning over around the halfway point.

You will want to give them a few minutes to cool because the filling is super hot and melty.  

These are so good!!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you give these a try and have a great day.

Jalapeno Popper Dip (Yes... Again)

My husband and I are huge fans of jalapeños poppers and I'm a huge fan of dips.  So... in the words of Joey from friends - Put your hands together!

I know that I already did a jalapeño popper dip last year, but this one has a fun and different twist.  If you're curious - you can find my first recipe here.  The recipe last time includes bacon crumbles (and this time we are doing the real deal) and last time was fresh jalapeños (and this times we are mixing it up with pickled jalapeños.)  I also added siracha this time and it was a fun twist on the flavor profile.

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:

8 oz of cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayo

2 teaspoons siracha (Dial it back to 1 or less if you aren't a fan of heat)

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I did a mix of cheddar and colby jack), divided

1/2 - 3/4 lb bacon, cooked and chopped

3/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped

You'll also want to have a few extra pickled jalapenos aside for topping

Combine everything except the bacon, jalapeños and 1/2 cup cheese until well combined 

and then gently fold the bacon and jalapenos in until evenly distributed.

The dip then goes in your favorite baking dish for dips after spraying it with Pam to help it not stick.

Top it with the reserved 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Bake for 20-25 minutes until all bubbly and brown

Top with more pickled jalapenos - if your heart desires.

This dip is great with crackers or veggies like carrots and celery.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a great day.

Cajun Mussels in a Rich Tomato Sauce

Mussels are something that I didn't try until I was an adult.  I'm all about the sauce and the crusty bread that goes along with them.  These mussels are simple and delicious.  I wish we had some parsley on hand to sprinkle over the top.  That would have added the perfect layer of freshness to the dish.

Mark and I had a date afternoon in July 2016 in Breckenridge at a fun place right off main street for drinks and appetizers.  Mussels was one of them and they were amazing!  That is what inspired this dish.  We have made it several times and I haven't written it out before.  I hope you enjoy!

Let's Get Crafty!

Simmer together until onions are cooked through:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
1 cup colored peppers, sliced
1 cup mushrooms

Add to the party and let simmer for 30 minutes:
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Depending on how much time you have - it could be ready to roll for the mussels now.  I like to simmer ours for quite a while.  I added another can of chicken broth in 30 minute intervals.  As it reduces each time - the flavors develop that much more.

Cleaning and debearding mussels is a very important part of the process.  (Google it for videos and instructions.)  I HAVE to clean mine extra good because any grit ruins the entire dish for me and I can't eat it anymore.  If you have open ones that don't close when you tap on them - throw them out.  If you have ones with shells that have broken - throw them out too.  If any of them smell wonky - yep.  You got it.  Throw it out.

When you are ready to add the cleaned and debearded mussels - turn the heat down as low as it will go.  Then gently add in the mussels and gently stir them into the sauce.  Put the lid on and let them do their thing for around 5 minutes.  They cook super fast.  

When you take the lid off - you should see the shells popped open.  If they don't open - don't eat them.  If a lot of them aren't open - you might need to put the lid on and cook them another minute or two.

This was mine after the first 5 minutes.

After putting the lid on for a couple more minutes... the magic happened.

Toasty, crusty bread is the perfect companion to these mussels to help get some of that tasty sauce.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a great day.

Creamy Shrimp Dip

Funny story.  My husband really liked this dip and similar ones I have made in the past when I throw together shrimp with veggies and different cheeses we have on hand.  It wasn't until we snuck away for a recent date night at the Rio that he got Queso Fundido that he likes served with their fabulous tortillas.  I said we should try to make it at home and he said that he thinks we already do and he was talking about this dip.  I guess I hadn't connected the two because they were different to me.

If you love cheesy, melty goodness with some shrimp included - give this a go.  My favorite way to eat it is on a cracker like the picture below.  If I am trying to also make it feel a little healthier - I might eat it with carrots or celery.  :D

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients: 

1 pound cooked shrimp 

Sauté in 3 tablespoons of butter (I generally start onions first to make sure they have time to cook all the way through because I hate to bite into raw onion): 

        1/2 onion, diced
        Mushrooms (handful of 5 or so), sliced
        Yellow pepper, diced
        Poblano, diced
8  oz cream cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup panko crumbs

 

We grilled the shrimp today on a grill pan.  
The texture and flavor added was fabulous.   

After sautéing the veggies - combine them with the mozzarella, cream cheese and Cajun seasoning.  

I like to mix this all in the same dish that I plan to bake in for one less dish to clean.  

You do you boo!  Once that is nicely combined, gently fold in the grilled shrimp.

(It is best to stir the shrimp in last because I don't usually take the time to soften the cream cheese so it might need a little elbow grease to get combined.)

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes

Then bake another 10 minutes at 400 with the panko/butter
until the top is nice and toasty.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you have a great day.

Tater Tot Breakfast Muffins

You know me.  I'm always looking for new ways to make breakfast the night before so I can throw it in the oven while we are getting ready to face the day.  On this particular early Sunday morning, my husband and I were chatting over a cup of coffee.  Our littlest was running around playing with her toys in the living room and the older two were still sleeping.

All of that to say - this was not one of those amazing mornings where I had something ready to just throw in the oven.  But! It was on this morning that this recipe came together in my mind.  I made it after dinner and threw it in the oven the following morning.  I love when we can start a workday with a hot breakfast.  

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat oven to 350 (if you are making them right away)

Spray some non-stick spray into each muffin tin

Layer it up:
(1)  3-4 tater tots per cupcake muffin hole (We were using us tater tots from the night before, so I crumbled ours up to cover the bottom of each tin.)
(2)  Add in the meat of your choice (We had some diced ham that I was wanting to use up.  You might be catching a theme here. ;) 
(3)  Add whatever toppings suit your fancy.  We did cheese on most and I added a few green chiles to a few.

(4)  Then add your eggs.  We did 12 eggs with some half and half whisked together with some pepper.

Then I put it in the fridge to hang out for the night.  I pulled it out of the fridge while preheating the oven.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Our time landed right in the middle.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a great day.

Spider Web Bean Dip

It's so fun to find different twists on some favorites during the holidays.  This is a spin off a 7 layer dip idea incorporating a spider web for Halloween.  

Let's Get Crafty!

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans (increase depending on how much you are wanting to make - mine used 3)

Add 1/2 tablespoon of taco seasoning for each can of refried beans 

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

Other toppings you want to incorporate (we did grape tomatoes, green onions and olives)

Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of taco seasoning for each can of refried beans used.  

I also like to add a couple tablespoons of water for each can to help lighten up the consistency.  

Add your favorite toppings.  Avocado would also be great here.

For the sour cream to make the spider web - I whisked the milk into the sour cream for a thinner consistency.  Then I put it in a sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one of the corners so I could "draw" the web.  The first time I tried this - I cut the hole too big and it didn't work out.  The sour cream was also too thick the first time.  The consistency is something you might need to play with.  I also use light sour cream - so you may need a little more milk with regular sour cream.

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Halloween.

Mummy Pizza

This was a fun and quick dinner on a weeknight to celebrate Halloween.  We made similar things in the past using hotdogs and crescent rolls.  Those were a hit - so I have been wanting to give this a try.

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat oven to 400

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (I used the great value brand 13.8 oz

Pizza sauce (we used about a cup)

Black olive slices for the eye

Other toppings you want to include (we added some small peperoni)

Bake around 15 minutes once your mummy is all wrapped up (I started checking ours around 12 and it needed a little more time.)

Spread out the dough on parchment paper in a shape somewhat like a rectangle

We used scissors to make strips on both sides.  We cut 1/3 of the left side and 1/3 of the right side leaving 1/3 intact for the middle where we will put the ingredients.

Add some pizza sauce down the middle, layer in your toppings and cover with cheese.

Once you are ready, use the strips you cut to cover up your mummy going back and 

forth from side to side so it looks like mummy cloth.  We used two slices of olives for the eyes.

Waiting for the baking time to finish can feel never-ending!

Hot out of the oven.

Yummy!  Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween.

Jello Poke Cake

Jordan was visiting and coming for dinner with family.  She was here a couple days after her birthday so we were looking for some fun cake ideas to give a try.  Emily saw this one and knew this was the one to make.

I have seen many fun twists on this recipes for different holidays through the years.  My cousin Jennifer used to love these around Christmas time with green and red.

Let's Get Crafty!

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (and ingredients listed on the box)

3.3 oz strawberry jello mix

1 cup boiling water

1 cup cold water

8 oz container cool whip

Bake a yellow butter cake mix according to the box directions

Note that the directions call for a condensed version of the regular recipe. 

We are just using 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup cold water.

Follow the "cooking" method on the box.

Use a spoon to evenly distribute the jello liquid all over the fully cooked cake.

Cover with a layer of cool whip and keep in the refrigerator until serving.

This was a fun night at our house.  I'm not sure how it has already been 3 months ago.  
Slow down time...

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Air Fryer Donuts

The kids were super excited when I said we would be having donuts for breakfast and then confused when I said we weren't going to the store to pick them up.  These are ridiculously easy and so tasty!  I'm sure the tastiness factor increases with the level of butter used to help the cinnamon sugar stick - we tried to go a little on the lighter side.

Haley came in while I was working on this post.  She saw the picture and said with glee "Do-Nut!"  She sure loves donuts.  We celebrated Emily's birthday this last week with donuts and everyone was in hog heaven.

This recipe comes from Eating On A Dime - one of my very favorites websites.  

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat at 360 for 5 minutes

Open one can of refrigerator biscuits (8 per can)

To cut out the center donut hole - I used the inside piece of my yellow lemon juicer (a picture of it is included in the picture below.)

Air fry the donuts for 4 minutes

Donut holes for 2 minutes

While the donuts are "frying", melt some butter to dip the donuts in once they are fully cooked and then roll them in some cinnamon sugar.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you give this a try - it's a great one!

Instant Pot Speedy Mexican Rice

This is a spin off the recipe back in April 2018 using the instant pot.  The recipe stays pretty close to the same but the rice to broth ratio is adjusted to account for using regular rice and not instant minute rice this time.  It took a couple tries because I didn't have enough broth the first time.  If at first you don't succeed... make more rice.  :)

Here's the lineup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin (I used half this amount)
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce (no salt added because we are adding salt separately)
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups long grain white rice

                                    Start by warming up the oil, garlic powder, cumin and salt

Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth and rice

I cooked it in the Instant Pot "rice" using the setting for 10 minutes.  

This recipe is a winner.  Hope you have a great day.