Some Like It Hot Dip

Thursday Night has become Snack Night at our house.  In warm weather it's Golf Night, in cool weather it's Trivia Night.  I've been using it as "Try Out New Recipes for Tailgating Night."  Mr. DD comes home from golf and needs a snack.  Then we vote on whether or not the new creation is worthy of a spot in our gameday rotation.  You'll be glad to know this dip made the cut.  It's spicy, and the addition of Italian Sausage makes it just a little bit different than your typical queso.  Give it a try for your next game night.  Or golf night.  Or snack night!

The newest addition to our Football Snack Line-Up!

Only 5 ingredients...

Brown sausage in a skillet with diced jalapeno.

In a slow cooker combine Velveeta, RoTel and salsa.

Add sausage mixture.  Cook on LOW
until cheese is melted.

Enjoy with tortilla chips!

Busy Day Casserole

I have this reputation among my friends as some pseudo Martha Stewart.  Which I am not, but I do put up a great front.  I love to cook, craft, bake and decorate.  I think everyone believes we have seven-course steak and lobster meals every night.  Quite the opposite.  Mr. Devilish and Little Devil and I are pretty much like everyone else.  That's why I'm usually embarrassed when I bump into someone I know at the grocery store.  I have this Martha-esque reputation to uphold, but then they see my grocery basket full of Velveeta Shells-n-Cheese and PopTarts.  And slightly more embarrassing:  Frozen Burritos.  Unless I have given them this recipe.  Then they know why my shopping cart is full of ready made food.  And then know something awesome is coming up on the dinner table!  This is a terrific slow cooker recipe.  It's literally 4 ingredients, but a very tasty, satisfying meal.  Try it.  And don't be embarrassed if your friends see frozen burritos in your grocery basket.

Don't laugh!  So easy and tasty!

The ingredients.  Don't be embarrassed.
You can be really versatile.  Hot, spicy, medium
You can use all enchilada sauce, all salsa or a combo
of both!

Place 5 burritos in slow cooker.  Cover
with half of enchilada sauce and salsa.

Cover with a little cheese.
If you want.  Or leave the cheese for the end.
It's up to you.
It's all good.

Repeat the layers with the next 5 burritos.

30 minutes before serving, sprinkle with
lots of cheese!!

Dish up and serve.
Enjoy the rave reviews
and resist the temptation to admit
how easy it was.

Moroccan Tomato Soup

I love tomato soup.  My husband makes fun of me because I'm completely happy with Campbell's tomato soup.  Mixed with water, not milk.  He can't stand the stuff and complains when there are 42 cans of tomato soup hogging space in the pantry.  Hey, I like it and it makes a great lunch on a cold, winter day.  I decided to win him over to the darkside of tomato soup with an updated, international version.  It has very unusual ingredients, but trust me this recipe is wonderful.  Be sure to make it exactly, don't omit the honey or cinnamon, and definitely top it with the dill and yogurt.  It may sound strange, but everything melds together into a pot of fragrant, spiced tomato soup! 

Not your average tomato soup...

The ingredients...
A simple, one pot preparation!



Saute onions in oil
Add honey and cinnamon.



Add tomatoes and chicken stock.

Add water.

Don't forget the dill.

After cooking for 30 minutes,
remove from heat and add balsamic vinegar.

Puree soup in a blender or food processor.

Garnish with a dollop of yogurt
and a sprinkle of dill.

Snickerdoodles

A while back I made a big 'ol double batch of Snickerdoodles to take to a tailgate party.  Needless to say they didn't last very long.  Of course Mr. Devilish Dish was feeling sorry for himself because he didn't get his share of Snickerdoodles at the tailgate.  So I made another batch.  Just for him.  And he said, "This is my favorite cookie."  I about died.  Why?  Because we've been together almost 20 years and I thought Peanut Butter Cookies were his favorite.   I finally mustered up the courage to ask, "I thought Peanut Butter was your favorite?"  He thought a minute, and said, "Oh yeah, they are.  Snickerdoodles are my second favorite.  WHEW!  I thought aliens had abducted my husband and replaced him with a look-a-like that liked Snickerdoodles better than Peanut Butter Cookies.  I can see why, I mean they are THAT good.  They make a pretty cookie too, perfect for Cookie Exchanges and Christmas trays.  The recipe is easily double too.  If you have a need for about 96 Snickerdoodles.  Which we usually do...

The second favorite cookie of my husband.
I recently made these AGAIN for tailgate
and he did the same thing again.
"This is my favorite cookie."
I should make them more often!

I always make these for the first tailgate
of the year because they hold up well
in the heat and EVERYONE loves them.

A cinnamon-sugar coated treat.
These are perfect for the holidays too. 

OWL Always Love You Birthday Cake!

I have three best friends from college.  The four of us are you know, the FAB FOUR?  One-third of the DIRTY DOZEN?  The MAGNIFICENT SEVEN minus three?  Okay you get it.  We are pretty awesome.  We chose different sororities in college, different paths after college and even different states to live in.  But we still share the same brain, and I'm pretty sure at some point in the future we'll be living together like the GOLDEN GIRLS.   This summer, they all came to visit and we decided to celebrate Jenny's birthday while she was here.  Now Jenny and I were Chi Omega sorority sisters, and our mascot was the OWL.  When I saw the idea for this owl cake on Pinterest, I knew exactly what Jenny's birthday cake would be.  Until Barbara caught wind of it and said, "That owl had better have IVY in his beak and an ANCHOR on his arm."  (Symbols for the Alpha Phi and Delta Gamma sororities.)  Of course she was teasing, but hey, I did not want Barbara or Amy to feel left out, so that's exactly the cake I made.  a CHI OMEGA OWL, sitting on a branch of ALPHA PHI IVY,  dressed up with DELTA GAMMA ANCHOR buttons!

This should make Chi Omegas, Alpha Phis,
and Delta Gammas everywhere HAPPY!

I made a cake using a chocolate cake mix.
I have to admit, I'm not much of a cake decorator,
and I did not have the patience to make a cake
from scratch, frosting from scratch, and
decorate all night. 

I baked the mix using two round pans.  One full
cake became the owl's body.  The other round
was cut into ears, wings and feet.
Again, I'm not a cake decorator so I just
"winged" it.  Pardon the pun.

I made a big batch of buttercream frosting. 
I separated it in bowls, reserving some of the
white for the eyes and belly.  Then I tinted a
small amount yellow for the beak. 
The rest I tinted chocolate and EXTRA chocolate
using cocoa powder. 
His eyes were two mini Reese's cups.

Here's Jenny with her birthday cake!

 

Cute Lil' Baby Shower/New Mama Gift!

I was recently invited to a baby shower for a sweet friend who is expecting her second baby.  It's a girl this time.  She's proud Mama to an adorable, rambunctious, sports-crazy, two-year old boy.  And when I say sports-crazy, you've never seen a two-year old that can throw a baseball like this little guy.  So imagine how fun it is to decorate for a baby girl when you're surrounded by sports-loving guys?  She's been working on a precious nursery, perfect for a little girl.  Proud big brother does take time away from football and baseball long enough to pick out pretty pink outfits for his "sissy."  With all the excitement, there weren't too many necessities on the list, and I thought it would be fun to treat Mama for a change.  I made her a "BIRTH" Day Present.  A little basket she could tote to the hospital with some things she might find useful.  Like her favorite candy, Sour Skittles.  Face it, expecting and new moms deserve a lot of pampering and sometimes the focus is solely on the new arrival.  Mama's just hangin' out in the corner wishing she had a pony tail holder to get her hair out of her face.  Here's the "BIRTH" Day gift I made for my friend:

I knew right away I'd be using pink. 
I know that's so generic, but she is surrounded by
sports loving guys, so she needed something
feminine!

Sour Skittles (The expecting mom's fave
candy...In a pink bottle of course!)
Everything kind of
came together with pink & aqua...

Something soft for her feet in case they get coldat the hospital...

I don't think she'll need this.  She's about the cutest
lil' pregnant gal you ever saw!
Tall and thin and probably
without stretch marks! 
(don't ya just hate her already?)

Every mom can use some inspirational reading...

Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer...
For guests to use before they hold the baby!

Here's the little card I attached...
Happy
BIRTH
Day

Baseball & Apple Pie Cupcakes

It's no secret I'm a baseball fan.  A long time ago I learned, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em..." and I think possibly I might be a bigger baseball fan than Mr. Devilish Dish.  We go to a lot of baseball games.  We tailgate at baseball games.  We watch a lot of baseball games on tv.  And yes, I'm ashamed to admit we even listen to them on the radio.  When the OU baseball team made it into the post season, we decided to celebrate with friends and have a little cook out during one of their televised games.  Nothing fancy.  Just hot dogs, peanuts and cracker jacks.  Typical baseball food!   But I needed a spiffy dessert to celebrate the occasion.  I had seen some cupcakes decorated like this online using M&M candies.  I decided to use Red Hots, and I knew right then I wanted something to go along with an apple/cinnamon theme.  That's how Baseball & Apple Pie Cupcakes were born.  A yummy cake, with fresh apples, topped with a cream cheese frosting. It's a recipe I created that I'm pretty proud of.  And as much baseball as we enjoy, I'm sure to make them again and again! 

Hot Dogs, Baseball & Apple Pie!!!
(In this case, it's just baseball and apple pie!)

The Starting Line-Up

Beat together eggs, milk, butter and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Add to egg mixture, until just moistened.

Stir in chopped apples.

Fill muffin pans about 2/3 full.
Bake about 20 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and
powdered sugar together until smooth and fluffy.

Frost each cupcake with frosting and
decorate with Red Hot Candies to create
the seams on a baseball.

You're sure to hit a HOME RUN
with these!!!