Our Fabulous Bites

                                        Are you thinking 'tofu?'  Don't worry, you really can't taste it.  No really, you can't.  I've served this a few times and nobody can tell there is tofu.   The idea is that you can use tofu to cut some of the ricotta out and make it healthier.  I think this recipe makes a ton, so I would halve it if you are just a family of 4.  When I'm not in the mood to take the time of making roll-ups, I make this in the traditional lasagna way and it works just fine.    Lastly, I think why I like this recipe, is because I use Jeff's homemade sauce.  So pick a sauce or make a sauce you love; I think that will make this a great lasagna.   Serves 12 Ingredients 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded ...

This is pure Indiana indulgence. 1 pre-made Oreo pie crust (or you can make it yourself) 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temp. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup peanut butter 1 1/2 cup whipping cream (approx.  Use more or less, depending on how dense of a pie you want) 2 T sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla 1 Butterfinger, crushed Whip whipping cream, 2 T sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.  Set aside in fridge. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peanut butter together in a bowl until smooth.  Then fold in the whipped whipping cream.  Spoon filling into the pie crust.  Sprinkle crushed Butterfinger on top.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  (or you can freeze it for a couple of hours, but remember to put it into the fridge at least an hour before you want to it.  You don't want it frozen when you serve it)

I like this dip.  I like it even better when I use sour cream instead of mayonnaise, but then it isn't technically an aioli anymore. Cilantro-Jalapeno Aioli 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise/sour cream 3/4 cup fresh cilantro 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded (if you like it less spicy) and roughly chopped Juice of one lime, plus more to taste Salt, to taste In a small food processor, combine the mayonnaise, cilantro, and jalapeno; pulse until smooth. Add half of lime juice and salt, to taste. If you like it more citrus-y, add more lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving to allow all the flavors to develop. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. This is quite good with sweet potato fries and with fish tacos. Oh and I often make it right before serving and it is fine.  Though I think letting it chill in the refrigerator for a time might help thicken it. Makes about 1 cup.

I have to say, I thought this tart was really good.  It was also very chocolaty so if you aren't a chocolate lover, this isn't for you.  I myself usually prefer berry desserts to chocolate desserts, but if I were to have a chocolate dessert, this one would hit the spot.  I also think it is the kind of dessert you could bring to some get together and you would get lots of compliments.   I like that you can make it ahead of time. (Rees looks sad in this picture because he wanted to be eating the tart, not waiting for me to take a picture.  If you look, you can see he is trying to snitch a little bit with his thumb:)         Total Time:3 1/2 hours Yields: 1 pie/tart (could serve at least 8, but I thought this was rich so a little slice goes far, so maybe you could serve more like 12 people - I think if would be great in a mini-tart form but I don't have any pans like that) Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornmeal 3/4 cup ...

I made these last week for dinner and all three of us gobbled them up quickly. I mean, chicken, bacon, and cheese all wrapped up...come one, that's going to be good. Next time we would add more cheese, but I was trying to be frugal since the stuff can be expensive. Also I think adding some green onion would have been delectable. Chicken-Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls 1 roll refrigerated pizza dough 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter Cheddar cheese (I used cheddar and mozzarella) Bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 c shredded, cooked chicken 3/4 c mayo (for ranch) 3/4 c milk (for ranch) **I actually made my own ranch from scratch. I did have Dan's Ranch mix or something like that to sprinkle on top, and it was WAY too salty. So I think next time I'll either forgo putting any on top, or get hidden valley, because it's not as salty as the stuff we used** Take 1 tsp of your ranc...

I made this for the first time (which was also the first time I ever ate it) so I'm clearly not an expert on chicken and dumplings, however, everyone that ate this, loved it.  I still prefer chicken and noodle soup, but Jeff prefers the dumplings.  Jeff likes to eat this over a bed of mashed potatoes, but you can just eat it as is. Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minute   Yield: 6 servings Ingredients Chicken and Stock: 2 Cornish game hens (or a small chicken) 3 bay leaves 6 sprigs thyme 4 to 5 black peppercorns 1 head garlic (I did about 8 garlic cloves), pealed 2 tablespoons salt 1-2 stalks of celery a handful of fresh parsley Sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons oil 2 carrots, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 6 cups chicken stock 1-2 vegetable bouillon cubes 1 cup frozen pearl onions or 1 -2 chopped onions 1/2 cup heavy cream Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish  ...

I've added a new Printing gadget which allows you to print JUST the recipe. At the bottom of each post, you'll see the little printing icon. I'm way excited about this little tool!