Category Archives: Snacks & Appetizers

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Veronica

I’ve got a great dip to add to your New Year’s spread! I saw this over at Gina’s Skinny Recipes and although I added a lot more sour cream, cheese, and mayonnaise to the dip, it still ends up being much lighter than regular creamy dips. But who really cares about that, anyway? If it goes on a cracker, my calorie concerns fly out the window and I eat half the batch. I love dip! And this one is no exception.

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip

Printable recipe
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12 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1 (16 z) tub light sour cream
½ cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Squeeze out as much water from the spinach as you can. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and stir until well mixed. If not serving immediately, remove from refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

*Veronica’s notes: all I could find is a 12 oz bag of spinach but I know most of you will only be able to find the 10 oz container. No worries, just use that and leave everything else the same. This dip will not suffer from being more creamy. :)

Recipe source: adapted from Gina’s Skinny Recipes.

9 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Snacks & Appetizers and tagged celebration, creamy parmesan spinach dip, dip, holiday, light, New Years, party, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Seasoned Crackers

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Veronica

It’s been several years since I’ve made seasoned crackers, and I decided I wanted to add them to our holiday spread again this year, which always includes lots of random and fun snacks and appetizers. But I lost my recipe! I knew my friend, Sandy, had her recipe for them posted on Facebook, so I went there in a frenzy when I was whipping these up the night before we were set to travel. (Thank you for saving me, Sandy!) Realizing I only had a single bag of oyster crackers, I subbed in a bag of Goldfish crackers and decided to double the ranch dressing mix and the end result was some of the best seasoned crackers I’ve ever had. In this case, losing my recipe was a lucky thing because this new version is even better than my old favorite!

These would be perfect for New Years, Super Bowl, tailgating–basically any party in any season! During the winter months, the leftovers make a great garnish for soups.

Seasoned Crackers

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1 (12 oz) bag oyster crackers
1 (6.6 oz) bag Goldfish crackers
1 (1 oz) envelope ranch dressing mix
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup vegetable oil

Mix crackers in a large bowl. Sprinkle dressing mix and spices over the crackers, then pour oil over it all. Mix until the oil is absorbed. Cover and store overnight for the flavors to develop.

*Veronica’s note: Cheez-its would make a great substitute for the Goldfish crackers! Use about three cups, or 7 ounces.

Recipe source: adapted from Sandy S.

20 Comments

Posted in Snacks & Appetizers and tagged appetizer, holiday, New Years, party, ranch crackers, seasoned crackers recipe, snack, Super Bowl. Bookmark the permalink.

Sugar-Free Candied Nuts (low carb)

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Veronica

If you look on my side bar or in my recipe index, you will see I have a category for sugar-free desserts. And in that category, there are only eight recipes. Considering I have posted over 200 dessert recipes, the sugar-free ones make up a very small percentage. There is a reason for this.

Sugar-free desserts are just not as good as sugar-filled ones. There are exceptions, but in my humble opinion, that is the rule.

I may not be a brilliant chef, but I do pride myself on my desserts and I simply refuse to let any sweets come out of my kitchen that taste like a chemical explosion. Which means I usually refuse to make anything sugar-free, but there are certain occasions when I have no choice but to give in and find something that is sugar-free and also tastes delicious.

Such an occasion has arisen, with the birthday of a brother in Christ who is a type 2 diabetic. Since I am a member of a small Church, I am able to give food gifts to everyone for their birthday, but I always flounder when it comes to the birthdays of those with diabetes. I am a diabetic myself, but I’m insulin-dependent so I can eat dessert if I choose to, since I can give myself the insulin required for my body to process it. Bob doesn’t have this luxury and controls his diabetes through food and exercise. Which means no (or very little) sugar!! My worst nightmare. But what sort of Dessert Queen would I be if I couldn’t rise to this challenge and come out victorious?

I prefer to use fruit to naturally sweeten sugar-free desserts, such as in this rugelach, but since that still has a lot of carbohydrates that would send Bob’s blood sugar soaring, I knew I had to do the unthinkable and reach for the Splenda. I decided to go for a very low-carb treat that would have minimal impact on his blood sugar and created a candied nut that is surprisingly delicious! Granted, you can tell the difference between these and the real thing, but even my husband, who can’t take a sip of my Diet Dr. Pepper (one of the few sugar-free things I love) without shuddering, thought these nuts were superb.

If you are making these for a person accustomed to sugar-free sweets, it will likely be a welcome reprieve from all the awful chemical explosions that have been happening in their mouths over the years. They are crispy and cinnamon-sweet on the outside and toasty and crunchy on the inside. They truly are addictive!

Sugar-Free Candied Nuts

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2 ½ cups nuts of choice
1 egg white
½ cup Splenda granular
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking oil. Place nuts in a bowl and stir if not already mixed. Beat egg white in a separate bowl until foamy and stir into the nuts until evenly coated. In another bowl, mix the Splenda, cinnamon, and salt and pour over the nuts. Stir until evenly coated, then scoop onto the baking sheet, using a spoon or fingers to get the nuts in a single layer. Bake for thirty minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until toasted. Allow to cool on wax paper and store in an airtight container.

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Posted in Candy, Snacks & Appetizers, Sugar-Free and tagged christmas, holiday, low carb, sugar-free candied nuts recipe, treats. Bookmark the permalink.

Aunt Ruby’s Party Mix

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Veronica

Every year when I was growing up, my Aunt Ruby would make up baskets of goodies for all her extended family and I eagerly anticipated her visit each year to dig into all the delicious treats she slaved away in her kitchen to make. Sometimes there would be cookies, sometimes her homemade summer sausage, and always her famous party mix.

I never knew until recently why it was so much better than other party mixes until I finally asked her for the recipe and discovered her secret ingredient. Life Cereal!! It looks so much like Chex Cereal that it’s camouflaged and you don’t really notice it visually, but it gives a hint of sweetness to every bite that makes this buttery, salty concoction utterly addictive.

If you already have a favorite party mix recipe, try substituting in some Life cereal for part of the Chex–I think you’ll like it!

Aunt Ruby’s Party Mix

I’ve scaled down and altered the recipe a bit since her original recipe makes enough to feed an army. If you’d like to feed an army, click here for her original recipe.

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

In a large roaster pan, mix together:
4 cups Rice Chex Cereal
4 cups Corn Chex Cereal
4 cups Wheat Chex Cereal
4 cups Life cereal
3 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups Spanish peanuts (roasted & salted)

In a saucepan, melt together:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter or margarine
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Pour the mixture over the cereal and mix well. Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bags.

11 Comments

Posted in Snacks & Appetizers and tagged chex mix, christmas, gifts, holiday, party, party mix, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Crockpot Meatballs and Peppers in Cranberry Chili Sauce

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Veronica

I have brought these meatballs to our family’s Christmas eve party for the last two years and both times they disappeared quickly, followed by high praise. For good reason–they are the best party meatballs evah! Even if you don’t add the peppers, they’re great, but the peppers add some nutrition, some beauty, some class, some variety, some color, and, most importantly, some extra flavah!

Betty Crockah! Respiratah! Operatah! What’s for dinnah? ……..supercalifragilisticexpialidociousah!

I apologize. I’m sort of crazy with exhaustion right now and am finding the strangest things amusing. You should try replacing the ending letters of words with “ah” when you’re tired, too. It makes exhaustion more interesting.

Anyway.

I’m squeezing this recipe in this week (and I have so many more to come–sorry I’m a procrastinator!) because you so need to bring them to your own Christmas eve party this year and then keep making them for things like New Years, the Supah Bowl (hehehe), potlucks, etc., etc. They are the best evah! Wait, I already said that. I’m so tired.

Crockpot Meatballs and Peppers in Cranberry Chili Sauce

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 (5 pound) bag frozen Italian meatballs
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 (14 ounce) cans jellied cranberry sauce
2 (12 ounce) jars chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional but recommended
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place the meatballs in crockpot. Slice all the peppers into strips, discarding the cores and seeds, and place on top of the meatballs. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt, and some pepper, and bring to a simmer. Whisk while heating until the sauces combine and you have a smooth sauce. Pour over the peppers and meatballs; do not stir. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours or on high for about 4 to 5 hours. Stir well to incorporate the peppers before serving. To make these into a meal, serve over rice.

Recipe source: adapted from The Cooking Photographer.

A big thanks to my husband, Dennis, who took the photos for me because I’ve been so busy! God bless him. He’s the best. Evah. :)

16 Comments

Posted in Meats, Slow-Cooker/Crockpot, Snacks & Appetizers and tagged appetizer, christmas, holidays, meatballs, New Years, party, recipe, Super Bowl. Bookmark the permalink.

Fancy Applesauce & A Giveaway!

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Veronica

~This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Amanda, the lucky winner!

There is a shop in Wichita called The Spice Merchant that, until recently, I had never ventured into. Now that I have, I’m slightly dismayed that it took me so long, but I’m very happy that I now have access to premium spices & products that I have been trying to find for years! I snapped up some Vietnamese cinnamon that was so fragrant, it almost smelled hot like cinnamon oil. I added whole nutmegs to my basket, saffron, vanilla beans, smoked paprika, fenugreek…I couldn’t stop marveling at all the things they had that I previously could only find online.

When I got home, I got to work making applesauce with 6 pounds of the apples a friend gave me from her tree. I decided I had to add some of my newly purchased spices and the end result was the best applesauce I’ve ever had! I usually despise applesauce except as an ingredient in baked goods, but I found this fancy stuff so tasty that I’m actually eating the last of it as I type this post–all six pounds gone!

*Moment of silence to observe the dearly departed fancy applesauce.*

To celebrate my first blogoversary, I purchased more of the same ingredients I used in the applesauce to give away to you! If you like to bake, these will come in really handy this holiday season.

To enter to win 2 ounces of Vietnamese cinnamon, 4 Tahitian Papua New Guinea vanilla beans, and 8 whole nutmegs, simply leave a comment on this post. I will draw a winner from the comments using Random.org on Black Friday.

Fancy Applesauce

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Printable recipe with picture

6 pounds apples
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 vanilla bean
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Peel, core and slice the apples. Put in an extra-large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and stir into the sugar mixture. Pour over the apples and mix until coated. Dump into a 6-quart crockpot. Combine the apple cider and lemon juice and pour over the apples. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours; mash with a potato masher (will be chunky—to make smooth use a blender) and add additional sugar and spices to taste.

Recipe by Veronica Miller

Linked with Around My Family Table for BSI: vanilla

33 Comments

Posted in Announcements & Awards, Condiments & ETC., Relishes, Side Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers and tagged applesauce recipe, fancy, fresh nutmeg, vanilla bean, vietnamese cinnamon. Bookmark the permalink.

Crispy Caramel Puffed Corn

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Veronica

When I stopped in on a friend this summer, I couldn’t help but notice her kitchen counter was covered with drying caramel corn. I mean, I tried not to notice (because I’m trying to lose weight, dagnabbit!), but caramel corn is just not a thing I can ignore. I looked closer at it, and then got really close.

“Where in the world did you find popcorn that pops up so large?” I asked.

Her boyfriend piped up. “It’s not popcorn–I used puffed corn.”

I’m pretty sure an exclamation mark went off over my head. I loved this idea. He urged me to try it and as soon as I did, I knew I had to make some. He didn’t share his recipe but I just went with the recipe I always use, omitting the salt, halving it and using the puffed corn instead of popcorn. It was a hit at a family reunion and got devoured pretty quickly.

While I prefer caramel corn made with real popcorn, this is more of a snacky treat that is particularly appealing to kids and teens. It has a light coating of caramel and has a nice, salty taste and airy, crispy crunch from the puffed corn. That salty-sweet-puffy crunch can get pretty addicting! Try it out at a children’s Halloween party or pass it out to guests at a holiday party. Just try not to nibble on it while it’s cooling or you’ll have to make a second batch! I may or may not know this from experience.

CRISPY CARAMEL PUFFED CORN
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 (8 oz) bag butter flavored puffed corn
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Pour puffed corn into a large bowl. Melt butter over medium heat, then stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Stir well. Pour over the puffed corn and stir to coat well. Bake in a roaster or two jelly roll pans for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry, separating pieces with a silicon spatula as you go. Serve once cool or store in an airtight container.

Recipe by Veronica Miller, inspired by Gary R.

17 Comments

Posted in Candy, Snacks & Appetizers and tagged caramel, caramel puffed corn recipe, corn, fall, holidays, puffed, treats. Bookmark the permalink.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Posted on October 16, 2010 by Veronica

This isn’t a cheese ball containing pumpkin, but a cheese ball that is shaped like one, making it a great addition to your Halloween or Thanksgiving spread. It’s a Taste of Home recipe that I adapted to be completely home-made since I didn’t feel like purchasing a pre-made cream cheese spread for it. I discovered the recipe through Dennis’ cousin, who brought the adorable cheese ball to our Thanksgiving feast last year. I ate more of it than anything else, including dessert. It was just so yummy! I like my version just as well and it was a big hit during an event at my sister’s gift boutique where I recently served it.

I’m submitting this recipe to All Through The Year Cheer‘s Halloween recipe round-up for a chance to win some Madagascar vanilla beans. If you would like to participate, check out the details here. You have until October 27th to get your recipe in!

Note to parents: don’t worry about the cayenne pepper–it just gives a flavor boost with an extremely mild heat–mild enough for children.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

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Printable recipe with picture

1 3/4 packages (14 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sour cream
1 tablespoon dried chives
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 celery rib or broccoli stalk
Assorted crackers

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Beat in the chives, paprika, and cayenne until incorporated, then beat in the cheddar. Shape into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. With a knife, add vertical lines to the cheese ball to resemble a pumpkin; insert a celery rib or broccoli stalk for the stem. Serve with crackers.

Yield: 2-1/2 cups.

Recipe source: adapted from Taste of Home

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Posted in Snacks & Appetizers and tagged cayenne, cheese ball, chive, pumpkin. Bookmark the permalink.

Mexican Corn Dip

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Veronica

This dip. Oh, this dip. I love it so much I have been known to trade a proper dinner for a big plate of it.

I first had it at a Church potluck a few years ago. And then I had some more. And when no one was looking, I had a lot more. There were so many people that I had no idea who brought it, so I Googled “corn dip” when I got home to see if I could find the recipe. I had to have it. I could not live without it. It was sweet, creamy, and cheesy and I loved the flavor contrast from the green onions & chiles. I’m pretty sure I let out a squeal of triumph and glee when I found it on Allrecipes.

It has been in my “Favorite Recipes” file ever since and I bring it to almost any gathering that warrants a dip. Most recently, that was a sales event at my sister’s gift boutique where she served appetizers. When I arrived an hour into the event, she said she hadn’t had a lot of people yet but more than half the dip was gone (and it makes a big batch)! You may not go gaga for it as I have, but it’s always a crowd pleaser.

MEXICAN CORN DIP
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

3 (11-oz) cans Mexican-style corn, drained
1 (4-oz) can diced green chiles, drained
5 green onions, chopped
1 (8-oz) container sour cream
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped fine
3/4 cup mayonnaise
10 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl, mix well; cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve. I recommend serving with Frito Scoops chips, which taste amazing with this dip, but it can also be served with tortilla chips. Or a spoon. :)

Recipe source: allrecipes.com

This is how much the recipe makes-enough to nearly fill a 2 quart dish.

*I bought the Mexican platter in the first picture from Novica with a gift certificate I won from a giveaway on Girlichef (thanks, Heather!). Don’t you love it?! It was handcrafted & painted by the Castillo Family in Mexico, who designed it to emulate the classic majolica style of ceramics. Check Novica’s website if you haven’t before–there are some amazing one-of-a-kind things there! I also got some onyx earrings from Thailand–I love everything they have and love that they’re supporting artists from around the globe by enabling us to purchase from them.

36 Comments

Posted in Mexican, My Favorites, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged mexican corn dip. Bookmark the permalink.

Vegetable Pizza

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Veronica

My buddy, Suzie, shared this recipe with me and I’m so excited to spread the love! It is meant to be cut into little squares and served as an appetizer, but I never have need of appetizers so I just made them into big triangles to look more like real pizza and served them for dinner. It was hard to stop at two slices! I love the combination of the crescent dough, dill dip, cheddar cheese and veggies. I think I may even like it better than real pizza! I’m kind of obsessed now!

Vegetable Pizza
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2 tubes (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (15.5 oz.) container vegetable dill dip
2 ½ c. broccoli florets
2 ½ c. cauliflower florets
1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced
½ c. red onion, diced (I left this out)
3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small can sliced black olives, drained (I forgot these)
2 ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

Unroll two tubes crescent dough and press into an ungreased 15 x 10 inch baking sheet; seal seams and perforations. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack. Once cooled, spread the dill dip over the crust (you will have some leftover). Sprinkle with the cheese, vegetables, and olives. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cut into squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

*If you cannot find the dill dip, you can make it: 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, 2/3 c. mayonnaise, 1 T. dill weed. Mix all in a bowl until smooth.
*Any vegetables you want may obviously be used in this dish, red or yellow peppers, mushrooms, etc.

*Veronica’s note: to make this more like real pizza, I left the triangles in their original shape and separated them before baking, reshaping the ones that were too long and skinny. Then I just prepared each piece individually as I needed them for the next couple days, storing everything separate in the fridge. I also made my own dip, but with my own recipe: 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon dried dill, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and a little salt.

Recipe source: Suzie Shaw