Buffalo Chicken Dip

2.5-3 cans chicken or one whole rotisserie roasted chicken, shredded
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish. Sprinkle some more mozzarella on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Eat with chips. Enjoy!

Pizza

This is my mother's foolproof pizza crust recipe, and it really has never been fooled.

Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg. dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Crushed up herbs (basil, oregano, thyme...) (optional)

Empty the yeast into a large mixing bowl and pour the water over it. Stir until yeast is completely dissolved. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until dough forms a ball. Cover bowl with a clean cloth and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Punch in dough and knead slightly. Stretch over greased baking pan(s). (This recipe makes two thin-crust or one thick-crust pizza).
Optional: roll pieces of string cheese into the edge of the crust for stuffed-crust pizza!
Spread tomato sauce and add cheese and your favorite toppings. This blogger is partial to sausage and green pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 mins or until cheese starts to brown. Enjoy!

M&M Cookies!

These cookies are really easy and they turn out delicious.  They stay fresh for a good while too!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&Ms

In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add most of M&M candies, but leave a few to put on top of each cookie if you wish. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 to 11 minutes, to your liking.

Enjoy!

Ginger Steak Salad + Dressing

Ok, this one takes a while, but it's worth it, we promise.

Marinade for steak:
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sherry
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
1 whole Rib-eye, Strip, Or Sirloin Steak
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil


Salad Dressing:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons White Sugar
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
½ whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced

Salad:
2 whole Green Onions
8 ounces, weight Salad Greens (baby Lettuce, Endive, Radiccio, Etc.)


First, marinate your steak for at least half an hour, but an hour or two is better.

Chop your ginger and garlic really well and combine them with the liquid dressing ingredients and the jalapeno. Better to keep the chunks to a minimum, so dice well!

Cook steak to medium rare in a pan with olive oil.

Toss salad with 3/4 of dressing, slice steak finely and put on top. Cover with rest of dressing. You can sprinkle the green onions on top now, and some cherry tomatoes if you're feeling frisky.

Enjoy!

Philly Fluff

10 oz. softened cream cheese
1 stick sweet butter, softened
1/2 C. Crisco shortening
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. sugar, divided
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup loaf pan.  In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, butter and shortening , beating until light and fluffy.  In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.(This step is very important) Add the vanilla extract and remaining 1 cup sugar and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the batter is smooth. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with half of the melted chocolate and swirl a knife through the batter to marble it. Top with remaining batter.

Bake 60 to 65 minutes, depending on your oven or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a platter and cool completely. When cake is cooled, drizzle with remaining melted chocolate allowing some to drip down the sides. Enjoy!

Crispy Mustard Chicken

This chicken is not only crispy, it's mustardy as well!

Start by cutting chicken breast in half. Make sure there's no skin or bones.

Dry Mixture:

1/4 ts salt

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/3 c breadcrumbs

1/2 ts ground thyme

Wet Mixture:

2 tb mustard

2 tb mayo

Dip chicken breasts in wet mixture and roll in dry mixture. Ensure even coating all around.

Grease a baking dish and preheat oven to 350.

Bake covered for 30 minutes and then uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or so until chicken is cooked through and soft.

Enjoy!

Crab Cakes

Our first recipe in our new recipe book!

Awesome Crab Cakes:

1/2 lb jumbo lump crab meat

2 slices white bread, shredded

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp olive oil

Pinch Creole/Cajun Seasoning

Shred bread into bowl, mix with crab meat.

Add mayo and worcestershire sauce, mix well

Beat egg in separate bowl and add to mixture

Add spices and vegetables if you want (green onions, tomatoes, etc)

Pour oil into pan and swirl around on medium heat

Put crab cakes in for approximately 5 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!