Easy Cheesy Ball

You know, there are times when I wonder - is anyone reading my blog ? I hope so ! I hope that if you like what you see, you'll leave me a comment and let me know about it! I have decided to only post once a week now- things have been busy lately, so I decided to scale it back a little ( really its that I'm getting older & slower !). Anyway- lets get on with the food :-)

This recipe is a great one for a party or get-together of any kind and SUPER easy. I like to call it my Easy Cheesy Ball ....

You'll need: 2 (8 oz) pkgs, cream cheese , 1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix, 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.

Mash cream cheese together. Mix dressing mix & cheddar cheese into cream cheese. Mix well. Shape into a ball & roll into chopped pecans. Refridgerate overnight (cover with some plastic wrap). Serve with crackers of your choice.

Enjoy ! :-)

A salad from the Garden....

Is there anyone that does NOT love Olive Garden ? Italian food is AWESOME , and Olive Garden is one of the best- good food & affordable!! I personally love the salad the best, and this recipe I'm sharing with you today is one I found a few years back, and it is pretty darn close to Olive Garden's recipe. Toss up a batch of it tonite!!

Salad Mix-
you'll need : 1 bag of American Blend from Dole salad, 4 slices of red onion, 6 black olives, 2-4 banana peppers, 1/2 cup croutons, 1 small tomato (quatered), Parmesan cheese.

Salad prep : Chill one salad bowl in the freezer for 30 min. Place bag of salad in the bowl. Add onions, olives, peppers, croutons, & tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Top with dressing (recipe below)

Salad Dressing :
you'll need : 1/2 cup mayonaise, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1 tsp. vegetable oil, 2 tbsp. corn syrup, 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp. Romano cheese, 1/4 tsp. garlic salt, 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp Parsley flakes, 1 tbsp. lemon juice.

Dressing Prep: Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.

Enjoy ;-)

Happy Valentines Day !

Happy heart day everyone! Be sure to spend lots of quality time with your sweetie today!!
In a perfect world, we would be going to my favorite restaurant tonite for dinner- The Melting Pot. Its a fondue restaurant that is awesome, but very expensive. So, since this is not a perfect world- and money is tight- we are doing fondue at home for our Valentine's dinner !

Swiss Cheese Fondue -
You'll need : 3 tbsp. butter, 3 tbsp. floor, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. garlic salt, dash of nutmeg, 3 cups milk, 2 (8 oz) packages of swiss cheese, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

In a fondue pot, melt butter over medium heat- then stir in the next 5 ingredients. Add milk gradually & cook until sauce is smooth & thick. Lower heat and add cheese by the handfulls, stirring until cheese is melted after each addition. Stir in Worcestershire sauce.

What you can dip into cheese fondue : any breads, apples( granny smith apples work best), veggies, smoked sausage.
Spear item of your choice with a fondue fork- dip , eat & enjoy !!!!

Snow (Day) Cream !!!

Today was a beautiful snowy day! It's just not something we see much of in these parts- we just get excited about it! And so much fun to play in it. When I was younger , my Mom would make snow cream for us when we had that rare snow day. So today- in honor of snow day- we have ....

Snow Cream-
* you'll need : 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla , about 3 quarts of snow.
Blend milk, sugar & vanilla .Stir in snow to make an ice cream consistency.

Variations:
add some Nestle Quik for chocolate flavor . Add some fruit. Use your imagination.....

*Just make sure the snow is clean ! Collect snow from the middle or top - not from the bottom.

Tortellini Shrimp Caesar Salad

OK- I got a little engrossed in the Super Bowl and spending time with friends- that i forgot the Sunday post - wooops ! This recipe is another quick & easy meal that is delicious! Even my picky husband will eat it- and he loves it! Give it a try.....

Tortellini Shrimp Caesar Salad-

You'll need : 2 cups frozen breaded popcorn shrimp, 1 (9 oz) package of refridgerated cheese tortellini, 8 cups torn romaine lettuce, 1 medium tomato (chopped), 1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing.

**Prepare shrimp & tortellini according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine romaine lettuce & tomato ; drizzle with dressing & toss to coat. Drain tortellini ; toss with salad. Top with shrimp.

**** You can always switch this up by using different meats, seafood or different dressing.
Enjoy :-)

Ham & Grits Casserole

Being a southern girl- I love my grits ! With butter, with cheese, and of course a lot of salt (which i'm sure is not good for you, but I'm a salt-a-holic...). This recipe today has all of those things - AND its a Weight Watcher recipe! You won't know it to taste it though. I fixed this for our dinner last night- always get a compliment from the hubby!

Ham & Grits Casserole-
you'll need : 4 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt (i usually add more !) , 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits, 1 cup chopped lean ham, 3 tbsp. reduced calorie margarine, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 -8 oz. carton egg substitute, cooking spray, 1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheese.

** Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil ; stir in grits. Cover grits , reduce heat , and simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat and add ham, margarine, & Worcestershire sauce- stir until margarine melts. Add egg substitute & stir. Add cheese & stir. Spoon into a 11x7 baking dish that is coated with cooking spray. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
** Good with some biscuits !!!

Now for the Weight Watchers numbers for those that are interested:
8 servings. 1 serving is 3/4 cup.
4 points per serving. 166 calories, 5.3 grams fat, 1 gram fiber.