Dill Dip

    Go Super Bowl Teams!  That's all I've got, folks.  Really.  On any given year I can't even tell you the team names.  This year is a little different only because we have had an excess of snow days lately so I have had the morning news turned on and have seen several segments about the teams.  We just aren't football fans at our house.  We are, however, fans of Super Bowl snacks so I want to share the recipe for one of my favorites with you.  As we turn on the TV for party noise, we will definitely have this on our snack table!

   I don't know about you, but every time I go to one of those craft and gift shows near the holidays, I am drawn like a moth to a flame to those dip mix stands with the Rubbermaid containers of pretzels.  I find myself near the checkout lane with a stack of little envelopes to purchase but then ultimately come to my senses every time and remember that I don't need them since I have a great recipe of my own!

  Yet again, this recipe was one of my grandmother's that she made for our family for years.  I grew up eating it and my own girls seem to love it just as much.  One of my favorite things about it is that I almost always have the ingredients on hand to fix it any time I need to.  It calls for very few ingredients but has so much flavor.  If you like it, I suggest buying the ingredients in bulk.

  My grandmother's original recipe called for mayonnaise and so that's what I used the first time I ever made it.  Right away, I realized it didn't taste like hers always did so I made a quick phone call to figure out what went wrong.  What went wrong was that she had years before started replacing the mayonnaise with Miracle Whip but hadn't told me this!  It makes all the difference.

Dill Dip (click on title for a printable version)

16 oz. sour cream
3/4 C. Miracle Whip
1 T. minced onion (I use dried onion flakes)
1 T. seasoned salt
1 T. dried dill weed
1 t. garlic salt (you can replace with garlic powder if you feel like it's too salty)

Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Tuscan Pesto Spread

   Behold, one of those recipes that makes your guests think you have done something truly amazing with very little work!

    A few months ago, my sweet cousin and childhood friend, Meg, contacted me from miles and miles away looking for a fun appetizer to take to a party.  I was so happy she did and was even happier when we moved from our discussion on FaceBook to our cell phones given that I had not heard her voice in too many years.  The conversation was not very long but I treasure the memory of it.

   After talking through a couple of options, Meg decided that this was her best option for the party.  She suggested adding some pine nuts to the top which I thought would add even more flavor and I advised her to toast them a bit before adding them.  I will definitely try that the next time I make this!

  I had to laugh a little inside as I thought back to our conversation about ingredients such as homemade pesto, sundried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts.  Meg and I are related through our maternal grandmothers and our great-aunt Argie, all of whom have passed away.  My cousin actually spent many of her years growing up on our family farm and learned to cook alongside her own mother and Aunt Argie.  My grandmother moved to "the big town" (with one stop light!) when she got married but spoke almost daily with Aunt Argie and visited the farm at least weekly.  They gardened together, canned together, preserved together, froze together, and swapped countless recipes.  I imagined them looking over our shoulders and puzzling over this list of strange ingredients that Meg and I were discussing.  At the same time, I thought about how happy it would make them to hear us sharing recipes.

  Hopefully Meg's appetizer was a hit at her party and hopefully it will be at your next one!

   I use homemade pesto but any store brand will work great, too.  Just don't go too crazy with it because pesto can be very strong and you don't want it to overpower your spread.

   Let me offer a word about the measurements.  I don't really measure for this recipe, so these are more suggestions than anything else.  Just adjust it based on your own tastes.

  I serve this with Triscuits but you can use anything crunchy . . . pita chips, breadsticks, Wheat Thins, whatever your heart desires!

Tuscan Pesto Spread (click on title for a printable version)

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup prepared pesto
olive oil for drizzling
1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (I like the ones in a ziptop bag.  If in oil, drain well)
1/4 cup whole pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toast pine nuts on a baking sheet for about 12 - 15 minutes being careful to ensure they don't burn.  Cool before adding to the spread.

On a large platter, spread cream cheese evenly almost to the edge of the platter.

Dollop the pesto across the cream cheese and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top.  This will help spread it over the surface.  Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, lightly spread the pesto and oil over the cream cheese, leaving a small border of cream cheese.

Top with chopped sundried tomatoes.

Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Serve with crackers.

White Chili

    Chicken Chili, White Chicken Chili, White Bean Chili, call it what you want to.  We call it White Chili in my house because that was what it was called on the recipe I received about 15 years ago.  At that time, I had never heard of White Chili but was so grateful to my friend Phyllis, who not only shared a pot of it with me but also gave me the recipe.

   During my second year of teaching (back when I was really young.  Like 22 years old young.) Phyllis and I became friends through her very, very generous offer to teach me and my friend Cristy all the secrets of producing award-winning yearbooks.  She herself oversaw many beautiful books and then passed her legacy on to us.  Phyllis spent countless hours sharing tip after tip with us.  Sad to say, all of those hours were spent in vain as this part of my career only lasted a hot minute before I realized this was NOT my calling!  I can say, however, that I continue to make and share many of her recipes so hopefully Phyllis does not regret the times we spent together; I know I certainly don't!  I treasure my memories of going to her warm and cozy house in the evenings and on the weekends when I still lived in my small apartment.  She and her sister were always so welcoming and for that I am grateful.

   As for the chili, in the years since I first received the recipe, I have seen countless others and you can find this on many restaurant menus these days.  I am just going to come right out and assert that this is the very best recipe for white chili out there.  Call me bold, but I just don't care.  I can only speak the truth on this matter.

   To me, one of the things that makes this version so good is that it starts with dried beans.  I know that many of my readers are looking for quick, weeknight recipes so just know up front that this is not one of those.  I only make this on weekends or holidays so that I have time to treat the beans right.  You could certainly try replacing the dried beans with canned ones, but just don't expect the same results.  In my opinion, canned kidneys work great in traditional red chili, but white canned beans tend to be really mushy.  If you do try, just don't blame me when the recipe isn't all that great!

   Now, having said this about the beans, let me tell you where I DO use a short-cut in this chili!  I only ever use rotisserie chicken because I flat out can't get the right flavor in the chicken with anything else.  I also find the rotisserie chicken shreds perfectly for this recipe.  I don't shred it completely because I like a few bigger pieces.  Just tear it apart with your hands and it will come out perfectly every time.

   Another reason I love this recipe is because there are several layers of flavors.  None of the steps are hard, but I would advise not skipping them because you won't get the richness that I do when I make this.

   The last piece of advice I have for making this recipe a winner is to be very particular in how you serve it.  My friends that know me well know that I am extremely particular when it comes to food and that is definitely the case with this!  Make sure you have some good jarred salsa on hand (my favorite is Walmart's Garlic Lime -- their own brand), sour cream, freshly shredded pepper jack cheese, and really great blue tortilla chips.  I only like the Simply Tostitos  kind because they are super thin and perfectly salted.

   We are currently covered in about 4" of snow here in East Tennessee and I am really wishing I had the ingredients on hand for this.  If you do or if you can get to the store, here is a great recipe for a snow day!

Click on the title for a printable version.

White Chili

1 large package of dried Northern beans
6 C. chicken broth plus a little more if needed (I use jarred broth base and make my own because it's cheaper)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped finely
2 4 oz. cans chopped mild green chiles
1 T. oil
2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
4 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded (I use two rotisserie chicken breasts)
grated pepper jack cheese
salsa
sour cream
tortilla chips

Look through beans carefully and remove bad beans or small rocks.  Either soak them the night before or use the quick soak method on the back of the bag (allow a little time for this).

After soaking  and draining beans, return them to the pot with the chicken broth, half the chopped onions, and the garlic.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until beans are tender but not falling apart.  Add additional broth if necessary.

Sautee remaining onions in a small skillet with the oil.  Add to beans with chiles, seasonings, and chicken.  Simmer 1 hour.

Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, salsa, and chips.

Baked Pears

   I can't even begin to tell you how many Sunday evening meals have included this recipe for Baked Pears over the past couple of months!  My children love them, my husband loves them, and I love them.  This is definitely one of those very old-fashioned (read, not so healthy) recipes that remains at the top of my comfort foods list.

  I treasure the memories I have of my grandmother preparing and serving these pears, especially on special holidays.  They smell so wonderful when they are baking and that smell just feels like home to me.  My grandmother always used home-canned pears which made the recipe even better.  Once she stopped canning her own, the times we made the pears seemed to dwindle.  The ones from the grocery store just didn't quite do the trick.

   This past fall, I discovered that Del Monte has completely repackaged their canned fruits and is now dedicated to using fruit from the USA.  The pears I have been using come from the Northwest and they are so very close to the ones from my childhood.  I was so pleasantly surprised when I pulled my baked pears out of the oven and saw that they were still slightly firm, unlike the ones I used to get from the store.

  I have a dear friend from college who has posted on FB frequently that she has an abundance of pears on the trees in her yard.  Katye spent many hours this past summer canning them so I have asked for a place in her kitchen helping her in exchange for some home-canned pears!  In the meantime, though, I will keep making them with my Del Monte ones.

   Be sure that you use a shallow dish for this recipe and that the pears have enough space; otherwise, you might end up with too much liquid.

Baked Pears (click on title for a printable version)

3 cans Del Monte pear halves (15 oz. each)
1/4 C. sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon (I use my Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus)
small pats of butter
large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a medium sized baking dish very well.

Drain pear halves very, very well.

In a large bowl, mix drained pear halves, sugar, and cinnamon.  Pour into buttered baking dish.

Dot butter over the top of the pears.  Cover with foil.

Bake pears for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes until most of the moisture is gone.

Pour large marshmallows over the top of the pears and return to oven.  Bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes or until marshmallows have browned.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pears and Parmesan

    Oh, how I love this appetizer!  What's not to love, I ask you?  Prosciutto?  Pears?  Parmesan?  Balsamic glaze?  Very little prep time?  Are you sold yet?

   I am sharing yet another one of my fabulous friend Angela's recipes with you.  I am telling you, that girl is a wealth of amazing resources!  She brought this to a party we both attended a little over a year ago and I was absolutely hooked.  So much so that I begged her to bring it to the next party we were both invited to.  Maybe even the next one and the one after that.  Eventually, I felt guilty and decided to just learn how to make these myself.  Angela and her family affectionately refer to these as the 3 Ps.  Whatever you choose to call them, just make them and share them soon!

   Make sure that you begin with good pears and good parmesan.  Angela always uses Parmigiano Reggiano, but I prefer a nice domestic parmesan.  Recently, I discovered Sartori brand at my local Kroger and I absolutely love the taste of this cheese!  It is all I have been using the past few times I have made this and I have been using it in plenty of other recipes, as well.  You can usually find it in the fine cheese section of your grocery store.  They also sell containers of pre-shredded parmesan for other recipes.  You want the wedge for this one, though.  Sartori also produces some other divine types of cheeses that I just can't get enough of such as their BellaVitano cheeses in flavors such as balsamic, raspberry, and Merlot.  If you see these at your own grocery stores, grab them and pair them with a nice cracker for a true treat!

   Be sure you have your prosciutto sliced very, very thinly at the deli.  If you don't, it will be difficult to wrap around the cheese and pears.  Also, it's fairly expensive so you don't want to run up a huge grocery bill by having it cut too thickly.

   To me, the balsamic reduction is what really makes this recipe so special.  Be very, very, very careful when you are reducing your vinegar and do NOT walk away.  It is entirely too easy to ruin not only your reduction but also the pot you are reducing it in.  Just trust me on this one!

   A small word regarding measurements . . .  I realize they are very vague in this recipe and I apologize in advance.  You just kind of have to match up the quantity of the ingredients you are using so you need to take this into consideration when slicing your pears, parmesan, and prosciutto so that the size of each pretty much matches.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pears and Parmesan (click on title for a printable version)

2 ripe pears (I prefer to use d'anjou pears for this but any will work)
wedge of parmesan cheese (again, I really love Sartori)
3 - 4 slices of prosciutto
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar (I can't promise I don't use a bit more of this.  Measurements are hard for this recipe!)
1/2 t. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9X13" glass baking dish.

Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until vinegar begins to thicken and reduce.  Remove from heat and cool once it seems fairly thick.

Peel and core pears.  Slice into 1/2" slices.  Set aside.

Cut parmesan into small pieces roughly equal to the size of the pears but a little thinner.  Cut enough to match the number of pear slices.

Slice the prosciutto into thin strips so that they can be wrapped around the pears and parmesan.

Lay a slice of parmesan on top of each pear slice and wrap with a small slice of prosciutto. You don't have to be too exact about getting the prosciutto wrapped around the pears and parmesan since the cheese will melt and secure it all together.  Place the pear into the baking dish and continue wrapping the remaining pears and cheese.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the prosciutto begins to crisp a little.  Remove from the oven and immediately place pears on a serving dish.  Be careful when you do this to ensure that the pieces stay together.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction.

Hot Percolator Punch

    After a long winter's nap full of holiday fun, vacation from school, and a bonus few weather days off, I am slowly returning to the real world which also means updating my blog!  A few of these recipes are holdovers from the holiday season so I hope that you will file them away for next year and revisit them.  Some of them are perfect for the entire winter season and I plan to keep making them.  Percolator punch is definitely one I am not putting away for awhile.

    I will forever be grateful for the day my sweet friend Laura appeared in our office door with two steaming cups of her percolator punch for me and my friend Angela to try out.  On a cold winter's day, one sip tasted just like Christmas had arrived!  I fell in love instantly and was so happy when Laura shared the recipe with us.  In fact, she even let me borrow her percolator so that we could brew it for our cookie swap.  It was definitely a hit!

    One of the reasons I am so in love with this recipe is because it is just so old-fashioned.  I treasure time-teseted recipes and this percolator punch certainly fits into that category.  Laura copied the original recipe for us in her sister's handwriting which makes it even more special given that I know Laura's sister passed away before we even became friends.  I hope there is comfort for Laura in looking at her beautiful handwriting and imagining her sister sharing her punch with her friends and family.

   While I don't own a percolator myself, I think I am going to be on the lookout for a used one.  Until I find one, though, I think I might just tie the spices up in a little bit of cheesecloth and baker's twine or even in a coffee filter.  This way I can just drop my little bundle in the a pot with the other ingredients.   I will say, though, that I think the magic comes from the little popping sounds the percolator makes mixed with the spices in the basket.  If you have a percolator yourself, I suggest you try this recipe very soon!  If you don't use all of it at one time, store it in the fridge and then just heat it up cupful by cupful.

Hot Percolator Punch (click on the title for a printable version)

3 C. pineapple juice
3 C. cranberry juice
1 1/2 C. water
1/3 C. light brown sugar
1 1/2 t. whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon, broken
1/8 t. salt

Put juices, water, and brown sugar in a 10 cup (or slightly larger) percolator and mix with a spoon.  Place cloves and cinnamon stick in basket and add salt.  Let percolate as you would coffee.  Makes 10 cups.