Cream cheese crescent rolls

Cream cheese crescent rolls

One can of crescent rolls
A small portion of the Cream Cheese Feta Garlic Dill Dip

Place crescent rolls flat on a cookie tray, in the shape of a rectangle. Press the seams together, and flatten out the dough a bit. Spread the dip over the entire top. {You will not use much of the dip. You want the layer of dip to be about 1/8” thick, give or take. More if you really like cream cheese, but not so much it will not bake well.} Roll up the dough, starting on the longest side, and working towards the other long side {as if you were making cinnamon rolls}. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 12-20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. {My oven temperature varies, so I could not be more accurate on the time}. Let it cool a bit. Slice & serve.

Another option is to slice it before baking. Set the spirals on their sides, then bake {this will shorten your baking time a bit.}

Cream Cheese Feta Garlic Dill Dip

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 - Feast of Saint Theodore Guerin


This recipe is from a dear friend.

Cream Cheese Feta Garlic Dill Dip

16 oz cream cheese—I used the light
16 oz sour cream—I used the light
5 oz container crumbled feta cheese
3-5 cloves garlic—pressed and chopped
2 t dried dill

Mix all together.

Goes well with Melba rounds, bagel chips, and other crackers.

Zucchini Casserole

July 13, 2007 - Feast of Saint Margaret of Antioch

From my wonderful step-mother -
(My comments on making it meatless are in red)

Zucchini Casserole

2 pounds zucchini (chopped) (I do half zucchini & half yellow squash)
1 medium onion (diced)
Simmer in water until tender and then drain

Add
1 stick oleo (that would be butter or margarine - I prefer butter!)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 8oz carton sour cream
1 8oz pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom for meatless)
1 box chicken stove top dressing (I found some stuffing mix that was meatless - read the ingredients carefully)

(I also added 3 eggs for protein for a meatless dish that is to be a main dish.)

Combine well and place in greased casserole dish.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 min.

Hope you have good luck with it, it is one of the best I have ever tasted.

Roast Beef in Rich Wine Gravy and Roasted Mushrooms

Here is another recipe from my very dear friend, Rose in Malta -

Big roast beef
Fresh thyme
large, assorted mushrooms
red wine
beef/meat/chicken stock (i make my own from all the bones etc, but an organic cube will be fine)
3 red onions
3 cloves garlic
water (to add to gravy, if needed)
salt/pepper
basil or any herbs that compliment meat dishes

Take the beef joint and rub the 2 garlic cloves and salt and pepper all over it. Stuff thyme inside the string (if it is around the beef) and rub in too. Leave beef for a few hours.

In a large frying pan, saute the onions, garlic and more thyme for 5-7 mins until lightly cooked. Add 2 large glasses of wine which will cook off, leaving a beautiful smell. Then add the stock, ladle by ladle. To make the gravy thicker you can add a little cornflour. Add salt and pepper and a bouquet garni.

In a separate pan saute the mushroom (sliced but quite large) in some olive oil and butter. Add thyme, garlic and salt and pepper and leave.

Place beef in large dish and cover with the red wine gravy and the sauteed mushrooms. Cook in hot oven (170c) for one hour, but do check.

before serving add lots of fresh herbs on the meat.

Homemade Sangria

This recipe is from new and very dear friend who lives in Malta! Her stories of food, and the traditional Mass, make me want to move there!

This is her recipe for Sangria -

I have a few varied recipes, all tried and tested of course, but here's the usual one;

I bottle red wine
2 lemons
2 limes
2 oranges
chunks of pineapple
2 or 3 teaspoons of brown sugar
I glass of orange juice
small shot of brandy
mint or other fresh herb of your choice!


Place wine into pitcher. Squeeze juice of the fruits and then cut into neat wedges and add to wine. Stir is sugar, orange juice and brandy. Mix carefully and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. just before serving add fresh herbs, this is an added ingredient!

Thank you dear Rose!

Chocolicious Rice Krispie Treats

The classic treat with a twist. An easy favorite!

4-5 tablespoons butter

4 1/2 - 5 cups mini-marshmallows

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

5 1/2 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies

Melt butter in large, deep saucepan over low heat.

Add marshmallows, stirring constantly.

When marshmallows are 2/3 of the way melted, add chocolate chips.

Stir just until completely melted.

Remove from heat and add Rice Krispies.

Stirring until well coated with the chocolate marshmallow mixture.

With damp hands (get hands wet & shake off excess water), gently press mixture into 13x9 inch pan, lightly coated with butter. (The damp hands prevent the mixture from sticking to you, and allows better control than a spatula.)

Cut into 2 inch squares when cooled & set.

Makes approximately 24 squares.

***UPDATE - I tried this using a cup of WHITE chocolate chips, instead of the semi-sweet, and they were delicious. OK, I will admit that "white chocolate" is not REAL chocolate, and that I prefer a good dark chocolate, but this alternative was very good and a big hit with family!***

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

I made this for King Peter's Birthday. It was a hit! For less than $4, I created something as good as one of those you can buy for $40 or more.

I carton of cookies & cream ice cream*

1 package of Oreos*

Set out ice cream to soften.

Put about half of package of Oreos in a food processor until they are crumbs. Spread the crumbs into the bottom of a 1o inch spring form pan.

Cut ice cream into sections & put them all in a bowl. Stir until soft (but not melted).

Drop ice cream onto crumbs. Do not try to spread it at this point - it will move the crumbs around.

Once all the ice cream is in the pan, and the bottom is pretty much covered with drops of ice cream, press the ice cream into the bottom of the pan.

Level the top out by carefully smoothing it out.

Decorate the top with Oreos.

Freeze.

Reward yourself by eating the leftover Oreos.

*This could easily be changed by using different ice cream, & cookies for the crust - vanilla wafers. graham crackers. CHOCOLATE graham crackers, shortbread cookies, sugar cookies, etc.

Chocolate Truffle Tart, & Triple Chocolate Cake, & Dark Chocolate Fondue

Delana, over at Traditional Catholic Mom, posted these WONDERUL, YUMMY, CHOCOLATE recipes!!!

Chocolate Truffle Tart
Extremely rich, this dessert is wonderful and would go well with a glass of wine or just a glass of milk!

Crust:
1/3 cup butter, of margarine, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 T unsweetened baking cocoa
Filling:
1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
Topping:
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 T powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate. In medium bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in flour and cocoa until coarse crumbs form. With floured fingers, press in bottom of pie plate. Bake 5-7 minutes or until set.
In double boiler set over hot simmering water, heat chocolate chips 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Gradually add 1 cup whipping cream, stirring constantly, until combined. Stir in vanill and egg yolks until well blended. Cook over medium-low heat 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened and hot. Pour filling into crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm.
In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream and the powdered sugar with
electric mixer on high speed 1-2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Place in
plastic baggy and snip off corner with scissors. Pipe whipped cream onto refrigerated tart. Refrigerate. Serve.

Triple Chocolate Cake

(This is a picture of the cake I made. This is VERY rich & delicious!)

This cake is fantastic! I made it for my husband and dad for Father's Day, and both of them loved it! If you choose to pour the Chocolate Ganache over the top of it (which I highly recommend!) then I would call it Four-ple Chocolate Cake (a little Bill Cosby humor for ya!). When pouring the Chocolate Ganache over the cake, there will be plenty that runs off the cake. Catch it below on a plate, and dip a few strawberries in it to add as garnish to the cake! By far, one of my favorite desserts I've cooked so far!

Cake:
1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 8 oz. container sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) chocolate instant pudding mix
Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup fluted tube pan; set aside. Combine all cake ingredients into bowl and stir with wire whisk until ingredients are blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler set over hot simmering water, heat chocolate chips and whipping cream. Stir until completely melted. Pour over cake, making sure to put a plate underneath to catch the drippings. Wait until ganache has "set" to serve.

I used a double boiler on low heat (water should NOT boil at all - no more than 212 degrees F).
Pour in chocolate chips & cream at the same time. Stir until melted.
My research says that the optimum temp for pouring is 85-90 degrees F, but mine did fine at a 100-110 degrees. My research also said it keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (I am thinking of the sneaky trips to the kitchen, when dc are not around, to have a spoonful of gnache! LOL)

Dark Chocolate Fondue
Dip whatever you like in this fondue! Strawberries, apples, kiwi, pound cake, marshmallows, pretzels...the list goes on and on!

8 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
8 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream
1 T vanilla

In a 2 quart heavy saucepan, heat both chocolates and the whipping cream over low heat, stirring frequently, until cream is hot and chocolate is melted. Stir with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour into fondue pot. Keep warm with fuel canister on low heat.

ENJOY!

Mommia's Hashbrown Casserole

Holy Saturday

Here I am, posting a meatless dish - at the end of Lent - late as usual. But, since we, Catholics, are required to abstain on ALL Fridays (not just during Lent, though outside of Lent you are allowed another form of penance if you cannot abstain - but abstaining is the universal law), I think it will still be of some use.

I took a basic recipe & put my twist on it. This could be a meatless main dish for Fridays, or side dish, or add Ham for an easy meal for other days of the week

Mommia's Hashbrown Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
16 oz. sour cream or cottage cheese
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
pinch of black pepper
Ham, chopped (leave out for meatless of course)
2 lbs hash browns, thawed
1/4 cup melted butter (reserve for later)

Mix the first 6-7 ingredients in bowl, then add the hashbrowns. Put into a greased 9x13 casserole dish & bake (375 degrees) for about 30 minutes. Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter on top, and bake for about 10 more minutes.

I added the eggs and an extra cup of cheese for more protein. I liked the result & think I will leave it that way, even when adding ham.

Berry Good Cookies!

Feast of Saint Valentine of Rome

If you noticed, I did not post in January. It was a hectic time. My grandma went into the hospital on January 1st, and got out last week. Just before she went in, she had decided to sell her house & move into an assisted living facility. So the month of January was filled with homeschooling, visits to the hospital, and packing & moving her belongings. The day we moved her furniture, the assisted living place (which is wonderful and does not look institutional in the least) served us refreshments. This included the most WONDERFUL cookies. I had to have the recipe! Imagine my dismay when they did not have one - they buy them in the dough form & bake them. Well, I found a recipe!

It is a recipe I adapted from the "Cranberry-Chip Cookie Mix" recipe that I found in Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book 7. Don't pass this recipe by just because it has cranberries - I almost did & I was very pleasantly surprised at how incredibly delicious they are!

Berry Good Cookies

Cream together in a large bowl:
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar

In another bowl, combine:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Slowly add dry ingredients to the
wet ingredients. Mix just until blended.

Fold in:
1 cup dried cranberries (or dried strawberries)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls unto greased baking sheets (I used parchment paper). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 6 dozen.

Note – I think next time I will cut back slightly on the white chocolate chips & walnuts.