Pineapple Pecan Cheeseball

This is a really yummy cheeseball! I made this for my family on Christmas Eve and everyone loved it. So easy to make... if you're hosting a party or going to one for New Years, you should make this. :)

Ingredients: 2 (8oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened a little bit
                   1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
                   2 T. chopped green onion
                   1/2 green pepper, chopped
                    1 tsp. seasoning salt
                   2 cups chopped pecans

Directions: Combine everything in a bowl except for 1 cup of the pecans. (It's really easier to mix it up with your hands like you would meatloaf...) Cover and chill in fridge overnight or at least for a couple hours. Then, form it into a ball and roll it in the cup of pecans you have leftover. Wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.
  *Serve with your favorite crackers  :)

Stuffed Mushrooms

I made these stuffed mushrooms for one of my family Christmas get togethers and they disappeared fast! My husband doesn't even like mushrooms (what's wrong with him!!)  :) and he tried these and loved it. If you don't feel like messing with everything in one day, you can make the sausage and scrape the mushrooms out a day in advance.

Ingredients: 2 pkgs. of mushrooms (I got the brown ones...not the white ones) There is about 10 or so in each container.
                    1 "roll" of italian sausage (I got the Bob Evans mild kind)
                   8 oz. cream cheese
                    2 T. parsley (I didn't use fresh I used the kind from the spice aisle)
                   1 T. lemon juice
                   some minced garlic...I just threw about 2-3 tsp. worth or so.
                   A couple good shakes of pepper
                   Parmesan cheese
                 *You need a blender*

Directions: Cook the sausage and drain the grease. Set aside. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. I used a small spoon to really scrape it out good. If you have any baby spoons around they work perfect!
    In a blender, combine the cream cheese, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper.
  Cover and blend until smooth. *It will stay fairly firm...like the consistency of the cream cheese.*
Fill each cap with the cooked sausage first, then the cream cheese mixture. Place on greased sheet and sprinkle each one with a good amount of parmesan cheese.
 Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes or until browned a bit.

*Makes about 20 mushrooms.
                 

Veggie Pizza

This is a great appetizer dish! It's very tasty and easy to make too!

Ingredients: 2 cans of crescent rolls
                   1 pkg. of the dry ranch mix
                   sour cream (16oz)
                  veggies of your choice: I used broccoli, 1 red pepper,and some carrots
                  Pkg. of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Get your biggest cookie sheet and spread the crescent roll dough out onto it. Use your hands to really spread it out so it covers the whole bottom of the cookie sheet. Bake according to directions on the can of crescents. (It's like 12 minutes or so.....) Let it cool completely.
   Mix the sour cream with the dry ranch mix. Spread it over the crescents evenly. Chop up your veggies how you like them. I like to chop everything pretty small. Then, just spread on top of the sour cream mixture evenly. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Refrigerate until serving and cut into little squares.

White Chocolate Christmas Coffee

I love coffee, but I'm the type of person who has to have it with lots of flavored creamer....to the point where it's not even really coffee! :) I know I'm not the only one who is crazy like that...so for all of you creamer people this is for you. I created this on my own when I discovered one morning we were all out of flavored creamer!! It's nothing fancy or anything, but it works! :)

Ingredients: 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
                   1 cup half and half (I know it's a lot...but seriously can't be any worse than Starbucks)
                    1 cup hot fresh brewed coffee
                  whip cream

Directions: Microwave the white choc. chips with the half and half in a bowl until melted smooth. I just kept hitting like 25 seconds and stirring it, then repeat until melted. Stir in coffee. Pour into large cups, and top with whipped cream. yummy!
 This makes 2 big cups....one for you and one for a friend. :) They won't be disappointed.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These cookies are so good! It's something a little different than usual, which I love. Very chocolatey (is that a word?...it should be if it's not...)

Ingredients: 1 stick butter, softened
                    1 cup sugar
                   1 egg
                  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
                  1 1/2 cups flour
                1/4 tsp. baking soda
                 1/4 tsp. baking powder
                  1/2 cup cocoa
                1 (10oz.) jar maraschino cherries
                1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
                1 cup semisweet choc. chips

Directions: Beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa and stir until smooth.
   Roll into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Drain the cherries but keep the juice! You use it later.
 Press center of each ball with your thumb. Place a cherry in the indentation.
 In a pan over the stove, heat the condensed milk and chocolate chips until melted. Stir in 4 tsp. of the cherry juice. Spoon a little of the mixture over each cookie covering the cherry.
  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Homemade Raspberry Lemonade

I found this recipe on pinterest and it's the same recipe as the Cheesecake Factory uses. If you've ever been to Cheesecake Factory then you should know how excited I was to find this, because everything there is so good!

Ingredients: 1 cup water
                    1 cup sugar
                    1 cup fresh lemon, squeezed (If I'm remembering right it took about 4 or 5 lemons)
                   1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries

Directions: Bring the water to a boil, then add the sugar and stir constantly for 1 minute until dissolved. Remove from the heat and add to a blender with the raspberries. Puree until smooth. Add to a 2 qt. container with the lemon juice and enough water to fill up 2 quarts worth.
   Let it refrigerate for awhile. Stir well before serving.

* You can sugar the rims of your glasses if you are feeling festive.  :)

Holly Crackles

These used to be my favorite Christmas treat when I was younger! I haven't had them in years, but I found a recipe for them and they are just as yummy as I remember.

Ingredients: 1 stick butter
                    1 bag of Large marshmallows (10 oz.)
                    1 1/2 tsp. green food color
                   1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
                    4 cups cornflakes cereal
                    Festive Sprinkles :)

Directions: In a medium saucepan, melt butter and marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. When melted, remove from heat and stir in the food coloring and the vanilla. Mix well, then stir in cornflakes.
   Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and immediately pour sprinkles on. Let stand until cool and firm.

*depending on how big you make them...this makes about 24-36.