Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars

This recipe was a pinterest find and we are in LOVE!!  We made this for dessert tonight and it is so good.  The missionaries were over for dinner, asked for seconds of this dessert, and had two 3 inch squares each!  I mix the cheesecake filling in a food processor but you can mix it any way.  I also found out that if you can't get the dulce de leche in the hispanic section of the grocery store, you can substitute it with sweetened condensed milk and it is still yummy.  Be prepared to be in salted caramel heaven!

Crust 

2 1/4 cups graham cracker or digestive biscuit crumbs (from about 17 whole graham crackers)

2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons (142g) butter, melted

Filling

3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (225g) sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup dulce de leche
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Glaze

2/3 cup dulce de leche
2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

10 caramel chews
Fleur de sel*

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

2. Blend the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add the eggs 1 at a time, blending for 3 to 5 seconds each time until incorporated.  Add in the dulce de leche and vanilla and blend until just mixed - about 10 seconds. Spread the batter evenly over the cooled crust and bake until the cheesecake mixture is just set in center and the edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

3.  Once the cheesecake bar is cooled, pour 2/3 cup dulce de leche sauce and a the 3 tablespoons of whipping cream in a glass measuring cup.  Microwave at 10 second intervals stirring between each interval.  Do this until the mixture is smooth and combined.  Next, take about 10 caramel chews and heat them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until just melted.  Quickly dump the melted caramel chews into the dulce de leche mixture and stir continuously until combined. The consistency should be pourable, but not too liquid.  You want the caramel topping to be soft and gooey, but not too runny that is pours down the side of your bar once you cut it.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  

4. Lastly - (and this is the best part!) when you're ready to serve the bars sprinkle the caramel glaze lightly with some fleur de sel.  

*Fleur de sel is a light and flaky sea salt, with a less salty and bitter taste than regular table or sea salt.  

Special K Special

This is Mom's (Tauna) recipe.  A classic for sure!!

1 cube butter

1 cube margarine

¼ c. brown sugar

¾ c. white sugar

24 large marshmallows (3 ½ c. mini)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. nuts (pecans)

6 c. Special K cereal

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Do not overcook.  Add vanilla.  Pour over Special K and nuts.  Mix well.  Pour onto waxed paper to cool.  

Blueberry Pudding Cake

Matthew's Grandma makes a delicious Blueberry Pudding Cake. I had it for the first time from Matthew and its become a favorite dessert for me. I've also used strawberries for this recipe and I like the crust so much that sometimes I double it!

Sharing is optional

                                                         
Start boiling up at least 1 cup of water.
While its warming up, follow the remaining instructions...

Toss and place in a greased pan:

2 Cups.....Fresh/Frozen Blueberries
1 Tsp.......Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp........Lemon Juice

Stir and then spoon over blueberries:

1 Cup........All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup.....Sugar
1 Tsp.........Baking Powder
1/2 Cup.....Milk
3 Tbsp.......Butter

Topping (Crust):

Combine and sprinkle over batter
3/4 Cup....Sugar
1 tbsp.......Corn Starch

Pour water over all
1 Cup.......Boiling Water

BAKE! 350 F for 45-50 minutes.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Bundt Cake

This is a cake recipe I got out of a magazine or the Nestle website or something years ago and has become a fall staple for Halloween parties and fall get togethers and church parties.  The butterscotch sauce is super yummy and the pumpkin cake is really moist!  The most important thing here is the allow the eggs to warm to room temperature and butterscotch chips to cool to room temperature after melting. Otherwise you can get either a little "scrambled egg" in the mix or the butterscotch chips get too cool and don't incorporate well.  Wait the extra 10 or 15 minutes to mix the batter until they are room temp - it's worth it!

Ingredients:

1 2/3 c (11-oz pkg) Butterscotch Morsels

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 ¾ c. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 c. Pumpkin (Libby’s canned)

½ c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (optional) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Microwave 1 c morsels in small, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high power for 1 minute; stir.  Microwave at 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in medium bowl. Stir together melted morsels, pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl with wire whisk. Stir in flour mixture. Spoon batter into bundt mold.  Bake 40- 50 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in mold on wire rack. Turn out of mold and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with Butterscotch Sauce. 

Butterscotch Sauce 

1/3 c Evaporated Milk

2/3 c butterscotch morsels 

Heat 1/3 c evaporated milk in saucepan over medium heat just to a boil; remove from heat. Add remaining morsels; stir until smooth. Return to heat. Stirring constantly, bring mixture just to a boil. Cool to room temperature. Stir before serving. 

Nordstrom’s Champagne Vinaigrette

I love all of the dressings in the Nordstrom Cafe and this is another good one!  

Ingredients:

1 shallot, quartered

1 small clove garlic

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Dash of freshly ground white pepper

½ c. Champagne vinegar

1 ½ c. canola oil

Directions:

In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the shallot and garlic until finely minced.  Add the mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar.  Process to combine the ingredients thoroughly.  With the machine running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream to form an emulsion.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Nordstrom’s Crème Brulee

This is another favorite recipe of ours.  We made this for Dad (Bryan) once and he talked about it for days!  It has simple ingredients and is not too difficult.  The vanilla beans add fantastic flavor and it is NOT the same with vanilla extract so splurge for the beans!

Ingredients: 

6 large egg yolks

¾ c. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

3 c. heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

½ pint raspberries

3 Tbsp. shaved white chocolate

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 300°.  Have ready six ¾-cup ovenproof custard cups or ramekins set in a baking pan large enough to hold them without crowding.  
• In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar until pale yellow and fairly thick.  
• In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and vanilla bean and heat just until steam rises.  Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let steep for 10 minutes.  
• Remove the vanilla bean, and with the flat side of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds.  Return the seeds to the cream and discard the pod.  
• Whisking constantly, gradually drizzle the cream into the egg yolk mixture, continuing to whisk until smooth and well blended.  (If the cream is too hot, the eggs will curdle.)  
• Divide the cream mixture evenly among the custard cups.  Pour hot water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the bowls / ramekins.  Bake the custards until they are just set – a little wobbly in the middle but definitely not runny when the baking pan is nudged – 25 to 30 minutes.  
• ***If your oven heats unevenly, you may need to rotate the pan 180 degrees at the halfway point.  Remove the ramekins from the water bath, let cool on wire racks, and then cover and refrigerate until the custards are chilled.  
• About 10 minutes before serving, adjust the oven rack so it’s 5 to 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler, OR use a crème brulee torch.  Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the top of each custard.  Place the custards under the broiler and, watching carefully, broil until the sugar is caramelized and a thin, glasslike coating forms on top, 1 to 2 minutes.  If using a crème brulee torch, torch each custard until you get the same result as using the broiler.  Serve at once, garnished with raspberries and white chocolate.  Makes 6 servings.

*This recipe often takes almost 50 minutes to bake.  Keep an eye on it and check it about every 5 minutes after 25 minutes.

Basil Cream Sauce Chicken

My neighbor Dilene gave me this recipe this week and we tried it and LOVED it!  It is so good and so easy!  We served it with medium shell pasta so the extra sauce went over the shells and the boys thought it was like gourmet mac and cheese.  This will definitely be a keeper at our house!

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 4 chicken breasts cut into halves (8 pieces)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Optional: I like to pound and flatten the chicken out a little so it cooks evenly throughout.
• Place milk and bread crumbs in seperate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. In a skillet over medium heat cook chicken in butter until browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet and keep in a 9x13 pan in the oven on warm.
• Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to loosen up browned bits from pan. Stir in cream, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and whisk in parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

I got this recipe off of Pinterest.  I've actually gotten so many wonderful recipes from there!  This is a great recipe for Sundays--it's been a lifesaver for us with our 2:30 pm meeting time this year.  I published this in our Relief Society monthly newsletter and heard rave reviews from several sisters.


Ingredients

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use a mixture of thighs and breasts), about 3 lbs.
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce (we use a gluten-free variety)
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked rice


Directions

1.  Place the chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper.  Pour over chicken.
3.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
4.  Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.
5.  Skim fat from cooking liquid.
6.  Place cooking liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
7.  Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
8.  Gradually stir cornstarch/water mixture into the cooking liquid and stir until sauce is thickened.
9.  Serve sauce over chicken and rice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This is one of our current favorites.  It's quick, easy, and so yummy.  Of course, you can't go wrong with chicken, ham, and swiss cheese!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice
3 cups cooked shredded chicken (I use a Costco rotisserie chicken)
6 slices Swiss cheese
10 slices of ham, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I use a gluten-free brand)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
approx. 10 saltine crackers (I use rice or corn Chex)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon parsley

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2.  Spread the rice over the bottom of the baking dish.
3.  Arrange the cooked chicken over the rice.
4.  Lay the swiss cheese slices evenly over the chicken.
5.  Spread the cut up ham over the top of the cheese.
6.  Mix the cans of soup, the milk, and the sour cream.  Then pour this mixture over the ham and spread              evenly.
7.  Crush the crackers (or Chex) and mix the seasonings into it.  Sprinkle on top of soup mixture.
8.  Bake for 30 minutes and ENJOY!

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

I don't remember where I got this recipe years ago but it's good eating.  This is the jerk chicken you can make to go over the Rumbi's VooDoo Salad as well.  Adding one whole jalapeno, even deseeded, gives this a lot of kick.  If you want it less spicy cut down on the jalapeno.  The allspice and cinnamon give it an interesting flavor.  This marinade can be used for grilled chicken breasts instead of bone-in meat and are good used as a sandwich with some melted provolone and other condiments and toppings on them.

1 bunch scallions, chopped (1 ½ c.)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeno chile, chopped with seeds and ribs removed for less heat

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for grates

1 Tbsp. light-brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Coarse salt

8 pieces bone-in chicken, skinned and trimmed of excess fat

To make marinade:  In a blender, combine scallions, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, oil, sugar, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, 1 teaspoons salt, and 2 tablespoons water.  Blend until smooth.  Set aside ¼ cup for brushing on meat.

Place chicken in a shallow dish; season all over with salt.  Pour remaining marinade over chicken; toss to coat.  Cover; refrigerate, turning once or twice, for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.  Heat grill the medium-high and oil grates.  Lift chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off.  Discard marinade.  Place on grill and cover.  Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is blackened in spots, about 10 minutes.  Move chicken to a cooler part of the grill and brush with reserved marinade.  Grill, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4 to 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts Calories – 249,Protein – 27.3 g, Fat  -11.8 g, Carbohydrate – 8.4 g, Fiber – 1.6 g

Chicken with Bacon, Mushrooms & Onions

This is a recipe from Krista and is really yummy!  She got the recipe from her friend Maralyn Belgique.  The sauce is delicious over mashed potatoes.  You can cook it in the crock pot or oven.  Krista made it for me once (and I don't even like dishes with a lot of mushrooms) and I loved it!!

½ lb. bacon, cut up

4-6 lbs. chicken, cut into pieces

½ c. white wine

½ lb. small white mushrooms

1 c. frozen small white pearl onions

6 cloves garlic

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tsp. salt

¼ c. water

2 Tbsp. corn starch

Fry bacon in pan.  Remove from pan and pour off excess bacon grease.  Brown chicken pieces in bacon drippings.  Remove chicken pieces from pan and put with bacon in a crock pot.  Deglaze pan with white wine.  Add to crock pot.  Then add mushrooms, onions, garlic and rosemary.  Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.  When done, remove chicken pieces and thicken the drippings with water, cornstarch and salt to make the gravy.

Louise Crosby's Yam-Apple Casserole

This recipe is one you will all recognize from Mom (Tauna).  It's become a tradition to eat this recipe from Mom's friend Louise Crosby every year at Thanksgiving.  I never liked yams until I had this casserole at my first Thanksgiving with the Lowe family.  Yummy!!

Sliced yams

Sliced apples

Butter

2 c. pineapple juice

¾ c. sugar

1 square butter

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Grease casserole dish with butter.  Layer yams and apples twice in the dish.  Boil pineapple juice, sugar, square of butter, salt, and cornstarch until thick.  Pour over yams and apples until barely covered.  Bake at 300° for 1 hour.

Mandy's Chunky Crock Pot Applesauce

This recipe comes from Amanda Short.  Her family loves to make this in the fall with fresh cream poured over it.  It's delicious with a scoop of ice cream on it when it's warm.  We like it as a fall dessert alternative to a cobbler or pie sometimes.  You can also cool it after cooking for some fresh, homemade applesauce the next day.  While it cooks the large chunks just cook down to the texture of applesauce with a few bigger bites in it.  

8 apples

½ to ¾ c. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ to 1 c. sugar or ½ c. maple syrup

Peel and slice the apples in large chunks.  Stir together with the water and sugar.  Pour into crock pot.  Cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours.  Serve warm.

Pendulum Court Green Rice

This is another yummy Pendulum Court recipe we used to serve as a side dish.  I like the warm cheesiness and spinach.  Mmm!

Ingredients:

1 c. parboiled (not sticky) rice

1 Tbsp. butter

2¼ c. water

½ tsp. salt

1½ Tbsp. butter

1½ Tbsp. flour

2 c. milk

1½ c. frozen spinach

2 Tsp. onions

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375°.  Place rice, first butter, water and salt in pan.  Cook on stove covered for about 25 minutes.  Drain remaining water from rice.  Melt second butter on stove.  Add flour and whisk to make a roux.  Warm milk in the microwave and add to roux.  Cook until smooth.  Chop spinach and then drain.  Stir in cooked rice, spinach, half of cheese and salt.  Pour into well greased 9x13-inch pan.  Cook for 20 minutes in oven.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.

Sliced Tomato Vinaigrette

This is a recipe I got from the Pendulum Court restaurant at BYU in the Eyring Science Center.   All the dietetic students at BYU have to spend a year working in the Pendulum Court so I picked up a few of their recipes while I was there.  This is really good just lightly drizzled over slices of fresh tomatoes.  Sometimes I drizzle it over tomatoes over cottage cheese for dinner.  

♥ 

3 medium tomatoes, raw

1/8 tsp. garlic in water, chopped

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. mustard

2½ Tbsp. corn oil

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. distilled vinegar

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Slice tomatoes.  Line slices overlapping in a small casserole dish.  Combine other ingredients.  Pour dressing over tomatoes.  Keep chilled.

Nordstrom's Summer Tomato & Basil Soup

I go to the Nordstrom's Cafe just to eat this soup!  It's so good with a little parmesan and basil on top and a crostini.  Yum!!  Since I love this soup so much I bought the Norstrom's cookbook to get the recipe.  This is a classic!

Ingredients:

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

5 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. dried basil

3 cans (28 oz. each) whole Italian-style tomatoes in puree

1 can (14 ½ oz.) low-sodium chicken broth

2 c. heavy whipping cream

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons

In a 6- to 8-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add the carrots, onion and dried basil and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, including the puree, and the broth and bring just to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.  Remove from the heat.  Puree the soup in the saucepan using a wand type immersion blender or working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, add the cream, and place over medium heat.  Warm until heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh basil.  Serve immediately.  Serves 8 to 10.

Wanda Skousen's Raspberry Jello

This recipe comes from Nana (Cleo Turley).  

2 lg. pkgs. raspberry jello

4 c. boiling water

4 c. orange juice

1 pkg. frozen raspberries.

Dissolve jello in boiling water.  Add orange juice and then frozen raspberries.  Stir until raspberries are thawed.  Mix Fruit Salad Dressing with 1 carton of whipped cream and spread over jello. Or, in a pinch, just spread with whipped cream, or in a bigger pinch, spread with Cool Whip.

*Wanda Skousen was another one of Nana’s good friends since college days, and ended up living next door to her at Val Vista Lakes.

Frog-Eye Salad

This recipe comes from Kim!

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

2 ½ tsp. salt

1 ¾ c. pineapple juice

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 quarts water

1 Tbsp. cooking oil

1, 16 oz. pkg. Acini de Pepe

3, 11 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained

2, 20 oz. cans pineapple chunks, drained

1, 20 oz. can  crushed pineapple, drained

1, 9 oz. carton  Cool Whip

1 c. miniature marshmallows (optional)

1 c. coconut (optional)

Combine sugar, flour, and 1-2 tsp. of salt.  Gradually stir in pineapple juice and eggs.  Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until thickened.  Add lemon juice.  Cool mixture to room temperature.  Bring water, remaining 2 tsp. salt and oil to a boil.  Add Acini de Pepe.  Cook at rolling boil until Acini de Pepe is done.  Drain Acini de Pepe, rinse with water, drain again, and cool to room temperature.  Combine egg mixture with Acini de Pepe.  Mix lightly but thoroughly.  Refrigerate overnight in airtight container.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix lightly but thoroughly.  Refrigerate until chilled in airtight container.  Salad may be refrigerated for as long as a week in an airtight container.  It may also be frozen, though freezing somewhat alters the texture.  Makes 25 servings.

Mom's Chicken Salad

This recipe comes from Mom (Tauna).  Who doesn't love cold chicken salad on a croissant in the summertime??

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges

2 c. diced, cooked chicken  (about 3 ½ breasts)

½ c. mayonnaise

¼ tsp. salt

½ c. sliced celery

1 c. slivered almonds

1 Tbsp. minced green onion

Drain fruit well.  Combine all ingredients except fruit and almonds and chill.  Add fruit last.  Toast almonds 20 minutes at 300°.  Add fruit and almonds before serving.   Makes 6 servings.

Rumbi's VooDoo Chicken Salad

This is a copycat recipe from Rumbi's restaurant.  Their salads are so yummy and unusual!  I always have to eat at Rumbi's when I'm in Salt Lake or Arizona, just like Cafe Rio.  You can also make homemade caribbean jerk marinade from a recipe I will post at another time if you don't want to use the KC Masterpiece premade marinade.  This is the quick way to do it!

Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette:

3 tsp. chili garlic sauce

2 tsp. lime juice

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. fresh minced ginger

2 tsp. freshly chopped garlic

2 Tbsp. white sugar

¼ c. mayonnaise

¼ c. soy sauce

½ c. rice vinegar

¼ c. sesame oil

Blend all ingredients except sesame oil in blender.  While blender is on low speed, slowly drizzle in sesame oil until incorporated.  Set aside.

Each Salad:

4 oz. spring lettuce mix

1 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese

1 ½ Tbsp. diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp. sesame ginger vinaigrette

            (make above recipe or use Litehouse sesame ginger dressing)

1 c. cooked jerk chicken strips (use KC Masterpiece Caribbean jerk marinade)

2 Tbsp. tortilla strips

4 Tbsp. Jamaican jerk sauce (KC Masterpiece Caribbean Jerk marinade)

Sprinkle of sesame seeds

For each salad, place lettuce mix, feta, tomatoes, vinaigrette and chicken strips in a cold bowl.  Toss to combine, making sure not to crush lettuce leaves.  Place tortilla strips on top.  Drizzle with jerk sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Makes 1 serving.

Sundried Tomato Basil Spread

This is a yummy recipe to serve with crackers at a party or for an Italian cheese and crackers snack. 

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

12-14 oz. softened sun-dried tomatoes

¼ c. grated parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic

4-5 basil leaves

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Garnish with chopped basil leaves.  Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed in the microwave.

Nana's Cheese Ball

Ingredients:                                                

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Cream cheese

2 c. grated cheddar

2 Tbsp. chopped pimento

1 Tbsp. chopped green pepper

A little grated onion

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. lemon juice

Dash salt

Dash cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients and roll in chopped nuts.  Trim with cherry and parsley.

This is a classic from Nana (Cleo Turley)!

Sprinkles Cupcakes Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened 
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 
1 teaspoon milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/8 teaspoon salt Directions: 

1 In a bowl combine butter, sugar and salt. Beat till blended. 

2 Add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.