Oreo Truffle Footballs!

THANK YOU Bakerella for this awesome idea.  I saw these on her website and just had to make them!  Mine didn't come out nearly as neatly as hers, but all the guests at our superbowl party loved them!  Chris' coworkers did too; I made him take the leftovers to work on Monday so we didn't eat them all :)

Oreo Truffles

1 package oreo cookies
1 8oz. package lowfat cream cheese (softened)
chocolate bark

Finely crush all cookies in the food processor and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.  And/or your hands!
Roll the mixture into mini football shapes and place on wax paper or foil covered cookie sheet.
Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.  I had a hard time making them look smooth...

Put them in the fridge or freezer to dry, then add the laces to the footballs w/icing!

You could make these into any shape - just make them.  They are sooooo good!

Slow Cooker Reuben Dip

For once, I did not modify the original recipe except for using lowfat creamcheese and thousand island.

1 - 16oz pkg sauerkraut, drained
1 - 8oz package lowfat cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded cooked corned beef
1/4 cup light thousand island dressing

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine the sauerkraut and cream cheese.

Mix in Swiss cheese, corned beef and thousand island dressing.

Cover, and cook on high for 45 minutes if you're in a hurry, low for longer if you're not, or just until hot and cheese is melted. 

Stir occasionally while cooking. 

Serve with cocktail rye and crackers.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I have made this a few times for parites and it's always a big hit!
If you follow this recipe, it shouldn't be too hot.  We like it hot, and I would add a third jalepeno next time.  Although it does depend a lot on the individual peppers- some are evil and some are mild!
Original recipe from allrecipes.com-

Ingerdients-
2 - 8oz. packages lowfat cream cheese, softened
<1 cup lite mayonnaise
1 - 4.5 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
2 fresh jalapeno peppers; diced (in food processor is best)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. 

Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers, and parmesan.

Spread dip into an oven-safe serving dish.

Bake on 350 deg F for approximately 20-30 minutes, until it is bubbling.

(picture is pre-cooked)

Amazing Beef Sherry Bake

This is a great winter recipe...very hearty and delicious!

Ingredients:
~1 lb of cubed beef (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 medium red onion
1 pkg portabello caps, chopped
sherry cooking wine
beef broth
a bit of flour for thickening
unseasoned croutons (don't use seasoned!)
your favorite cheese for topping.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.
Cut up the onion.  Place in bottom of a 8x8 glass baking dish.
Put beef on top of onion, and chopped mushroom on top of beef.
Add beef broth and sherry to almost cover the ingredients.  (2:1  broth:sherry)
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for ~40 minutes.
Remove from oven after 40 mins.  It should look like this:

Mix a few tablespoons flour with a little cold water in separate glass with a fork to mix completely and get rid of any clumps.  Add to the mixture while stirring to thicken to your preferred thickness.  3 tbsp should do the trick depending how much water you use.
Cover with a layer of croutons and sprinkle with as much cheese as you like-

Bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes, until croutons are browned and cheese is melted.

Serve with egg noodles and veg of your choice;  this night I sauteed some green beans in butter-

Enjoy!  This is great reheated as leftovers as well :)

Roasted Bone-in Chicken Breasts

Bone-in chicken breasts are underrated - they cook great and come out so juicy with crispy skin!  They are also cheaper than boneless breasts.  They are quickly and easily roasted in the toaster oven to conserve energy; you don't need to use the big oven for these guys.

Directions:

Rinse and season chicken breasts with Lawry's seasoned salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic.

Preheat the toaster oven to 375 deg F.

Bake breasts (bone side down) for approximately 45 minutes (use a thermometer to make sure you reach the proper temperature of 180 def F without overcooking)-

When you have ~5 minutes left on the chicken, wilt some fresh baby spinach-

And prepare a box of mashed potatoes (these are not bad in a pinch!):

and enjoy!!

Filet Mignon with Balasmic & Red Wine

This is one of our favorite ways to prepare filets in the winter when grilling isn't quite so appealing.

Ingredients:

Filet mignon (how many depends if you want leftovers or not)
1 red onion, sliced
mushrooms (I usually use 1/2 package), sliced
Salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
red wine

Put a large skillet on the stove and preheat to med-high.  Add red onion first to start to soften it-

Add steaks and surround with mushrooms -

Cook for about 5 minutes and then add balsamic and red wine to cover the steaks.  I use more balsamic than wine.

Cook to desired doneness, flipping once.  We like ours medium-rare, especially with these fresh, grassfed steaks!

Serve with brussels and rice pilaf.

Brussels Sprouts with red onion

We love brussels- this is a quick & easy preparation!

You need:
Brussels sprouts (I usually use 2 pkgs)
1/2 red onion
salt & pepper
a bit of butter to saute

Wash & cut brussels in half if they are large.  Smaller ones can stay whole.
Boil them for about 5 minutes, until they start to get tender.

Then add sprouts and red onion to a medium saute pan with a bit of butter.

Saute on medium until the sprouts are gently browned-

Serve with filet mignon above!