Buffalo Chicken Dip - Part II

By far, this is my favorite dip to make... but after years of making it the same way, I needed a sprucer! Only one ingredient different from my other dip recipe, but it changes the flavor quite a bit. If you are lucky enough to have Syberg's Wing Sauce in your local grocery store, then this recipe's for you... if not, order it online and make this immediately!

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 2 cups cooked chicken (a store-bought rotisserie chicken works best, but canned is fine too), shredded
• 1-2 cups Syberg's wing sauce (eyeball it)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
• 1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese (I am going to just say, I add all of the bag honestly) 

Directions:
Start by heating the butter and cream cheese with the shredded chicken over medium heat. Add sauce and ranch. Stir constantly over medium heat until evenly heated. Add cheese. Once melted, served immediately.

This also warms up great, so prep early or put in your crock pot on low.

Best EVER Muffin Recipe

I have a soft spot for Muffins... Chocolate Chip especially although I am not prejudice on what the muffin has to offer. Here is my basic muffin recipe - Start here and add Chocolate chips, any type of berry, nut, etc.This recipe makes about 12, I always double it.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil. Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups.
3. Variations: Chocolate Chip Muffins: 1 cup Chocolate Chips (I use Mini's). Blueberry Muffins: Add 1 cup fresh blueberries. Raisin Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped raisins. Date Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped dates. Cheese Muffins: Fold in 1 cup grated sharp yellow cheese. Bacon Muffins: Fold 1/4 cup crisp cooked bacon, broken into bits.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

Baked Spaghetti

Let me start this recipe by saying - YOU CAN PREP THIS THE NIGHT BEFORE. Yes, you read that right. Stop and think - Should I rush after work when we have practice and showers, and bedtimes and laundry, and ......
Weeknights are rough, so start by prepping meals in advance. Only takes 15 minutes of you time, and just think - you preheat your oven, pop it in, and dinner is served, home cooked. Plus, it warms up PERFECTLY! Serve with garlic cheesy bread.

I love pasta. I could eat pasta everyday if i didn't feel guilty about it ... I don't have those "Skinny" genes...
This pasta is EASY, delicious, and perfect for any day of the week.

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 3/4-1 pound lean ground beef
• (2) jars your Favorite Pasta Sauce (I use Zia's)
• (1) 16oz Can of diced Italian tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 pound spaghetti - cooked al dente
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese (for topping)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan reggiano

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. In large skillet, cook hamburger until brown, drain. Mix sauce, tomatoes, garlic into skillet. Reduce heat and simmer. 
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Mix in pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. 
4. Mix together spaghetti and meat mixture, pour into 9x13 pan. Top with both parm & mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly on top.

Summertime

Hello! It's been 3 crazy months since I last blogged. This summer for our little family was jammed packed with Adventures around town, out of state visitors, and many items scratched from our Summer Bucket list. Many items still on the list as we go through Fall/Winter hoping to scratch everyone off before the End of 2012. As tradition, we collected magnets every place we stopped.

Our youngest member of our family turned 1 in July, and we throw an amazing birthday party for Garrett filled with great food, wonderful friends and family and of course lots Presents (Might I ad, too many for a 1 year old!)

Photos by: Full Circle Photography

A friend of mine made a gorgeous Giraffe Cake just for him and he devoured it.

I was on "Stay-Cation" the week of his birthday so I did what any Busy Mom would do with free-hands - I made the party decorations.

It is so hard to believe he's already one, already walking and talking and making decisions. He is such a sweet little boy, and we are very blessed.

For our oldest boy, Football began late July with camp following 4 practices a week. Our week nights only got busier as we were rushing around trying to figure out the perfect schedule that fits us since 2 hours a evening, 4 nights a week, is a lot for one person in a whole after working 8-10 days and commuting.

Now our Saturday's are gone as well as we travel all around the county to football games - but seeing his smile and excitement when he plays makes all the hours I also put into the sport worth it.






Through the summer months I started slowing feeling aggravated as time wasn't there to enjoy cooking and baking as I liked. Quick Meals started to become common in my home and I quickly stopped it. I starting prepping food ahead of time, and testing recipes to see if they would hold up. To my surprise, some of them did, and some of them didn't.

As Fall approaches, I plan to blog more, start a FOODIE Bucket List, Cook often, and add in some "Me Time". Mommy's job is never done, but no one said it can't be paused for a moment or two.

Bacon Potato Salad

Let me start by saying... A BBQ isn't a BBQ without potato salad. It's defiantly a dish needed! There are so many versions of potato salad and I hate most of them. I hate mustard potato salad, if you add miracle whip I'll throw it away when you turn your back, and I most defiantly don't like German potato salad. I also hate it when it has so many onions that's all you taste.

So on that Note, besides my Mom's delicious potato salad that I have not got my hands on the recipe yet, here's a quick easy recipe with just what you need to make your taste buds smile!

Ingredients:
Small bag of red potatoes, cubed and boiled until soft
4-5 hard boiled eggs, sliced, diced, whatever
Bacon, chopped into bites, or crumbled
Salt & black pepper
1 tsp of celery seed
1 tbsp of minced fresh garlic
1 sprig of fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tbsp paprika
REAL Mayo (try Duke's)
2 tbsp of white vinegar

Cook potatoes until done, drain and cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, add potatoes, chopped eggs, bacon and mix well. Start adding Mayo, little at a time until you reach your preferred limit. And the remainder of the ingredients and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

That's it! Easy and delicious! If you wish, scallions chopped would be great in this dish!

Gluten-Free Fudgy Pecan Brownies

Who says you need wheat flour to bake delicious brownies?! These rich, nutty brownies are irresistible, oh and did I mention they are super easy to make!
This recipe came straight out of my newest addition of Every Day Food magazine, thank you Martha Stewart!

Ingredients:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces plus more for pan
1/3 cup cornstarch (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
12oz semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Whisk together cornstarch, cocoa, cinnamon and salt. In a large microwave safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add cornstarch mixture and stir vigorously until mixture is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes.
2. Pour batter in pan and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes., rotating pan halfway through. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using paper overhang, lift out of pan and cut into 16 squares.

If you prefer, swap pecans with toasted hazelnuts or walnuts. For a real sweet treat, serve these brownies a la mode.