Pickle roll-ups

claussen pickle spears
8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
ham slices

Drain and dry pickle spears. Whip cream cream until creamy. Spread cream cheese over ham slice. Place pickle on ham and roll. cut in sections if its an appetizer.

Creamy white chicken chili

1 pound chicken breasts (cubed)
1 onion (chopped)
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 Tablespoon oil
2- (15 oz) cans great northern beans (drain and rinse)
14 1/2 oz. can chicken broth
2- (4 oz) cans green chilis
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream


In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, saute chicken, onion, and garlic until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilis, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 mins. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately. Serves 8

Additional notes: 5 star rating *****
Perfect on a cold night

Asiago cheese bites

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup onions (finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning


Preheat oven to 400. Place water and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, until it comes to a full boil. (6-8 mins) Reduce heat to low. Stir in garlic and flour until mixture leaves the side of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one until mixture is smooth. Stir in 1 cup cheese, onions, and italian seasoning. Drop a rounded teaspoon on a greased cooking sheet. Repeat, until cooking sheet is full. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 20-22 minutes or until brown. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes 72 bites

Additional notes: 4 star rating ****
Yummy, but a little time consuming

Best-ever barbecued ribs

2 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups bbq sauce of choice
4-6 boneless ribs

Preheat oven to 350.Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Place each rib on an individual double layer of foil. Sprinkle rub all over ribs. Wrap ribs in foil, individually. (divide between 2 baking sheets if needed)

Bake ribs until very tender, but not falling apart. (about 2 hours) Carefully unwrap ribs, pouring any juice from foil into a 4 cup heat proof measuring cup, reserving the juices. Let ribs cool completely. Cover juices and chill. Cover ribs individually and chill. (chill ribs and juices at least an hour)

Measure juices to 1 1/2 cups and mix with bbq sauce. ( if you dont have 1 1/2 cups of juices, add water or chicken broth to make this amount)

Grill ribs, basting with sauce, Turning frequently. Cooking 7-10 mins ( you can cook in the oven if desired, at 350 7-10 mins.  basting with sauce, Turning frequently) But they are better on the grill.

Additional notes: 5 star rating *****
Best bbq ribs I had

Easy Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar (24 oz.) salsa
2 small cans or (1 large 30 oz.) can chili beans in chili sauce

Brown hamburger, drain grease. Stir in salsa and beans. Simmer a few hours. or Place in crockpot for 4 hrs on low.

Additional notes: 5 star rating *****
I love this soup on a cold day. If you like it more soupy, add some tomato juice. You can also add some extra tomatoes and onions if desired.

Lemon blueberry bread

1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoon butter (room temperature)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

lemon glaze:
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x5 loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar beat until fluffy. Add eggs, beat together. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Add flour mixture, beat well. Add milk. Beat well. Fold in blueberries. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 55-65 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring lemon glaze ingredients to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. When the bread is done, let cool 30 minutes. Remove bread from pan and place on serving platter. Poke bread with toothpick all over loaf. Brush the top of bread with hot glaze.

Additional notes: 5 star rating *****
So delicious and addicting! Makes a great addition to holiday treat baskets.

Dark chocolate pecan cranberry clusters

1 pkg (12oz.) dark chocolate chips
1 pkg (6-8 oz.) chopped pecans
1 pkg ( 8 oz.) dried cranberries


Melt chocolate in microwave until smooth. Stir in pecans and cranberries. Drop spoonfuls on wax paper to dry. Store in air tight storage container for 1-2 wks.

Additional notes: 5 star rating *****
This is one of my favorite treats. I love dark chocolate and cranberry flavor. If you not a fan of dark chocolate, you can use milk chocolate instead. Or dried blueberries, or other dried fruit in place of the cranberries. The possibilities are endless.