onion blossom with dipping sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise 
2 Tbls. grated horseradish
2 tsp.  ketchup
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pinch dried oregano
1 dash black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pinch ground thyme
1 egg - beaten
1 cup milk 
1 lrg. Vidalia onion - flowered (see instructions, below)

-Stir together first 8 ingredients; cover and refrigerate until needed.
-Stir together flour, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and thyme; set aside.
-Beat together egg and milk; set aside.
-Thoroughly cover flowered onion in flour mixture, shaking off excess; coat onion in egg wash; thoroughly cover onion in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
-Refrigerate coated onion for 30 minutes.
-Deep-fry in 350 degree oil for 10 minutes; drain on a brown paper bag.
-Serve fried onion with prepared sauce for dipping.
 

To flower an onion: Nifty gadgets that make these special cuts in one felt swoop are available at many kitchen stores and online. If you don’t have one, following is my attempt to describe the process of hand-cutting: Slice 1" off of the top of the onion, leaving the root end intact. Remove the papery skin. With a sharp chef's knife, make slices from the center of the onion outwards, cutting down to about 1/2" from the root end. Your cuts should look like the spokes of a wagon wheel. Make a total of 16 cuts, spaced evenly. Gently spread out the pieces of onions. What you will have is an onion which resembles a flower. Good luck!

apple martini

• 1 ounce vodka
• 2 ounces Apple Pucker liquor
• 1 green apple slice
• 1 maraschino cherry

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in vodka and Apple Pucker. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with apple slice and cherry.

red high heels

2 ounces berry vodka

4 ounces tonic

Splash grenadine

Mix in a glass filled with ice and garnish with an orange slice.

lemongrass mojito

• 2 lemongrass stalks
• 6 large fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons white rum
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Ice cubes
• 1 cup chilled seltzer

Microwave lemongrass on high for 40 seconds. Cut bottom 7 inches from each stalk. Slice thinly (save tops for garnish). Combine sliced lemongrass, mint, and sugar in shaker; mash well with muddler or wooden spoon until all sugar dissolves. Add rum and lime juice.   Fill 2 highball glasses with ice; strain shaker mixture into glass and top with seltzer. Garnish with lemongrass top.

~ These will impress everyone at any kind of party.  I like to use these for a pool party or outdoor party.  They always seem to hit the spot!

tofu spinach pockets

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cumin
Salt/pepper to taste
1/4 pkg of silken tofu, drained
1/8 tsp nutmeg
oil for sauteing

-Saute onion in oil till soft.
-Add spinach and spices. Cook till excess water from spinach has evaporated.
-Add tofu and continue cooking for another 10 min.
-Set aside to cool completely, or refrigerate. The filling MUST be cool, or you'll run into problems when filling and folding.

**you can use pizza dough, phyllo dough or any kind of dough you like.


-Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet
-Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut 4.5" circles. Fill with a tablespoon of spinach mix. Fold over filling and press edges together.
-Brush pastry with olive oil
-Bake for 30 min.

puppy chow chex mix for humans

9 cups chex cereal
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-Measure cereal into a large bowl; set aside.
-Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in bowl, uncovered, on high, for 1 minute.
-Stir, then microwave 30 seconds longer, until mixture stirs smooth.
-Stir in vanilla.
-Pour over cereal in bowl, stirring until cereal is covered.
-Pour into large zip sealed bag, add powdered sugar, and shake until well coated.


*******silly name - good party food

blue martini

• 1 oz. vodka
• 2 oz. Blue Hawaiian Schnapps
• 1/2 oz. coconut rum
• 2 oz. pineapple juice
• Pineapple wedge

Mix ingredients with ice in a martini shaker and pour into glasses. Garnish with pineapple wedge. 

beer cheese fondue

1 clove garlic - peeled
12 oz. can OR bottle of flat beer
3 Tbls. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 splash hot sauce
1 pinch salt
1 dash ground mustard seed
1 lb. aged cheddar cheese - cubed OR shredded
1 loaf French bread - cubed


-Mince garlic clove; set aside.
-In a saucepan, stir together a small amount of beer and flour; once a paste has formed, stir in remaining beer and all other ingredients, except cheese.
-Over medium heat, heat mixture through.
-Slowly add cheese, stirring as you add it to the pan, until all cheese has melted.
-Transfer contents of pot to a fondue pot.
-Serve with French bread cubes to dip in cheese.

salsa rice bites

3 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 cup shredded cheese
4 eggs
1 16-oz. container thick and chunky-style salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup crushed corn or tortilla chips
Additional salsa and sour cream for garnish (optional)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine rice and cheese in large bowl; set aside. In medium bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Stir in salsa, sour cream, salt and pepper. Add salsa mixture to rice and cheese; mix well.
3. Spray miniature muffin pans with vegetable cooking spray. Spoon approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons rice mixture into each cup, filling to just below the rim. Sprinkle crushed chips over filling, pressing slightly with back of spoon.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with additional salsa and sour cream, if desired.

cinnamon rolls

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbls. ground cinnamon
(2) .25 oz. pkts. active dry yeast
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup 110 degree water
1 cup warm milk
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs - slightly beaten
up to 8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts OR pecans - optional
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup melted butter 
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple extract 
up to 6 Tbls. hot water

-Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and the cinnamon; set aside.
-In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water; set aside.
-In a large bowl, mix together milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, salt, and eggs; add yeast mixture and 4 cups of flour to mixture; beat until smooth; stir in enough flour to form a slightly stiff dough.
-Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.
-Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
-Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes.
-Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a 15" x 20" rectangle.
-Brush 1/2 cup melted butter over dough; sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough; sprinkle nuts evenly over dough, if desired.
-Tightly roll up dough and pinch edges together to seal; cut the roll into 12 - 15 slices using dental floss or thread.
-Coat the bottom of a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan with 1/2 cup melted butter; sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar evenly in the bottom of the pan.
-Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the prepared pan; cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
-Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
-Stir together powdered sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, and extracts; stir in hot water, 1 Tbls. at a time, until the glaze reaches desired spreading consistency.
-Spread prepared icing over slightly cooled rolls.




~ I love to have friends over in the morning for coffee and serve these! They are also great for when you have house guests.....a perfect smell to wake up to in the morning. 

orange iced tea

2 cups water
2 tea bags
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags, mint leaves, and sugar; let stand 10 minutes. Remove tea bags. Transfer to a large pitcher; stir in orange juice and lemon juice. chill thoroughly before serving.

artichoke dip

• 1/2  cup  (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  (9-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (about 2 cups), thawed and chopped
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Stir in artichoke hearts. Spoon artichoke mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until artichoke mixture is hot and begins to brown. Serve warm.