Sugar Cookie Icing

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

assorted food coloring

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

This icing is beautiful & a perfect pair with the rolled sugar cookies!

Tangy Cole Slaw

from Shanna Nail

3/4 cup Splenda
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp oil
salt & pepper
One bag shredded cabbage & carrots,
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped

Wisk together Splenda, white vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.  Pour mixture over cabbage & carrots & bell peppers

Make at least 8 hours before serving it so that it has some time to marinate and chill. (Sometimes overnight) It works pretty well to place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag to mix and marinate. Before serving, pour off excess juices! 

It is very healthy, and for any Weight Watchers members counts as 0 points.

Peppermint Chocolate Pie

From I heart naptime

1 chocolate pie crust
6 candy canes
2 cups cold milk
2 boxes (4 oz) instant pudding (1 chocolate and 1 vanilla)
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
crushed candy canes, mini candy canes, peppermint balls

Crush candy canes into small pieces and set aside. 

Pour 2 cups of milk into a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk in pudding about 2 minutes, mixture will be thick. Gently fold in 1/2 tub of Cool Whip and crushed candy canes, mix completely. Spoon into crust.

Place in fridge to set for at least 4 hours. Before serving, top with remaining Cool Whip & garnish with candy canes or peppermint balls.

Watergate Salad

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Drain pineapple reserving juice.  In a large bowl, mix together pudding mix, pineapple chunks, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, marshmallows, and nuts. Fold in whipped topping. Chill.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

from allrecipes.com

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

French bread

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chilies and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes. Serve with warm french bread.

Taco Turkey Wraps

 Adapted from allrecipes.com

2/3 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or Cheddar cheese

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey breast

Lettuce
Tomato
Salsa

In a bowl, combine the sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with turkey, lettuce & tomato; roll up. Serve with salsa if desired.

Pictured with jalapeno cheddar wrap tortilla.  

Can be sliced into pinwheels as appetizers or for a buffet/potluck.

Pasta Salad

1 box rigatoni pasta, cooked
1 medium/large sweet bell pepper, chopped
1/4 large onion, chopped
1 box frozen chopped broccoli, cooked & drained
1 small can sliced olives
5 slices of turkey cold cuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups Wishbone Red Wine Vinegar Dressing*

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, and refrigerate overnight.

*I am guessing I used about 1 1/2 cups of dressing. I just added it to taste (about 1 cup), but once it sat it needed more (hence the additional 1/2 cup). I'll update when I make it again, in the meantime, I would suggest you add dressing to taste and then add a bit more.

T&J's Trailmix

4 cups Cheerios
1 1/2 - 2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mix all ingredients together in a large zip lock baggie.

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

From allrecipes.com

6 fluid ounces tequila
2 fluid ounces triple sec
8 ounces frozen sliced strawberries in syrup (or 1 can strawberry daiquiri concentrate)
4 fluid ounces frozen limeade concentrate

Fill a blender with ice and crush. Pour in the tequila and triple sec. Add the strawberries and limeade. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. Serve in glasses with the rims dipped in the margarita mixture then in sugar.

Frozen Grape Mold

From Dorothy Richards

1/4 cup mayo
4 oz cream cheese
1 small can chunk pineapples, strained & juice reserved
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups red & green seedless grapes
1/2 pint whipping cream

Whip together mayo, cream cheese and 3 tablespoons pineapple juice. Slowly fold pineapples, marshmallows and grapes into cream cheese mixture with a spoon. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff and fold into the grape mixture. Use mayo as a grease in a round pan and freeze. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw part way before serving. Serve cold.

Black Bean & Avocado Salsa

From: Leigh Ann Torres

1 can black beans, drained
8oz container of pico de gallo (in the grocery store produce section)
1 large avocado, chopped

In a large bowl combine all ingredients & enjoy.

This is awesome with chips, nachos and on tacos...so yummy!!

Dessert Tacos

Flour tortilla
Mini marshmallows
Chocolate and/or white chocolate chips

Lay tortilla flat on a microwavable plate. Place chocolate chips/and or white chocolate chips in the center of the tortilla. Add marshmallows and microwave for 30 seconds. Fold into taco shape and enjoy!

You can even add some graham crackers to help cure a s'mores craving :)

Swiss Mocha Cheesecake

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs General Foods International Coffee Swiss Mocha powder
1 Tbs milk
1 graham cracker or chocolate crust

Beat cream cheese and sugar, add sour cream, coffee, and milk. Pour into pie crust and chill well.

This is the easiest cheesecake ever! I made it a lot in college and even non-coffee fans liked it. I always use the chocolate crust and even add some mini chocolate chips every now and then :)

Cream Cheese Frosting

From: Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor

1 package (8 oz) reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbs (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar, a little at a time, on low speed until well incorporated. Add the vanilla and blend at medium speed until the frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute.

Meringue Ribbons, Bows & More

From: Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered egg whites
3 tbs water, plus more for thinning
Gold, silver or white edible glitter

At least 3 hours before baking, prepare the meringue. Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and set them aside. Place sugar, powdered egg whites and 3 tablespoons of water in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very stiff, about 5 minutes.

Spoon 1 cup of the mixture into a pastry bag with a #2 plain tip (I used a Ziploc bag with the corner carefully cut) and draw 24 outlines of your desired shape. For cupcakes, each shape should measure about 2 1/2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches long.

Prepare the filling for the outlines by thinning the remaining meringue mixture with remaining water until it becomes the consistency of white school glue. Use either a toothpick or a small plastic knife to fill in the outlines, taking care to fill the corners.

While the icing is still wet, sprinkle edible glitter on each shape. Allow the meringue to dry for at least 3 hours before using.

I have made both bows and hearts. They were easier than I expected and really added a lot to my little cupcakes. They are delicate, so you do have to be pretty careful.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad/Wraps

From: Sierra Schmidt

Romain Lettuce
Chicken (I use shredded rotisserie chicken)
Black beans
Can of corn
Ranch dressing
Barbecue sauce

In a large bowl toss desired amounts of all ingredients. Serve in a bowl as a salad or in a tortilla as a wrap.

You can vary this recipe by adding avocado, cheese, onion straws, tortilla chips, cool ranch Doritos, etc. Also, for those in Texas, the mesquite BBQ chicken at HEB is awesome in this (and just about anything else)!

Tableside Guacomole

This recipe was inspired by the table side guac at the Iron Cactus...yumm!!

1 Large Haas Avocado
1/4 small onion finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper chopped (membranes and seeds removed)
1 medium orange
1/2 small lime
salt & pepper

Cut the avocado in half length wise. Carefully, but firmly, tap the seed with your knife in order to embed it in the seed. Then, gently twist the knife to pop the seed out. Scoop out the avocado into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onions and jalapeno.

To maximize the amount of juice in the orange, roll it back and forth on a counter with the palm of your hand, pressing firmly down. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the bowl and then add the juice from the 1/2 lime. Mash all ingredients together with a fork until well blended and to the consistency of your liking. Salt and pepper to taste.

The heat from a jalapeno pepper is in the membrane and seeds. With this part removed, the pepper adds lots of flavor, but not heat...don't be afraid :) Use within 24 hours. If you plan to make the guacamole ahead, reserve the avocado pit and add to bowl to keep from browning.

You can also add some chopped tomato. We are not a tomato loving family so we opt to leave it out :)

Turkey Roll-ups

From: Nancie Habben

8 oz whipped cream cheese
1 packet buttermilk ranch dip mix
large tortillas
red leaf lettuce
deli turkey

Combine cream cheese and ranch mix (best if mix is refrigerated for at least 1 hour). On a large tortilla spread a layer of the cream cheese mixture. Add a layer of the lettuce and then a layer of turkey. Roll up tortilla and slice into pinwheels.

You can even make these as wraps, using smaller tortillas. They are also good with an additional layer of swiss cheese. They can even be made the night before and refrigerated.

Strawberry Blossoms

From: Familycorner.com

12 large, fresh strawberries, rinsed
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp sour cream

Remove stems from strawberries to form a flat base. Place berries on cutting surface, pointed end facing up. With a sharp knife, carefully slice each berry in half vertically to within a 1/4 inch of base. Cut each half into three wedges to form 6 petals. (Don't slice through the base.) Pull petals apart slightly.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and sour cream; beat until light and fluffy. With a pastry bag and star tip, a zipper sandwich bag (squeeze out extra air before sealing and carefully cut off one corner of the bottom of the bag) or small spoon, fill strawberries with cream cheese mixture.

You can use strawberry flavored cream cheese as well.

I tried this once with non-fat cream cheese and I would not recommend it.

Delish Spinach Dip

8 oz Sour cream
1 block cream cheese
1 packet ranch dressing mix (powder)
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 small can water chestnuts diced

Defrost spinach and remove moisture with cheese cloth or paper towels. Mix sour cream, cream cheese until completely smooth. And ranch dressing until well blended. Add spinach and mix. By Stir in bell pepper and water chestnuts by hand. Place in an air tight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hr (best if over night). Serve with crackers or whatever your heart desires (We love it with the wheat thins - the big ones if you can find them).

Yummy and a total party hit! You can even make it light or fat free by using fat free or light sour cream and cream cheese. I have actually never made it with the full fat stuff and I always get rave reviews!