Hard Boiled Eggs

First, bring your water to a boil, then by carefully using a slotted spoon, drop the eggs down into the water. Set your timer for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes. Pour off the hot water and add COLD water to cover the eggs.

After a few minutes, pour off this water and add more cold water.

Buffalo Wing Hot Dip

2- 8 oz. pkgs. Cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 c. bleu cheese dressing
3 c. cooked diced chicken
1 1/4 c. freshly shredded cheddar cheese (NOT the stuff in a bag)

Combine all ingredients, and mix well. Spread in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips, Ritz crackers, or celery sticks for dipping.

Strawberry Banana Fruit Dip

1- 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1- 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
splash of V-8 Strawberry Banana Fruit Smoothie

Whip cream cheese. Mix in marshmallow creme. Add a splash of V-8. Mix well. Taste. You can adjust the amount of v-8 to your taste, but this should be a thick dip.

♥ Hummus

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3 T. lemon juice
  
• 1 1/2 T. tahini
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 T. olive oil

Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid from the can. Combine all ingredients in food processor. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread.

May be stored in refrigerator for 3 days. Serve at room temperature.

Tahini

1/2 cup sesame seeds
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place sesame seeds in a baking dish, and roast for 5-10 minutes. Do not let them brown. Cool for 20 minutes or so. In a food processor, add sesame seeds, and a small amount of olive oil to make a thin paste. Store in refrigerator or use immediately.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans (15 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
  

Preparation: In a food processor, process beans, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano, and cumin until desired consistency. If hummus is too thick, simply add olive oil in small increments(1/2 teaspoon) until desired consistency.

Serve with pita chips or veggies.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Peel away the outer layers of the skin on the garlic bulb, making sure to leave the skin around the individual cloves. Using a sharp knife, cut off about 1/2 inch from the top of the cloves.

Place the garlic, cut side up into a muffin tin. Drizzle with olive oil.

Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 -35 minutes.



Cool. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins. Eat as is, or use in desired recipes!

Festive Cheese Ball

You don't have to make your cheese ball look this cute, but why wouldn't you want to?


Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (2.25 oz) jar dried chipped beef
1/3 cup very finely chopped onion
1/4 cup prepared Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
almonds
chopped pecans
black olive
green olive

Rinse dried chipped beef, and dry with a paper towel. Chop very into very fine pieces, about 1/4" x 1/4 ". Chop onion very fine.




In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, butter, dried beef, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and salad dressing. Mix well. Add shredded cheese, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.




Remove from refrigerator, and mold into a shape resembling a body of a porcupine. Or, if you are boring, you can just form a ball and call it a day.

Place a black olive for the nose. Cut a green olive in half, and place them for the eyes. Stand almonds, and place rounded side down into the cheese at intervals to make the quills of the porcupine.



Cover the remaining cheese ball with chopped pecans, filling in between the almonds, but leaving some of the face without nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with your favorite crackers, and prepare for loads of compliments!

Crab Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. mayonnaise or sour cream
2 6 oz. cans crab meat
cocktail sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine softened cream cheese and your choice of mayonnaise or sour cream. Mix well. Spread on a large platter. Pour cocktail sauce over cream cheese, and spread into a thin layer. Sprinkle drained crab meat over cocktail sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Refrigerate. Serve with your favorite crackers.