Re-Visited: Cooking Club #12

[Original post date Nov. 2011. --Updated 10/29/14: original, but separate content, with updated photos and/or more details, if available.]


---> Cooking Club is coming up soon, and now that I'm blogging, I want to share these moments but I thought I should play catch-up first. So without further ado, here (and in more posts to come) is what we've been up to. Enjoy!

#12 June: Finger Food

The Menu:
        Appetizers
Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Savory Parmesan Bites
        Dessert
Vegan Raspberry Scones

This month Kelly finally got to pick the theme. She got a bunch of cookbooks over the Christmas holiday and wanted to do an appetizer theme....which became a finger food theme...and then Kelly and her girls couldn't make it. But we thoroughly enjoyed her theme for her.

I came across this fun skewer recipe--actually I have no idea where I got this dish--I just know I've had it for a while. And it includes all of the things I love:

Cherry tomatoes (I eat these like they're candy, God's candy they are), check.
Watermelon (one of the reasons I love summer), check.
Basil (my favorite herb), check.
Balsamic vinegar (love and will put it on almost anything), check.

Even in bad lighting, these ingredients look delicious. I can smell the basil and taste the vinegar syrup as I type. I'd make these today if I didn't have to sell my right arm for the ingredients.

Trust me, you won't stop at just one, or two.....or five.

So, soooo good.

Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers

Serves 8

1/4 c balsamic vinegar
scant 1/4 c sugar
1 (4-5 lb) watermelon, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
32 small basil leaves
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
16 wooden skewers (about 16" each)

Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. Starting with watermelon squares, push a square to very tip of skewer. Then skewer a basil leaf, then a tomato half. Continue layers until skewer is full. Continue with remaining skewers. Drizzle skewers with balsamic syrup and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve. (I even like mine with a little freshly ground black pepper.)


Even though there were only three of us this month, we have one, two, three, four...yes, four recipes. Jessica and I stumbled upon this Vegan Raspberry Scones recipe while killing time at work one day, and decided immediately that these qualified as finger food. We split the cost of ingredients and made these tasty little things as a combined effort.

(However, ours didn't turn out as dark as theirs...)

I was able to score some beautiful raspberries.

Jessica and Jenny might have consumed more than went into the batter. I, however, am not of the fresh-raspberry-liking crowd.

These were so flavorful with a different texture than your average scone. Great for breakfast, warmed with a tiny drizzle of honey, and cup of hot tea.

*I hope you enjoyed these Cooking Club snippets. There are more to come as I try to play catch-up before this month's meeting. I hope these themes, and even Cooking Club itself, inspire you to gather with your friends and family in the kitchen, and make sweet moments (and delicious food) of your own.

**I've only included the recipes to the dishes I made. Only because I'm unsure of where everyone got theirs...and hey, we gotta give credit where credit is due. If you have any questions about the other dishes, I'll ask the other members where they got their recipes and pass it along!

Check out our previous meetings!
Cooking Club #1-4
Cooking Club #5-8
Cooking Club #9
Cooking Club #10
Cooking Club #11

[Update: Just the previous Cooking Club links!]

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

{Quick Appetizers} Crescents Galore!

Ahhh, crescent rolls. So easy, so versatile, so melt-in-your-mouth tasty. They're perfect all on their own. However, they're even tastier kicked up a notch. Crescent rolls are a staple in my household when it comes to appetizers, crowds, and game day. I have tried a plethora of crescent recipes, and below I included all my (and Mr. B's, of course,) appetizer favorites. So, take your pick (pssst...there are 6 of them)!

All you need is one 8-count can of crescent rolls, regular or jumbo is fine, (or more depending on the crowd you're serving), an ungreased baking sheet, an oven set to 375 degrees, and more or less of the following ingredients:

Crescent Poppers
3 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

Unroll crescents, separate and cut each one in half (giving you 16 poppers). Add a dollop of cream cheese to the center of each. Layer on a few pieces of bacon and pepper. (Add more jalapeno slices for more spice.) Fold sides up and twist at top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.


Pepperoni Crescents
mini turkey pepperonis
4 pieces mozzarella string cheese, halved
garlic powder
pizza sauce, warmed (optional)

Unroll crescents and separate. Place a few mini pepperonis and one half of the string cheese in the center of each crescent segment. Fold sides up and twist at top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce.










Taco Rolls
3 oz Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
2 tsp homemade taco seasoning mix
3/4 c shredded chicken (a great way to use up leftover chicken!)
1/3 c salsa
1/4 c shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Unroll crescents and separate. Combine cream cheese and taco seasoning; mix until smooth. Spread 2 teaspoons on each crescent, almost to the edges. Add a tablespoon of shredded chicken and a small dollop of salsa. Roll up, enclosing on all sides so it doesn't ooze out while in the oven, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.


Brie, Fruit & Nut Wraps
Brie cheese, peeled and sliced
apple slices (pear slices work well here, too)
nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, almonds....)
honey

Unroll crescents and separate. Layer each crescent with a small slice of cheese, fruit, and a nut. Tightly roll up each crescent, making sure all sides are pinched closed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with honey. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. [Yes, a glass of wine, or tea, is a must with these!]

These crescent rolls are perfect for game day appetizers, sides, snacks, brunch, AND dessert. Also, don't forget to check out my Cold Vegetable Pizza, which uses a package of crescent rolls as its crust. It's a definite winner, along with my gooey Ham Cheese Crescents!

Check back for the Crescents Galore Dessert version!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Our Top 10 Meals, Part 1

As new recipes grace the posts of Sweet B's Impressions, I'm sure most of you are wondering what Mr. B and I eat for dinner most nights. But I must confess. I am not a fan of the usual. I like variety and trying new dishes. So, it's quite the revolving door over here. However, we do have a few favorites, mostly because they fit in with our busy weeknight schedules, we turn to at least once a week.



And instead of overwhelming you with a bunch of recipe must-trys, I'm breaking the Top Ten into a few different posts.

*And these are in no particular order.


Baked Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

This dish makes an appearance at our dinner table probably three times a month, and that's a lot for my dinner table. (Like I said, it's a revolving door.) By the time my homemade egg rolls are coming out of the oven, my rice is ready. And it's pretty much a one pot kind of dinner. Well, one pot and one baking sheet.



And P.S. these egg rolls are better the next day, which makes for a perfect work lunch.

Baked Egg Rolls
Serves 6 (2 egg rolls each)

12 egg roll wraps
1 lb cabbage mix (coleslaw mix)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
dash of ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp minced garlic
olive oil

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Coat baking sheet with non-stick spray; set aside. In large skillet, over medium heat, drizzle some olive oil in pan and add cabbage and garlic. Saute 5 minutes but don't let it get soggy (keep it crisp). Sprinkle on soy sauce and ginger, mix and let cool. Once cool, mix water and flour, in a small bowl, to form a paste. Dab your finger in paste and wet the top point and sides of an egg roll wrap. Add 2 tablespoons of cabbage mix to lower center of wrap. Roll up the wrap, tucking in the sides. Lay on prepared baking sheet and continue with the rest. Lightly top with non-stick spray and bake 10 minutes until starting to brown. Turn on the broiler; broil egg rolls for 2 minutes more. Serve with sweet and sour sauce. (Meanwhile, start the fried rice.)

Nutritional Information
Per egg roll: 80 Calories, 1 Fat, 14.2 Carbs, 1 Fiber, 3.4 Protein

Fried Rice
*adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Serves 3-4

2 c brown rice, cooked
mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
peas, frozen or fresh
2green onions, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 c mushrooms, sliced
Carrots, celery, peas (optional)

In small bowl combine eggs and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Heat sesame oil in the same skillet the cabbage was in for the egg rolls over medium heat. Add egg mixture and garlic, and stir to scramble. When set, remove mixture to bowl and set aside. Add canola oil to skillet. Toss in mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until crisp tender. (At this time I would normally stir-fry sliced carrots and celery in a separate pan because Mr. B does not like these veggies in his rice and I do. If you like them, feel free to add these veggies and whatever else you like at this time.) Add cooked rice. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook 5 more minutes until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onions. Cook 2 minutes more. Serve with egg rolls. (At this time, I add peas to my portion because, you know, Mr. B....)

Nutritional Information
Per 2/3 cup: 141 Calories, 6 Fat, 18 Carbs, 2 Fiber, 5 Protein

Lemon Linguine/Pasta Primavera
I always try to limit myself to no more than two pasta dinners a week, at most. (We like our protein over here.) And if I'm running short on time, and ingredients, I throw together one of these simple pasta dishes using whatever veggies need my attention (for the primavera), and I always have lemons on hand for this light(er) linguine.

For this mouth-watering lemon pasta dish click here.



 

Nachos

Sweet B's Nachos

Of course nothing is faster than a tray of nachos. We can't even drive to a restaurant in less time than it takes to make this dinner. (And these ingredients are necessary pantry staples in my kitchen.) Toss on your favorite veggies, beans for the protein, a sprinkle of cheese, and some garnishes like plain Greek Yogurt, sliced green onions, homemade guacamole (which I always have in the freezer), or every-now-and-then sour cream. Delicioso. We usually have this dinner every other week. Sometimes we get into nacho cravings and have it every Sunday....usually during football season.



Snack Plate and a Big Chopped Salad



Hands down this is one of my favorite dinners. I LOVE a Big Chopped Salad, with all of the fixings, bring it on. I usually make this when I find our fridge jammed packed with fresh produce, usually after my weekly trip to the grocery store. After purchasing all the vegetables my bags can carry, I'm eager to taste a little bit of everything, and that's where my chopped salad comes into play. It's one simple and quick way to get a ton of tasty veggies into our bellies. Plus, it pairs well with a snack plate. If we're having a Big Chopped Salad, our snack plate consists of crackers, chopped fresh deli meat and cheese (my personal favorites are turkey and ham with Havarti and Munster), and grape tomatoes (God's candy is what I like to call them).



A Big Chopped Salad
(My must-have ingredients)

Romaine lettuce
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Hard-boiled eggs
Shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Carrots

Get out your biggest cutting board and sharpest knife. Chop up your veggies and combine in a huge bowl; sprinkle on a dash of salt and pepper. Toss. Drizzle on your favorite dressing. (My current favorite is Honey Mustard.)

Stay tuned for the next Top Ten post! Happy eating.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Our Super Bowl Party

We are obsessed with football in my family.

With so many favorite teams, there was always a favorite team playing and a football "gathering" every weekend. Some times we participated in more than one a week. We had high school football, and College Game Day (to say we are HUGE Ohio State fans is a HUGE understatement), and of course NFL Sunday. It was always fun and always entertaining. Cousins (and siblings) went to separate high schools, so there were occasional rivalries. But Ohio State always united us every Saturday. When Sunday rolled around, it was every fan for himself.

Browns. Cowboys. Bengals. Vikings. Packers. (The Titans for a short time.) Bears. (Oh, and a team I refuse to mention on my blog. And it's not only a Browns' fan's dislike. This team is strongly disliked by everyone...another united stance.) And later on, boyfriends and husbands added the 49ers and Colts to the mix. Everyone was allowed to have their own team. BUT we had one rule.....you can't like a team just because they win, and not be a fan when they lose. In other words, you couldn't be a front-runner. You couldn't jump from team to team. We strongly dislike front-runners over here.

There were victories and defeats, tears, and yelling, silent treatments and, yes, one incident of a perturbed fan getting up and turning off the TV. (Daddy's Cowboys were beating my aunt's unmentionable team.) Needless to say, everyone watching was not happy. This then resulted in Daddy leaving Thanksgiving dinner at my grandma's house, deciding he would walk home in the rain and snow to finish watching the game at our house. Well, we don't live in what you would call a city (or town, haha), so it wasn't going to be a short walk. Mama wasn't too happy when she had to hurriedly pack up two kids, who found the situation hysterical and upsetting at the same time, say good-bye to her stunned family, and drive down the road to pick up a stubborn husband.

Yeah, football is a BIG DEAL.

Growing up, I wasn't like other kids who put their homework off until the last minute, running around like a chicken with its head cut off Sunday night. I worked ahead in study hall, did my homework throughout the week, and studied for exams during commercials. I had to go to our school's Friday night games, and I wanted to enjoy football with my family on Saturdays and Sundays. No time for school work. Only food, yelling, and games. A girl has her priorities.

That's the kind of football game days I grew up with, so I was excited when we moved into our new home with lots of room for entertaining. Hello, football gatherings! (Except Mr. B's family isn't like mine. I mean they watch the game, but there's maybe two or three people and no food. And most of the time Mr. B wouldn't even stay at our house to watch the game. We have all this space.....I like to make food....What the....? Hmmmm...) Well, in case I haven't mentioned it, Mr. B is a huge 49ers fan. He has been ever since he was a little boy. And he's obsessed. A very true and dedicated fan. I've never known anyone like him. So, you can imagine how SUPER excited I was that they made it to this year's SUPER BOWL. It's time to plan a party, my friends.

Go big or go home is how we do it in my family. Especially when someone's team is in the Big Game.

We have balloons, and party stuff, lots of room, games, and plenty of food. AND cake. (In my family, football days are usually all day events. Mr. B's is a tad different. It's a shame, really.)


On today's Super Bowl menu we have my famous nacho bar (you can find the recipe here). Football and nachos are a must in this household on any game day. Mr. B would not be happy if they didn't top the list.

Next, we have a generous bowl of what I like to call the "Good Stuff." It's my Chicken & Wild Rice Salad. I'm obsessed with this salad, and so our my in-laws. Lately it's been a must every time they come over. Mr. B won't touch the stuff, so I buy him his favorite coleslaw, KFC's. (Which, funny enough, he never used to eat before four months ago.....)

And while there, this morning, Mr. B decided we might not have enough food, or that people might want meat, so he brought home a bucket of chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes and gravy.

I've been craving homemade pizza for a couple of days now, and last Sunday I made a double batch of pizza dough, giving me four pizza crusts. Earlier this week I made a tasty Margarita pizza for me and the hubby, knowing I'd be making my absolute favorite pizza today. (My in-laws have not yet had my homemade pizza and they can't understand why Mr. B and I hate ordering greasy pizza, so hopefully today they will jump on our train....) Oh, it's so good. Straight from the oven, room temp, or cold. The.best.

My Spicy-Lime Popcorn (recipe below), which is the only way I prefer to eat popcorn. This stuff disappears before I realize it. And then I realize I'm the one who ate the entire batch.

And, of course, the celebrated team: 49ers cupcakes and ice cream, with a Football Berry garnish.

We also have a plethora of beverages, and Mr. B would kill me if I forgot his pretzels. (I wanted to dip them in red chocolate and decorate, but he wouldn't let me "ruin" them.) And for some reason he thought we needed chips and dip. Holy frijoles.


Obsessed with Football. Yes.


Spicy-Lime Popcorn

Makes 4 cups popped.

4 c popcorn, popped (bag or air-popped)
1 tsp cumin
pinch of ground pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest

*NOTE: If using air-popped, add 3 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt.

Mix everything, except popped popcorn and lime juice, in a small bowl. Add seasoning to popcorn and carefully mix together. Sprinkle with lime juice and enjoy!


Football Berries

Serves how ever many you need.

Strawberries
Dark chocolate, melted
White chocolate, melted

These are quite self-explanatory. Dip the strawberries in the dark chocolate and allow to chill in refrigerator overnight. The next day, using a toothpick, draw football lines on top of the harden dark chocolate. Allow to chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Sadly, the white chocolate was not cooperating.

*Looking for even more tasty recipes to please your crowd during the Super Bowl? Then don't forget to check out my seven days of Game Day posts, including nachos, cold pizza, broccoli dip, and many more!

Go 49ers!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Sunday Sweets

1. O-H-I-O!

My boys are PERFECT! And even though we're not in the BCS Championship game (we should be!), I'm very proud of this season. Job well done, Buckeyes. :)


2. Annnnnd Kent State is AWESOME this year....MAC Championship game and Bowl contenders! I am loving this football season (college only, the Browns are quite lacking).

3. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mr. B had to work all day, unfortunately, so I spent the holiday with my family, and we had food galore. Super-pumped that there were plenty of leftovers to feed us through Saturday. But it's Sunday and now I have to cook. I have this going on the stove. Perfect on this cold day.


4. Speaking of cookware, Mr. B and I went to Kohl's at midnight for their awesome sale on the Food Network pots and pans, and we bought the last black set. He knew I wouldn't be able to wait until Christmas, so I broke those babies out and I love what I'm seeing so far. Yay for new pans!!!


5. Let me tell you, this was the best Black Friday shopping ever. The line for Kohl's wasn't too long, only had to stand outside for a half an hour, no pushing, fighting, running or screaming. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes, so we decided to peruse whatever was left at Walmart. Ummm it was a ghost town, but we still found a few CDs and DVDs we wanted along with some cat food (why not, we were there). Then we headed to Target (but first Mr. B took me to Starbucks, of course), again ghost town, and purchased some pillows. We were home by 3 A.M. A definite first.


6. I kind of got a little side-tracked there, so back to Thanksgiving. I made this tasty and cheesy spinach dip. You can find the recipe here. It was simple, quick, and a hit.

7. Also, I've been eating pumpkin bread for dinner for the last two days and I had it for breakfast this morning. I'm not a fan of pumpkin anything really, but this is delightful. It's my boss' recipe. She brought it to our meeting a few weeks ago. At first I cringed because I don't like pumpkin. But I cut myself half a piece, to be polite, and told myself I could eat it.  Sooooo happy I did. I had to go back for my other half and begged her for the recipe. It's moments like these when I'm thankful Mama always enforced the "one bite" rule.

I will be posting this recipe soon!


8. Now, I'm off to enjoy some soup and to hunt down the box of Christmas cards I know is around here somewhere....


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

A Tea Party

So my co-workers and I (well, at the time of our first party they were my co-workers. Now, they're my fabulous and brilliant friends) were sitting around one day and decided (since Cooking Club was no longer going strong) since we all like to get together and chat, we should make our "girl time" more extravagant. We decided to center our "outings" around beverage themes.

A few months ago donned our first glorious party. We came together to chit-chat over TEA.

And to say we had quite the variety is an understatement.

We proudly had 24 tea varieties and 6 teapots.

To say we are tea drinkers is also an understatement.

We're also huuuuge fans of Teavana.

All of these teapots were a beautiful sight.

We had so much fun sharing our favorite brews over tea sandwiches, cookies, nuts, fruit and any other goodies we could find.

OH! And the BEST part.....we all brought our favorite mugs! (This is a rule of our beverage parties....you must bring your favorite appropriate beverage mug/glass.)

Below is a snapshot of Emilia and Jenny with their favorite mugs for enjoying tea! (Also pictured are Kellie's and Jessica's mugs. Mine was in my hand.....not sure why I didn't think to set it down for the picture.)

And of course we couldn't have a Tea Party without tea sandwiches. I whipped up a batch, and yes, some crust is on and some is off. (It's a long story, but there was a chance some boys other co-workers were coming and eating crust-less sandwiches was a little too girly for them. But did they show up.....no. So us girls were stuck eating the crusty tea sandwiches which completely destroyed the point of tea sandwiches.)

These were so good I just have to share this simple recipe!


Cucumber and Goat Cheese Tea Sandwiches

Serves a crowd

your favorite bread, sliced
8 oz Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
10.5 oz goat cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp dried parsley
5-6 Tbsp almond milk
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cucumber, sliced

Beat cheeses, garlic, thyme parsley, milk, salt and pepper in bowl until well mixed. (Add more or less milk for desired consistency.) Spread cheese mixture on bread slices. Arrange cucumber slices on one slice of bread and top with another slice. Repeat. Press slightly, and trim crusts and cut into triangles.



So, the next time you and your gals are meeting up for some much needed girl time, center it around a beverage and have some fun. Make your next outing a Tea Party!

P.S. Of course, we've decided to make this a monthly recurrence.

With Love and God Bless,

Brindi

Game Day #6: Potato Skins

Whenever Mr. B and I do make it out to a restaurant, my eyes always find the appetizers on the menus. Yet, I can never bring myself to order one because I can only imagine the grease in these dishes, like onion rings, loaded fries, nachos, artichoke dip and potato skins.

Potato skins are my absolute favorite!

So when it comes to appetizers, I only eat them at home. And I jump at every chance to make my Potato Skins. I make them healthier by replacing the sour cream with Greek yogurt, and trust me (this coming from someone who can and will eat sour cream straight from the container) you don't miss the sour cream. These are perfect for Super Bowl Sunday. Simple, quick and yummy.....make these for your game-day party tomorrow!

Potato Skins

Serves as many as you need.

Russet potatoes, baked
Canola oil
Kosher salt
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Bacon slices, cooked and chopped
Non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
green onions, diced

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Slice the baked potatoes in half. With a spoon, gently scoop out the insides of the potato, making sure to leave a little bit of potato "liner" (this will keep the skin intact). *Note: You can do whatever you want with the discarded insides.

Next, brush canola oil onto the insides and outsides of the skins. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt. lace the skins on a baking sheet, cut side down, and bake 6 mintues. Flip the skins over and bake another 6 minutes.
Sprinkle on cheese and bacon pieces. Place back in the oven, about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with Greek yogurt and green onions. And then devour.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for my last

Super Bowl Party menu idea!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Game Day #5: Zesty Broccoli Dip

Happy Friday!

The weekend is finally here and I am ready to get my football party-ing on. There's only a few days left until the big game, and I'm kicking off the weekend with a zesty dip perfect for game time.

Whenever I make this Broccoli Dip for Mr. B and I, it's gone before it has the chance to cool down. (Which leaves us with scalded tongues, but it's soooo worth it. Honestly, we don't mind not being able to taste anything else for the rest of the day.)

And this dip is feisty.

The red pepper flakes add a nice little kick, and you'll feel it right in the back of your throat. Oh, it's nice. Mr. B is in love. He enjoys some heat. Which makes this dish nice because you can add as much or as little heat as you want. Or you can skip the red pepper flakes altogether if you're not a fan of the spice.

Zesty Broccoli Dip

Yields: About 3 cups total

1 c Light Miracle Whip
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
red pepper flakes
crackers, pita chips, veggies, etc. for dipping

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine Miracle Whip, broccoli, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 c mozzarella, and desired amount of red pepper flakes in a bowl. Spread into 1-qt baking dish or 9" pie plate. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

We're so close to the end, so don't forget to check back tomorrow for another Super Bowl Party menu idea!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Game Day #3: Ham & Cheese Crescents

Happy Wednesday!!!!

So who is everybody rooting for in the Super Bowl?

I know I should be cheering on the AFC but, to be honest, I am not a Tom Brady fan. (I mean, he went to that school up North. I can't support that.) I'm not a Patriots fan either. However, I am a huge, HUGE Peyton Manning fan. He is my favorite. Thus, I like the Manning family. And since Eli Manning is the QB for the Giants, I'm cheering on New York. Yet, my hubby is not the biggest supporter of the Giants right now. (He's a heart-broke and frustrated 49ers fan.) So I'm pretty sure he's rooting for New England.

Uh-oh. A split household. Hmmm, we could make this interesting....

Anyhoo, onto today's Super Bowl Party menu item: Crescent Rolls! With ham and cream cheese, these crescents are amazingly yummy, and super easy to make. Only a few steps required.

First, roll out the crescents and smear on a layer of the cream cheese mitxture.

Second, layer on your ham slices (or turkey works really well here, too).....

Next, add a layer of the mustard mixture on top of the ham slices.

Then, roll up the dough forming cute little crescents.

Place them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes. They come out smelling fan-freaking-tastic. Oh, and try not to eat all of them.

Sometimes I make these as a quick lunch for Mr. B and I. They can be quite filling. (Probably because you've eaten like five of them before you know it because they're that good.) But when I serve these to a crowd, with other food, I like to cut each crescent into smaller pieces and stick them with toothpicks.

Ham and Cheese Crescents

Serves 8 (as party appetizer) or more if cutting into bite size pieces

1 (8-count) pkg refrigerated cresecent rolls, separated into triangles
1.5 Tbsp honey
2.5 oz Neufchatel cream cheese
1-2 green onions, chopped
4 oz thinly sliced ham (or turkey)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp yellow mustard

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, onions and half of honey in small bowl. In another snall bowl, mix mayo, mustard and rest of honey. Spread a little bit of cream cheese mixture on crescent dough. Layer with 2 slices of meat. Spoon some mustard mixture on top of meat slices. (*Be careful not to overfill because the spreads will ooze out and you'll have a mess.) Roll up dough into crescents. Place on ungreased baking sheet (give cresecents room to spread). Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

*You can add as much meat as you want. When I serve these as appetizers, I like to keep them on the lighter side.
**I also play around with these, using greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, less honey and no mayo.

Nutritional Information
Per crescent roll: Calories 174; Fat 11; Carbs 16; Protein 5

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for another

Super Bowl Party menu idea!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Game Day #2: Cold Vegetable Pizza

We're on day two of Super Bowl week!

And today I'm featuring vegetable pizza, which is actually shocking because Mr. B and I are not pizza fans. We might order pizza once a year. Seriously. (Come to think of it, I don't think we ordered any last year.) The only time we eat pizza is when we're at someone else's house and they order it, which is then followed by private eye-rolling and frowns from Mr. B and I. (Sorry if those people are reading! I apologize.) There's just something about pizza, with all of it's grease and empty calories, that is un-appetizing. [My dislike might be a result of both my parents managing and working at Dominoes when I was little. We had pizza every Friday night without fail.] I couldn't even touch the stuff in college. True story.

I strongly dislike pizza...especially "normal" pizza. I love taco pizza....and dessert pizza.

And this Cold Vegetable pizza. (However, I am sl.ow.ly liking pizza when I make it homemade. I make healthier crusts, and am happy that I know what's in my pizza. No grease!)

I've always loved this kind of pizza. It makes a great appetizer or snack at parties, and is a great lunch option for Mr. B and I. And the best part, you can put on whatever toppings you like, or whatever you happen to have at the bottom of your refrigerator that needs to be used ASAP.

I just happened to have this.....

Cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce, red onions and tomatoes. Sometimes I put black olives on Mr.B's half, but he already ate them.

Mmmmm. So good. I'm sure I'd have no problem eating this whole thing. But I won't. Mr. B would be hangry.

Cold Vegetable Pizza

1 pkg (8-count) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 c mayonnaise
2 oz Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp minced chives (or fresh parsley, or 1/2 tsp dill....)
about 1 cup toppings of choice (peppers, cucumbers, red onions, mushrooms, olives, spinach, tomatoes...)
3 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

Unroll crescent rolls and place on ungreased baking sheet; flatten dough and pinch together seams, forming one big rectangle. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. In small bowl, combine mayo, cream cheese and chives until well blended and smooth; spread over crust. Top with assorted vegetables of choice. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (If using tomatoes, chill for no longer because it will get soggy.) Cut into desired slices.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for another

Super Bowl Party menu idea!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi