Mark's parents came over for dinner tonight, and Mark wanted to make them a special dinner to celebrate the closing of the sale of their old house. I told him I would tackle the appetizer and dessert, if he would handle the dinner.

As we were walking through the grocery store, I noticed a great sale. Now, I can't pass up a great sale in the market, especially on meat, so I picked up this baby.

I have never used this before, but couldn't pass it up. I wondered what I could cook that would be fail proof if I didn't love the meat. Aha! I remembered a layered taco dip recipe I had gotten from someone in college. Now, the problem is, I can't remember who. So, to whomever gave me this recipe, I am so sorry for not giving credit.

Start by assembling your ingredients:

Layered Taco Dip

This is a savory, not too spicy dip that is sure to please. Can be eaten cold, but is best on the first day right out of the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb turkey or beef
• 1/2 taco seasoning packet
• 1/2 C Mayonnaise
• 1/2 C Sour Cream
• 1 8oz package of Cream Cheese
• 1 Can Refried Beans
• 8 oz Guacamole
• 1 C Shredded Cheese
• 2 Green Onions sliced
• 6-7 mini peppers sliced
• 1/2 C cherry tomatoes cut in half

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the meat on the stovetop until cooked through, season to your taste. In an 8x8 casserole dish layer: Cream Cheese Refried Beans Guacamole Mixture (1/2 C Mayo and 1/2 C sour cream, mixed in a separate bowl) Cooked and seasoned meat. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until heated through. Top with tomatoes, peppers, and green onions. Serve warm with chips.

Click HERE for a printable copy of the recipe.

I know you are saying... You missed the cheese in that picture, you are right, I did. It was absent on picture day, skipping to hang out in the fruit crisper, here it is.

And now the process:

Cook up the meat. If you are using unseasoned meat, go ahead and season it as well

 Cream Cheese

 Refried Beans: These are the easiest to spread if you plop them in like you would dumplings

Next a layer of Guacamole. I stopped taking pictures because nobody is winning points for pretty here. Just imagine the brown as green, then after the green white :)

After the guacamole, you are going to mix 1/2 C mayo with 1/2 C sour cream in a separate bowl, this will be your next layer.

Now we are ready for the meat. I only used half of a pound on my dip. Henry really liked this meat so I am saving the other half for his lunch tomorrow. This pan is 9X6, this recipe will work really well in an 8x8 pan or even in a 9x9 pan as well.

Cook at 350 for 25 minutes uncovered. While that is covering, you can slice up your vegetables.

Keep the peppers nice and thin so they are easy to eat, I find that the mini peppers can be a bit tough to bite through if they get to thick. I like to cut the cherry tomatoes in half for the top.

Once the oven time goes off, pull it on out.

Voila, heated through, and cheese is melted.

Tomatoes

Peppers

Green Onions.

Serve it up

There it is folks, bon appetite. This is a creamy, savory, and not too spicy dip perfect with chips. The vegetables on the top give it a colorful, crunchy texture.

As for the meat, it was okay. I prefer more spice with my taco seasoning. If you find a great deal, go ahead and grab it, throw it in something that it can't mess up. I won't search this product out myself in the future. Not bad, not great.

Enjoy!
Andi

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie by Andrea Weimer

This recipe is fabulously easy, and delicious too! Now, don't believe that this pie is going to taste and be just like a cheesecake, because that isn't going to happen. Think of this as a more french silk textured pie, with a cheesecake flavor. Believe me, if you like chocolate, you are going to like the light fluffy texture of this pie, especially paired with the hint of cheesecake flavor!

Total time, 15 minutes to make, 1 hour at least to chill in the fridge, you want this pie chilled!

This recipe is my spin off of the Chocolate Cheesecake Pie Recipe from the Taste of Home Website. 

Assemble your ingredients:

• 1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
• 1/4th C. Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract (I gave Jes a kit for Christmas years ago, she finally made it and it was delicious!)
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 1/2 Stick of Butter
• 1 8 oz package of Cream Cheese
• 1 1/2 C. Milk Chocolate chips, I used Ghirardelli because if chocolate is the showcase of this recipe, it is going to be good chocolate.

In addition, I used 1 C of mini chocolate chips, whip cream, and my crunchy freeze because I love that stuff enough to put it on everything, and it really works well on the top of this pie.

 Measure and pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. You could do 30 seconds, stir, 15 more seconds, stir, 15 more seconds, if your microwave is really hot. One minute did it for me. 

 The chocolate may not look melted, if you put a spoon in it to stir and it melts like this picture, you are ready to stir.

Keep up the good work until your chocolate is smooth. Set this aside to cool a bit, not enough to harden but enough so that it doesn't melt the butter. 

Now take your softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar, beat this until smooth

Yes, this was delicious, no raw eggs so of course I taste tested! Once you have a smooth consistency, add your chocolate.

 I also added 1/2 C. of mini chocolate chips, I could have done full size, but I prefer the mini for texture of the pie. More pleasant to get a bite with those little ones in it.

This should look thick, don't worry, you didn't mess it up! Now fold in that cool whip

 This took the longest of any of the process, I had to keep folding to get the pie to fully mix but a little patience pays off here.

Fully mixed, alright! You are now ready to pour it into your crust.

Just scoop it all in, many thanks to my beautiful assistant Jes

Smooth it out, it doesn't have to be perfect

Decorate according to your taste. My whip cream was a little runny, this is real life so that is what you get a picture of, I wasn't making another one so it could be pretty! I sprinkled more chocolate chips on and added a bit of crunchy freeze.

Put it in the refrigerator to cool. At least one hour. At this time I ate an amazing meal made by my sister. This meal was bribery as she wanted me to help her put together an ikea dresser. 

Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, and zucchini boats, yes, it was worth the assembling. I got to play a bit with my nephew!

 And then, BAM, dessert!

 Thick, fluffy, yummy and oh so chocolaty goodness to finish off a meal!

Enjoy!

Andi

Crunchy Freeze

Ice cream sundays with the niece wouldn't be complete without topping it with some crunchy freeze.

This recipe is also from my gorgeous Auntie Laurie (Center)

(From Left to right: Christie, Kathie, Laurie, Sherrie, and my mother Julie)

Start by collecting your ingredients

• 1/2 C. Butter, melted

• 2-1/2 C. Rice Krispies

• 3/4 C Brown Sugar

• 1-1/4 C Shredded Coconut

• 1 C. Chopped Pecans

Mix dry ingredients

Melt Butter, I did it in the microwave for 45 seconds on high. Pour butter over dry ingredients

and mix well. Pour onto your cooking sheet. Use the kind with sides.

Oven at 300, cook for 20 minutes, check, the original recipe called for 30 minutes but I noticed in my oven there was some burning, for me 20 minutes worked well in my oven. You want a golden brown color.

Let cool completely.

Using clean hands break up into smaller chunks

Goes delicious with our homemade hot fudge recipe

Although, truth be told, my family has been known to eat this as breakfast cereal. Go ahead, double the recipe. Store in an airtight container.

Original recipe by Laurie MacIntire: Found on http://thesundaysuppersisters.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Andrea

Easy Homemade Hot Fudge

Hot Fudge on ice cream, you know the kind that you serve warm but once it hits the cold ice cream becomes harder and more fudge like and delicious. If you are craving this, boy you have come to the right place!

I was spending the weekend with my Niece, and what a better way to end a long day of baby watching than with an Ice Cream Party, viewing Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Audrey had never seen it, and even Mark came in from the shop to eat the ice cream and watch one of his favorites.

Spending time with one of my 5 nieces and nephews made me think about my Aunties. I was lucky enough to have 5 wonderful and beautiful aunties. When I say beautiful, I mean it. I would sit in my bed and pray to be as pretty as any one of them when I grew up. This recipe comes from my Auntie Laurie and whoo boy that lady has good ones! She originally named this recipe Hot Chocolate Sauce

(See what I mean about gorgeous)

Back to business. You are going to need a few things.

(The marble cylindrical thing is my salt well, you will need salt for this recipe)

Start by collecting your ingredients

Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. Sugar
• 1/4 C. Butter
• 1/4 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 C. Light Corn Syrup
• Dash of salt
• 2 oz Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate
• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Instructions: In small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cream, corn syrup, and salt. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and vanilla. Serve warm.

Cut that butter in half, you only need half of it. What a recipe from us with only half a stick of butter! I know, I know, but believe me it is still delicious.

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan

Cook over moderate heat

Make sure you have your chocolate and vanilla handy.

Stir constantly, bring mixture to a boil

Boil for 1 minute

Remove from heat, and add chocolate and vanilla, 

Stir until blended, serve warm immediately or store in the refrigerator until you are ready for use.

Warm hot fudge up carefully in the microwave or boil with water on the stove.

For an even more amazing ice cream sunday, serve with Crunchy Freeze

Enjoy!

Andrea and Audrey