1st off the Recipe Tag! Niki tagged me to list 2 recipes, one of her recipe was "Peggy's Chicken Chow Mein" and I tried it and it was amazing! If you find the need for good chinese food and don't have a good place by you, that is the way to go! It was amazing and heats up really good for leftovers, so yummy! Just wanted to give that 2 thumbs up before listing mine!
My first one is a new one to me from Pampered Chef(I'm an occasional consultant, meaning I do it when it works! LOL! I really don't like to and won't pressure people to do a party or to buy! But I'm actually planning a party at my place this month, let me know if you're interested in coming!) It is called "Greek Cheese Torta", reminded me of a really good cheese ball I had once! I was excited to find a good recipe for! Makes a really good appetizer and was a hit at a PC party I did recently, here is a pic of how mine turned out...
Here is what you need to make it:
1 10 oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach
2 8 oz pkg of softened cream cheese
2 tbsp Greek Rub or seasoning(PC has one, but I'm sure any will do!)
8 oz of crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 tbsp shelled and chopped pistacios
And this is how you do it:
Thaw frozen spinach and then line a colander with paper towels, place spinach into colander and place paper towels on top and then press until liquid is gone, you want the spinach to be damp not wet. Place cream cheese into microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds to soften, mix through so it is somewhat smooth. Add spinach and greek rub or seasoning and mix well. Add crumbled feta cheese and mix well again. Finely dice sun-dried tomatoes. Line a small bowl(you want one that can hold 4 cups)with plastic wrap, this helps to make it look nice. Spoon in one third of the cheese mixture into bottom of bowl and spread evenly. Add a layer of all the sun-dried tomatoes spread evenly. Add the remaining cheese mixture over tomatoes and spread evenly. Chill in fridge for at least an hour. To serve invert the torta onto a serving platter and remove plastic wrap. Add coarsely chopped pistacios by pressing onto top of the torta. Serve with wheat thins or baguette slices! Yummy!
The second recipe is an oldy but goody for chocolate chip cookies, I try to make these for close buddies that have just had babies(sorry if you haven't gotten them, I owe you) they are a definite comfort food! I always get asked when I make these how I did it... do you cookies turn out flat and hard? It is really easy to fix! Just add vanilla instant pudding! I use the regular Nestle Toll House recipe for the "original cookie" and change it up a little! I use their MILK chocolate chips, add a small box of vanilla instant pudding, only do 1/4 cupgranulated white sugar instead of 3/4 cup, and 3 cups flour instead of 2 1/4 cups! And I never add salt or nuts, but I'm sure they would be fine with it too! These cookies come out cakelike and do not flatten! :) I use a small or medium scoop from Pampered Chef(see in the pictures below, I used the small one for this batch) to scoop the cookies, if you do not have something like this it is sooooo nice to have! They look like an ice cream scooper, but it is not for that(Seth! LOL! He broke one of mine that way)! By using these you get the perfect size and shape without making a mess and taking forever! I prefer using an airbake cookie sheet as well, when baking dough an inch in diameter(small scoop) bake for 9 minutes, for bigger do 10-11 minutes. You want them just barely getting golden - not brown - they turn out really good like that! Special thanks to my sister Erin who taught me how to add the vanilla pudding! Here are the pics of...
The yummy dough, really good unbaked too - my fave!
The utensils you need for making, I wish I had a KitchenAid Mixer though!
Scooping up the dough...
Make the dough smooth around the opening so it sits well on the baking sheet...
Placing onto Air Bake sheet...
Ready to go in the oven...
Just out of the oven...
After they have cooled and still fluffy!YUM! Enjoy!
I tag my Mom, Brooke and Erin for this one! Have fun, I'm looking forward to good recipes! ;)
All righty, on to the next tag...
The ABC's of My Life
A- Attached or Single - so attached! Working on six yearsof marriaeg and 10 years of togetherness and I'm happy to say that despite a few funny fights(really just for other people's entertainment right?!) we are as happy and in love as ever! :)
B- Best Friend - Seth, I have a ton of great girlfriends as well, but I have to say that my hubby is the one who "gets me" the most and we laugh so hard together, a big quality I look for in friendships!
C- Cake or Pie - CAKE - Funfetti cake and Rainbow chip frosting to be exact!
D- Day of Choice - Wednesday, hump day is always a good one for me!
E- Essential Item - Hair Product, you just don't know how bad it is cause I save you all from it! LOL!
F- Favorite Color - GREEN, for shizzel! If you have ever been to my home or closet you know this already!
G- Gummi Worms or Bears - "the bears"
H- Hometown - Crown Town(Corona), CA, that's where I did most my growing up!
I- Indulgences - Blogging! Sour Patch Kids, Trashy Reality TV and sleeping!
J- January or July - January, I enjoy the colder CALI weather.
K- Kids - Seth, Foster and Harley - my husband, cat and dog! :)
L- Life is incomplete without - family and good friends, chocolate and DVR (tivo), I totally agree with Melissa except on chocolate, I'm more of a sour candy person!
M- Marriage Date - September 7th, 2002
N- Number of siblings - 4, 2 sisters and 2 brothers that I love very much!
O- Oranges or Apples - oranges, I love them!
P- Phobias or fears - Phobias? I don't know exactly what this is asking...I'm afraid of birds that fly(ask me later, I have a good story about from my childhood), flies and small flying bugs and spiders. Also losing Seth and not being able to have children are big worries of mine.
Q- Quote - From the TV show Friends:
Joey: Look, I kinda had a dream, but I don't want to talk about it.
Chandler: Now what if Martin Luther King had said that? 'Yeah I kinda had a dream. I-I don't want to talk about it.
I love Friends and I just found the best website for quotes! It is www.quotegeek.com!
R- Reason to Smile - Knowing why I'm here and how trivial some things that I make a big deal about are! Good Times! I am not a perfect person but luckily there is a plan for me! :) And watching Seth play with kids and holding babies!
S- Season - Spring, the weather is nice, not too hot and everything is beautiful and GREEN! And it stays lighter longer at night!
T- Tags - Amber, Lindsay and Janitsy! Where are you Janitsy?!
U- Unknown fact about me - I am crazy...oh you already knew that? Too bad we are already friends! LOL! Ummmmmm this is hard cause I'm pretty open book as you all know... I've been on the "Price is Right". I know some of you know that already, but I can't think of anything else!
V- Vegetable - Corn! Frozen or cob, not canned! I am a big veggie person and love pretty much any kind.
W- Worst Habit - Not doing dishes right away.
X- X-ray or Ultrasound - I have only had x-rays but I think I would like Ultrasounds more!
Y- Your favorite food - Sushi right now!
Z- Zodiac - Pisces on the cusp of Aquarius? I've been told that I'm very influenced by that...I read a book on Zodiac signs and love and I have to say that it is really right on for Seth and I with everything! But I am also skeptical of that stuff!
This was fun, thanks Melissa!
4 comments:
Love the ABC's of you!! So in the mood for some jello cookies!
I love learning more about my sisters. Thanks for tagging me too! At least I think it is me. I don't know that you know any other Ambers.
I agree with Erin! Puddin' cookies sound so good. I made an amazing bread pudding this week with rum butter sauce. Yum! Did you not make any butter and frosting sugar cookies for Easter this year? I was craving them but now realize that I never saw any! You're fired! ;)
I am so glad that you posted the recipes because I just might use the chow mein one for the Cub Scouts banquet this month. The theme is Chinese New Year and we are trying to decide if we are going to cater or cook. The cheese torte one would be good for the baby showers coming up for a change of the usual appetizers. It looks yummy!
I would be down for a good PC party if I can find some govermment funding for gasoline! The last PC party I went to was I think the one you did at Charlotte's! Hey - invite here to yours and I can hitch a ride with her! Hee Hee!
Super great, long, useful and informative post!
I totally love your answers, you always make me smile Heather when I read your blog. Also small world, my sisters friend Laura Jacklyn is friends with your sister Amber, I saw their link on her blog and they were the same Tracy and Amber on yours. Craziness huh. Anywho, thanks for making me smile and would love to hear about the bird phobia sometime.
Okay, I am going to try your recipes! i even linked over to your friends and got the chow mein recipe! Thanks!
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