Roasted Garlic Hummus

This seems like an appropriate post-Thanksgiving post.  I mean, I will speak for myself here in that I ate WAY too much junk...and with Christmas cookies right around the corner I need to load up on fresh fruits and veggies while I have the willpower to do so.

I have made my own hummus several times but wasn't ever super thrilled with it because I felt like the tahini overpowered it and it wasn't ever very smooth.  So I continually buy the Sabra hummus at Sam's Club (like, every single week) because it's really good and a super cheap price there.  Then, I read the Pinch of Yum's hummus tutorial and gave homemade hummus another try.  This recipe is SO easy, VERY inexpensive and is SO SO good & creamy.  

If you head over to her site you'll see that she makes a huge point of peeling the skins off of the chickpeas, which I have never heard of, and sounded like a pain in the rear but I did it and they just pop right off!  (Note--it does take a little time.)  My four year-old "helped" me and we just tossed everything in the food processer and BAM, hummus.  We love garlic but if you're not into it you could certainly reduce the amount, leave it out or substitute a clove or two of raw garlic for the roasted.  

Roasted Garlic Hummus

recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

4-6 cloves garlic

spray of oil

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 Tb. olive oil

1/2 c. water

sea salt to taste

dash of cumin

dash of smoked paprika

To roast the garlic preheat the oven to 350, peel the cloves and put in a small piece of foil. Spray with oil spray and wrap into a little packet.  Put in the oven for 20-30 minutes, check before removing.  The garlic is roasted when it is soft and golden-brown. Set aside.  In the meantime peel the chickpeas, just pinch them until the skins pop off and discard the skins.  Once the chickpeas are peeled and the garlic is roasted toss the chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, smoked paprika & olive oil into the food processer.  (If using a blender instead, pour a little water in first before the beans.) Process until smooth.  Then, slowly stream the water in until you get the desired consistency.  You may end up using more or less than 1/2 c. of water, just keep an eye on it.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.  Serve with veggies, tortilla or pita chips, or flat bread.

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrackedupkitchen.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F11%2Froasted-garlic-hummus.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-su_o9uwlMoM%2FULkFd16AxQI%2FAAAAAAAAAVU%2Fyu--IVOu-nw%2Fs1600%2Fhummus.JPG&description=Cracked%20Up%20Kitchen%3A%20Roasted%20Garlic%20Hummus

Carrabba's Bread Dip Mix

We live in a somewhat new/smallish suburb of Phoenix and when we first moved out here, there wasn't much. When Carrabba's opened we were there.  Rob instantly became obsessed with their herb bread dip and insisted I find a way to make some.  Immediately.  So naturally I googled "Carrabba's bread dip mix" and up popped the copycat recipe!  I love this recipe because you mix up all of the dry herbs and it stays fresh pretty much forever so you can keep it on hand.  Mix some with fresh garlic and olive oil and you have an instant Italian appetizer.  I like to bring this to people with a homemade meal and everyone loves it.  Really, everyone.

This would make a great little gift for your neighbors in a small jar, and is super simple to throw together.  I usually buy my dried herbs in the little packets on the Mexican food aisle.  They are super cheap ($.89.)

Carrabba's Bread Dip Mix

recipe from food.com

1 Tb crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tb. black pepper

1 Tb. dried oregano

1 Tb. dried rosemary

1 Tb. dried basil

1 Tb. dried parsley

1 Tb. granulated garlic

1 tsp. sea salt

fresh garlic cloves & olive oil for serving

Mix all herbs & salt together in a small bowl.  Store in a jar or ziploc bag until you're ready to use.  To serve, crush or grate a clove of garlic on a plate and mix 1 Tb. herb mix in with the garlic.  Cover with desired amount of olive oil and dip a baguette or french bread in the oil mixture. 

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrackedupkitchen.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F11%2Fcarrabbas-bread-dip-mix.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Wn5DwD1fVPo%2FULO-Phw3MuI%2FAAAAAAAAAU8%2FPv2ZavINJ1I%2Fs1600%2Fcarabbas%2Bdip3.JPG&description=Cracked%20Up%20Kitchen%3A%20Carrabba's%20Bread%20Dip

Mango & Avocado Salsa

I had some mango avocado salsa at a friends house and I was sort of skeptical about the mango/avocado combo.  But I loved it!  The next week in my produce basket I got some avocado and mangoes so I whipped up a batch.  We love it!  My kids ate it with a fork too so that's always a good sign.  One tip is to toss this together quickly because if you stir too much the avocado will mash up.  I served this on honey-lime grilled chicken (as a marinade I used the dressing from this salad) and it was great.

 

Mango & Avocado Salsa

 

2 large mango, diced

2 avocado, diced

1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped

1/4-1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

few dashes of cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

 

Toss it all together and serve with chips or on top of chicken or fish.  Yum!

 

Even Better 7-layer Dip

I've always loved 7-layer dip.  But it's a real bummer when the good stuff is all scraped off and all that is left is the hard canned-refried beans that break your chip when you attempt a scoop.  That's been my experience at least.

This recipe solves that "problem" and I'm happy to say it was a giant hit at a Super Bowl party.

If you need to make this gluten free, skip the taco mix and add in some granulated garlic, salt, cumin and chili powder in place of it.

This makes a LOT so if you are making it for a smaller group of people, half it.

Even Better 7-layer Dip

1 28-oz can refried beans or 3 c. homemade
3/4c. - 1 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. sour cream
4 oz cream cheese, softened (half a block)
2 Tb taco seasoning OR 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2-1tsp granulated garlic, 1/4 tsp salt
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. red onion, minced
2 large tomatoes or 3 small, seeded and minced
2-3 avocados, chopped (my taste-testers preferred more avacado)
1 small can chopped black olives, drained or 1/2 can whole black olives, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

Mix together refried beans and salsa to your desired consistency.  Less salsa for thicker beans, more for thinner.  Spread the bean/salsa mixture on a large platter (or a cookie sheet if you don't have a big platter).  Rinse out the bean bowl and mix together sour cream, cream cheese and taco seasoning.  Spread the sour cream mixture over the beans.  Then sprinkle the rest of the ingredients in layers over the top of the sour cream. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or refrigerate until you're ready to eat it.

Cranberry Salsa

I spotted this recipe on Pinterest and really wanted to try it. I made a couple changes and we just love this stuff! It's great with tortilla chips on its own, or our favorite is spread over cream cheese with crackers. YUM.

This recipe is so simple and quick to make, I think I'm going to make it for the neighbors for Christmas. Making 10 batches of this would be WAY quicker than cookies. AND if I eat a whole bunch I wouldn't un-do all of my bootcamp hard work.
Cranberry Salsaadapted from bake-aholic

1 package of fresh cranberries (12 oz)
1/2 c. sugar
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, roughly chopped (I left in some seeds.)
3 green onion, roughly chopped
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp cumin

Pulse everything together in the food processer until chopped to your liking. I left in some chunks. Refrigerate 12 hours before serving. This will stay good in the fridge a long time (up to 2 weeks.) Serve with tortilla chips or over cream cheese with crackers.

Loaded Kettle Chips

Rob and I went out to dinner the other night to a restaurant in Central Phoenix called the Windsor. (Which we would highly recommend.) They have a delectable treat called "Loaded Chips." We ate every last chip and immediately decided I MUST re-create them.

Today, for Thanksgiving we obviously "needed" some appetizers before our big dinner at 6:00 so I made these Loaded Kettle Chips and I have decided that this is my favorite recipe I've ever invented or re-created myself.  A-mazing.  It would be really simple to make these vegetarian without the bacon. I did not make my own kettle chips because I didn't feel like it and I had already made an entire Thanksgiving feast with my sister and I was too tired to fry chips.  However, if you have a fry daddy all ready it would be super fantastic with homemade chips.

Loaded Kettle Chips
with Caramelized Balsamic Onions, Bacon, Blue Cheese & Chipotle Cream

Caramelized Balsamic Onions:
3 1/2 medium/large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 Tb EVOO (or reserve some bacon grease...YUM)
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Chipotle Cream:
1/2 c. sour cream
1 heaping Tb mayo
1 chipotle, minced
1-2 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle can
1-2 tsp granulated garlic

3/4-1 c. blue cheese crumbles
2-19 oz bags kettle chips
1 lb bacon, chopped and crisply cooked

To make the onions: Heat oil or grease in a large skillet.  Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until the onions start to soften and brown.  Pour in balsamic vinegar and lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 30-35 minutes until onions are completely soft and caramelized.  Season with salt & pepper.

To make the chipotle cream: Mix together sour cream, mayo, chipotle, adobo sauce and garlic.  Taste and adjust garlic and adobo to your liking.  It should be pretty spicy because it is just a drizzle on the top.

To assemble chips: Heat an oven to 350.  Line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and pour the chips in a layer on the sheet.  Sprinkle on the bacon, then the onions, then the blue cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the blue cheese starts to melt.  Remove from the oven and drizzle on the chipotle cream to your liking.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I've had buffalo wing dip many times.  I've always liked it but some are better than others.  This one is really, really good.  My friend made this at a party recently and I just loved it.  So of course I made it myself...and added a little extra cheese, because--why not?

I made this at my daughter's birthday dinner to go with pizza and we scraped out the crock pot!  This dip goes well with celery sticks or tortilla chips.  Or pizza crust too.  I made 1 1/2 the recipe for 5 adults so I would highly recommend doubling for a party.

Buffalo Wing Dip

2 c. shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 block cream cheese (neufchatel works great), softened
1/2 c. Franks Buffalo sauce
1/2 c. Ranch dressing
1/2 c. shredded (sharp) cheedar cheese

Mix together all ingredients and either put inside a little dipper crock pot for an hour or bake in an 8'' square pan at 350 for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips and celery.

Classic Bruschetta

We love bruschetta. So much. This recipe I just threw together and we love it. Very fresh and summery and a great use of the giant bush of basil I now have growing in my backyard!

Last night when I made this I wrote it all down, so here for you is the bruschetta recipe.







Classic Bruschetta1 baguette
olive oil for drizzling
4 on-the-vine tomatoes or 5 roma tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (measured before chopped)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 Tb balsamic vinegar
2-3 Tb olive oil

Slice the baguette into 1/4'' slices (or so). Drizzle with olive oil and broil for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove all of the seeds. Chop the tomatoes and toss together with basil, salt, pepper, basil, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. Serve immediately.

Greek Salsa, Again

I made this for a meeting we had to go to Sunday.  It got rave reviews!  I remembered to take a picture this time and I thought it would be a great Superbowl idea....AND it's very healthy (It's healthy itself, the tortilla or pita chips you dip it with aren't super healthy though.)

Try the Greek Salsa!

*Disclaimer: This is best the day you make it so don't make it too far ahead of when it will be served.

Jazzed Up Jalapeno Poppers

I have to say that the original jalapeno popper recipe that I got from my neighbor are SO amazing.  BUT seriously, these are out of the park.  I mean, really.  I could. not. stop. eating these. And  neither could anyone else.  I saw this recipe originally on the Pioneer Woman's blog one week when I was trying to read every recipe she ever blogged.  Then, for Christmas day appetizer I wanted to make them and I couldn't find the recipe on her site.  So of course, thanks to google, I found the recipe on the Good Morning America site. 

I'm thinking a triple batch for Super Bowl party...one batch for Rob and I to split, two batches for everyone else.

21 jalapenos
1 1/2 blocks cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onions, minced
21 slices bacon (Preferably Oscar Mayer center cut bacon, 21 slices in the package and it's not fatty)
barbecue sauce (if you're gluten-free watch for that)
gloves
toothpics

Heat oven to 300.  Mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and green onions in a bowl.  Set aside.  Rinse the jalapenos in a colander.  Then wearing gloves cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to remove the ribs and seeds.  This is a time-consuming job, but it pays off!  Using the spoon, generously fill the jalapenos with t he cream cheese filling.  Then, cut the entire package of bacon slices in half and wrap half a slice of bacon around each jalapeno and secure it with a toothpick across the jalapeno.  Place them all on a baking sheet (optional, place on a wire rack on a baking sheet.) Baste with barbecue sauce and bake for 45 minutes.  Serve hot.  Or warm, lukewarm, room-temp, or the next day straight from a tupperware in the fridge.

Grilled Artichokes & Roasted Garlic Aioli

One of our favorite places to eat is Cheesecake Factory. Almost everything there is soo good. And really the only reason I say almost is because their menu is so extensive that I haven't actually tried everything! Rob's favorite item on the menu is the fireroasted artichoke. It comes with this aioli that is super delicous and really you're eating tiny bits of artichoke with loads of mayo, so what could be bad about that?

Recently we've been on a quest to perfect our own artichokes at home. This recipe is pretty darn close. We thought they were delicous, along with our eleven dinner guests who gobbled up the entire platter full. There aren't necessarily exact measurements for this so just pour in some olive oil and don't worry about it.

Prepping a fresh artichoke can be a little confusing the first time so I found this video on youtube to help you understand what I'm talking about--check it out if you've never done artichokes before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOtbrnEZKl4

Grilled Artichokes

Artichokes

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt

Trim the stem of the artichokes, not too far, you don't want it to fall apart. Then trim off the top of the artichoke just to open it up a bit. You just want to cut off the sharp points of the leaves. Rinse the artichokes well. Open p the artichokes a bit and drizzle in plenty of olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar in each artichoke. Toss them in a big pasta pot, cover with water, and sprinkle in spenty of salt. Boil the artichokes about an hour. You'll know to stop cooking when you pull off a leaf and the artichoke is bite-tender. Drain the artichokes and cut them in half. Scoop out the fuzzy purple "choke" in the middle with a spoon--careful not to scoop out the heart with it, that's the best part! Grill the artichokes on your outdoor grill over medium-high heat until they are getting some good grill marks. Serve with roasted garlic aioli.

Roasted Garlic Aioli
6 cloves of garlic

3/4 c. mayo

1/2 tsp lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Peel the cloves of garlic and either: A) wrap in foil and roast in the oven at 375 35 minutes OR B) roast in a frying pan with some oilve oil over medium heat turning until the cloves are brown and soft--but not burnt. Smash the roasted garlic with a fork and mix together with all other ingredients. Refrigerate until needed.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

I love mushrooms. Sauteed mushrooms, grilled, roasted, and especially stuffed mushrooms! Of all kinds really--I've never tasted a stuffed mushroom that I didn't like. I just threw this recipe together for Rob's 30th birthday because he loves appetizers and he LOOVES sausage so this was a nod to that.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

• 16 oz sausage, whichever kind you like (Breakfast sausage works great)
• 5 c. fresh spinach, chopped (or one box of chopped, frozen spinach.  Thawed and squeezed dry.)
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 block cream cheese
• salt and pepper
• 24 oz button mushrooms (3 containers)
• 1 T bread crumbs
• 1 T melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel and remove stems. Place in a 9x13'' pan. Brown the sausage and drain the fat off. Add olive oil, spinach and garlic and cook over medium high heat until the spinach is wilted and the garlic is fragrant. Cube the cream cheese and add that along with the parmesan to the sausage mixture and stir over low heat until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated. Taste and then add salt and pepper. (Careful, sausage is already salty.) Stuff the mixture into the mushroom caps. Mix together the breadcrumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the stuffed mushroom caps. Bake 30 minutes.

Apricot Brie

I love brie. I would eat it cold. I remember when Rob and I were first dating someone threw a birthday party for him and made brie with strawberry jam...I was a little skeptical, but it was so good! My friend is a Pampered Chef consultant and she had a recipe really similar to this and I just adapted it to make it a little bit easier, cheaper. It's yummy.

I usually get my brie rounds at Sam's Club or Costco for a great price. Also, there's jalapeno in this but don't be afraid it just gives a tiny kick, you can hardly taste it. If you like more spice, add more jalapeno.

Apricot Brie

1 lb brie round

1/3 cup apricot preserves

3 Tb minced jalapeno

1 baguette or other dipping options

olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together the brie and jalapeno. Slice the brie in half lengthwise. Spread half the apricot mixture on the bottom half, place the other half of the brie on top and spread the rest of the apricot mixture on the top of that. Place the brie on a baking sheet or stone and surround with baguette slices. Drizzle the baguette with olive oil. Bake 10-12 minutes or until bread is toasted and the brie is soft.

Refrigerator Pickles

So I've told you many times about the produce co-op I use. A few weeks ago I got a bunch of little pickling cucumbers that lookedl ike they came straight from someone's garden. I knew I couldn't use that many cucumbers dipping into hummus or tossed in a salad so I looked for a recipe to use them up and this is what I ended up doing. I found the base recipe on Allrecipes.com which is coincidentally my favorite recipe website.

The pickles turned out well and I felt pretty accomplished. Next--I will be sewing my children's clothes. (First I just have to learn to sew on a button.)



Refrigerator Pickles
6-7 small cucumbers (equalling 6 cups sliced cucumbers)

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. vinegar

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

a few whole peppercorns

6 cloves garlic

Slice all the cucumbers and onions and pack them tightly into jars (or one big jar as I did). Pack them super full because once the liquid is poured on they will shrink up and you'll be able to fit the lid on. Cook the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan until boiling and all of the sugar has dissolved. Pour liquid over the cucumbers. There may not be enough liquid to completely cover the pickles but that's ok, they'll shrink up. Put the lid on the container and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours...then they're ready.

Jalapeno Poppers

I never would have made this recipe because I would've been afraid of it...don't be afraid. My neighbors make this for all of our get togethers, mostly because if they didn't, the rest of us would riot. One night when I was pregnant with my daughter I ate so many of these that I didn't sleep well for two days.

They are surprisingly not very spicy (unless you're pregnant and have reflux)...but SUPER delicious.

AND very simple.

AND inexpensive. So make some for your next party, get together or barbecue. Heck we'll be sitting in the pool and Nick will serve them poolside. They go with anything.

Jalapeno Poppers

• 12-16 jalapenos
• 1 8 oz block cream cheese (more if you're super generous with the cream cheese)
• 1 package bacon OR turkey bacon

Preheat your oven to 425. Wearing gloves slice the jalapenos lengthwise down the middle and scoop out the ribs and seeds with a spoon. Make sure you wash your hands veeery well and don't touch your eyes for a while! Next using a spoon scoop cream cheese into the jalapeno halves and place on a baking sheet. Slice all of the bacon in half and wrap the bacon around the jalapenos, securing with a toothpick. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. I don't like the peppers to be mushy so don't overbake! ENJOY!

Bacon Cheddar Dip

So this is a strange story, but my in-laws made LOADS of bacon for Christmas morning and my father in-law was going to throw the pan of leftover bacon away....well, of course being the frugal person I am that would actually cause me physical pain so I took home the two full gallon-sized ziploc bags of cooked bacon and froze them in smaller baggies. All that to say, I had some bacon in the freezer I needed to use up so I invented this dip for Super Bowl using ingredients I already had on hand. Turned out really yummy and I think it would be DElish stirred into some mashed potatoes!

Bacon Cheddar Dip

1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or more if you're feeling daring)
1/2 cup mayo
6 slices bacon crisply cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, chopped

Mix everything together and either bake at 400 until hot and bubbly OR toss everything into a little dipper crockpot and turn to high until all melted and hot and then turn to keep warm for up to three hours. Serve with bread (or on top of a baked potato). Yum.

Spinach Dip

Yum. I love spinach dip. When I was pregnant with my first I craved pumpkin...and spinach dip. I ate lots of it, not even the really good stuff...the pre-made stuff at the grocery store. My friend Cindy would buy it for me every week at our small group bible study and I would eat half a baguette and half a bowl of dip.

Anyway, I digress. I have a long history with spinach dip. This recipe is super simple and based off of the recipe on the back of the vegetable soup mix. My neighbors and we inhaled this entire bowl-full at a football party a few weeks ago when the Cardinals died a slow and painful death.

Spinach Dip
1 c mayo (I used light)

2 c sour cream (light again)

1 package Knorr vegetable soup mix

1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3-4 garlic cloves, grated

2 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix everything together in a medium mixing bowl. Refrigerate at least few hours. Serve with veggies and/or bread.

Truffled Parmesan Popcorn

I thought I'd do a quick post of possible game food. Even though it's the last minute, you will probably have all of these ingredients on hand (if you obeyed me and bought the truffle oil, that is). I made this the other day because for some strange reason I was craving popcorn and my four year-old and I ate this for lunch. He scarfed just as much as I did! (I also gave him some diet orange soda to accompany the popcorn and that was a hit as well.)

Truffled Parmesan Popcorn2 Tb canola oil (or any light-colored oil)

1/4 cup popcorn seeds
2-3 Tb butter

1-2 tsp truffle oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pour the oil in a stock pot over medium heat and drop one popcorn seed in there. Put the lid on and wait for the single seed to pop. Toss in the other popcorn in the pot (it should be just enough to cover the bottom of the pot.) Cover the pot and shake it continuously as the popcorn starts popping. When you aren't hearing any pops anymore dump the popcorn into a bowl. Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave, add in the truffle oil and drizzle over the popcorn. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Yum.


 

Oven Fried Onion Rings

I saw a similar recipe on the Rachael Ray show where some guy did a segment on lowering fat/calories and these onion rings looked so good and I can NOT find the recipe on the website anywhere so I made up my own and I have to say they turned out really well. So try them, maybe even for Super Bowl tomorrow. Simple, low fat, easy. I served them with BBQ Ranch which is just what it sounds like--half bbq sauce, half ranch dressing equals delicious dipping sauce.



Oven Fried Onion Rings
1 large sweet yellow onion

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs*

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

2 egg whites

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

Slice the onion into 1/2'' slices and separate into rings. In a shallow dish pour the buttermilk and soak the onions while you're preparing everything else. Preheat the oven to 425. In a separate shallow dish or on a plate combine panko, cayenne pepper, salt, garlic and stir. In a shallow bowl beat eggs together. Put the flour on a plate. Dredge the milk-soaked onions in flour, then egg mixture, then panko mixture. Place on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Spray the tops of the onions with cooking spray. Bake at 425 10 minutes, remove from oven turn each onion over carefully and bake another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

* Panko is japanese breadcrumbs in the same aisle as regular breadcrumbs.

Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

This recipe would be a great Superbowl item. Just toss everything in the crockpot and you're set. SUPER simple. I usually would make my own meatballs, not because I'm gourmet, but because I'm cheap. But, this time I had some leftover from something else so I did this for dinner and everyone scarfed it down. Elise is one year-old and she probably ate 6-8 meatballs.


This is another one of those recipes that's kind-of embarrassing because it's so easy it's not even a real recipe. More of an idea.

Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
1 14 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup bbq sauce

1 tsp Tabasco (or more if you like it spicy)

2-3 tsp soy sauce
meatballs, precooked (enough to fill an 8x8 pan--so however many you need)

Mix the first four ingredients together in a bowl. Place meatballs in the pan and pour the sauce over. Bake at 350 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are hot and the sauce has thickened. This also works in the crockpot!