I haven’t participated in this meme in a long time! BUT I found this yummy dip recipe and thought it would be perfect to share for fif!

8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

16 oz. sour cream

8 oz. blue cheese dressing

1/2 c. buffalo wing sauce

2 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken (like the rotisserie chickens…)

8 oz. provolone cheese

baby carrots, celery, crackers, etc.

Mix cc, sc, salad dressing, and wing sauce well, stir in chicken and provolone cheese. Cover and bake 350 for 30 min. Serve warm with veggies and/or crackers. yum!

For more great recipes, visit Overwhelmed.

This is what I plan to make for Valentine’s Day… I think Amanda wants to make some for Lorenzo too!

4 squares BAKER’S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup coarsely chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

1 cup ready-to-spread vanilla frosting

1/4 cup multi-colored sprinkles

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and walnuts until well blended. Spread batter into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan.

LIFT brownies from pan onto cutting board, using foil handles. Cut into heart shapes using 2-inch cookie cutter. Reserve scraps for snacking or other use. (See Tip.) Decorate heart cutouts with the frosting and sprinkles.

Remember I mentioned the stained glass Jana sent me for my birthday? It came in November or October.

I keep forgetting to post pics… plus Izzy’s stander has been parked in front of it since I hung it. BUT I rearranged things the other day so there was a clear shot of the window to show you!

It’s in the den, and it’s hanging in a window I look at while blogging and while feeding Izzy.

Here is Emelia being Vanna… she loves to be in pictures!

And a closer shot. It’s hard to get a picture that shows how the light comes through… but you get the idea.

Strombolli
1 loaf frozen bread dough
2 eggs, seperated
1 TBSP parmesean cheese
1 TBSP parsley
1/2 TBSP garlic powder(I’ll press a few cloves of garlic)
1 TBSP oregano
1/2 TBSP pepper
approximately 2 TBSP olive
1/2 lb cooked Italian sausage OR pepperoni
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (I use 2 small cans)
Oil frozen bread dough and defrost 3-4 hours, per package instructions. Roll out with hands to 1/4 inch thickness. Mix egg yolks, seasonings and spread on dough. Top with meat, mushrooms, and cheese. Roll lengthwise & shape into a horseshoe shape. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet. Brush with egg whites. Bake at 350′ for 30 minutes. Slice into 1″ pieces. Serve with hot pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce.

Visit ‘overwhelmed with joy‘ for more favorite ingredient friday recipes!

I posted this recipe recently, but it is a great and delicious quick and easy meal!
Nancy mentioned that the egg mixture is a lot! I think you could make three pies instead of two with the ingredients listed. Eat one, freeze two!

2 pie crusts (I used frozen)
2 cups cubed chicken
2 packets of taco seasoning
2/3 c. salsa
2 c. cheddar cheese (I forgot to buy this but had a block of sharp cheddar I grated)
8 eggs
2 c. half and half
2 T butter
1/2 c. sliced olives
4 oz. can chopped green chilis

I sauted my chicken breasts in the butter, covered with the first packet of taco seasoning and added just a little water so it wasn’t dry. I let it cook and cut it into small pieces with my spatula. Mix the eggs with the cream and then stir in the chilis and olives.
Bake the pie crusts 8 minutes and then pat them to flatten them back out.
Put the chicken in the bottom of each pie crust, followed by the cheese, and then 1/3 c. salsa in each and pour the egg mixture over the top.
Bake at 400 for 35 minutes. (I turned it down to 375 and then cooked it for another 10 minutes. Be sure and get the deep shell pie crusts because they are really full.

2 Pie Crusts (your own or purchased), unbaked
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. thyme (I used mrs. dash herb and garlic & rosemary too)
¼ tsp. pepper
1 c. chicken broth
¼ c. milk (I used heavy cream)
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 ½ cups vegetables (I used fresh potatoes and baby carrots, frozen peas)
Dash of minced onion

Preheat oven to 425. Line pie plate with one crust. Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat and stir in flour, salt, thyme, and pepper. Cook until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for one minute. Stir in chicken and veggies. Pout into pie crust. Top with the second pie crust. Seal edges, cut fancy slits for airing. Bake on cookie sheet 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. There was enough filling for two pies to I used phyllo dough, I have a pan for really big muffins, I layed out and buttered the phyllo, cut it in half (about six layers) and then layed it in the muffin tin, put a big spoon of the filling and twisted the top. These were so wonderful!!! Matt liked the regular pie version best, but I thought the phyllo made it more special! and they were pretty too!

Guess where I’m going in a little while??? To Cheesecake Factory, courtesy of my brother! Yea. I’ve never been there before. I hope the cheerios I just ate for breakfast haven’t spoiled my appetite… or maybe it would be good if they did.
Several people made mention of those baskets on my fridge. I put those there a year or two ago and each has a purpose. The first basket holds 100 calorie snack bags and low fat snacks. The second hold junk food or candy. The third is for chips that will be used for the weeks recipes or are left from the last recipe. Behind the baskets I hide put away my styrofoam cups I’m so fond of.
I can’t tell you what a lift all your comments were yesterday. It reminds me of the fibers of a rope, when bound together they gain strength. I feel strong knowing I’m bound with such a wonderful group of Christian ladies. Thank you.

Now, on to FIF! This week is freezer edition. To see others or sign up click on the button below. It is perfect timing for freezer food since I got a new freezer. When I was shopping for the fridge I noticed a small freezer online that got rave reviews for it’s size (small) but, more for the amount of stuff it will hold. It was really cheap inexpensive! It isn’t hooked up yet. I have to do a pantry clean out and reorganization first (help Marcia :o)… but, it will be wonderful and there are so many neat recipes I will make and freeze now!

Here’s what I’m making today:

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Izzy’s teachers seemed to really be touched by the keychains and notes. Niecie cried, but that’s Niecie :o). Izzy brought home a book of pictures chronicling her year in school. I have looked at those sweet pics so many times in the last 24 hours! She had a great year and we are so blessed. She is an absolute doll. Well, today I am going to lunch at the German place I mentioned in my restaurant post. My (OLDER) brother Mike is taking me! So I’ll be back later to tell you how perfect my schnitzel was!

Go over to Overwhelmed with Joy’s blog to see more recipes on fif!

Wraps…

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 1/2-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (4 1/4-ounce) can chopped olives
1 cup (4-ounce) shredded pepper jack cheese
2 tablespoons salsa, plus salsa for dipping, optional
1/2 cup green onion tops, sliced
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 packages flour tortillasIn a large bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy. Then add sour cream, green chiles, olives, pepper jack cheese, salsa, and onion tops. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer. Stir in spinach. Spread mixture evenly over the surface of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas tightly and cut each tortilla crosswise into 6 slices. Skewer each wrap with a wooden toothpick. Serve immediately or chill. Serve with salsa for dipping, if desired.

Broccoli Salad…

1 c Mayonnaise	2 1/2 lb Broccoli (or 2 big bunches)
1/2 c Sugar	1 c Shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 c Vinegar	1/2 lb Bacon, crisp fried and

Directions
Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar and set aside. Cut broccoli into florets and combine in large bowl with cheese and bacon. Toss with mayonnaise dressing. Cover and chill overnight before serving.

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 c. flour
3/4 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Cream butter, sugar and cocoa together, add eggs, vanilla, salt & then flour. Bake at 325 for 2o minutes or until done.

I also sometimes mix together:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 c. sugar

dollop on top of brownie mixture and take a knife to marble it throughout the brownies.

When Matt and I first started dating, he mentioned he loved his grandmother’s cream cheese brownies… so I thought that’s easy enough. I made brownies adding some cream cheese, pretty proud of myself. He took one look at them and knew they were wrong. I later talked to his grandmother about her brownies and she told me how she made them (I was only 16 for goodness sakes)… Anyway, the brownie recipe is from my mom although she says she has no recollection of giving it to me but it is good in a pinch when there isn’t any mixes on hand and I need to make something sweet fast!

I also realize I posted yesterday that I was going to start this weight challenge (ugh), but just because I am posting this recipe for you, my friends, doesn’t mean I’m making them myself… not today anyway.

You can go to Overwhelmed With Joy! to see more FIF recipes!

6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
8 eggs
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced ham
1 cup grated Cheddar
Salt and pepperPreheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter 4 muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and garlic. On a cutting board, stack 3 phyllo sheets and cut into fourths, forming 12 squares. Cover phyllo with a damp paper towel when not in use because it dries out quickly. Press 1 phyllo square (one sheet thick) into bottom of each muffin cup. (Don’t worry if phyllo tears) Brush with butter. Add another layer of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat a third time. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove phyllo baskets from muffin cups and cool on wire rack. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add 1 tablespoon water. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet and add eggs. Sprinkle ham over eggs. Scramble eggs to desired doneness. Sprinkle in cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and spoon into phyllo baskets.

Visit Overwhelmed for more favorite breakfast recipes.