Best Peach Sangria

Recipe Courtesy of allrecipes.com

Prep Time  10 minutes
Total Time  10 minutes
Serves 6-8

Ok, so it's February but where I live, it feels more like April. 
So, I was inspired to post one of my favorite summer beverage recipes.  Be careful - it packs quite a punch!

Ingredients

1 bottle dry white wine (pick one that you would normally drink by itself)
3/4 cup peach flavored vodka
6 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 bag frozen peaches, sliced
3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved

1. In a large pitcher, combine dry white wine, peach vodka, lemonade concentrate and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add sliced peaches, red and green grapes.
2. Refrigerate sangria until well chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight to blend flavors. Serve over ice, and use a slotted spoon to include sliced peaches and grapes with each serving.

Beef Bulgogi

Recipe Courtesy of allrecipes.com
(modified slightly)

Prep Time  10 minutes
Total Time  45 minutes
Serves 6

"Marinate beef steaks in this a sweet sauce of soy, sugar, garlic, and sesame and grill. Roll up in red leaf lettuce with rice and hot pepper paste for a real Korean-style treat."

I've tried Beef Bulgogi in several restaurants before and have always liked it.  This recipe is the closest I've found to being authentic.  Came together quickly and kid approved! 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced thin
1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons & 2 1/4 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 green pepper, sliced thin
1 red pepper, sliced thin

Directions:
Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Place meat and marinade in skillet, on high heat.  Brown meat.

Add peppers and continue cooking until tender.

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars

Recipe Courtesy of Land of Lakes

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Makes 24 bars

In honor of Valentines Day, I'm posting my very favorite cookie recipe.  There is nothing better than chocolate and raspberry together!

Photo Courtesy of Nestle.com

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (12-ounce) package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (We recommend NESTLÈ® TOLL HOUSE® Morsels)

1 1/4 cups (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat butter in large mixer bowl at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 minute). Add flour, brown sugar and salt. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).

Press about 1 1/2 cups mixture onto bottom of lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan with floured hands. Reserve remaining mixture.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in small heavy saucepan combine 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (3 to 5 minutes). Spread over hot, partially baked crust.

Stir chopped nuts into remaining crumb mixture; sprinkle over bars. Drop scant teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over chocolate and crumb mixture; sprinkle with remaining morsels. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is light golden brown and center is set.

Cool completely on wire rack (at least 1 hour). Cut into bars

Oriental Pork Soup

Recipe Courtesy of  Betty Crocker

Prep Time  15 minutes
Total Time  Low 7 -9 hours
                  High 3-4 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound chow mein meat (if you can't find it, use ground beef, turkey or meatloaf mix)
2 medium carrots, cut into julienne strips (1 cup)
4 medium green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces (1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can (49 1/2 oz) ready-to-serve chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup bean sprouts

Cook meat in skillet over medium high heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Drain.

Mix meat and remaining ingredients except mushrooms and bean sprouts in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7-9 hours or high heat setting for 3-4 hours.

Stir in mushrooms and bean sprouts.

Cover and cook on low heat setting about 1 hour or until mushrooms are tender.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Recipe Courtesy of co-worker

Prep Time  10 minutes
Total Time  30 minutes
Serves 10-12

One of my co-workers brought this to a potluck luncheon and had a line at her desk of people wanting this recipe.  It's yummy!

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter (softened)

1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese (softened)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

⅓ cup brown sugar

½ cup confectioner's sugar

¾ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Mix butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar until both are dissolved and mixture is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips with a spoon. 

Let chill until firm. Sprinkle nuts, chocolate chips or toffee bits on top before serving (optional). Serve with graham crackers, ginger snaps or vanilla wafers.

Refrigerate until about 20 minutes before serving.  Allow dip to soften up at room temperature so it will be a soft consistency when you’re ready to serve.

Artichoke Crostini

Recipe Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

Prep Time   30 minutes
Total Time  30 minutes
Serves 16

We had a family get together this past weekend and my mom brought this "oldie but goodie".  I thought it was worth sharing!

Ingredients:

1 sourdough baguette
2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes (I prefer Roma tomatoes)
1 can (14 oz) water packed artichoke hearts (rinsed, drained and chopped)
1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cut the baguette into 32 slices. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; spritz bread with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 7-10 minutes or until crisp. Cool on a wire rack. 

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, artichokes, basil, oil, seasoned salt and pepper. Spoon onto bread slices. Yield: 32 appetizers.

Pizza Pouches

Recipe Courtesy of www.epicurious.com

Prep Time  15 minutes
Total Time  40 minutes
Serves 6-8

*Recipe modified slightly

1 roll Pillsbury Pizza Crust (not thin crust)

6 tablespoons fresh or jarred marinara sauce

Any cooked meat or veggie toppings of your choice 

6 tablespoons shredded mozzarella

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

1 egg

1 teaspoon milk (any fat content)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Roll the dough out about ¼ inch thick. Cut it into eighths (2 will be left over).

Grease a 6-cup muffin tin. Line each cup with a piece of dough, letting the excess hang over the sides.

Fill each with 1 tablespoon of sauce and meat and/or veggies of your choice. Divide the cheeses equally among the cups. Gather each bit of excess dough up around the filling, pinching it together at the top.

Whisk the egg with the milk to make a wash. Brush it onto each pouch.

Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo

Recipe Courtesy of Food Network, Robin Miller

Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo

Prep Time  20 minutes
Total Time  6 hours 20 minutes
Serves 6

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 (10-ounce) package frozen okra, thawed

2 links andouille sausage, diced

1 cup chopped onions

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups reduced-sodium tomato juice

2 cups cooked rice

Directions

In a slow-cooker, combine the chicken and all remaining ingredients except the rice. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve over rice.