Tomato and Green Olive Salsa

This is a recipe I have come to love.  I saw this recipe on the Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals on the Food Network several years ago.  I prefer the pimento green olives over the regular pitted green olives.  The TV episode showed this salsa served over a piece of grilled fish which I tried and was great.  But thought, this makes a great salsa just by itself.  I really like it with butter flavored crackers. 

It also makes a great salad just by keeping it on the chunky side (not finely diced) and instead of the plum tomatoes, you could use small tomatoes (cherry, pear, grape, or heirloom grape tomatoes) and just halve them.  I don't know about you, but I prefer the smaller tomatoes over plum or other tomatoes unless you can get them actually vine ripened (and not those ones that are on the vine in the grocery store).  Once you have had an actual vine ripened tomato, you will never eat another grocery store tomato again. 

Tami's Po Jo Potatoes

Maybe you have a Shakey's Pizza Parlor near you, or maybe you don't.  We had one nearby about 25 years ago but something happened to the chain of restaurants.  I searched the internet and found that they are making a comeback but only in large metropolis areas.  (Aberdeen, Washington does NOT fit this description).  A few years ago, I had a serious craving for Shakey's MoJo Potatoes that they used to serve.  I looked at different recipes on the web but the people that were posting the clone recipes were saying that it tasted just like Shakey's MoJo Potatoes but didn't come close to what I remembered.  I started doubting if my tastebud memory was correct.  After a lot of experimenting, I came up with this recipe and without a side by side comparison, I think this is the closest. 

Babycakes Mini Donut Maker - Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The Babycakes Mini Donut Maker is not just for making donuts!  If you have this machine, you must try this.

Dust off your bread machine that you put away in the closet.  You will need this to make these delicious morsels.

Babycakes Garlic Bread Poppers



Lasagna roll with garlic bread poppers

Still experimenting with savory appetizers with my Babycakes Cake Pop Maker.  I had a tube of Garlic and Herb Bread Sticks in the refrigerator.  I thought to myself, why not.  I bet the garlic breadsticks would be perfect in the cake pop maker in making garlic bread balls.

 

Cheesecake Mini Wraps

 


          I was watching Guy Fieri on the Food Channel Network quite a while ago and he had made something called Chinese Cheesecake.  I fell in love with this idea of making a fried cheesecake roll.  I made it his way following the instructions and using the egg roll wrappers.  They turned out ok but I felt I could do better and didn't care for the size of the egg roll wrappers.  After a bit of experimenting I came up with this method and version.

Babycakes Ham and Cheese Puffs

I experimented with the Babycakes Cake Pop maker trying to cook my Ham and Cheese Puffs in the cooker.  They turned out crispier than cooked in the oven.  For all of the steps on how the make these, just click on the Ham and Cheese Puffs link above.


Babycakes Surprise Popper

I have been experimenting again with my Babycakes Cake Pop Maker.  I love it and highly recommend it for you people who like snacks and who entertain.  This Babycakes Suprise Popper has a chocolate middle (surprise!).

Oriental Chicken Salad

I love this salad!  I make it all of the time, it's the perfect summer dinner.  I have had other versions of this salad, but this one by far is the best.  This is great for leftover rotisserie chicken.  As they say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

Red Velvet Cake and Cheesecake in One - Directions

In the earlier post about the Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake, I didn't have pictures except the final.  Here are the steps: 



Cutting parchment paper to fit a round pan

I know, how easy, just put the pan on a piece of parchment paper and trace around it.  This is just as easy for me.  I always insert a parchment paper bottom for cheesecakes with crust or without crust and always leave a little extra up the sides for easy removal from the springform pan.  I have it broken into a step by step instructional.  It looks like a lot of steps, but when you do this for yourself, it will also be easy to you.

Better Than Fried Jalapeno Poppers

 

I am a sucker for jalapeno poppers.  LOVE THEM!  A few years ago I came across a recipe that had baked jalapenos topped with bacon and tried them.  They were ok but I thought that the filling needed more flavor.  I experimented with ranch flavoring and came up with the perfect blend.  Since this is the beginning of barbecue season, you could also make these up and cook them on a grill, but suggest cooking on a disposable foil cookie sheet.  If you want to use regular bacon, dice up bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy and drain.  I find that it is easier to use the bacon crumbles and the bacon is less fatty.  Make sure you use gloves when handling the raw peppers.  I included a link for the Uncle Dan's Ranch Dressing, I think it is a product that is available only in the Northwest region of the United States.  Hidden Valley dry ranch dressing seasoning is a national brand and can be used, but the outcome will not be the same.  Uncle Dan's does not have the buttermilk in it so the seasoning is stronger than Hidden Valley.  These are easy to make and not a lot of ingredients - I hope you give them a try.

Babycakes Pizza Poppers

I used to makes pizza pancakes for small gathering.  I would make the pancakes up and cut them into triangles (pizza wedges) and serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.  I was excited when I got the Babycakes cake pop maker - I had this recipe in mind as well as others.  Just because it says it is a cake pop maker doesn't mean that you have to cook cake in it.

Babycakes Cake Pop Maker and Mini Donut Maker

Experiment - Refrigerator Cinnamon Rolls

Mini Donut Maker

Mini Donut Maker - Take roll and cut 1/3 of outer layer off.

Place in mini donut maker, close lid and cook about 4 mins.

Remove from cooker and get ready for icing.

Cake Pop Maker

Cake Pop Maker - cut into 1/3 and kind of press the loose
ends together to prevent coming apart.

Place into cooker and cook about 4 mins.

Remove from cooker and prepare for icing.

Ready to eat. 

Cooking the mini donuts leave the middles closed.  You can either break them out or take advantage of the small well for icing or maybe a thick pie filling such as custard or use as a fruit cup, strawberry shortcake, etc.  You could probably do the same with refrigerator biscuits savory or sweet.  How about cornbread with chili poured over top.  Hmmmm....thinking of more ideas.  Stay tuned.....

Ham and Cheese Puffs

These are a family favorite.  It is on my most requested lists for parties.  This batch makes about 20-24 puffs so I usually quadruple the recipe.  They go quick!