Snack Attack!

My friend Amber introduced me to this seasoning technique for crackers and pretzels and it's so easy that I don't think I'll eat a plain bag of pretzels ever again! My measurements were to scale for the size bag of pretzels I used - adjust as necessary.

Ranch Pretzels
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

9-oz. bag pretzels
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-oz. packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dips
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2. Place the pretzels in a gallon-size ziploc bag. Add the oil, seal the bag and toss to coat. Add the dry ingredients to the bag, seal and toss again until all of the pretzels are coated.

3. Spread the pretzels out on a large baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the oil has absorbed into the pretzels. Cool and store in an airtight container.

A Taste of Greece

Hummus is a traditional dip or spread that consists of mashed/pureed chickpeas and in its original form, tahini (a paste made of ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, and garlic. A popular way to serve hummus is as a dip with pita chips or cut up vegetables. It can also be slathered on flatbread or used as a spread on a veggie sandwich.

There are countless variations to classic hummus and I came across one that included roasted red peppers in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine. Nick had asked me once before to try to replicate a roasted red pepper hummus that he had eaten while traveling in New Mexico. That attempt failed miserably! When I saw this recipe, I decided to give it another shot and tried to adapt the recipe to suit our tastes. This one worked and we'll definitely be keeping this recipe!


Red Pepper Hummus (adapted from a Cooking Light version)

1/2 red bell pepper
2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, quartered
1 T. olive oil

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place one pepper half, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel.

3. Place bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, slowly adding olive oil until desired consistency.

Who's a Cheese Ball?

My sister needed a recipe for a cheese ball to take to a shower this weekend so I gave her the recipe out of the What's Cooking Appetizers Collection cookbook. She said that it got rave reviews! And she even took a picture :)


Cheese Ball Spread

**Courtesy of my awesome sister, Lauren!

8 oz. whipped cream cheese
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. meunster cheese
10 pimento olives, finely chopped
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. worchestershire sauce

Preparation:

1. In medium bowl add all ingredients and blend well. You might want to use your bare hands. Mold into ball or log.

2. You can roll in chopped nuts, paprika or shredded cheese.

3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and serve with crackers.

Source: What's Cooking Appetizers Collection cookbook