Roasted Tomato Salsa

I love making salsa, even more I love eating salsa. I've been known to say (before I was married) that if chips and salsa were a man, I'd marry it!! Add a Diet Coke in the mix, well that's just heaven!!!

I couldn't wait any longer for my tomatoes in my garden so I had to pick up some at the store. You can definitely taste the difference with home grown vs. store bought. Nevertheless, it still turned out really tasty.

I lined the broiler with foil and roasted them until they were black on top.

Then flipped them over to get charred on the bottom

I added the jalapeno to cook for about 15 minutes or charred. Let tomatoes cool in a bowl.

I usually char the tomatoes on the grill but I didn't want to mess with that. It turns out I like using the broiler so much better.

I don't follow a recipe - every time it seems to be different. Everything is to be added to your taste and your liking.

• Tomatoes charred
• Fresh tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Jalapeno (charred - with seeds taken out)
• Onion
• if needed, a can of diced tomatoes (I like the ones with onion and garlic)
• garlic salt (optional)

I use the blender because I like my salsa soupy - I don't like the mess with chunks.

• I chop up the garlic and onion first
• mix in the jalapeno (slice open and remove the seeds)
• mix in the charred tomatoes (with the juices that are in the bowl)
• chop and drop the fresh tomatoes

Taste : )

• add the cilantro

Taste : )

• if needed add the can of tomatoes

Taste : )

• add whatever your little heart desires until you want to marry it.

Monkey Bread

I've seen it on other blogs but never imagined it to be such yummy, gooey, oooey, goodness. I saw this recipe yesterday and knew I wanted to make it!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan.
2. In large plastic food-storage bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.
3. Mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
4. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

This is definitely not a healthy treat.... but an oh so good one.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

For my son's book report this month his teacher wanted them to make something (following directions, learning measurements, etc.). He found this recipe and we made them the other night.

He got all the ingredients together.

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped (we didn't have any peanut butter cups so we used Hershey Kisses)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Cowbow Oatmeal Cookies

I am giddy any chance I get to use my new toy I got for Christmas. She's so pretty.

I wasn't particularly in the mood for these cookies but I had oatmeal and I had butterscotch chips. Put that combination into the trusty allrecipe ingredient search and this recipe popped up.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream margarine, oil, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients until well blended. Mix in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Let set up on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

I cut back a bit on the chips because they are just too too sweet. To be honest I wish I would have cut back more or even left them out and added an extra cup of oatmeal (based on a review from allrecipes.)

The cookies turned out really good and very pretty. But just too sweet for me. J came in to sneek a hot one, I didn't say anything waiting for the "mmmmm, these are good" - instead he smiled and made a little face.... I never knew he didn't like butterscotch until last night. ooops!

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Source: Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats

I found these on a wonderful cooking blog and wanted to make them as soon as I saw the pictures.

2 cups Bisquick mix

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/4 cup butter - melted

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Combine first 3 ingredients until moist. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden.
While the biscuits are baking, mix melted butter, parsley and garlic.
Pour over hot biscuits and serve.

These were so yummy. I will definitely make them again.

Vegetable Dip

Vegetable Dip

4 – 8-oz pkgs Philly cream cheese
1 – 8-oz carton sour cream
1 cup real mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I use 2)
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 – 4-oz can chopped green chilis
1 tsp each garlic salt, onion salt, savor salt
5 pieces bacon and crumble on top (I use more bacon)

Great with crackers!

White Trash Snack Mix

**Warning - this is highly addictive**

I love the name of this recipe. I made this for Christmas and it was a huge hit. Very easy and a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

3 cup Cheerios®

3 cup corn Chex

3 cup rice Crispex®

2 cup pretzel sticks (broken)

2 cup peanuts OR cashews

2 - 12 oz. bag vanilla baking chips / white chocolate chips

2 Tbls. vegetable oil OR peanut oil

Combine cereal, pretzels, and nuts in bowl; set aside.-Melt vanilla chips in the microwave or in the top of a heated double boiler.-Stir oil into melted vanilla chips.-Pour vanilla mixture over dry mixture and stir to coat.-Press onto waxed paper and allow to cool overnight.-Break up into pieces before serving.