Marnie's Delectible Vegetable Ranch Dip

This is a recipe I received from a friend and former neighbor, and it is absolutely scrumptious.  She brought it to a party we were at, and I seriously wanted to sneak and just eat it with a spoon. 

I owe Marnie huge for allowing me to share this recipe, and I know you will want to join my "Marnie Fan Club" after you try this!

MARNIE'S VEGETABLE DIP

1 (16 oz.) container cottage cheese

2 c. mayo

1 c. sour cream

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (dry)

3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

(or 1 Tbsp. dry parsley flakes)
fresh ground pepper to taste (optional)

1 tsp. garlic powder, divided

In a large mixing bowl combine the cottage cheese, mayo, sour cream, dressing mix, parsley, ground pepper and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. 
Using an electric hand mixer, beat until creamy and well incorporated.
Chill 8 hours or overnight to let the seasonings meld.
Before serving, add the remaining 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (optional) and enjoy!!!!

This is a FANTASTIC recipe! It makes a large amount of dip for bigger gatherings, and if you have any left over, try it as a topping on your baked potato.  You will die from the deliciousness.

THANKS MARNIE!

Quick and Simple Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse

I love this recipe.  It's delicious layered in parfait glasses with fresh sliced strawberries or banana's.  Try freezing it in small cups with a Popsicle stick for a fabulous frozen treat!

The simplicity of this dish is one of my favorite things, and with only 4 ingredients you just can't lose.  This is also a great go to recipe for last minute guests.

Quick and Simple Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse 

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

1 (3.4 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 c. cold milk

1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

In a medium mixing bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
In a second mixing bowl combine the pudding mix and milk. Mix until powder is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.  Set aside for 3-4 minutes.
Add the pudding mix to the beaten cream cheese and again mix everything until it is well incorporated.  
Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.
Pour into glasses, ramekins, or other serving dishes and chill until the mousse is set (2-3 hours).
Divide the remaining whipped topping among each serving and enjoy!

If you are making frozen treats, omit the remaining whipped topping and save for another use.

Try making this recipe with vanilla pudding mix, cheesecake pudding mix, Oreo pudding or whatever flavor you think will be delish!

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

I rarely try drink recipes because I'm not a punch lover. Diet Coke, coffee and water- those are for me.
However, I needed a good punch recipe for a birthday party I was hosting, and I found this one on Pinterest.  It was simple, with just a few ingredients, and fast to throw together... works for me!
My kids and the husband all like lemonade, so I knew that it would be a good choice, and they LOVED it.  I mean LOVED it.  Every person at the party who tried it, loved it.  Lots of recipe requests.  I was proud.

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

1 c. Country Time Lemonade Mix (or similar mix)
2 c. cold water
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice, chilled
2 liter bottle of Sprite (or similar soda), chilled
Sliced lemons for garnish (optional)

In a large mixing bowl combine the 1st 3 ingredients and mix until the lemonade powder is dissolved.  Chill well.
Pour into a punch bowl or drink dispenser, add the Sprite, and watch it disappear!

I doubled this recipe for the party, and it still ended up disappearing before the get together broke up.  It was a happy punch bunch!  A couple of people also mentioned that it would make a fabulous base for "Hard Lemonade".  Hmmmmmm.

(I tried to get some pics, but it was gone too quickly, but you get the idea)

Original recipe link:  Kraft Recipes

Cheesy Ham Roll-up Appetizers

This is a quick and simple recipe for your "in a pinch" recipe collection. You can't go wrong with these and they are fun to change up just by adding different seasonings!

CHEESY HAM ROLL-UP APPETIZERS

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened

8 slices packaged ham (rectangular shape)

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

In a medium size mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until it's smooth and creamy.  Add the salt and garlic powder and mix in.  Stir in the shredded cheese.

On a a sheet of aluminum wrap, lay out 1 piece of ham.  Spread some of the cheese filling on it, almost to the edges, but leaving about 1/2 inch of ham on one end without any mix.
Starting from the end of the ham that has cheese spread on it, roll the ham up.  As you roll, the cheese mix slides toward the end, so by the end of rolling there will be a thin layer of cheese to finish off the roll and "seal" the end and that will keep it from unraveling when you cut the roll into pieces. 

Chill for several hours until the cream cheese has firmed back up, slice into equal size portions and enjoy!

I like to serve a mustard dip with these appetizers, and I have the perfect recipe on the blog.  Check it out. Sweet Mustard Dip and Sauce.

I like to add some zing to the mustard when I serve these ham appetizers, so I usually add about 1/4 tsp.-1/3 tsp. minced horseradish.

I also trim the ends off on the rolls so that each slice is pretty.