Bisquick Sausage and Cheese balls

I know these don't look all that amazing but they are one of my favorite holiday foods.I don't miss a single Christmas without making them!

I've been eating these at Christmas time since I can remember. I'm so excited to eat them in the morning!!

YUM

BISQUICK SAUSAGE & CHEESE BALLS

1 lb ground breakfast sausage

2 cups Bisquick

2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Form into 1 inch balls. Place baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.When baking sheet is full, place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes

I've never tried eating them with any sauces but I just might try them with my ranch dressing this time. Just to be extra naughty before next week!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I will NEVER I repeat NEVER ever buy Ranch dressing from the grocery store ever again. I've always really liked Ranch but always hated the store bought bottled kind. I found this recipe and I could eat it by the spoonfuls its that good.
Its a shame I am going to start eating alot healthier in the new year because this stuff is really good.

2 c. mayo
2 c. buttermilk
1/2 Tbsp. pepper (or to taste) We really like to use fresh ground pepper, I find it adds better flavor
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. "Accent" OR "Spike" seasoning (Spike has no added MSG, the only place i've found it around here is Winco)
1 Tbps. salt
2-3 Tbsp. of sour cream if you'd like it thicker.

Mix all ingredients together well and chill for at least 2 hours.

** My notes
This makes alot unless you are having a party you might just want to half the recipe. Although buttermilk by itself freezes well, freezing the ranch after its made turns out grainy after its thawed so I do not recommend freezing the ranch.
I don't mind the ranch being runny but, some people do. I normally add sour cream to it to thicken it up and it never seems to alter the taste at all.

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies are delicious!!!!!!!!!! I really don't enjoy cookies very much. Thats why you probably won't see many recipes on here for them nor will you ever recieve many from me as a gift. I wasn't to impressed when I first made them but after they cooled they were SO good! I mean REALLY REALLY good! If you don't like Cherry then you can substitute anything such as Strawberry or even blueberry. I ran out of the cherry so I finished off the batch with jam in the middle and they still turned out great!

Check my notes at the bottom for some addition tips.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cans (20-ounce) cherry pie filling

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll the balls in graham cracker crumbs. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon measure, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Place 3 cherries in the dimple. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for five minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

I find that these cookies taste better after cooling. You can store them in the refrigarator and they are espcecially good chilled!

It is important to chill the dough so that while you are rolling the balls they stay in tact.

Don't make the balls to large or they will be difficult to eat without crumbling.

I also found the dough to be just as tasty as the actual cookie!

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

I know, its the greatest picture EVER lol but you get the idea.
On a day like today where the high didn't get past the mid 20's I really felt like eating soup! I've been wanting to try this recipe but Richard kept turning down the idea saying it didn't sound good. Tonight, I made it anyway! I love homemade chicken soup and I love anything with cream cheese so this was the perfect recipe for me!
We all really like it and So did Phoenix although it ended up everyone including my hair he seemed to really enjoy it!

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

1 pound chicken breasts (I use 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts), cooked and diced or shredded
1 onion, finely diced
1-2 Tablespoons butter
2 handfuls of baby carrots (or 4-5 reg carrots, sliced small)
4-5 potatoes, finely diced (if you don't like alot of potatoes in your soup i'd use maybe 2 because with 4-5 it ends up being more like a chicken cream cheese potato soup)
1 cup milk
4 Tablespoons flour
1 8oz cream cheese (you can also use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese to make it healthier!), softened at room temperature

Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add 3 cups of chicken broth (homemade, from the can or use water seasoned yourself with bouillon or soup base) carrots, and potatoes. Add more broth to cover vegetables, if needed. Bring to a boil, then simmer until veggies are tender (about ten minutes). When veggies are tender, mix the flour with the milk and add to the soup. Add cream cheese to soup little pieces at a time and stir until it is all melted. Add cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. You may need more salt depending on what kind of chicken broth you used.

Fruit Salsa with cinnamon chips

I begin to miss summer alot around this time of year. So, heres in honor of summer and its speedy return.
I complain about the cold way to much, I guess one of these days I move to a state where it isn't cold more than it is warm!

Ingredients
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray (instead ot this I like to melt butter or margarine and use a baster to put it on the chips
2 cups cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture

Zesty Crock Pot Chicken

This meal is one of our family favorites. Neither Richard or I ever get sick of it and I make it atleast once every couple weeks because we just love it. We normally serve it over Rice pilaf and it is SOOOO GOOD and its the best for leftovers the next day!
Ingredients:
4-6 frozen chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup margarine
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)**
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Combine chicken, broth, margarine and dressing mix in crock pot and cook on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours. Chicken should shred into small pieces.
Add remaining ingredients and cook on high for another half an hour. Add milk or heavy cream to thin the sauce if it’s too thick. Serve over noodles or rice.
We usually serve it over Rice Pilaf!!!!!

Instead of using the Italian dressing mix I use these things together and I think it turns out much better!!
2-3 tsp. Montreal Chicken seasoning (if you don't have this, you can mix together a little salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper together.. and maybe even a dash red pepper flakes)
1-2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp. oregano ***I don't like Oregano so I never use it!
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

TRY it its so good!