Melon Salad with Prosciutto

We made this on Father's Day - it was fantastic!!!!

2 C sliced seeded watermelon
2 C sliced seeded honeydew melon
1/3 C very thinly vertically sliced red onion
2 ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T honey
4 C Arugula or Baby Spinach
1/4 C torn fresh mint leaves (optional)
3 oz. prosciutto, very thinly sliced and pulled into pieces
1/2 ounce Romano cheese, shaved.

Combine first 5 ingredients.
Sprinkle with salt.
Combine juice, oil, and honey, stirring well.
Drizzle dressing mixture over fruit mixture; toss gently.
Arrange Arugula or Spinach on a platter - or you can do individual plates.
Top with fruit mixture, then Prosciutto, then cheese.

*You can add one VERY small minced serrano pepper to the fruit mixture, but it makes it VERY hot.

Open-Faced Pimento Cheese BLT's

Put a new twist on the ole BLT!

2 T bottled diced pimentos - drained
1 T grated peeled shallots - minced (I just white onion)
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 C sharp cheddar cheese - grated
1/3 C Parmesan cheese - grated
4 sliced sourdough bread - toasted
Tomato slices
4 thick (center-cut) bacon slices - cooked and halved
Arugula or Spinach leaves

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.
Spread 3 T cheese mixture on each bread slice.
Top each with 2 - 3 tomato slices.
Top each sandwich with 2 bacon halves and 1/4 Arugula or Spinach.

Perfect for a hot summer day and perfect for those sun ripened tomatoes!  I broiled the bacon in the oven for ease an quick clean-up  :0)

Baked Potato Soup (Crockpot)

Ingredients:
- 5lbs Russet Potatoes, washed but NOT peeled. Diced into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 10 cloves of garlic (you can use whole, crushed, or minced)
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 16 oz cream cheese (I used 8oz regular and 8oz lowfat)
- 1 TBS seasoned salt or all-purpose seasoning

Garnishes:
- Crumbled bacon
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onions

Directions:
- Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning and chicken stock to slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
- Remove and puree the garlic cloves (if you used whole cloves) along with 1/2 to 1/3rd of the soup.  -Return 1/2 of the pureed soup to the crockpot.  Add the cream cheese to remaining soup in the blend until well incorporated.
- Stir in the cream cheese and allow to melt. Stir every 10-15 minutes until soup is well blended.
- Top with your choice of garnishes & serve!

Yields about 10-12 servings.

Cranberry Cilantro Cream Cheese Dip

This is delicious!  These flavors all blend INCREDIBLE together.  My new favorite.  Thanks again to Jamie at Jamie Cooks It Up  :)

1  12 oz package fresh cranberries

1/4 C green onion, chopped

1/4 C cilantro, chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper

1 1/4 C sugar

1/4 t cumin

2 T lemon juice

dash salt

2  8 oz packages cream cheese

1.  Put your cranberries in a food processor.
2.  Chop the green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Omit the seeds of the jalapeno if you don't want the heat.
3.  Add all the ingredients EXCEPT THE CREAM CHEESE into a bowl.  Mix well.  Cover and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours.  (If you don't give the sugar time to make friends with the cranberries, it will taste bitter!)
4.  When you are ready to serve, place your room temperature cream cheese on a plate and spread it around nicely and evenly.
5.  Pour cranberry mixture over cream cheese and spread evenly.
6.  Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.
 

Creamy Ranch Bacon Chicken (Crockpot)

Easy breezy.....beautiful!  Love this for a Manic Monday Meal!!!!

4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
2 - 3 T bacon bits/pieces
1 tsp minced garlic
1 C sour cream
Pasta/Rice

Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot.  In separate bowl, combine soup, sour cream, garlic, dressing mix, and bacon bits.  Mix well.  Pour over top of chicken.  Cook on high 4 hours.  Remove chicken and shred or cube and place back in pot.  Serve over cooked pasta or rice.

Apple Pie Caramel Apples

Twice a year we treat ourselves to yummy Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apples.  Our favorite?  You guessed it.....the Apple Pie Caramel Apple.  Why only twice a year?  Since they are a little pricey, we treat ourselves to one every LDS General Conference (April and October).  But then I decided, if I could figure out how to make them myself, then I could have them all year round!!!  So let me introduce  you to the most heavenly taste around!  I give you...the Apple Pie Caramel Apple!

Caramel
6 - 8 Granny Smith Apples
2 pkg Kraft Caramels (14 oz size)
2 T milk

White Chocolate

2 pkgs Nestle White Chocolate Chips
2 tsp Shortening

Cinnamon Sugar
1 c Sugar
3 tsp Cinnamon

1.  Boil a pot of water.
2.  Quickly dip apples in boiling water.  This removes the waxy film that is on the apples.  Dry them thoroughly.
3.  Place apples on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Place in fridge to cool 15 minutes.
4.  Place caramel and milk in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring often until caramels are completely melted.
5.  Dip apples in caramel.  Twirl the apple around a few times.  Hold it over the bowl and let it drip for a minute until the caramel settles.  Place back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet.
6.  When all apples are dipped, place back in the fridge.
7.  Place white chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate is melted, stirring often.  DO NOT get chocolate too hot.
8.  Add shortening to chocolate when it's completely melted and stir until incorporated.
9.  Mix sugar and cinnamon in a regular cereal bowl.  Make sure the cinnamon is mixed in well.
10.  Roll apples in chocolate and let them drip above the bowl for a minute.
11.  Roll in cinnamon sugar and place back on cookie sheet.
12.  Place back in fridge for 15 minutes or so until chocolate hardens.  I keep them in the fridge as they will start to "wilt" if they get too warm.

Enjoy~

Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili

For my favorite vegetarians!  You KNOW who you are!  :)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 jalapenos seeded and minced
2 14.5 oz cans of diced fire roasted tomatoes
4 15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
salt and pepper
heat oil in large skillet, cook onions and garlic until tender, add peppers and cook until crisp tender, transfer to slow cooker and add remaining ingredients except for the squash. mix well. arrange squash over the chili, cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours season with salt and pepper serve with cornbread…so good