Blackberry Fauxjito

One of my favorite drinks back before I was a full-time breeder/nurser was a mojito. In fact, every time I smell fresh mint, I am instantly transported back to our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta where I lay by the ocean and sipped a continuous stream of refreshing Mojitos. Yum. I was looking for ways to use up some blackberries when I ran across this recipe and I couldn't resist! This was delicious, and was almost as good as a real one. :)

Ingredients

1/4 c blackberries

6 large mint leaves or equivalent smaller

2 teaspoons sugar

juice from 1/2 lime

crushed ice, enough to fill glass 3/4 full

lime sparkling water

Directions

Muddle blackberries, mint leaves, sugar & lime juice in a glass. Add crushed ice. Pour sparkling water over ice, stir a bit, and serve!

Source

SlashFood and CD Kitchen

Crab Fondue

The theme this month for my cooking club was fondue. I was afraid everyone would be bringing a sweet dish, so I decided to try a savory one. This was pretty good, but it tasted a bit tangy. I think I put too much lemon in it, and also I probably should have used regular mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip. I think with these changes it would be fantastic.

Ingredients
18 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 c white wine
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
3/4lb lump crab meat, fresh or canned
1/4 c chives, chopped
day old french bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
pears, sliced

Directions
Mix all ingredients and place in an electric fondue pot or double broiler on medium-low heat, except bread and pears. Stir continuously until everything is melted and well combined. Serve with bread and pear slices.

Notes
I don't have a double broiler, so I boiled water in a saucepan, and placed the ingredients in a metal bowl placed over the boiling water.

Source
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Strawberry Banana Bites

I woke up yesterday morning and realized that every single skillet in my house was dirty. Iusually make scrambled eggs for Michaela's breakfast, but ever since we got our new dishwasher, I try as hard as possible not to wash dishes by hand. I immediately thought of this recipe, and whipped up a quick batch. I made some "normal" ones, then added some pureed strawberries to the batter to make these Strawberry Banana versions. I imagine this would be delicious with any type of pancake batter. These are so yummy and easy to make. The banana caramelizes a bit and they are the perfect size for little hands. Michaela couldn't put them down!

Ingredients

pancake mix, boxed or homemade

strawberries, pureed

bananas, sliced

syrup (optional)

Directions

Prepare pancake batter as normal, exept replace 1/2 liquid with pureed strawberries. Pour pancake batter onto hot greased griddle about the size of a banana slice. Put a banana slice on top, then cover with more batter, flipping when bubbles start to appear. Alternately, you could coat the banana slices in batter, then cook on griddle. You could serve with syrup, but they were pretty sweet as is, so I didn't bother.

Source

Adapted from Weelicious

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs

Loosen your belts folks and forget about the word "cholesterol" until after you've prepared this meal. Sure, this may be a heart attack waiting to happen, but isn't cheese wrapped in meat, wrapped in meat worth it? This is a very rough recipe, because it is so adaptable to your particular tastes. For mine I used cheddar cheese w/ bbq sauce & pepperjack cheese w/ leftovers from a roast.

Ingredients

Hot dogs

cheese, cut in long thin strips

bacon

filling or sauce of your choice

Directions

Slice a hot dog open and add your cheese & filling. Wrap with uncooked bacon tightly, but not so tight as to break when it cooks and shrinks. If necessary, hold the bacon in place with toothpicks. Cook on the grill or bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Source

Inspired by Simply Recipes