Easy Cheesecake Berry Parfaits

These parfaits are ready to eat in under five minutes, and can be easily made low-fat. Enjoy! My rating: 4 out of 5.

Cheesecake Berry Parfaits

8oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1 3.4 oz pkg vanilla pudding mix
1 cup Cool Whip
Nilla Wafers or graham crackers
seasonal berries

Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and microwave for 20 seconds to soften.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add milk gradually, while beating. Add dry pudding mix and continue beating for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip.

Break Nilla wafers or graham crackers into small pieces.

In a small glass or bowl, layer cookie crumbs, pudding mixture, and then berries. Repeat layers if space allows.

Top with additional Cool Whip.

Soft Pretzels

These pretzels are absolutely delicious! When you bake them your whole house will smell like the pretzel shops you walk past at the mall. Kosher salt is sold at most grocery stores and has bigger grains than table salt. My rating: 5 out of 5.

Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup warm milk
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups bread flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp butter, softened

10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda

1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp water
kosher salt

Combine water, milk, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Add flour and butter. Stir until well-combined.

Knead for 5-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Put dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap that has also been sprayed.

Let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Put water and baking soda in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil.

While water is heating up, divide dough into eight sections.

Roll each section into a "snake" that is about 12" long. Let dough sit for five minutes.

Now roll the dough into a longer "snake" of about 18". Form the dough into a pretzel shape.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease them).

Put each pretzel individually into the pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula and place on a baking sheet. Put four pretzels per sheet.

Beat egg yolk with 2 Tbsp water. Brush over the top of the prezels. Add salt.

Bake at 450 for 13-14 minutes. Check on the pretzels after 9 minutes and top with a sheet of aluminum foil if they are getting overly browned.

Cannellini Bean Spread with Pita Chips

I'm convinced that this is the best all-around recipe I've ever tried. I'm willing to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything else. The bean spread is good hot and cold. My rating: 5 out of 5.

Cannellini Bean Spread

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 roma tomatoes, diced
15.5 oz can cannellini beans
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in a medium pot until hot. While it is heating up, peel the garlic cloves and then grate them using the small end of a cheese grater. Add garlic to oil. Stir. Add tomatoes.

Drain beans and rinse twice using cold water. Add beans to pot. Add salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Stir in parsley.

Pour the entire mixture into a blender and pulse very lightly.

Cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pita Chips

1 pkg pita bread
cooking spray
salt

Cut each piece of pita bread into 8 pieces using a pizza cutter.

Spread evenly on a baking sheet.

Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle salt on top.

Bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes.

Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing

This is a clone of that fabulous Ranch-style dressing they have at places such as Cafe Rio and Bajio. Pair it with tortilla chips, romaine lettuce, canned corn, canned black beans, chopped tomatoes, and chicken for a delicious salad. My rating: 5 out of 5.

Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup La Costena green salsa

Put dressing mix, mayonnaise, and buttermilk in the blender. Juice the lime into the blender. Peel the garlic cloves and then grate them using the small end of a cheese grater. Add to the blender. Add cilantro and green salsa.

Blend until everything is well-combined and then refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Sausage & Stars Appetizers

If you're looking for an elegant or gourmet appetizer, this isn't the one for you. It is quick, easy, and kid-friendly though! My rating: 4 out of 5.

Sausage & Stars Appetizers

1 lb italian sausage
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 egg

1/4 cup apricot jam
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dijon mustard

Remove puff pastry from freezer and place it on your countertop so it can thaw.

Remove casing from sausage. Divide sausage into approximately 25 round balls. Flatten balls slightly. Cook on the stove for 2-3 minutes per side. You don't want to cook it all the way through--just get the outside browned.

Break egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Brush beaten egg over the top of the puff pastry. Use a small cookie cutter and cut out 25 stars (or a shape of your choosing) from the puff pastry.

Put sausage balls on a cookie sheet. Top each one with a puff pastry star. Put a toothpick through the middle of each one.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Whisk together jam, mayonnaise, and dijon mustard to use as the dipping sauce.

Grandpa's Chex Mix

This Chex Mix recipe comes from my Grandpa, and it really is the best Chex Mix I've ever had. It has a great smoky garlic flavor that isn't overpowering. This one takes longer than the recipes on the Chex box but it's definitely worth the extra time. My rating: 5 out of 5.

Grandpa's Chex Mix

1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Tbsp Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 cups Rice Chex
4 cups Corn Chex
4 cups Wheat Chex
4 cups Cheerios
8 oz spanish peanuts
6 oz pretzel sticks

Combine cereals, peanuts, and pretzels in a large bowl and set aside.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until butter is melted. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture and stir well.

Cook at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and cook for an additional 40 minutes--stirring after 20 minutes.

This tastes best if allowed to age for at least two days before eating, but it rarely lasts that long.