Christmas 2012

NOTE: I started this post back in January and am just not getting around to posting. Can you say LAZY!!

I realize I am a bit late on getting this posted. I am going with the excuse that January is my busiest month of the year and I'm exhausted 99.8% of the time and knew this post would be a bigger undertaking. As Christmas tradition in our household goes, on Christmas day we basically put out some appetizers and just eat all day. Not a bad tradition if I may say! We typically stick to the usuals, velveeta dip, salsa/cream cheese dip, black olive dip, cold shrimp and cocktail sauce, taco dip (anyone sense this "dip" theme here), meatballs, little wienies, and our baked pumpernickel breads. This year we shook it up and made less food (boo) and different foods (yay)! Here is the lineup:

Amped Up Goat Cheese & Asparagus Pizza

My best friend Suki lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in Minnesota. One glorious weekend I was able to get away, sans husband and child, and pay a visit to said BFF. It was glorious!! We went out to eat at nice restaurants, we slept in (me only until 8am of course), leisurely got ready, and even went dancing! Not to mention it was my bestie's 30th birthday!!!

Christmas 2011 Feast

As some of you may know, Kurt and I stay at our house on Christmas. Our parents did such a great job making Christmas so special for us as kids, we want Riglee (and any future children) to have that same Christmas morning excitement! So we literally hunker down, lock the doors, stay in our jammies, and eat all day long. Like last year, we had a feast of appetizers on Christmas day. We pretty much leave the food out all day and just eat as we please. Here is a taste of our day:

Hot Hammie Sammies

Now, what would you expect a pasta lover to eat on National Pasta Day (which was yesterday, 10/17, by the way)?!! Probably not Hot Hammie Sammies huh? I have failed as a blogger and on National Pasta Day I failed to find a recipe to make in time. It's been hectic in our household lately and I just haven't had the time I want and need to read my food blogs and scour for new recipes to try. So I used what we had on hand and made this hot little number.

Hot Hammie Sammies are pretty freaking awesome sandwiches! They are quick, easy, delicious, and can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven when you are ready to eat. The sauce is buttery and mustardy (is that even a word?) and the bun is sweet and it really is a perfect combination. Normally I make these on little hawaiian rolls and they are great as an appetizer or to eat a couple (or 3 or 4) for a main dinner sandwich. Last night I didn't have those sweet hawaiian rolls so I just made them on kaiser rolls. And, to make sure I had something pasta related, I made a boxed pasta salad to go along with it. I never said I cook fancy food, just easy and delcious meals! ;)

Next time you have a party or need an easy dinner, try these out and let me know what you thought!

Hot Hammie Sammies

Source: Tee, a friend

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 stick of butter

1.5 tbsps of yellow mustard

1 tbsp of minced onion

1/2 tsp of Worchestershire sauce

Poppy seeds

Sammies:

1 1b. ham

1 lb. swiss cheese (or about that much)

Buns or rolls (hawaiian rolls if you can find them or any small to medium sized roll that is sweeater)

Aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Once melted, add mustard, onion and Worchestershire.

2. Slice rolls in half. Spread some sauce on each side of the bun (I used a spoon and spread it around). Sprinkle poppy seeds on one or both sides of bun to your liking. 

3. Layer cheese and ham on bottom bun and replace the top bun.

4. Wrap each sammie in foil and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm!

**You can also leave them wrapped in the foil and they will stay warm for quite some time. Or you can wrap them up and put them in the freezer instead of baking them. They last about a month in the freezer before they get hit with freezer burn. When you want to bake them I just take them out of the freezer and bake them 12-15 minutes.

Tortilla Roll-Ups

A couple weeks ago I had to make an appetizer for a family gathering. I was at work and it was almost time to leave and I was heading to the grocery store after work. I was scouring my recipes online to see what appealed to me and I couldn't find an appetizer that was quick, easy and cheap. What's a girl to do?! Well, this girl asked her male co-workers. Luckily, my buddy Matt suggested these roll-ups and after a quick e-mail to his wife, I had the recipe in my hands!

I liked these tortilla roll-ups because they are actually really versatile and you can make them ahead of time and they are still very tasty. I'd like to try some additional add-ins and different flavors of cheese to mix it up a bit but it is yummy just the way the original recipe states. This is a great go-to appetizer when you are in a pinch!

Tortilla Roll-Ups
Source: Matt's wife


Ingredients:
Flour tortillas
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1 ranch packet
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped black olives
Any add-ins: jalapenos, salsa, tomatoes, beans, chicken, etc


Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Spread onto tortillas.
3. Wrap each tortilla in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. Slice and serve!