Tortilla Spirals ~Chile & Cheese Mexican Pinwheels ~Appetizer Recipe included

 Mexican Pinwheels

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 4 ounce can diced green chilies

1/4 cup diced red pepper

6 green onions, sliced

1 6 ounce can black olives, chopped

4-6 taco size flour tortillas

Chop, dice, and slice ingredients.

Drain the chilis thoroughly.

Combine Cream Cheese, Cheddar Cheese,

Chili’s, Green Onion, Red Pepper, and Black Olives.

Spread a generous half cup of the mixture on each tortilla.

Roll up and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Chill for one hour.

They can be made ahead and

kept in the refrigerator for up to two days.

 

Remove plastic wrap and slice each roll into 3/4 inch pieces.

Garnish with Cilantro, if desired.

Guests can serve themselves with a toothpick. Enjoy!

I had some requests for this recipe after

I posted about my Hubby’s Birthday Party.

Let me know if you make them!

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

Pizza Friday ~Addendum to my Report ~Two New Favorites ~Taco Pizza ~Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Trust me...there is a slice of pizza under those toppings.

I don’t think it gets any better than this...

combining two of our favorite foods, tacos and pizza, all in one.

I mean, there are Doritos on this pizza!

When it came out of the oven, it looked like this...

taco meat, sautéed peppers and onions, tomato slices,

black olives, and two kinds of cheese.

Fresh ingredient toppings include Romaine lettuce, tomato,

and Cilantro from our Patio Herb Garden.

I’m pretty sure we’ll make this one again!

Remember last week, after having a procedure done at the hospital,

I wasn’t really in the mood for Quarantine Cooking,

so Hubby Picked up this Take and Bake Pizza...

Chicken, Steak, Red Onion, Green Pepper, and Tomatoes.

Another Favorite was the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

that we created the week before.

There’s seasoned Ground Beef, Mushrooms, Onions, and Red Pepper.

(The Hamburger Dill Pickle Slices are optional)

This one also needed a little Sharp Cheddar

along with the Italian Blend of Cheeses.

This was so tasty.

Now, here’s a little tip...

Please learn from my mistakes!

When finishing a pizza, I like to put it under the broiler,

just long enough to lightly toast the cheese.

The first time I made the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza,

the Bacon was exposed on top and got a little too brown.

So, last time I made sure it was under a blanket of cheese.

We have also settled on a favorite crust recipe.

Remember I have experimented with several...

We prefer a thin crust, and I like to add

a teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning with the flour.

I have a Pizza Pinterest Board

if you are interested in any of these recipes.

Have a Wonderful Weekend.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

Valentine’s Weekend ~Here’s My Report ~It All Started with a Lovely Dinner Party

It was a wonderful weekend to celebrate love.

We were invited to a Dinner Party with

our Friday Night Friends.

We get together every Friday to celebrate the weekend.

We are all retired, empty nester couples...

all of our children and grandchildren live far away.

Our hostess, Wendy set a lovely table.

The red heart doilies under our salad bowls stole my heart.

Here we are...the Galentines.

We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

Wendy worked all afternoon on her Bolognase Sauce.

She kept it warm in her crockpot.

Charlotte prepared her Olive Cheese French Bread.

And Patty tossed her Salad with homemade dressing.

My assignment was dessert.

I made a Chocolate Ribbon Cheesecake

with a Strawberry Garnish.

Here’s my recipe if you are interested.

Here are our Valentines.

A gift from the heart...

There isn’t anything better than that.

This came to me in the mail this week

from my long time college friend, Debra.

I love, love, love, getting something in the mail

besides bills and junk.

“Much too good for Children”

Who else remembers this quote by Mrs. Trunchbull on Matilda?

Sending love over the miles.

Guess which card is from our grandson, Jack.

Of course, Hubby treats me like a Queen.

His coffee-themed card, a new mug, and a Starbucks gift card

came together to be the perfect Valentine.

I mean, here’s the bottom of my new mug!

So...our Valentine’s Day lives on with these chocolates.

You all remember those Crystal Candy Dishes on my table?

Hubby’s favorite candy on the left,

My favorite candy on the right,

And something for everyone in the center.

Take care,

~Natalie

Thanksgiving Week ~Tuesday’s Tip of the Day ~Try this Tasty Cheese Ball

What does one do on the day after Winterfest?

Well, they plan their Thanksgiving Menu

and gather the necessary recipes, of course.

This is the appetizer I’m preparing for Thursday.

It is so easy, you still have time to make one too.

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 green onions, sliced

1 red pepper, minced

Hot sauce, optional

Salt and Pepper

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

With electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese,

garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Worchestershire sauce.

Gently fold in green onions and red pepper.

Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar.

Season with salt and pepper and/or hot sauce.

On a sheet of plastic wrap, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.

With your hands, pat the remaining cheese

on the top and sides of the cheese ball.

Tightly wrap, adding two more layers

of plastic wrap to prevent cheese mixture from oozing.

Add rubber bands to create the pumpkin shape.

Refrigerate for four hours or overnight

to set and become firm.

To serve, cut the rubber bands and unwrap.

Garnish the top with the stem of your red pepper.

Credit for this cute idea and recipe goes to the Today Show.

I saw it first on Instagram.

Here are some Tuesday Tips:

*Since our gathering is small,

I’ll make two small pumpkins instead of one large.

That way, one will stay in the refrigerator

to serve later in the weekend.

*This year, I am going to purchase the finely shredded cheese

and use a little extra to hopefully cover the entire pumpkin.

*Using the stem of the red pepper is a genius idea.

I saved it in a little snack size storage bag

to use on the second cheese ball when I brought it

to a Friendsgiving Gathering last year.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Week.

Take care,

~Natalie

Tuesday Tip of the Day ~Saving Clipped Recipes ~Some of my Favorites

You all know that I would rather cook than bake.

I love to look at recipes...and I love to try new recipes.

This Shrimp Pasta Dish is one of our favorite go-to meals, 

when we are short on preparation time.

And this is one of our favorite 

go-to appetizers to serve in the summertime.

It is so easy to prepare that you don’t even need a recipe.

Hubby and I enjoy this Watermelon & Orange Salad, too...

Tastes like summer!

In a previous post, I showed you the new magazines 

that come into our house every month.

As you might guess, it is hard to keep up. 

But, now that I can’t do anything besides sit,

I have been going through my accumulation.

My mother was the Master of clipping and saving

recipes from newspapers and magazines.

But then you have to find a way to manage those...

When I see a recipe I want to save, I take a photo.

These Rosemary-Spice Walnuts look easy and delicious. 

I think they will be a low-carb, high protein snack 

on our tailgating table this fall.

Instead of recipe boxes or binders,

I have started a digital photo album to keep them all in one place.

No worries, I also still have have a collection

of favorite recipes on my Pinterest Page.

We have a little herb garden on our patio...

so maybe you noticed I saved several recipes

to make use of that fresh flavor.

I can’t wait to get back on my feet 

and can spend more time in the kitchen!

Take care,

~Natalie