Game Night

Tonight, we had some friends over and we just wanted to have appetizers. You know, easy finger foods that weren't too messy. Most of the food we had just came from the supermarket, but I did make some spiced pecans. They didn't turn out so great at first, but after baking them for a few minutes, they were perfect!

Spiced Pecans:
4 cups pecan halves
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine sugar, water, and spices in a saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
3. Add pecans and vanilla extract.
4. Cook until syrup is absorbed and pecans are cooked, stirring constantly. (this takes a while)
5. Spread pecans on a greased baking sheet.
6. Add baking sheet into the oven at 350 degrees until the syrup has cooked away (20-30 min)

A Manly Cheeseball

Is there such a thing as a manly cheeseball? If so, this might be it. You use dried beef and green onions, and the taste is amazing. Normally, we use Ritz or some type of club cracker. Today, we happened to have Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits. They are really good with this cheeseball, so I would recommend these. Because of the colors (green onions and the dried beef is red), this ball would be perfect for holiday parties!

Dried Beef, Green Onion Cheeseball:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

4 green onions, chopped

1 jar dried beef

Directions:
1. Chop up onions and dried beef into tiny pieces

2. Use your hand and mix all ingredients together until well incorporated

3. Roll into a ball and enjoy

A Whole Lotta Bean Dip

Have you noticed that most of our food doesn't photograph too well. At first, I thought it was our camera, but now I realize that much of our food is brown. It's fine, and tastes great, but not so pretty sometimes.

We spent Sunday with our friend Sharla and she made her famous bean dip....and she made a lot of it. This recipe is great for a party or a really hungry family.


Sharla's Bean Dip:
1 package taco seasoning
1 8oz container of sour cream
2 cans beans
1 16 oz. package shredded cheddar cheese

Mix everything together in a baking dish
Bake 30-45 minutes or until bubbly and warm