Guacamole

Ingredients:
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of Pico de Gallo
3-4 avocados

Slice avocados in half. Remove the pit - but don't toss it!

Scoop out "meat" of the avocados onto a plate. Mash with a fork or potato masher.


Add pico de gallo to mashed avocados.


Stir. Wa-la!Place the pits in the guacamole to keep it from browning quickly.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
5 plum (Roma) tomatoes (firm, not soft)
1/2 large or 1 small onion
3-5 jalapeno peppers
garlic
cilantro
lime juice
salt

Depending on the size of the veggies you may need to increase something or use less of another...

Slice jalapeno the long way about 4 or 5 times. Then chop into fine pieces. Place into a large mixing bowl.
Slice Roma tomatoes in half the long way.

Then slice the halves into smaller long sections.

Then chop the tomato the short way to dice the tomatoes.

Add tomatoes to the jalapenos.

Give them a quick stir.

Chop 1/2 an onion. I used a purple onion for a bit more flavor. Whatever you have on hand will do.
Add the onion to the tomato mixture and toss. Chop cilantro - tons of it, I used 1/2 of the grouping that I got at the store. Chop off the stems and just use the leaves. Add cilantro, garlic and 1/2 squeezed lime juice to tomato mixture and stir.

Add salt to taste. If you are a fan of Chipotle's "fresh tomato mixture" keep adding salt... eventually it will taste just like it!


Yum-o! Now go to my guacamole recipe and have a fiesta.

Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies, crushed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 package white almond bark
1 package chocolate almond bark

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together. I used a hand held mixer but watch out for flying oreos!

Roll into walnut size balls or use a medium or small scoop. Chill for an hour in freezer.

Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark. Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark. Allow to harden on wax paper. Takes about 15 min. (I did this the other way around because I had more chocolate on hand vs. white almond bark.)

While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
1/4 cup Light Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing
1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
sugar to taste
Paprika for garnish

Add eggs to a pot of warm water, bring to a boil with cover on. If you forget to add the eggs before the boil they may pop - still usable just a bad sound! You may also want to make one or two more eggs just in case on of the whites splits and to test to make sure the yolk is hard.

Once the water has started to boil remove pot from heat. Leave cover on for 15 minuets. After 15 minuets rinse eggs under cold water so that you do not get a gray/green exterior of the yolk.

Peel each egg and remove the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork.

Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Fill the empty egg whites with the mixture. Using The Pampered Chef Easy Accent® Decorator makes the presentation of the eggs so much better!

Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving or use The Pampered Chef Chillzanne® Rectangle Server to serve... works wonders with it's freezable tray!

Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels


Preheat oven to 375° F.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In larger bowl, preferably one with a mixing stand, beat until creamy: butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by using Pampered Chef large scoop onto stoneware - I used both my large round stone and also my large bar pan.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks to cool completely.

Note: The cookies on the right are flipped, showing the bottom of the cookies. Gosh I love Stoneware. I get the same results with every cookie, not a single one burnt!

Pan Cookie Variation: Grease 15 x 10-inch large barpan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

Slice and Bake Cookie Variation:
Prepare dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

For High Altitude Baking (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

My notes: Best thing about this is that the recipe is on the back of every package of Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chips - the recipe is in the store!

Fudgy Brownie Trifle

Ingredients:
1 package (1lb 2.3oz) Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or crystals
2 eggs
1 box (4-serving size) chocolate fudge instant pudding and pie filling mix
2 cups cold milk
1 bag (8 oz) toffee bits
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water, coffee granules and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan, I used my medium bar pan from Pampered Chef.

Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Cut brownies into 1-inch squares. Place half of the squares in bottom of trifel bowl. Make pudding mix as directed on box for pudding, using milk. Pour half of the pudding over brownies in bowl. Top with half each of the toffee bits and whipped topping. Repeat with remaining brownies, pudding, toffee bits and whipped topping.

Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Nutrition Information
1 Serving: Calories 300 (Calories from Fat 140); Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 230mg; Total Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 28g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Do-Ahead Tip
This chocolate pleaser can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. You also can bake the brownies and freeze them tightly covered up to 2 months.

Special Touch
This fabulous crowd-pleasing dessert is extra-special when garnished with chocolate curls or chocolate leaves.

I even made Jerome a mini trifle.



View the original recipe from Betty Crocker here.