Eatables

These delicious little delights are a cinch to make in only a few minutes. When I am baking something in the oven, it’s hard to make dessert unless it requires the same oven temp. I like making these since you only use the stove (or even the microwave), and don’t disturb the rest of the food in the oven. Great little dessert to serve a large group too, just make sure you let people know there’s peanuts in it.

Prep: >5 minutes
Cool: 15 minutes
Makes: 15-17 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 2 cups chow mein noddles

Steps

1. Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. Melt butterscotch chips in a double boiler, saucepan or in the microwave. Stir until smooth (makes sure not to burn). Remove from heat and stir in nuts and noodles until coated.
3. Drop by spoonfuls of the mixture onto the waxed paper to make a tiny haystack. Let stand for ten minutes.

Change it up! You can substitute the butterscotch chips for chocolate chips. Also, you can use pecans or walnuts instead of peanuts (or use 3/4 cup peanut butter). You can even add a cup of marshmallows for a lighter taste.

I just love pasta salads. They are a great way to cheaply feed a lot of people and can have some great flavours! I made this yummy side dish for our BBQ last Sunday. This dish is easy to make and turned out to be a big hit at the party (no leftovers). It can either be served chilled or heated, delicious either way.

Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 60 minutes
Makes: about 10 cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups mezzo rigatoni or penne pasta, cooked
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 12 slices (about 1 1/2 cups) pepperoni or salami, chopped
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing

Steps

1. Toss all ingredients.
2. Pour into serving bowl, cover, and chill for at least an hour to allow flavours to blend.

Credit! This recipe is a variation of one found at Kraft Foods.

To celebrate the recently nice weather in Denver, we had a BBQ yesterday with some of our friends. It was a nice seventy degrees out, perfect for grilling and socializing. We grilled meat, had a pasta salad, and this delicious bacon ranch dip. This dip is great for parties since flavourful and easy to make. I served it with potato chips and assorted veggies.

Prep: 5 minutes
Chill: 15-60 minutes
Makes: about 2.5 cups

Ingredients

• 16 oz. sour cream
• 1 package dry ranch dressing (3 tbsp.)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup bacon bits

Steps

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Pour into serving bowl and cover.
3. Chill for at least fifteen minutes (an hour is best).

Credit! I got this recipe from the Hidden Valley Ranch website.