Freakin' Awesome Jalapeno Poppers

This recipe is SUPER simple, yet yields AMAZING results! It does, however, take some patience, but with only 3 ingredients, how can you go wrong?

 I always ask Brian to rate my food on a 5-point scale. The majority of my recipes get a 3-4 point rating (He's a tough critic!). These god a 4.5-5 point rating!! Needless to say, these are worth the time they take!

P.S. Recipe cred goes to my dear friend, Carrie! She made these for one of our "Bachelor Mondays" and we practically inhaled them then too!

Freakin' Awesome Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

* Fresh Jalapenos (As many as you want)

* Cream cheese (I use low-fat, and the amount depends on how many jalapenos you use)

* Turkey Bacon

Directions:

1. Cut jalapenos and remove all seeds and ribs. *MAKE SURE to wear gloves! The juices will burn your hands!*

2. Fill each half with desired amount of cream cheese.

3. Using a full slice of bacon, carefully wrap each pepper.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 20-30 minutes. Keep in mind, the longer they cook, the more mild they get.

5. ENJOY!

Blackberry Sangria

I LOVE all sangrias, but have been dying to try a blackberry sangria! I finally found a recipe that I was willing to try, and it was worth it!! 

Blackberry Sangria

Ingredients:

* 1 cup sugar

* 1 1/2 cup water

* 1.5 liter Red Rose

* 1.5 liter Merlot

* 2 cups Blackberry Brandy

* 1 orange

* 1 lemon

* 1 lime

* 2 cups blackberry

Directions:

1. Make simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to med/high heat just until all of the sugar dissolves. Set aside until syrup cools.

2. In a large punch bowl combine wine and brandy. Squeeze orange and lemon and add peel to sangria. Squeeze lime, but throw away rind. Pour in blackberries.

3. Add simple syrup and let sit overnight.

4. Just before serving pour Sprite (or 7up Ten, Sprite zero, etc.)

*I made an ice ring with lemonade to melt in. It ended up being too sweet, so to balance it out, I added more wine and it was fine.

Corn on the Cob and Smoky Lime Butter

On this rainy 4th of July I had to improvise when it came to some of the food I had planned to cook on the grill. Corn on the Cob was one of these casualties, but after I found a 'Magic Pot' recipe, all was well with the world! I combined this with a Smoky Cilantro Lime Butter recipe and it was SO GOOD! 

Corn on the Cob in the Magic Pot

Ingredients:

6-8 ears of corn with the husks

Directions:

1. Remove all husks, reserving the tender husks near the actual cob.

2. Cut off the stems of each cobs and run under cool water.

3. Line the bottom of the magic pot with the tender husks.

4. Place corn carefully in  pot, then top with other tender husks.

5. Add 1/4 cup water and cover.

6. Microwave 8-10 minutes.

7. Voila!!

Want to top it with some good butter sauce??

Smoky Lime Butter

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup butter or margarine

* 1 lime

* 1-2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

* 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1/2 tsp. red pepper

* 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Melt butter.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

3. Serve with warm corn. 

Grandma's Lemon Pie

This pie is ALWAYS a favorite! Even Brian, who doesn't generally like any dessert involving fruit, loves this pie! For our 4th of July Cook-in on this rainy day, I thought I would whip one of these up! Of course I had to use some lighter alternatives, though Grandma would probably kill me if she knew, so I listed both sets of ingredients.

Ingredients:

Crust:

* 1 sleeve of graham crackers from the box

* 2 Tbsp. Sugar

* 1/2 stick of butter, melted (I used ~1/3 cup of Light Margarine)

Pie Filling:

* 1 box of instant lemon pudding

* 2 cups of whole milk (I used 2%)

* 1 block of cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)

Directions:

1. Crush graham crackers either in a blender or ziploc bag.

2. Add 2T. sugar and melted butter.

3. Mix well, then press 3/4 of the crumbs into pie pan. (reserve remaining crumbs for topping)

4. Mix all filling ingredients well with a mixer until filling has a smooth consistency.

5. Carefully pour filling into prepared graham cracker crust.

6. Top with remaining crumbs.

7. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

8. Enjoy!