7-Layer Dip

Here's a simple and delicious go-to recipe, great for get-togethers and watching winter sports.

7-Layer Dip
Candice Sue Patterson

Ingredients
1 cup Mexican-style cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1- 16oz can of refried beans
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and mashed
lime juice
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 large onion, diced
6 tomatoes, diced
Salt


Make the pico de gallo by mixing tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze approximately 2 tbsp of lime juice over the mixture. Sprinkle with salt. Stir it all together and set aside.

Add the mashed avocado to a separate bowl.

In another bowl, mix the taco seasoning with the refried beans. Spread the bean mixture in a flat layer on a platter or deep dish. Spread on a layer of guacamole (mashed avocados), then a layer of sour cream. Sprinkle on the cheese. Spoon on the pico de gallo. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top.

Feel free to play around with this recipe by adding more ingredients you love, like corn or black olives.

Farmhouse Corn Chowder

This is my go-to recipe when my family needs something warm and filling in their bellies on a cold night. I apologize that the accompanying picture doesn't do this delicious soup justice. Try it out. It's sure to become one of your favorites too.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices of bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 to 5 ears of corn, or a 10oz, bag of frozen corn

1 lb. small potatoes, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. paprika

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 quart chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

*If I need to cut my prep-time, I'll use frozen and chopped veggies from the grocery store (onion, corn, square potatoes, and bell pepper).


Click to Tweet: Farmhouse Corn Chowder #recipe. Warm and filling on a cold night!


Recipe
Heat the olive oil in a medium stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the hot oil and cook until crisp at the edges. Add the onions, corn, potatoes, and bell pepper as you get them chopped. Add the bay leaf and paprika. Stir and cook 7-8 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Sprinkle the flour around the pot, and stir and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the stock and bring it up to a bubble. When it thickens up a bit, stir in the milk and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper or hot sauce. Great paired with a fresh, crispy bread such as French bread or sourdough.

Fudgy Autumn Brownies

September is here! The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. Here's a quick and easy dessert to take along to your next fall cookout or to enjoy with a cup of coffee and a good book.


Fudgy Autumn Brownies

1-1/3 cups unsalted butter, room temp
2-2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup baking cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

confectioner's sugar (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Spread into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is dry and the center is set. Serve warm with ice cream or cool completely and dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

DIY: Fire Starters

I'm adding something new to my blog--DIY (do it yourself) projects.
One thing I can't stand is waste. Call it ridiculous or OCD, but I can't stand to see something go to waste whether it's food, the last bit of hand soap in the pump, whatever. I'm always trying to figure out ways to make things last, reduce waste, and save money. As I create projects around my home, I'll be sharing them with you.

Image courtesy of
franky242/freedigitalphotos.net

Today's project: Fire Starters
What you'll be recycling: egg cartons, newspapers, and leftover candle wax

This time of year we start planning ahead for winter. One thing that's always on our list is gathering firewood. There's nothing greater than a warm fire on a cold night. Except a cup of coffee and a good book while you sit by it. But at times the logs don't want to cooperate by catching easily. No one wants to spend an hour trying to get the fire going. I started making these fire starters a couple years ago and they work great. No more time and matches wasted here. These starters do all the work.




Keep in mind, the finished product isn't the most attractive thing, but it works. Another plus? There's finally a purpose for the last inch of candle wax in the jar.


Materials:
Leftover candle wax
Cardboard egg carton (do not use foam cartons)
Newspaper (or cotton balls)

Step #1: Cut the lid and side tab off of the egg carton. Place newspaper or paper towels underneath the carton to catch any spilled wax.
Step #2: Carefully melt the leftover candle wax in the jar on LOW heat. You can use a jar warmer (looks like a tiny crock pot) or warm over a burner.




Step #3: Cut strips of newspaper into two-inch strips, approx. 10 inches long.







Step #4: Wad each strip of newspaper and place one in each hole of the egg carton. (If using cotton balls, skip to step 5.)



Step #5: When all of the wax in the jar is melted, carefully pour the hot wax over each wad of newspaper, filling each hole half-full. You may need to use a potholder if the jar is too hot to hold with your bare hand. (If using cotton balls, place one cotton ball in each wax pool, making sure to leave half of the cotton ball above the wax.) Some of the wax may leak through the bottom of the egg carton, and that's okay.

Step #6: Let the wax dry and cool completely.










Step #7: Cut the individual starters apart using a hobby knife or a pair of good, sharp scissors.






To use, arrange the firewood/kindling as normal. Place one fire starter strategically with the kindling. Light a corner of the fire starter. The flame will catch and continually burn the wax, catching the kindling and logs on fire. Best of all, the scented wax fills the space with a great smell!

To further reduce waste, clean out any remaining wax from the candle jar, wash thoroughly, and plant flowers or herbs in the jar. I try to coordinate the plant with the picture on the jar. For example, if the picture on the candle jar is an outdoor scene, I'll plant herbs or small fern in the jar. If the picture contains fruit or flowers, I'll plant flowers with like colors.

Holiday Cakes

Countdown to Christmas--10 days left!

In Bright Copper Kettles, Darcy Carr lives next door to a bakery where the air always smells like Grandma's kitchen and entices her sweet tooth. One of the hobbies I enjoy outside of writing is cake design. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I thought I'd share some of the holiday cakes I've designed over the last few winters.

My Holly Wreath Cake

My Pine Branches Cake

My Winter Snowman Cake

For great holiday recipes, visit my baking and cake design blog by clicking here!



 

Vermont Maple Oatmeal Pie Recipe

Countdown to Christmas--21 days left!

In Bright Copper Kettles, Darcy Carr brings Dean Whitfield a piece of his favorite pie--Vermont Maple Oatmeal Pie--as a peace offering to their budding friendship. Today, I'd like to share this delicious recipe with you!



Ingredients:

1 sheet refrigerated pie crust
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
vanilla ice cream (optional)


Instructions:

Unroll pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate; ruffle edges.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the oats, syrups, butter and vanilla; pour into the crust. Sprinkle with coconut.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until set. Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a pie shield the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with ice cream if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.


This pie is fantastic by itself or served with a scoop of ice cream and a cup of coffee.






Bright Copper Kettles is now Available!
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