Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

I bought a huge jar of sundried tomatoes from Costco to make Wendy's Garlic and Sundried Tomato Pasta and needed another recipe to use them with. Then I remembered this one. This dip is good - they served it at a YW activity a while back.

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
• 10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Almond Joy Bars

Here you go Dasha, as requested. This is a recipe I got from recipezaar. I changed it a bit and would make a couple other changes too, now that I've tried the recipe. First, the filling calls for 2 cans of s.c. milk - I think that was way too much since I had to add another 1 1/2-2 cups of coconut just to make a thicker consistency that wasn't so runny. Next time, I will just add 1 can and probably keep the amount of coconut listed. Second, I left out the almonds (just because I knew my kids wouldn't eat them), but they would probably taste yummy with them. Third, I had to bake mine for closer to 30 minutes in order to get the center golden brown like the edges. Last, I used 1/2 semi-sweet and 1/2 milk chocolate chips for the topping (I thought all semi-sweet chips might be too strong). So, try this at your own risk! (But regardless of how they looked or "set-up", they were delicious . . . and dangerous because I ate waaaaay too many! :)

Ingredients
Crust
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted margarine

Filling
3 cups flaked coconut
2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups toasted almonds

Topping
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1Melt margarine,stir in sugar and graham crackers until all worked in together.
2Pat in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
3Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
4while the crust is baking, mix the sweetened condensed milk with the coconut until all the coconut is incorporated with the sweetened condensed milk.
5I usually chop the almonds up as the bars cut easier when they are chopped rather than left whole, but that is a personal choice.
6When the crust is out of the oven, spread filling over the crust. Once the filling is spread, sprinkle the toasted almonds over the filling.
7Bake the bars for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
8Once you take the bars out of the oven, I turn my oven off, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the bars and return to oven for a few minutes until the chips are melted enough to spread with a knife.
9I have found over the years that scoring the bars while the chocolate is still soft, helps when cutting the bars after they have cooled. Other wise when you cut the cooled bars, they don't seem to cut cleanly and neatly. I also cut them into tiny bite size pieces, they are very rich and by cutting them small, they go alot further.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Shortcake

1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter softened
1 egg
2 t vanilla
12 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 cup mini chips
2 cups sour cream
2 eggs 2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
Fresh Strawberries, rinsed and halved

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9 inch springform pan. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup sugar and butter. Add 1 egg and 1 t vanilla; beat until creamy. Gradually add flour and baking powder, beating until smooth; stir in 1/2 cup small chocolate chips. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. In medium bowl, stir together sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs and remaining 1 t vanilla; stir in remaining 1/2 cup small chocolate chips. Pour over mixture in pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until almost set in center and edges are lightly browned.. Cool completely on wore rack; remove side of pan. Spread whipped topping over top. Cover; refrigerate. Just before serving, arrange strawberry halves on top of cake; garnish as desired.

Blueberry Muffincake

Crumb topping:
1/4 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
3 T butter

Cake:
2 T fine, dry bread crumbs
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozed blueberries, thawed, drained
2 eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter melted, cooled
1 80z container sour cream
1 t grated orange peel

In small bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients except butter; mix well. Cut in the 3 T butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.
heat oven to 375 and grease grease spring form pan or 9 inch square pan. sprinkle with bread crumbs; set aside. lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/2 t cinnamon; mix well. Stir in blueberries. Beat eggs in medium bowl. Stir in orange juice, and 1/4 cup butter, sour cream and orange peel. Add to blueberry mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into greased pan; sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake ate 375 for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove sides of pan. Serve warm or cool.

Creamy Spinach Dip

1 pk. frozen spinach
1 container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 t celery salt
1/2 t dried dill weed
1/4 t onion salt
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 can water chestnuts, drained finely chopped
1 jar diced pimientos, drained

Cook spinach as directed on package. Cool slightly; squeeze to drain well. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, celery salt, dill and onion salt; blend well.
Stir in cooked spinach, onions, water chestnuts and pimientos. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors

Sensational Beef Stroganoff

1 pound boneless beef top round stead
2 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 t paprika
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
Hot cooked noddles

Slice beef across the grain into thin strips. In 10 inch skillet over high heat, in 1 T of butter cook half of beef and half of onion until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender; set aside Repeat with remaining butter, beef and onion. Return meat mixture to skillet. Stir in soup and 1/2 t paprika heat through, stirring occasionally. Remove fro heat Stir in sour cream. Serve over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley for Garnish.

Easy Cream Cheese Danish

2 cans crescent roll dough
2 packages cream cheese, diced
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
2 t sour cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T milk
1 T butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Line bottom of baking pan with 1 can of crescent rolls. Pinch all seams together to seal. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and sour cream. Spread filling on top of rolls. Place second can of rolls on top of filling. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar, milk and butter. After Danish has cooled, drizzle with icing.