Yummy!

If you ask Craig what was the best part of the past three days, he would say the food. And I would have to agree! I cooked up a storm for Christmas and wanted to post some recipes here:
A few treats:


Pretzel Hugs (Becky Higgins)
1 bag pretzels
1 pkg. M&Ms
1 pkg. Hershey "Hugs"
Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Hug on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Hugs to melt). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving. At room temperature, this takes SEVERAL hours. I would recommend making these the day before you plan on eating/delivering. Or you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Never Fail Sugar Cookies (Kim Nelson)
1 cup margarine (I used butter and it worked just perfect :)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder

Cream together margarine and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder. No need to chill. Roll dough out and cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will not look browned. Let cool, frost, and enjoy :)

Hot Artichoke and Crab Dip (Pampered Chef)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed (or a dash ofgarlic salt)
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) imitation crabmeat, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
3/4 cups grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/3 c thinly sliced green onions with tops (can be omitted)
1 tsp. lemon zest (or I just used a tsp. lemon juice)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese and mayo; mix well and add pressed garlic. Chop artichokes and crabmeat. Grate parmesan cheese. Slice green onions and zest lemon. Add artichokes, crabmeat, parmesan cheese, green onions, lemon zest/juice and black pepper to bowl. Mix well. Spoon micture into small pyrex dish or deep dish baker (pampered chef). Add a little extra parmesan cheese to top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Sprinkle with red pepper and additional green onions.

Breakfast Casserole (Debbie Ohlson)
3 eggs (beaten)
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. season all
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter
24 oz. shredded hashbrowns
1 cup swiss cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
Set oven at 375 degrees. Bake hashbrowns with butter for approx. 20 mins. Mix remaining ingredients and pour everything else on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes (middle should be firm when you jiggle it.)

Cafe Rio Recipes (A favorite restaurant in Utah)

Pulled Pork
2.5 - 4 lbs. pork (any cut)
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder wrights liquid smoke (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Cut pork into large cubes and place in slow cooker. Season with powders, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, until meat is well done. Remove from cooker and drain. Shred meat and place in a bowl. Make sauce and add back to pulled pork and heat through. Serve
Sauce
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. tabasco
1/2 cup ketchup
4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. mustard
1 oz. dark chocolate
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
broth from pork
2 dash worcestershire sauce
5 tsp. chili powder
pepper to taste

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
1- 7 oz. can Salsa Verde (Herdez brand)
4 to 5 fresh tomatillos, chopped
1 1/2 packets hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1-2 jalapenos (usually seeded, but can leave seeds in to vary hotness)
1 Tbsp. sugar
juice of 1 lime
handful or cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. If desired, flavor with more cilantro, salt, and pepper

Rice
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups minute rice
handful of chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
garlic powder

Bring broth, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic powder, to a boil. Add rice and cover until done. You can use 'real' rice if desired just vary your broth to amount of rice and add remaining ingredients.

I also heat up black beans and add some garlic and onion powder. With a pinch of cumin and a dash of tabasco. I have the real black bean recipe, but it wasn't very successful for me when I tried it two years ago, so I just used the canned beans and add some seasoning.

When you serve Cafe Rio style. Heat up your tortilla, layer pork, beans, rice, and grated cheese. Add tomatillo dressing to the top and enjoy!