Little Smokies

1 bottle barbecue sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
Pepper
2 (16 oz.) packages little hot dogs


Stir together barbecue sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, onion and pepper in a separate bowl. Pour sauce over little hot dogs in the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 2 hours, or until ready to serve.

Can use toothpicks for serving.

Deviled Eggs

1 dozen jumbo eggs {hard boiled}
Equal parts of mayonnaise and mustard
2 T. diced pimentos
Pepper
Dash of salt
Dash of onion salt
Dash of garlic salt
2-3 drops of hot sauce
Paprika {for garnish}

Layered Fiesta Dip

This delicious Mexican dip is very similar to 7-Layer Dip... except for it only has 5 layers :). I like this recipe because it's quick to throw together and doesn't involve any chopping of the tomatoes, olives, and green onions like the traditional 7-layer bean dip does. This is what we snacked on this evening during our little Academy Awards family party/get together. It's pretty addicting!


1 can refried beans
guacamole
sour cream
salsa
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese {or plain cheddar cheese will work just fine too}

Heat up the refried beans for 2 minutes in the microwave. Spread them evenly in an 8x8 baking dish. Spread guacamole on top of the beans, then the sour cream, then the salsa, and top with the shredded cheese. Cover with foil and put it in the refrigerator to let it "set." Serve with tortilla chips.

Better Than *Anything* Dip

It was hard for me to get a "good" picture of this recipe, and this is the best I could do... but really, this dip is better than { ahem } anything! ;)

1 tube Jimmy Dean sausage (I like the spicy sausage)
1 28-oz. can Rotel, drained
Diced white onion
5 shakes Tabasco sauce

Cook the sausage on the stove in a skillet. Combine the sausage, cream cheese, Rotel, onion and Tabasco sauce in the crock pot. Allow the cream cheese to soften and then stir together. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring often. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Mango Salsa

My good friend Shelly made this delicious mango salsa for our dinner group appetizer Friday night. It was a hit! She got this fantastic recipe from The Food Nanny on BYUtv. Shelly served it with tortilla chips, but I think it would also be good over tostadas, vegetarian enchiladas, salmon or just about anything else. This salsa is addicting!


2 large ripe mangoes, chopped
1/4 medium red onion, minced
1/4 small red pepper, minced
1/2 small green bell pepper, minced
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 slice (1/2 inch) jalapeno chile, minced with seeds
juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl ~ enjoy!

Creamy Clam Dip

1-8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
2 6-oz. cans minced clams, reserving 3 T. liquid
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 T. onion, finely minced
1/3 c. finely chopped red bell pepper
2 T. parsley
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 t. red cayenne pepper
dash of salt & pepper


In a bowl stir softened cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve with chips, crackers or pita wedges.

Crab & Mango Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Wraps:

8 ounces cooked lump crabmeat (can also use imitation crab)
1 ripe mango, peeled, pit removed, and diced into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup diced jicama (peel, then dice)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3 green onions, white and part of the green, finely chopped
10 leaves Boston lettuce, washed and dried well (other lettuce can be substituted, but Boston lettuce works particularly well)



Orange Sesame Sauce:

2 tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup orange-flavored yogurt
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


Preparation:

Add crabmeat, mango, jicama, cilantro, and green onions to medium bowl and toss to blend well.
Fill each lettuce leaf with about 1/3 cup (or slightly heaping 1/4 cup) of crabmeat mixture.
In small bowl, whisk together lime juice, orange yogurt, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper until smooth.
Drizzle a tablespoon of the citrus sauce over the crab mixture inside each lettuce leaf and serve!


Yield:
5 appetizer servings (about 2 wraps each)

{ My younger sister, Stacie, another blonde domestic goddess. She made these wraps for my Mom's birthday dinner. They were amazing! }

Homemade Guacamole

2 soft avocados
1 fresh lime, juiced
1/2 c. finely diced onions
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper

2 tbs. sour cream

1/2 tbs. olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely diced

Cut and pit avacados. Mash with a fork in small bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Chill 30 minutes.