Fried Pickle Ranch Dip

 I love a good pickle dip!  I made this Fried Pickle Ranch Dip for a recent teacher gathering and we ate almost every bite.  My hubby finished it off when I got home.  This dip is easy and has lots of flavor.  We ate it so fast ....I didn't get a picture.  I plan to make it again this weekend and I will snap a picture.  I got the recipe from Lolo Home Kitchen.  

I keep a container of Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch Dressing mix at the house - I just used this.  It wasn't very spicy but had a ton of flavor. 

Fried Pickle Ranch Dip - adapted from Lolo Home Kitchen

1 block cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 packet (1 ounce) powder Ranch dressing mix (I used spicy Ranch)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 small jar (10 oz) of dill pickle relish

1/2 cup Panko crumbs (I used gluten free and they were great)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sour cream, ranch mix, garlic and relish.  Mix well.  In a small skillet, heat the oil on medium high heat.  Add the panic crumbs and stir continuously until they are golden brown. Add most of the toasted Panko to the pickle mixture and stir to combine.  Pour into a cute dish and top with remaining Panko. Store in refrigerator. Serve with veggies, potato chips or pretzel chips. 

Half-Baked Harvest 20 minute Korean Beef Sesame Noodles

 If you are on social media, you should totally follow Half-Baked Harvest.  She lives in Colorado and just makes amazing food, drinks, etc.  I always like to do new and creative recipes with HBH. 

For this recipe, this was the first time I used rice noodles and a Korean chili paste.  I found both at the regular grocery store.  Over the winter, Chris and I enjoyed cooking some of the meal kits together - like Green Chef, Marley Spoon, Blue Apron, etc.  We did this meal together too. 

Please visit Tieghan over at Half-Baked Harvest.  She has SO many recipes and everything I have tried has been fabulous. I am going to send you over to HBH for the recipe.  The only thing I did differently is I used chicken instead of flank steak.  I followed everything else...  pretty much to the T.  

Enjoy - 20 Minute Korean Beef Sesame Noodles

Sundried Tomato/Spinach Dairy Free Frittata

 I have been trying to eat less dairy lately.  I should try dairy free.. but that is so hard.  I have also been eating more protein and starting my day with a savory breakfast.  I have made this Diary Free Frittata like three times.  You could add meat and you could even add cheese.  It has a ton of flavor with the sun-dried tomatoes so I have been eating it as is.  I love having a breakfast on hand to eat during the week.  

Dairy Free Frittata (adapted from Ashley at Cook Nourish Bliss)

For the Veggies:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1  5 oz pkg fresh baby spinach leaves

1/3 - 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, patted dry and chopped to taste (I used at least 1/2 cup and I didn't really pat dry)

For the Egg base:

12 large eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion, bell pepper and salt and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Working in batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted.  Remove from heat and add the sun-dried tomatoes, mix and season as needed. 

In a medium-large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt/pepper until well combined and smooth. Sspread the veggie mixture in the bottom of your prepared 9 x 13 and gently pour the egg mixture on top.  Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until eggs are cooked through and are "set".  Remove from oven and let cook for 10 minutes before digging in. If you run a butter knife gently around the edge, the egg slab will releaser easier from the pan. 

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Butter Toffee Pretzels

I always like having a Snack Mix on hand.  I often make the Firecrackers or World's Best Snack Mix.  I made the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Popcorn Snack Mix recently and I was remember how much I love it. 

My friend Susan is a great cook.  We are always texting each other back and forth about a new recipe!  She sent me a text last week about these pretzels.  We don't have any family in town but I made it anyway - to share with friends and my preschool teachers.  Way yummy!

These Butter Toffee Pretzels from Baking You Happier are yummy!!

 Butter Toffee Pretzels - adapted from Jamie at Baking You Happier

1  16 oz bag of mini pretzels

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 bag of Heath toffee bits

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Spray a large metal roasting pan with cooking spray. Pour pretzels in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, add brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda, stirring to combine. Pour mixture over pretzels and gently toss to coat.  Pour 1/2 the bag of toffee bits over pretzel mixture.  Stir gently.  

Bake for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Once baked, remove mixture from oven and sprinkle the other half of toffee mixture and gently toss.  Allow pretzels to set and cool. Once set and cooled, break into small clusters. 

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