Bird's Nest Treat

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/bird-s-nest-treats

Creamy Baked Taquitos

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheesesmall corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking sprayHeat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.  Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another.  Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Mexican Stuffed Shells
 Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning (or better yet use this Taco Seasoning!)
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce (This is a smooth, tomato based sauce found in the Mexican section)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Cilantro Verde Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 c. bottled salsa verde (we use Herdez)
• 1 (0.4 oz) packet buttermilk ranch dressing mix
• 1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 c. sour cream (you can do regular or light)
• 1/3 c. plain greek yogurt (or mayo)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• dash of tabasco

Instructions

• Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Keep refrigerated.

Carnival Cruise Chocolate Melting Cake

• 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
• 7 eggs, divided use
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 cup of flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter and cool for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix four eggs with sugar. Whisk. Then add flour and whisk. Add the remaining three eggs and add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture. Pour this entire mixture into individual ramekins. Bake until just done, about 15-20 minutes (interior will be melting). Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Pretzel Raspberry Jello

Ingredients:

6oz raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

2 cups pretzels

1/4 c sugar

1 stick butter

1 package cream cheese - softened

1 8 oz cool whip thawed

1 cup sugar

1bag frozen raspberries - thawed in fridge

Directions:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350

1. combine jello and 2 cups boiling water. Set aside to cool to room temperature

2. crush pretzels

3. melt one stick of butter and then add 1/4 c sugar. Add pretzels.

4. Lightly press pretzel mixture into a 9x13 pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350

5.  beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar

6. stir in cool whip

7. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels and go all the way to the edges of the dish to create a seal. You don’t want the jello to leak into the pretzels. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Read more at http://natashaskitchen.com/2011/04/12/raspberry-pretzel-jello/#vIBGidouL8dYDb7u.99

7. put cream cheese mixture on top of cooled pretzels and go all the way to edges to create a seal (you don't want jello on the pretzels. REFRIGERATE FOR 30 MINUTES.

8. place raspberries on top of cream filling

9. pour jello on top of raspberries and refrigerate until set.

Ingredients for Raspberry Pretzel Jello Recipe:
6 oz package Raspberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 cups pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese – softened
1 (8oz) package Cool Whip – thawed
1 cup sugar
1 bag frozen raspberries – thawed in refrigerator
Read more at http://natashaskitchen.com/2011/04/12/raspberry-pretzel-jello/#vIBGidouL8dYDb7u.99

Ingredients for Raspberry Pretzel Jello Recipe:
6 oz package Raspberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 cups pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese – softened
1 (8oz) package Cool Whip – thawed
1 cup sugar
1 bag frozen raspberries – thawed in refrigerator

Read more at http://natashaskitchen.com/2011/04/12/raspberry-pretzel-jello/#vIBGidouL8dYDb7u.99

Italian Shrimp

1 stick butter
one lemon
shrimp
dried italian seasoning

Melt a stick of butter in the pan. Slice one lemon and layer it on top of the butter. Put down fresh shrimp, then sprinkle one pack of dried italian seasoning. Put in the oven and bake at 350 for 15 min.