Getting Ready for 4th of July Festivities - Jello Parfaits, Licorice Bundles, Hot Cheese Sticks & Crack-tastic Crackers

I am spending time this morning getting ready for the various 4th of July parties that we will attend. I decided to bring the same thing to both dinner parties so that I could focus on fewer tasks.

The Jello parfaits were quick, easy and fun. I would totally suggest you try them out, if you like this kind of thing. I have the recipe and hints I learned below. The star shaped Rice Krispy treats are fun, but boy were they a lot of work. This may be the only time I add them. They took me about 2 hours to get how I wanted them to be.

I was thrilled when I found that Twizzlers put out special red, white and blue pull n' peels for the holiday. You know I had to make something with those.

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Jello Parfaits

2 small boxes (3 oz size) or 1 large Strawberry or Cherry JELL-O
2 small boxes (3 oz size) or 1 large Berry Blue JELL-O
4 cups boiling water, divided
2 tubs (8 oz) COOL WHIP whipped topping, thawed
4th of July Sprinkles, optional
2 8x8 pans
10 small jars or disposable glasses, clear
Resealable bag or Decorator Bag

1. Pour the strawberry or cherry jello powder into an 8 x 8 pan. Add 2 cup boiling hot water and stir until the jello is fully dissolved. Next, add in 1 cup of cold water. Repeat the same process in the other pan using the Berry blue jello powder. Cover each pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It will take the jello about 4-5 hours to fully set up.
In a medium bowl, combine 3 boxes of Cherry JELL-O and 4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2. After JELL-O is set, cut into small squares. Score the jello with a butter knife. Add a few pieces of blue JELL-O to the bottom of each jar.

3. Place the Cool Whip in the bottom of a gallon size baggie with a small hole cut out of the corner or decorator bag. Pipe into jar on top of Jello. Top with a few pieces of cherry Jello. Add more COOL WHIP whipped topping and sprinkles, if desired.

I made these in small canning jars because I had them and thought they would be cute. You could also make these in clear disposable cups.

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Star Shaped Rice Crispy Treats
via: Rice Krispie Website

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
- OR -
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
- OR -
6 cups Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal
Assorted sprinkles
12 wooden ice cream sticks
Why use Kellogg's® Rice Krispies®?

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan coated with cooking spray. While warm decorate with alternating rows of red, white and blue sprinkles. Cool slightly. (Using cookie cutters coated with cooking spray cut into star shapes. Insert wooden stick into each, if desired. This method did not work well for me. I found that it was best to butter the inside of the cookie cutter and press the mix into it, then push it out.) Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Note:
For best results, use fresh marshmallows.
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.
Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.
Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

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Mozzarella Egg Roll Cheese Sticks

String Cheese
Egg Roll Wrappers

Mozzarella sticks- use egg roll wrappers and string cheese. Lightly wet the edges of the wrappers to make them stick in place. Bake at 350 for 15-20min. Yum!

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Crack-tastic Crackers
via: Sweet Teeth Blog

1 – 1 1/4 cup canola oil (you decide how much you want to use)

1 packet Ranch dressing mix

2-3 Tbs. red pepper flakes (I used close to 3…a little warm)

4 sleeves of Saltine crackers (give or take…however many you can fit in your mixing bowl)

1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl for a good long while (5-10 minutes), to really get the crackers coated. Eat a few if you want.

2) Lay them out on a cookie sheet and drizzle the yummy, ranchy, peppery oil that’s in the bottom of the bowl, over the top of the crackers. Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring them around about halfway through.

3) Let them cool and store in a big ol’ baggie. Or a few little baggies. My husband has his bag ready to take to work.

That’s it! So very easy and a great snack for a game or party. Or a Tuesday.

Pasta with Sausage and Cream Sauce

Pasta with Sausage and Cream Sauce
from: Creme de Colorado Cookbook by the Junior League of Denver. , p. 137

1/4 cup Butter
1 1/2 cup Sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
2 cups Heavy Cream (I used 1/2 and 1/2, heavy cream would have been better, smoother)
1 cup Dry White Wine
1 TBL Parsley, fresh, minced
1/2 tea Nutmeg
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (not the powdery stuff)
12 oz. Pasta, cooled al dente, drained
1/2+ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (not the powdery stuff)
1 TBL Parsley, fresh, minced

In a large skillet, melt the butter and cook the sausage until it is brown. Remove the sausage and drain the grease. Return the sausage to the skillet and stir in the cream, wine, 1 TBL parsley, nutmeg and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 3=4 minutes. Place the pasta in a warmed dish. Stir in 2=3 TBL of the sausage sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the pasta, topping that with another 1/2+ cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 TBL parsley.

Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips
via: Table for Two blog

Yield: 50+ zucchini chips | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours


1 large zucchini
2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two large baking sheets (I used two 17" baking sheets) with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.
Slice your zucchini on a mandolin. Mine had 1, 2, or 3 for thickness and I used 2.
After you slice your zucchini, place the slices on a sheet of paper towels and take another paper towel and sandwich the zucchini slices and press on them. This helps draw out the liquid so it'll cook a bit faster.

Line up the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet tightly next to each other in a straight line, making sure not to overlap them.
In a small bowl, pour your olive oil in and take a pastry brush to brush the olive oil on each zucchini slice.
Sprinkle salt throughout the baking sheet. Do NOT over-season, in fact, it's better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; so if you over-season, it'll be way too salty! You can always add more later.

Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and aren't soggy and are crisp.
Let cool before removing and serving.

Keep in an airtight container for no more than 3 days.

This delicious recipe brought to you by Table for Two
http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/08/06/zucchini-chips/

No Bake Energy Bites

Here's a recipe that Ellie is trying out. It is pretty tasty!

No Bake Energy Bites
via: Gimme some Oven blog

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Salmon With Ham Hock Vinaigrette & Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Style Burritos

Here's what I think we will have for dinner.

Salmon With Ham Hock Vinaigrette
via: The Wall Street Journal
The braising liquid from a slow-cooked ham hock brings smoky depth—but little fat—to the vinaigrette on this pan-fried salmon.

Active Time: 1 hour Total Time: 5 hours Serves: 4

1 smoked ham hock
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
½ onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
10 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf
3 cups veal or beef stock
2 small shallots, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3 tablespoons olive oil
Four 5-ounce salmon fillets
Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil


1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small, lidded, oven-safe casserole, cook ham hock, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and stock, covered, until ham is very tender, about 4 hours.

2. Remove casserole from oven and let ham cool completely in liquid. Once ham is cool, place it on a cutting board and remove meat from bone, discarding fat and skin. Finely dice meat and set aside.

3. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a heavy-bottomed pan. Place pan over medium heat and cook, skimming often to remove any fat rising to the surface, until liquid is reduced by about half and reaches a syrupy consistency, 15-20 minutes.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk shallots, diced ham, vinegar, ¼ cup reduced ham-hock liquid, chives and olive oil until combined.

5. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Season salmon with salt. Swirl canola oil into skillet, then add salmon. For rare fillets, sear 1-2 minutes per side. Divide fillets among four plates and spoon vinaigrette over salmon. Serve immediately.

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Here's what I think I will make for Tuesday:

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Style Burritos
via: Kevin and Amanda blog

1 cup rice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 medium (soft taco sized) flour tortillas
1 cup Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus
3 cups (12 oz) chopped chicken
2 cups shredded cheese
10 oz enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Combine the rice, salt, lime juice and 2 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 14 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and set aside.
2. Spread each tortilla down the middle with two tablespoons of Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus, top with three tablespoons of rice, 1/3 cup chicken, and sprinkle on shredded cheese as desired. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
3. Cover the tortillas completely with enchilada sauce and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Makes 8 burritos.


Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/#ixzz2WU8JQq56

Vegetable Tian

Here's a recipe that I found on Facebook that I want to try:

Vegetable Tian (thinly sliced veggies topped with cheese and then roasted)...

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato
1 medium tomato
1 tsp. dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

(Recipe adaptations: I made a variation of this recipe. I left out the tomatoes because Ellie does not like them and I used a yam (usually called a Sweet Potato)in place of the potato. It turned out great. Larr and Ellie both liked it. I added some left-overs into the scrambled eggs I made the next morning and it was good.)

Grilled Corn with Lime and Paprike + Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

Grilled Corn with Butter, Lime and Paprika

Fresh ears of corn with the husks attached
Butter
Limes, quartered
Paprika
Salt and pepper (optional)

Pick out ears of corn that have husks that are bright green and fit snugly around the ear of corn. The kernels should be in tight rows right to the tip of the ear of corn, and be plump and milky.

Gently pull back the husks and remove the corn silks. Sometimes I run the ear of corn under cold water as this helps make it easier to remove the silks. Don't worry if you leave a few on there. They will burn off. put the husks back in place and soak the whole cobs in a pot of cold water for 15-20 minutes. Be sure they are completely covered. This will help steam the corn kernals.

While the corn is soaking, preheat the grill to about 350 degrees. Place the corn on the grill, shifting and rolling the ears a few times to make sure that all of the sides are heated equally. Some of the husks will burn. This is okay.

To serve them, putt the husks back (be careful - they will be hot) and run butter over the ear to coat it. Serve this with pieces of lime and some paprika. Have a light hand when seasoning, or let each person season his/her own.
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Seasoned Fingerling Potatoes

2-3# Fingerling Potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt (optional)
Rosemary (Powdered, if you have it. You'l find it at spice shops like Penzy's)
1-3 Cloves Garlic, minced

Scrub the fingerling potatoes and cut them into similarly sized pieces. Toss them with olive oil to coat them. Heat a skillet to medium high. Add in the potatoes. Saute, stirring often. About 10-15 minutes into the cooking add the garlic and rosemary. Saute until tender and nicely browned. Season, or not, to your taste.