I am an appetizer kind of girl. When we go out to eat, I would be satisfied with three or four different kinds of appetizers so I could dip and gorge myself to my heart’s delight. My top favorites? Fried mushrooms, spinach dip, chips & salsa, cheesy dip with french fries, and mozzarella sticks.

This recipe combines two of my favorites into one combination- my salsa dip and my spinach dip. The cream cheese adds a creamy consistency to the dip and the cheese adds the cheesiness that I can’t resist.

The recipe originally stated to just microwave it until it is hot, but I prefer my dip baked in the oven so I am including the directions for that too. I doubled this recipe for a party and doubled the cooking time (40-45 minutes) and it still was absolute perfection. I do love reheating it though for a great little afternoon snack in the microwave with a stack of tortilla chips.

Serve this with your favorite dipper. I love a sturdy bagel chip, tortilla chips, or even fresh cut veggies. Keep the dish light with fat-free cream cheese and low-fat cheeses and you still get the dipping extravaganza without the guilt!

Spunky Spinach Dip (courtesy of Gooseberry Patch Cookbook)

2 cups salsa (approximately one standard size jar)
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz low-fat or fat-free cream cheese, softened and cubed
10 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

Mix ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Stir well. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until cooked through. If baking, cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes (double your cooking time for a double batch) in an oven-safe bowl (covered). Serve with your favorite dipper!

I am still the biggest fan of my bread machine. I do realize that they aren’t for everyone. Some people love to knead dough and use their stand mixer to do the heavy duty mixing or even to do the process by hand. Not me! The bread machine is the way to go at this stage in my life and it is worth every inch of space that it takes up, residing on the top of the refrigerator.

We haven’t given up buying sandwich bread, but the bread machine is essential to me for easy entertaining and for our weekly pizza night traditions. It has saved me many a trip to the store for hamburger buns. For the holidays, I love to crank out a batch of fancy rolls with a little spread or dip. For the ultimate in special Saturday morning traditions, a little indulgence in monkey bread or fancy cinnamon rolls is a special family treat. Making these treats myself, I am assured that I am giving my kids those fun food memories, but am controlling the quality of the ingredients that are going into them.

This bread recipe is a no-fail bread machine recipe that I have used for years. The ingredients are so simple and it makes the perfect loaf of bread every single time.

Portuguese White Bread

1 cup water
3 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Add all ingredients in order listed into your bread machine. Choose the”basic” cycle and wait for the perfect loaf of white bread to appear! Yes, it is that simple!

Do you have a bread machine? What is your favorite recipe to make with this appliance?

This sinful cornbread is a “sometimes food” in our house, but a delicious addition as a special side treat. My family is from the South so I have a deep fondness for sweet tea and sweet cornbread. This cornbread takes the cake literally, in my opinion, because it is deliciously sweet and tastes almost like a little bakery cake with your dinner. Unlucky for me, it is made with all the items I have in my pantry so it is far too convenient to make!

You need to balance this side out with something nice and light though to make up for it so I love to pair this with a delicious summer salad. My Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is loved by all and is a favorite recipe from my Cooking Light Magazine.

If you have a garden, don’t be afraid to work in whatever you have on hand. I tossed in a handful of fresh parsley and garden tomatoes from our little patio garden. Whatever you have on hand or see at the farmer’s market is fair game for this yummy dish.

Sinfully Sweet Cornbread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or lightly grease a nine inch round cake pan. In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk, and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

1 pound chicken (about three small breasts)
½ pound penne pasta (can do regular or whole wheat pasta)
1 romaine heart, chopped
½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes (I did regular tomatoes from our garden, but placed them on the side for those that wanted them)
1/3 cup Caesar dressing (I love the Kraft fat-free Caesar Dressing)
A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top

Bake chicken breasts as directed on package on a cookie sheet. While the chicken is baking, chop the romaine heart and halve the tomatoes. Cook pasta until al dente, as directed on package. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Dice the cooked chicken and put this in a bowl. Toss in pasta, tomatoes, lettuce, and the dressing. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. This can be served with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Amy’s Notes- Because I wanted plenty of food for leftovers, I actually cooked the entire box of pasta and kept all the other ingredients the same. This stretched the dish further and we have enough for four more lunches. Additional dressing can be added to leftovers to keep pasta from tasting dried out. Basically, for forty more cents you can feed another four people! That makes this a great dish to entertain with!