cream cheese

How to Serve a DIY Bagels and Lox Brunch Bar

Wondering what to serve a crowd at your next party? Make it easy on the hostess with this breakfast and brunch buffet idea: Serve a DIY bagels and lox brunch bar.

Last year when my niece Chandler announced she was engaged, I knew I wanted to host a bridal shower for her. With her wedding date set for early May, coming up with spring shower ideas would be perfect timing.

So this past weekend with 20 to 30 guests arriving for her bridal shower party (why doesn’t anyone RSVP anymore???) something totally unexpected happened, and it pretty much blew my mind.

For probably the first time in my hostessing career, I didn’t freak the freak out while prepping for the party.

Why didn’t I have my usual pre-party hostessing melt down? Because you guys convinced me to make it easy on myself and create a build your own bagel and lox brunch bar as the centerpiece of our day.continue to the recipe… about How to Serve a DIY Bagels and Lox Brunch Bar

Coconut and Lime Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

Soft and pillowy, these incredibly easy to make sugar cookies are flavored with fresh squeezed lime juice and grated lime zest then topped with a coconut flavored cream cheese frosting and even more sweet coconut for a sweetened citrus flavor in every bite.

I usually save the phrase “little pillows of heaven” for when I’m bellied up to the bar of my favorite Italian restaurant gushing over my bowl of Gnocchi alla Norma, that when cooked just right, is indeed heaven sent. But today, I’m extending my catchphrase to these soft and easy-to-make sugar cookies because they totally deserve it.

The recipe isn’t mine, but it’s one I’m more than happy to share.

I recently asked you lovely readers to submit your favorite Christmas cookie so I could select one to share on today’s Facebook Live “All Things Cookies!” cooking show (at 11 am MST on Facebook/foodiecrush and on replay all day AND we’re giving away a KitchenAid stand mixer!) and I’m pleased as lime and coconut punch to say this.is.it., your new favorite, any-day-is-a-holiday cookie.continue to the recipe… about Coconut and Lime Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

Easy Creamed Swiss Chard with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Healthy swiss chard gets the comfort food treatment thanks to a light but creamy sauce topped with crispy garlic panko breadcrumbs that make a recipe so good it’ll give creamed spinach a run for it’s “most-loved side dish” title.

This post is brought to you by McCormick

Swiss chard is one of those wallflower vegetables, sitting in the bleachers at the high school dance while watching the likes of spinach and kale bust their moves with all the hottest admirers.

But just like any wallflower, there comes a time for even the humblest of vegetables to burst out of the shadows and shine all on its own.

And that’s why I declare here and now, it’s high time that swiss chard get it’s dance in the spotlight, and there’s no better place to do so than at the head of the Thanksgiving table.

Growing up I don’t think I ever even had a bite of swiss chard. But like my latent admiration of Brussels sprouts, I’m more than happy to say those days are gone and this super easy, healthy-ish dish is going on my turkey table to balance out my splurging on my mom’s sage-flavored stuffing. I may not have room for my now-famous herb butter turkey! This year may be the year of Thanksgiving sides.

Bring on the turkey side dish disco ball, ’cause we’re gettin’ down tonight.continue to the recipe… about Easy Creamed Swiss Chard with Garlic Breadcrumbs

The Best Clam Dip Recipe EVER

This irresistible and super easy clam dip with cream cheese is a beloved family recipe and the perfect party appetizer, guaranteed to knock your socks off!

It’s like we don’t want to admit we like clams. But guess what. We do.

I do. You do. We all do.

I know it, because my steamed clam recipe is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. But I mean, why wouldn’t it be? IT’S DIVINE!

I also know we all like clams because this amazingly simple clam dip recipe has been a standard in my family literally for years. Even people who think they don’t like clams LOVE THIS DIP. It’s the number one appetizer recipe I take to any family or friend get-together/party/excuse-to-eat-chips-and-dip above all others.

It’s going to rock your world. Take you to the upside down. And make you want to dip your life away.

How do I know? Because it’s been a family fave FOREVER and it’s about to become your stand-by recipe to take to every.single.function, just like it’s mine.continue to the recipe… about The Best Clam Dip Recipe EVER

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Bread

Garlicky chunks of bread are mixed with cream cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts, then stuffed back into the shell and baked for a show-stopping appetizer everyone will want seconds of!

This post is in partnership with Arla USA

Like so many of my favorite recipes, I keep the originals in my tattered, over stuffed, recipe book I bought when we were first married. It’s filled with the hand-written recipes I’ve discovered have been handed down to me by my mom and grandmothers or shared with me by friends.

This is a variation of one of those special recipes. Its title in my much-better-penmanship-then-than-now-because-all-I-do-is-type is Mark’s Yummy Bread. Mark was the post college boyfriend of one of my besties. He and Julie aka Flash (whose nickname came about because she is so smart and such a thinker she is the opposite of fast) made this stuffed cheese bread for us at a friend party we hosted at our house. Ironically, about a year later, Mark actually bought that house from us. Apparently, we really know how to throw a house party.

And now, even more years later, we still talk about this bread. You could say it became legendary.continue to the recipe… about Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Bread

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms With Hollandaise

These baby portobello mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese and Italian sausage and drizzled with a rich and creamy hollandaise are the perfect appetizer for your next party.

When my friends at Arla asked me to come up with a holiday recipe featuring their cream cheese, I knew in the wink of an eye it would be the most crave-worthy holiday appetizer to appear on the buffet table –> Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms.

You know the deal with sausage stuffed mushrooms. You’ve seen the eager eaters in action. Heck, you’ve probably been one of them. When you’re mid-conversation and suddenly spy a plate of these bite size poppers magically appear from the oven. You lose your train of thought. Your host carries the platter and drifts in slow motion to the appetizer table. And then like a swarm of locusts, guests swoop in, make their grab, and the delicious little nuggets disappear from the party platter.

And you are definitely one of them.

Because studies show, stuffed mushrooms are ALWAYS the first bite people reach for at a party. Okay, it may be my own personal study that’s proven this true, but I’m concluding it nonetheless.

But these aren’t just any ‘shrooms. Oh no. These poppers are taking the uptown route with a drizzle of creamy, homemade hollandaise.continue to the recipe… about Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms With Hollandaise

Green Goddess Cream Cheese Veggie Sandwich

Garlic and herb-infused cream cheese flavor a bounty of green vegetables to make a healthy sandwich with loads of flavor.

This post is brought to you by Arla USA

It’s back to school and that means I’m back in the sandwich-making game.

When I was a young whipper snapper going to school, I ate school lunch every day. Flying Saucers were a favorite—fried bologna with a dollop of mashed potatoes and topped with melted American cheese served in the tray that didn’t let anything touch.

There were maybe a handful of kids that took their lunch to school, showing off their Scooby Doo or Barbie lunchboxes with boring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But not me. PB&J’s were never on my lunch bucket list, and they’ve never been popular with my Smudge either.

I mean, why would Smudge even be tempted by a peanut butter sand when instead she gets layered beauties of freshness like this packed in her lunch every day.

My girl…she’s got it good. And I’m MORE than happy to provide them to her because it sets my mind at ease knowing she’s eating a healthy meal to keep that brainpower powered.continue to the recipe… about Green Goddess Cream Cheese Veggie Sandwich

My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe

This pumpkin cake is a favorite you’ll make year after year. It’s easy to freeze and serve, or perfect for holiday neighbor gifts.

As if the world needed yet another Pumpkin Roll recipe.

But in this case, it really, truly does.

This is the second recipe that made me fall in love with pumpkin-flavored everything. The first of course being the classic pumpkin pie. I mean, what 8 year old doesn’t love pumpkin pie?

(*Note to self: Share pumpkin pie recipe on bloggity blog. Because yes, the world does need another pumpkin pie recipe, too.)

My mom always made this recipe to welcome in fall and it was a popular neighbor gift for the holidays. As soon as we could smell the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin wafting from the oven, we knew the leaves would soon begin falling from the trees.

My mother in law recently gave this recipe a try, too. She baked it without nuts (and you can too) and as you hope when mother in laws try anything of yours, she gave it her stamp of approval as well.

But then I knew she would. Because the world DOES need another pumpkin roll recipe.

continue to the recipe… about My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

All of the flavors of buffalo chicken wings are packed into this easy, super creamy, ultra cheesy slow cooker dip that’s always a buffet or game day hit!

I asked. You replied. And now here I am, delivering.

When I asked you on Facebook if you’re craving a new recipe with chicken or one with cheese, some said one, the rest said the other. But most of you said, “BOTH!”

Yesterday I fulfilled your request for chicken when I delivered these chicken wings. Today I’m passing out the chips (or veggies if you please) to dig yourself deep into some serious dipping of chicken AND two kinds of cheese. In buffalo sauce. And even more cheese of the blue veined variety.

Because that’s just the kind of gal in the kitchen that I am.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

Light and Easy Cheese Ball Recipe

This 5-ingredient cheese ball is lightened up with a combination of Neufchâtel light cream cheese and Greek yogurt cream cheese for nearly guilt free snacking, and it’s guaranteed to be a major crowd-pleaser at any shindig!

The day has come and gone and perhaps your resolve to paint 2015 with a rosier, healthier, more prosperous and organized glow has too.

This past weekend—January 17 to be exact—marked the day most people fall off the resolution band wagon. It even has an official nomiker, Ditch Your New Year’s Resolution Day.

Really? Only 17 days in and we’re already doomed?

Hardly.

I’m keeping my (re)Solutions going strong—or at least still breathing—by keeping up with my Little Victories tour. Small changes that make it easier for bigger evolutions to come.continue to the recipe… about Light and Easy Cheese Ball Recipe

Crushing On Deborah Harroun of Taste and Tell and Red Velvet Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies

An interview with Deborah Harroun of the blog Taste and Tell, and her amazing, from scratch Red Velvet Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies.

I can’t think of a better way to start off the holiday baking season than with a festive cookie recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers Deborah Harroun, author of the food blog Taste and Tell, and her new cookbook Red Velvet Lover’s Cookbook.

If you don’t already follow her blog, Deb might still be a familiar face to FoodieCrush readers. She and her husband Josh along with their three children, Abbi, Easton and Camden (in utero!) joined me two years ago at the State Fair for an article in my summer issue of FoodieCrush magazine. They rode rides, hit the games and noshed on favorite fair food which Deb took back to her own kitchen and created fair-inspired recipes you can see here.

Deb has always been a huge supporter and inspiration to me and to FoodieCrush. So when she offered to send me a copy of her new cookbook, Red Velvet Lover’s Cookbook, I knew before even seeing it that I’d be finding plenty of delicious influences. These Cream Cheese Thumbprint cookies are pretty much just the start.

continue to the recipe… about Crushing On Deborah Harroun of Taste and Tell and Red Velvet Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

You know that thing about Thanksgiving? That thing that everyone’s talking about? No, not that the 5th Avenue slick thinkers have yet to figure out how to turn T-day into a money making marketing machine like Halloween and Christmas.

No, I’m talking about how everybody is talking about how Thanksgiving conjures up cravings for family favorite recipes. It’s like clockwork. As soon as the jack-o-lantern’s candles are blown out, memories start flooding the salivary glands.

My husband has certainly fallen victim to this pilgrim-inspired condition. But wait, he’s part American-Indian. Either way, whichever side of the table he’s sitting on, as along as this 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn is on it, he’s going to be one happy harvest feaster.

But only if his favorite Creamed Corn doesn’t turn into Creamed Corn Flambé.

continue to the recipe… about 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Hot Shrimp Creamy Cheese Dip and Friday Faves

I’m finishing up my unofficial, undeclared week of delicious cream cheese dips with just one more cheesy wonder: Hot Shrimp Creamy Cheese Dip.

While I’ve been slathering my Smoked Salmon Spread on bagel crisps, and dipping chips into this Porter Caramelized Onion Dip (check out the cookbook giveaway that features it), I figured what better time than this very moment to break out a Hot Shrimp Creamy Cheese Dip.

Because I haven’t broken into the crackers yet!

continue to the recipe… about Hot Shrimp Creamy Cheese Dip and Friday Faves

Porter Caramelized Onion Dip and Crushing on The Beeroness

Being deemed The Beeroness—which in drink-speak is similar to bearing the title of Princess, Duchess or Queen—has plenty of responsibilities that come along with the nobility. Luckily for us commoners in the ways of ale, stouts and malt liquor, we have food blogger and author Jackie Dodd to lead us down a beer-inspired foodie path. And with recipes like her Porter Caramelized Onion Dip, you’ll be bowing down in no time.

With just two years of blogging under her belt, the lovely Jackie Dodd has made an indelible impact of bringing beer to the culinary forefront through her popular food blog, The Beeroness, where she shares recipes that infuse craft brews of hops and barley into everyday foods.

Sporting the tagline “Have your beer and eat it too,” Jackie focuses on craft beers as the flavor enhancers to recipes sweet and savory and everything in between on her blog and has newly released The Craft Beer Cookbook, 100 Artisanal Recipes for Cooking With Beer.

Jackie’s ambitions as a food blogger didn’t start in the kitchen, but rather with her drive and determination to realize her desires to be a part of the craft beer world.

“I really wanted to be a part of the craft beer community but I didn’t brew,” says Jackie. “So I started to write recipes for the beers I loved, started to take photos of them and it caught on.”

But creating a food blog wasn’t familiar territory for this beer connoisseur.continue to the recipe… about Porter Caramelized Onion Dip and Crushing on The Beeroness

Smoked Salmon Spread

Celebrations call for bites of all sizes, big, small and every other. Luckily, my Smoked Salmon Spread fits the bill no matter how big you’re craving is or the size of your eagerly awaiting mouth.

There’s a beautiful reason to add to today’s celebration, because the lovely food blogger Stefanie of Sarcastic Cooking is soon to deliver a bouncing baby boy.

Babies are not only good for nuzzling and snuggling and the reason to max out the credit card buying an exorbitant amount of needless baby gear for, but also because soon enough they turn into expert taste testers. Which comes in handy when mama is a food blogger.

Stephanie has been a kindred spirit of mine for a long time. Not just because she is a consistent supporter of other food blogs, takes mouth watering photos and develops terrific recipes for my kind of food, but also because she makes food I love to eat.

Like…

continue to the recipe… about Smoked Salmon Spread

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

Today’s post started out as an assignment for my intern Courtney and turned into a tasty lunch for me. See, I’m smart that way.

While Courtney generally helps me with design and layout duties, this week she wanted to play in the kitchen and I said, “Go for it girlie! Let’s check out your chops!” She chose her favorite ingredient combo, created the recipe and after we played around taking pics in the kitchen she wrote this post. My stomach says she came up with a winner and I know you’ll agree after you make her vegetarian Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos.

Take it away Courtney…

There are a few things in life that make me really happy. A well designed book cover, a beautiful fall day, the sound of my kids playing nicely with each other – without me.

When it comes to food, nothing compares to the smell of diced onion and minced garlic over an open flame. I don’t know why but it makes me feel like I know what I’m doing in the kitchen. I feel legit. I feel happy. And once your onions are nice and translucent, the possibilities are endless.

While most of us associate the aroma of onions and garlic with the start of favorite comfort foods like chicken pot pie, meatloaf or just about any Italian or Mexican meal, today we’re going full-on vegetarian.

continue to the recipe… about Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

Baked Stuffed Orange French Toast

The breakfast was a hit. Again.

I made this Orange Stuffed Baked French Toast for Smudge when I was testing recipes a few months ago and in just one hot minute she deemed it birthday worthy. A big deal? If you’re turning 9 years old you bet it is.

“Are you sure you don’t want your favorite from last year, the Banana and Chocolate Chip Baked French Toast?” I asked, knowing that it was a huge hit at last year’s birthday sleepover.

“Nope. I want this one.” A girl who makes up her mind and knows what she wants. I like that. But the fact she chose orange over chocolate? Maybe that red hair has singed her taste buds because as a blonde, I always go chocolate.

The menu quickly became one less thing we had to worry about once we settled on the birthday guest list (10 friends who are just as crazy and fun as she is) and decided what to do in lieu of birthday gifts (donations to our local humane society) then set the party itinerary of swimming and a sleepover.

All that was left to do was bake her traditional Birthday Cake Pie and prep the french toast for baking in the morning.

That’s what I love about doing a baked french toast, and I have several recipes on the blog because of it. They’re so easy to pull out of the fridge, pop in the oven and snap, you have a sweetened breakfast treat fit for a gaggle of gals.

continue to the recipe… about Baked Stuffed Orange French Toast

Stuffed Jalapeños with Gorgonzola and Bacon plus 10 Jalapeño Popper Recipes

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen these Jalapeno Hotties before.

It was another game day, I think you’ve heard of it, a little thing called the Superbowl, you remember…where Beyonce outperformed every other two-legged being on the planet? We had a couple of friends over, made some grub and ate and drank our fill.

While the centerpiece of that dinner was my dad’s classic Daddy’s Hamburgers, these Stuffed Jalapenos with Gorgonzola and Bacon have been weighing heavy on my mind. My friend Angie showed up with a gorgeous baking sheet full of them, and you can rest assured, there was not a single one left within a half hour of them exiting the oven.

Ever since then, this recipe has been tugging at my stomach strings. It’s one of those you keep telling yourself, “No, no, no. You don’t need to make those. Eat kale instead. Have an apple. Juice a beet.”

What do I say to that? Take one guess. Or should I say, take one look.

With another big playoff game putting an end to the build up of March Madness (BTW, why do they confuse us by pushing the orange ball finale into April?) I laugh in the face of the notion of eating anything too calorie conscious while cheering on cute college boys in shorts.

We all have our vices. I have several. Cheese and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are at the top of my list and are not mutually exclusive.

Those RHOBH can get preeeeety cheesy. And I LOVE them for it.continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Jalapeños with Gorgonzola and Bacon plus 10 Jalapeño Popper Recipes

Hot Crab Dip and Friday Faves

Yes sir! It is FRRRRIIIDAY! And that means my work is just about to begin.

This weekend will be jam packed: A photo shoot on the mountain (snow, skis and sunscreen), a video shoot with kids and dogs (what was I thinking?), green food eating—and drinking—and somewhere along the line the toilets need to get cleaned. I bet I can find volunteers for just about everything on my to-do list the above minus the last item. Which is the only one I REALLY don’t want to do. So, maybe I won’t!

Life is about living, not about toilets. It’s about dressing up dogs in funny outfits—in video shoots with kids. Oh, poor Pippa. And who is the tween who took over my daughter’s room and threw-up teen dreams all over it? That’s why you spend time living, not doing toilets, because it goes way, way too fast.

How did a week go by, or maybe even two, where I haven’t posted a recipe with cheese? Let’s remedy that toot sweet. And how about we add some crab? Now there’s an idea.

I’m heading to a St. Paddy’s day party on Sunday and will be taking my Stout Brownies, as requested, but thought I better bring a little something more in hand besides my green chardonnay.continue to the recipe… about Hot Crab Dip and Friday Faves

Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

Last Halloween I was beyond impressed with the number of creative and scary recipes I saw bounding about the blogosphere. How do people come up with this stuff?

I don’t remember this sort of thing happening when I was a kid. Or is it just because back then all that mattered to me was where Malibu Barbie, Francie, PJ and Skipper were going to head off to in the camper trailer and would they ever find Ken? Poor PJ, she never quite made the cut and always had to sit in the back.

This year I was inspired to throw my hat into the Halloween themed ring of fire and so I did what I always do when I need a creative consultation: I went to my partner in crime, G-Dawg—aka my husband who I think puts MacGyver to shame—and set him to task in scheming how we were going to create eyeballs out of cheeseballs.

After watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a while back where I learned the secret to the perfect deep fried anything and everything I knew I wanted to create a recipe for deep fried mozzarella eyeballs. The secret dredge worked perfectly to form golden orbs of melty, bloodshot eyeballs.continue to the recipe… about Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

Cherry Cheese Hand Pies

Back to school, back to reality.

This past weekend made gearing up for the first day back to school an especially rough one. We took advantage of our last summer road trip by languishing in late night swims under starlit skies, lots of outdoors music amid the red rocks of Utah’s spectacular natural scenery and plenty of play time skipping about and acting like kids.

And then the alarm went off. And just like that, summer was over.

Suddenly it was all about getting breakfast on, where are her shoes, oh man we’re out of yogurt, oh wait there’s one at the back, but I don’t want mustard, hair ties, wait no hair ties, pull it over to the side. No! Pull it back. But I don’t want my hair to be poooooooffffyyyy, where did your backpack go??

After she somehow successfully traipsed off to meet her new teacher and continue to grow into someone other than the bald little baby I snuggled in my arms, I baked her a special first-day-back after school snack. continue to the recipe… about Cherry Cheese Hand Pies

Mad for Dips and Creamy Clam Dip

When it comes to sporting events, we’re all about rallying the troops and gathering the pom poms, but really it’s an excuse for a foodie get together.

It doesn’t much matter the team, whether it revolves around engines, goggles or balls, it’s a simple reason to come together and become absorbed in the beauty of human determination and fortitude.

This weekend we’ll be choosing sides, donning our colors, and sitting back to immerse ourselves in March Madness. I’m partial to college basketball. My dad played college basketball, as did my grandfather, and yes, I play a mean game of H-O-R-S-E.

So as the remaining teams battle for the big win at the Final Four and the network entices the not-so-enthralled-fans with the musical medley of Jimmy Buffet, Blondie, KISS, Avett Brothers and the Black Keys—nothing like throwing a broad blanket on the entertainment picks to try and appease each and every demographic–we’ll be gorging on our go-to game time snack. Clam Dip.continue to the recipe… about Mad for Dips and Creamy Clam Dip

Red Velvet Cupcakes Plus 10 Red Velvet Recipes With a Twist

And another one bites the dust. As in years. As in last week was my birthday.

It was a whirlwind week, filled with workin’ the day job, my once-a-week teaching gig and hitting SLC’s Grand America hotel for my second foray attending the Altitude Design Summit, or more fondly know as “Alt”. I met some incredible bloggers, soaked in generously-shared knowledge, worked my Twitter and Instagram accounts to the bone and gawked admirably at the uber-fashionable fashionistas attending. Stay tuned for some Alt highlights and what I learned in my next post.

And then Saturday arrived, my BIG day. It was my birthday.

This wasn’t an ordinary birthday, it was one of those “milestones” that we all dread, and no I’m not talking the big 30. Sneaking into the crevices of my well-worn brain was a phrase I’d heard the day before from Alt’s keynote speaker Gretchen Rubin, author of the NY Times Bestseller The Happiness Project, “The days are long, the years are short.” Yep, that’s pretty much life in a nutshell.

Birthdays are a good life-check. As in, it’s time to live your life. And so that’s what I’m going to do. Live my life, la vida loca. Bring it old man time, I’ll show you!

My Smudge and my man hatched a plan to surprise me on my bday morning, and that they did.

continue to the recipe… about Red Velvet Cupcakes Plus 10 Red Velvet Recipes With a Twist