Secret Cheesy Dip

This dip is irresistible! It’s warm, cheesy, and makes your tongue tingle! It tastes amazing with tortilla chips for a crunch in every bite. Even your pickiest eaters won’t realize you’ve hidden spinach and artichokes inside all the ooey gooey cheesiness. Warning: This dip is addictive.

Base Ingredients:

1 pack frozen chopped spinach (9 oz or 10 oz)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (14 oz)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 packet cream cheese (8 oz)
3 tbsp mayo
3 tbsp yogurt (or sour cream)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 - 1 cup Mexican blend cheese (about a handful)
1 cup mozzarella

Topping ingredients:

1.5 cups mozzarella
1/2 tsp Italian
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) Boil the spinach in a large pot of water—large enough to fit all the ingredients.

3) Cut the quartered artichoke hearts into small pieces and add to the boiling spinach. Add minced garlic as well.

4) When everything has thawed out and is boiling for a few minutes, drain out all the water. Return everything to the pot.

5) Add the remaining base ingredients and mix well. Everything should be incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

6) Transfer to a 9” pie plate and top with mozzarella. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.

7) Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

8) Enjoy hot with with tortilla chips or toasted French bread. Caution: Dip will be super hot straight out of the oven.

* To make this dip a day ahead, cover and refrigerate after sprinkling topping ingredients. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes to an hour before baking in a preheated oven. If you’re using the oven for another dish, just put the dip along with it, because it can be baked anywhere from 375 to 400 degrees.

** Adapted from Alton Brown's Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe.

Freezy Fruit Yums

This fruity desert-snack is incredibly thick and creamy, deliciously refreshing, and packed with flavor. My children devour it like it's ice cream, and it's surprisingly simple to make. It only requires a few minutes, 2 ingredients, and a high speed blender. I use the Blendtec Twister Jar. Warning: You will be asked to make this often—especially on hot days. :-)

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen fruit
1/4 - 1/3 cup water

* Any combination of frozen fruit will work for this recipe, but my favorite mix is equal amounts of berries (generally strawberries and blueberries) and pineapple chunks. It's tart but oh so yummy!

Directions:

1) Add fruit to the blender. Add as little water as necessary to allow the blender to function.

2) Cover and blend on ice cream setting until smooth and creamy.

3) Enjoy!

Crunchy Cereal/Granola Recipe

This granola is perfectly crunchy and full of wholesome goodness with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s an amazing substitute for cereal when paired with milk. For a snack, its crunchy sweetness balances out the tart creaminess on a bowl of homemade yogurt. This recipe is so easy my kids make a double batch (without my help) to keep on hand for busy days. 

Ingredients:

2 c rolled oats

1/2 c sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

3/4 c sliced almonds

1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c honey

Optional: 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2) Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3) Put the oats, seeds and almonds on the parchment paper.

4) Melt the coconut oil and honey together. I use a glass measuring cup and microwave for 30-60 seconds until the coconut oil is melted.

5) Stir and pour the honey/oil mixture onto the dry ingredients on the parchment paper.

6) Mix until everything is coated with the oil and honey mixture, and spread it all out evenly on the parchment lined baking sheet.

7) Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown, stirring 1-2 times to ensure even browning.

8) Let cool completely before adding optional raisins or other dried fruit.

9) Enjoy with milk or yogurt. Store in an airtight container.

Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe

My family LOVES yogurt! We eat it plain, add berries, cook with it, or use it as a replacement for sour cream! This yogurt is deliciously thick and creamy while having just the right amount of tartness to it. Yogurt is already simple to make, but the instant pot shortens the hands on time and ensures consistent results.

Equipment:

Instant pot

Steaming rack

Glass container to fit on the steaming rack inside the instant pot

Funnel

Ingredients:

Whole Milk - enough to fill the glass container almost to the top.

2 tbsp yogurt

Water from your tap at the hottest setting 

Directions:

1) BOIL: Pour the milk into the instant pot and close the lid. Put the glass container on the steaming rack. Put the vent in the sealed position. Press yogurt; then press adjust so the display reads boil.

2) STERILIZE: When the milk boils (in about 30 minutes), open the lid and pour the milk back into the glass container. If you have a thermometer, put it in the milk, but you don’t need one. 

3) COOL: Wait until the temperature is between 110 F to 115 F (about 50 minutes to an hour). My thermometer broke, so I wash my hands and use my finger to measure the temperature—If I can keep my finger in the milk, it’s ready for the starter yogurt. If it’s a comfortable temperature, it’s too cold. 

4) STARTER: In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of yogurt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooled down milk from the glass container. Mix gently and pour the mixture back into the glass container. Mix it all up gently (don’t blend).

5) WATER BATH: Turn your tap water on to its hottest setting. Put the steaming rack with the glass container into the instant pot. Use the tap water to create a water bath around the glass container, filling water all around it. Use a funnel to ensure water does not get inside the glass container.

6) INCUBATE: Close the instant pot and press yogurt. The display should show 8:00. The instant pot will maintain incubation temperature for 8 hours.

7) REFRIGERATE: After 8 hours, remove the glass container from the instant pot, place the lid on it, and place in the refrigerator.

8) ENJOY: your fresh homemade yogurt!

* I use whole milk, but skim, reduced fat, and even cream will work.
* For more tart yogurt, incubate for a longer time. For less tart yogurt, incubate for a shorter time.

*Adapted from: https://trinaholden.com/easiest-yogurt-recipe-ever/ and https://instantpot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DUO-Series-Manual-English-January-24-2018-web.pdf