Raspberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Crackers

If you love zesty, sweet, creamy, tasty snacks, you will become addicted to these little mouthfuls! Perfect for snacks, Super Bowl parties, finger food events - any time would be great. My taste buds loves these!

Raspberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Crackers

Ingredients:

wheat crackers

raspberry jam

cream cheese

preserved sliced jalapeno peppers


Directions:

1. Scoop a large amount of raspberry jam into a bowl.

2. Using forks, scoop out several slices of jalapenos. DO NOT USE BARE FINGERS. You will thank me for that advice. Use a fork to hold the slices and a knife to dice them into small pieces. Remember, keep fingers away from jalapenos.

3. Add diced jalapenos to jam. Stir well. You get to decide how spicy you want your spread, so my measurements are vague. We love lots of heat, so I added plenty of green.

4. Spread cream cheese on crackers.

5. Use a teaspoon to put a small amount of raspberry jalapeno sauce on each cracker. Taste one! If it is too hot, add more jam. Too boring, add more jalapenos.

6. Devour.

7. Make more.

Sweet Potato (Yam) & Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Meatloaf is on the menu for dinner. Though ours is always made with ground turkey and a variety of vegetables, it is delicious.

And nothing goes better with meatloaf than mashed potatoes.

As usual, I fail to follow recipes. Instead, I adjust ingredients to reflect our tastes and what is available in the pantry. My most recent adventure in making mashed potatoes resulted in what appeared to be a dessert of orange and vanilla background, but were in fact, creamy, tasty, and much savored. I love when that happens.


Yam & Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 red skinned potatoes (not the baby ones), washed, skin on

1 large garnet yam (red flesh), washed and peeled

4 garlic cloves

1 box reduced fat cream cheese

non-fat milk

butter

fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Chop potatoes into same-size chunks. Add peeled garlic cloves. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes and garlic.

3. Add 2-3 T. butter and cream cheese. Mash potatoes, adding milk as you go, until you reach desired consistency.

4. Season with black pepper.

5. Serve piping hot! These taste wonderful with many different kinds of meat.

Best Ever Cranberry, Cream Cheese, & Turkey Leftovers Sandwich

Many, many years ago I was introduced to a turkey, cranberry, cream cheese croissant at the European Café in Yakima. Sadly, once I discovered this fantastic restaurant and exquisite sandwich, they closed their doors.

Many years ago, we adopted our own version for Thanksgiving night leftover turkey. True, the main dish at the big meal was delicious. But the leftovers smashed with cream cheese and cranberry sauce on a croissant was what we anticipated. That, and Christmas morning turkey quiche.

This year, welcome to the new version of our favorite sandwich. Healthier? Definitely. But that was really not the motivation. We just did not have croissants. We love the new and improved model. And no worrying about rushing to get the big croissants from Costco.

Already thinking about when I am going to cook the next turkey breast. For leftovers, of course.

Turkey, Cream Cheese, & Cranberry Sauce Sandwich

Ingredients:

~white meat cooked turkey breast

~cranberry sauce (we prefer the jelly type)

~cream cheese (reduced fat is fine)

~really good multi-grain and seed bread

1. Toast the bread.

2. Spread a thick layer of cream cheese on one slice of toast.

3. Add a layer of thinly sliced cranberry sauce.

4. Shred turkey and add as much as you like.

5. Cut in half. Devour.

Plot for the next meal.