That was my reaction too... until I tried it ;)

I don't think I could bring myself to buy velveeta. For anything.

I bought the right ingredients, and a candy thermometer, and everything turned out great. My cake idea is bust though, as one of the guests of honor doesn't like fudge. :(

I do still need good recipes for food, if anyone has ideas.

Oh well heck... that just blows that idea!

What kind of a meal do you want to serve? Can you at least give us a starting point? Mexican? Italian? Grilling? Cold make-it-ahead-of-time food?

This should give you an idea. ;)

Foot, meet mouth.

Perhaps this might redeem myself?


Spinach & Artichoke Dip

4 cloves garlic
1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1/2 jar Alfredo sauce
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/3 C graded parmesan
4 oz. cream cheese (half a block)

Preaheat oven to 350 F.

Roast garlic in oven for 20-30 min., until soft. Squeeze garlic from skins

Spreak garlic, spinach, artichokes, Alfredo, mozzarella, parmesan & cream cheese in a glass or ceramic baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake 30 min. or until cheese is warm & bubbly. You'll want to stir at least once.

Serve warm with garlic bread, toast, pita, or tortilla chips.

Oh my! I MADE this recipe when I was maybe 12 or younger! I found it somewhere and talked Mom into letting me try it. I don't remember that part, but I remember the velveta and the powdered sugar in it. I think I made it more than once, even!

Nope, I was wrong - a few years back Mom compiled all the 'family' recipes into note cards for all of us, and for some reason the cheese fudge made it in! The recipe I had called for 'pasteurized process cheese spread' as in, "the stuff in the jar". You just mixed everything together (no melting even required - maybe that's why Mom let me make it - no pesky stove to deal with!)



To redeem myself in your eyes - here's a couple of favorite (of more people then just the cheese fudge likers!):

Green Bean Salad
1 can french sliced green beans (I'll some times get the seasoned beans)
1 T vinegar
1/4 cup tomato juice (or V8)
1/4 tsp tarragon
1 T salad oil
Artificial sweetner to equal 2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dehydrated onion flakes
2 sliced hard cooked eggs (I never add this - too much work/planning ahead!)
3 tsp diced pimentos (if you have them)

Drain beans - mix everything togehter except the eggs - chill - add eggs as garnish. For an average sized salad - double the recipe.

Nutty Broccoli Slaw
1 pkg chicken ramen noodles
1 pkg (16 oz) broccoli slaw mix (sold by the bags of lettuce)
2 cups sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 can (6 oz) ripe olives, drained and halved
1 cup sunflower kernels, toasted
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toaster
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil

Crush ramen noodles and place in large bowl. Add slaw mix, onions, broccoli, olives, sunflower kernels and almonds. In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine the sugar, vinegar, oil and contents of seasoning package; shake well. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately

Broccoli slaw mix also makes great stir-fry, and it keeps fresh way longer than regular salad mix. I love that stuff!

This is super yummy, has meat, and can be served cold - it's our favorite potluck dish. It's supposed to be "airplane food" since they barely serve edibles any more. (And since it's from "Cooking Light" magazine, we feel all smugly healthy as we eat an enormous, oversized portion.)

We usually make a double batch - it's that good.

1 1/2 Tbl EVOO (As Rachael Ray would say.)
1 Tbl lime juice
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce (Ryan probably uses more.)
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (it says fresh, but we usually use frozen.)
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled queso fresco (we probably add more.)
1/2 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk, set aside.

Place barley in a medium saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again.

Add barley, chicken, and remaining ingredients to oil mixture, toss well to coat. Cover and chill.