brit's creamy cranberry dressing, with a couple of salad options:)...

i was called to be on a committee for a commemorative dinner last month & i was honored! i am not going to lie though, i am glad that the dinner is over & was a success! we started the night with this salad dressing that i made. even though everyone thought it was a raspberry dressing, it was actually cranberry. i have made it a few time since & tried it with a couple of different salad ingredients. give it a try & get creative with the greens & things:) Enjoy!

{brit's creamy cranberry dressing}

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cup vinegar

2 heaping TBSP mayo

2/3 cup Craisins

1 1/2 - 2 cups vegetable oil

measure all ingredients, except oil, in the blender or food processor. blend until combined. with the blender or processor on medium, pour in the oil in a slow & steady stream until the dressing emulsifies.** store in an air tight container, i prefer a canning jar, in the fridge

like I said, for the salad I have done a few different types. I will list them seperately below. They common thread is the craisins:)

salad #1-

fresh baby spinach
sliced fresh mushrooms
roasted & salted shelled sunflower seeds
grated mozzerella cheese
sweetened dried cranberries

salad #2-

spring mix lettuce
red grapes, halved
crumbled gorgonzolla cheese
roasted shelled pistachios
sweetened dried cranberries

either would be a great option for your Easter dinner!

karen's no smoker-smoked bbq brisket...

this is such a great, easy recipe! the great part is you can change the flavor depending on the bbq sauce you choose. i prefer homemade, but you can cut down on the time by doing bottled. it's the perfect recipe for those busy days on the run!

{karen's no smoker-smoked bbq brisket}

1 beef brisket, about 3-5 lbs.

1-2 TBSP liquid smoke

1 recipe bbq sauce, below

take brisket & pour liquid smoke all over the meat. place in crock pot & cover with half of the bbq sauce. reserve the other half of the sauce to serve with the meat after. cook on high for 5-6 hours , or on high all day- 8-10 hours.

{my favorite bbq sauce}

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

1- 15 oz. can apricots, blended in food processor

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 TBSP mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. ginger powder

1 cup catsup

1 TBSP salt

1 tsp. liquid smoke

1/4 cup molasses

1 TBSP worcestershire sauce

in a large sauce pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until tender & translucent. add remaining ingredients. continue to stir until simmering. simmer for 15-20 minutes on low. let cool. store in the fridge. great on ribs, chicken, pork chops & best of all brisket:)

**if you're running short on time or just not feeling like making your own sauce, you can always grab your favorite bottled. i'll only judge you a little:) you know i'm kidding! i prefer sweet baby rays or famous dave's if i'm doing bottled... which i do-- every so often;)

stacia's creamy bacon swiss dip...

stacia brought this to recipe club a little while ago & she emailed me the recipe but i totally forgot she had sent it to me until somebody asked me if i had it:) oooopppppsss! this really is the perfect combination of flavors! thanks to stac for sharing this little gem with us!

{stacia's creamy bacon swiss dip}

2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese - softened

1 c. mayo

2 c. grated swiss cheese

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

(for some reason it isn't strong in this dip... don't even notice it is there)

beat together until combined. spread into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish.

Then top cheese mix with:

1 c. crushed Ritz crackers

16 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until hot & bubbly! yummy!

serve with chips, crackers, bread, veggies or anything else your little heart desires:)

just enjoy!!!

janet's chocolate zucchini cake...

so, i told you that i was taking valarie's blueberry pound cake to my meeting on sunday, well... it wasn't done baking yet:( bummer! but, one of the members of my presidencies made this delicious cake. it is so moist & light! not to mention that you are technically eating your veggies... right!?!

{janet's chocolate zucchini cake}

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup oil

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

{chocolate sugar topping}

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

in a large bowl, cream together butter & sugar. add oil, eggs & vanilla. gently beat in grated zucchini & buttermilk. add all dry ingredients & mix until just combined.

pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan.

in a medium bowl, stir together chocolate chips, brown sugar & nuts. spoon over batter. bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

the recipe club is in the hive...

the hive is a great collaborative food blog that now we are a part of! there are so many great resources & recipes there that now our little old blog will be contributing to. i am excited to hopefully share our recipes with even more people through this great site! i'll be back tomorrow with a super yummy cake i am making today:) till then... browse some of the older recipes you might have missed!