Maggie's World...
Today is the B-I-G 13th birthday at my house. Some of you have been sweet enough to send best wishes to Trey, the TEENAGER, and I thank you. Trey is a very special young man. Teachers who have known him for years are amazed at his progress. Those of us who know and love him have watched him grow from a troubled little child into a loving and responsible young man. Anyone who knew him during his more troubled childhood years and sees him now is amazed. He has overcome unbelievable odds to become an honor student. I am very proud of all my children, true, but when one rises above the ashes of mental illness as Trey has, he is my ???phoenix???.
We owe our thanks to Joyce in Illinois for many of our recipes today. She sent me some ???cheese ball??? recipes and I have shared quite a few with you in our ???Favorites??? section. I know the party-hearty season is upon us and you will love these tasty additions to your party buffet. For those requiring recipes that contain less fat, calories, etc. please look in the ???Heart Healthy??? for a few cheese ball recipes that you might find useful. Remember that you do not have to use crackers to enjoy cheese balls. Most are delicious on celery sticks and cucumber rounds. At my house, when tasty food is set out for family to enjoy, they never ask ???is this healthy???? If it looks good and tastes good...they eat it. For those who cook for only two, cheese balls are easily divided, and may be refrigerated
(well wrapped and sealed). There??™s no reason you can have a little nosh with your wine or favorite beverage as you wrap gifts together.
Enjoy!
Ramblings...
The Images of Mother
Shared by: Linda, CA
4 YEARS OF AGE ~ My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE ~ My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE ~ My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE ~ Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE ~ Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE ~ That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE ~ Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE ~ Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE ~ Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE ~ Wish I could talk it over with Mom.
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Did You Know?...
Clarifying Butter
Melt butter over low heat in a small skillet or heavy saucepan. Remove white froth with a spoon as it forms on top. As fat rises, milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan. Pour off clear yellow clarified butter; discard milk solids. Store in refrigerator.
Source: Land O??™ Lakes
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Crazy Corner...
Bible Sales
Shared by: Bette, Pittsburg, CA
A minister concluded that his church was getting into serious financial troubles.
Coincidentally, by chance, while checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons of new bibles that had never been opened and distributed. So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell the bibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the church.
Peter, Paul and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task. The reverend knew that Peter and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were likely capable of selling some bibles but he had serious doubts about Louie. Louie was just a little local farmer, who had always tended to keep to himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor little Louie stuttered very badly. But, not wanting to discourage poor Louie, the reverend decided to let him try anyway.
He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their cars stacked with bibles and asked them to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following Sunday.
Anxious to find out how successful they were, the reverend immediately asked Peter, "Well, Peter, how did you make out selling our bibles last week?"
Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Peter replied, "Father, using my sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 bibles, and here's the $200 I collected on behalf of the church."
"Fine job, Peter!" The reverend said, vigorously shaking his hand. "You are indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you."
Turning to Paul, he asked "And Paul, how many bibles did you manage to sell for the church last week?"
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, ???Reverend, I am a professional salesman and was happy to give the church the benefit of my sales expertise. Last week I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected."
The reverend responded, "That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and the church is also indebted to you."
Apprehensively, the reverend turned to little Louie and said, "And Louie, did you manage to sell any bibles last week?"
Louie silently offered the reverend a large envelope. The reverend opened it and counted the contents. "What is this?" the reverend exclaimed. "Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you sold 320 bibles for the church, door to door, in just one week?
Louie just nodded.
That's impossible!" both Peter and Paul said in unison. "We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many bibles as we could."
"Yes, this does seem unlikely," the reverend agreed. "I think you'd better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie."
Louie shrugged. "I-I-I- re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure," he stammered.
Impatiently, Peter interrupted. "For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!"
"A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was," Louie replied, "W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy
th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to y-y-you?"
Signs of Wear
Shared by: Pats, AZ
"OLD" IS WHEN..... Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes & you're barefoot.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... A sexy babe catches your fancy & your pacemaker open the garage door.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... "Getting a little action" means there's no need to take any fiber today.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... "Getting lucky" means you find your car in the parking lot.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... An "all-nighter" means not getting up to go to go to the bathroom.
Making Babies
Shared by: Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada
A second grader came home from school and said to her mother, "Mom, guesswhat? We learned how to make babies today."
The mother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said, "how do you make babies?"
"It's simple," replied the girl. You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'.
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Your Favorites...
EASY CHEESE BALL
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tablespoons Mayo
1 pack of dry ranch dip mix
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well with your hand form into a ball and roll in chopped pecans, refrigerate overnight and serve with your favorite crackers.
DRIED BEEF CHEESE BALL
12 ounces of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I only use this type)
3 green onions chopped finely
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1 1/4 tsp. accent
1 pkg of dried beef, chopped finely, 1/2 pkg. mixed with all the ingredients and 1/2 left on the cutting board
Form Ball with the cheese mixture and roll into the dried beef on the cutting board.
CARAMEL APPLE CHEESE BALL
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
1 C finely diced tart apples
1 8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained VERY well
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 C chopped pecans, divided
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, apple, pineapple and spices. Blend well. Add 1/2 C pecans; blend well. Form into a ball and roll in remaining pecans to coat. Refrigerate until firm.
Serve with crackers or celery sticks.
SMOKED SALMON BALL
1 8 oz. can salmon, drained
8 oz. cream cheese
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
In medium bowl, mix above ingredients well. Transfer to a small mold lined with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for several hours. Unmold on serving dish and remove plastic. Pat with finely chopped fresh parsley OR ground pecans. Serve with crackers.
PINEAPPLE PECAN CHEESE BALL
2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp seasoned salt
2 cups chopped pecans, divided
Assorted crackers
In a mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth. Gently stir in pineapple, green pepper, green onions, seasonings, & 1/2 of the nuts. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap & shape into a ball. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Before serving, roll cheese ball in remaining nuts. Serve with crackers.
YIELD: 12-14 servings
SPICY CHEESE BALL
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
10 ounces package sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 stick margarine, softened
1 tablespoon onion, grated
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
In a large bowl combine grated cheese, cream cheese and margarine. Mix well. Add the grated onion, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper and mix until the ingredients are blended together. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes to let mixture firm. While the mixture is firming, spread the pecans out on a piece of plastic wrap. Once the cheese mixture is firm, form it into a ball and roll it in the chopped pecans until evenly coated. Serve with your favorite crackers.
MEXICAN CHEESE BALL
2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chunky salsa, desired hotness
1 cup shredded cheese (may use Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Mexican blend of cheeses)
Mix cream cheese and salsa together. Form into a ball and roll ball in shredded cheese, until completely covered. Then place cheese ball on decorative plate, bowl, etc. Sprinkle remaining cheese around bottom of ball. Serve with your favorite crackers or tortilla chips.
CHEDDAR CHEESE SPREAD WITH SHERRY
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, finely shredded (about 2 c.)
1/3 c. real mayonnaise
2 T. sherry
Dash salt and pepper
Chopped nuts
Combine all. Chill. Shape in ball and roll in chopped nuts.
SWISS CHEESE SPREAD
1/3 c. real mayonnaise
1 T. white wine
?? t. lemon juice
?? t. prepared mustard
Dash each of garlic powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg
2 c. finely shredded Swiss cheese (6 oz.)
Chopped nuts
Combine all. Chill. Shape into ball and roll in chopped nuts.
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Heart Healthy...
EASY LOW-FAT CHEESE BALL
12 ozs fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 c olives, chopped
8 ozs low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c reduced fat Ritz cracker crumbs
1/2 c onions, chopped
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onions, and olives. Mix well. Chill until firm. Then form into a ball and roll in cracker crumbs. Chill again before serving. Serve with assorted crackers.
Nutritional Analysis per serving (20 servings total):
Calories 73
Total Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Protein 6 g
Sodium 295 mg
Carbohydrates 7 g
Fiber 0.7 g
PARTY CHEESE BALL
Ingredients:
2 8-oz. packages fat free cream cheese, softened
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 oz. slivered almonds
Method:
1. In medium bowl, blend fat free cream cheese until smooth. Add blue cheese, onions, Worcestershire sauce mixing all ingredients together until well blended.
2. Chill mixture in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes until fairly firm. Do not let cheese freeze. Transfer cheese to serving plate and form into a ball. Sprinkle 1/4 ounce slivered almonds on top and sides of cheese ball. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Yield: 20 1-oz. servings at approximately 38 calories; 1.4 grams total fat; 0.8 gram saturated fat; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 2 grams carbohydrate; 0 dietary fiber; 4 grams protein; 169 sodium.
FRUIT AND CHEESE LOGS
??? 1/2 cup snipped dried apricots, soaked in hot water for one hour
??? 8 ounces reduced fat Swiss cheese
??? 1/2 of one 8 ounce fat free cream cheese (4 ounces)
??? 2 tablespoons orange juice
??? 1/3 cup golden raisins
??? 1/4 cup dates, chopped
??? 1/4 teaspoon salt
??? 1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds, toasted
Mix all ingredients together except almonds. Form into 2 logs and roll in toasted almonds. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
Serve with plain or cinnamon bagel chips.
Servings:32
Per Serving: 31 Calories; 1g Fat (32.7% calories from fat); trace Saturated Fat; 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 37mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
You may substitute the reduced fat Swiss Cheese with any mild cheese like Monterey Jack or Provolone Cheese.
LOW-FAT CHEDDAR-JACK CHEESE BALL
Ingredients:
?? cup Neufchatel cheese, softened
2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
?? cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
?? cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
?? teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons nutlike cereal nuggets (Grape Nuts)
1 ?? tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
48 fat-free crackers
Directions
Combine Neufchatel cheese and yogurt, stirring until smooth.
Add Cheddar cheese and next 5 ingredients; stir well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Shape cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap cheese ball in wax paper and chill.
Combine cereal nuggets and parsley. Roll cheese ball in cereal mixture just before serving. Serve with fat-free crackers.
Time: 8 minutes; Chill 2 hours
Yield: 1 cup (71 calories per 1 Tablespoon spread and 3 Crackers)
Per Serving:
Carbohydrate 6.7 g
Protein 4.2 g
Fat 3.0 g
Fiber 0.1 g
Cholesterol 10 mg
Sodium 138 mg
Exchanges:
1/2 Medium-Fat Meat
1/4 Starch
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