Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

 I have a problem with the internet. It has websites on it. The websites have recipes on them. I have a printer. I like food. Do you see the problem?? Good. I'm glad you commiserate with me about how expensive ink is! I found this particular recipe on Taste of Home's awful page. I can't say that I built it, or even remotely imagined it. Only that it tastes extremely good, and I can give you the link for the recipe. I might get arrested for plagiarizing or something otherwise. Haha!

 Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Enjoy!! :D

Valtrompia Bread

 I found the pans at a thrift store, forgot what they were called, lost the recipes and instructions that came with them, found the instructions, still couldn't remember the WEIRD name they were called, googled and finally came up with the right thing. VALTROMPIA bread pans. SERIOUSLY? Alrighty.

 I hereby christen thee; MEHITABELL VALTROMPIA! Known to common folk as That-Fancy-Bread-That-Is-Sliced-Real-Thin-And-Used-For-Parties (otherwise known as Hors D'oeuvres). NEVER MIND. We'll call it Mabel bread and get it over with. Shall we?

1 C. + 2 T. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (or 1 pkg.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 C. flour
Herbs: I used Basil, Thyme, Rosemary & Dill (Just a few sprinkles of each)

 Mix the water, yeast & sugar. Let set for about a minute. Add the salt & flour; mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour. Divide in half. Roll each half into a smooth roll about 7 inches long... (or skinny enough to slide into the pan without scraping off all the shortening on the sides! ) Place into a WELL GREASED Valtrompia pan. Make sure you grease the tar out of the pans or your bread will live in them indefinitely. And grease the lids too. ;D Bake upright at 400 degrees for 60 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to cool the rest of the way. I found that an electric bread knife works best for cutting this! Just refrain from making Valtrompia shavings..... like I did on some of the slices.

Ranch Spread/Dip

 I went to the Amish Store with my mother in law approximately 47 days ago, and they had ranch dressing mix there. I bought it thinking Hidden Valley. It doesn't taste like Hidden Valley, but it tastes great as a spread or a dip! I would guess if you use Hidden Valley mix you should use less than I poured in my concoction. HA! And no, sorry, I don't have a picture for you. If I feel real loving I might take one at a later date before we completely devour the stuff.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 C. mayo
4 T. ranch mix -start with 2 if you're using Hidden Valley brand-
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

 Mix everything together until smooth and then taste and add stuff to suit your fancy. Or don't add anything further and keep it plain.

Those Fancy Cucumber Sandwiches

I found these Valtrompia bread tubes at the thrift store one day. Four of them for $4! It kinda made me grin real wide since the single pans next to my rubber-banded clump were marked somewhere between $2 and $3 each! By the way, can someone PLEASE tell me WHY someone named this poor innocent pretty little bread something like Valtrompia?! I mean really. It's like naming your poor helpless baby Mahitabell or something equally ridiculous. You can be like me and make your own bread or you can be lazy like me and buy that already thinly sliced party bread. Either way, these things are good.

Thinly sliced party bread
Ranch spread
Sliced cucumbers

 The picture is kinda self explanatory... take a piece if bread. Smear on a glob of ranch spread. Top with a cucumber and give a little sprinkle of dill weed. Then realize you took the picture before sprinkling the dill weed. Shrug and carry on. Either way they taste good!

Chocolate Toffee Delight

 This here recipe is all mom's fault. SHE was trying to make dad a birthday cake and screwed it up. Don't be like her. I had her chop it into 1" chunks and threw it in a bag to save for this Trifle that I suddenly envisioned. I sorta thought I knew kinda what I was doing, so I didn't look up a recipe for a trifle. I just more or less built one of my own. 

 I was informed by one person that I can use the Bible Study goers as Guinea pigs anytime I want to, so I'm guessing this must have tasted ok. I WAS Planning on putting a layer of the toffee bits in the middle layer there, where you see white stuff in between black stuff, but I didn't remember that part until the top layer of cake was on. Don't be like me either. You can be yourself if you want to tho. It's probably more fun anyhow!

1 (9x13 size) pan of brownies*, cut into 1" cubes
1 (6 oz.) box Cook N' Serve Chocolate Fudge pudding, prepared according to the instructions
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz.) tub cool whip
1/4 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Toffee bits or a crushed Heath bar or Skor bar
Mini chocolate chips

 *I'm telling you to use brownies, 'cause normal chocolate cake ain't gonna hold up right when it's layered like this. I don't think. But then you already knew that I don't think, so never mind.

 Step 1. Bake, cool & cube your brownies.
 Step 2. Prepare your pudding.
 Step 3. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cool whip, vanilla & powdered sugar. Beat until smooth & creamy. SOMEONE had snuck LITE cool whip into my freezer. DON'T be like them!! It defeats the purpose of this dessert.
 Step 4. Layer half the cake in a trifle bowl. Top with half the chocolate pudding and half the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with toffee bits. (You could even sprinkle on some mini chocolate chips if you felt led to do so...) Repeat layers. Top with mini chocolate chips and more toffee bits for garnish. Refrigerate until serving.

Mini Bagel Ham Things

 Please pardon me if this is a recipe that you have been eating since Kindergarten. I've met a lot of people who have never clapped eyes on the things. *ahem* I should say, they have never cast a lip over these things. EITHER WAY. THEY ARE GOOD and you should not live life without them. Give them a try and please don't tell me they are too difficult for your culinary abilities. ;)

 These are probably supposed to be an appetizer/snack food, but we have been known to eat them for supper with a side of fresh veggies & ranch to dip them in. The veggies in the ranch, I mean. Don't blame us if our Ham Thingies accidentally might have fallen into the ranch on their way to our mouths once in a while too! (Reece could probably take the blame for that accident.)

 

Mini bagels

Sliced deli ham

Cream cheese, softened

Sliced cheese

Cut the bagels in half, spread with cream cheese. Top each bagel half with ham and a slice of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted; about 10 minutes.