You've Got To Taste This

It appears that Buffalo Chicken Dip is one of the most popular recipes on our site with over 27 versions submitted by the MyRecipes audience.  There's certainly a lot of "buzz" about this dip, so I thought I'd better join the crowd and make it for the Super Bowl Party this weekend.  But first, a trial run.  

After doing a bit of research on the variations, I  went with this version:
2 (12.5-ounce) cans of chicken breast (drained)
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (not pre-shredded)
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)

I combined all of these ingredients and spooned into a small baking dish,  and baked at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

The verdict:  Super easy.  Super good.   Perfect for Super Bowl.  It's a bit on the spicy side for me, but that's a good thing so I won't eat too much.  If you like chicken wings with hot sauce, you'll love it.  One person who submitted their recipe called it "runny-nose-good".  Enough said, but that's a great description! 

I will take this to the Super Bowl party and serve it with both crackers and celery sticks.  The celery probably helps a bit with the heat --just like it does when you eat spicy wings. 

Let's have a little Super Bowl challenge of our own: Which version of Buffalo Chicken Dip do you make and which version is the best?  Blue cheese or ranch dressing?  Cheddar, mozzarella, or blue cheese? Canned chicken or not? We've got 27 different versions on MyRecipes, so pick one of those, or share your own.   Ready, set, go! 

January has become the month for getaway weekends with "the girls"-- my college girlfriends two weeks ago and three of my childhood friends this weekend.  For our college friends' gathering, we decided that total relaxation was the goal and we wouldn't worry about preparing elaborate meals.  All of us love to cook and entertain, but this was the time for packing light and heading for this year's destination, Reynolds Plantation, with nothing but our jeans, PJs and spa appointments.

Don't get me wrong. Just because we opted out of elaborate meal preparation doesn't mean that we did not dine well.  Our definition of light packing includes tote bags and coolers filled with bottles of wine and all the makings for a mighty fine appetizer buffet.  

Here are a few of the recipes on our menu: 
Steamed Gulf Coast shrimp 
Blue Moon Pimiento Cheese  (photo above) 
Herbed goat cheese
Brie with whole grain crackers 
Spinach dip 
Onion dip  
Dixie "caviar" 
Cheese straws
Pecans
Assortment of crackers, breads, and pretzels

Because our spread was so satisfying (and so plentiful),  we only ate out for dinner one night.  There's nothing better than sitting in front of the fireplace, savoring an assortment of tasty appetizers, and catching up with your dearest friends.   My new motto for the girls' weekend menu  is 'Keep it simple, satisfying, and, of course, stylish."  Isn't that what we all want out of life?   

For more ideas for your Girls' Weekends,  see Girls' Night In; Movie Night and Martie Knows Parties: Girls' Getaway Dinner.   We'd love to hear about your girls' weekend trips! 

I have nine nieces and nephews, all ages seven and under. You can imagine what our holidays are like-- the food is easy, the games are simple, and most everyone spends time either coloring, playing dress up or both.

So when my niece asked her mom to make a Minnie Mouse cake for her third birthday, my sister sprung into action and... called me.

I'd planned to be there for the big day (three is, after all, three whole fingers), so helping with the cake seemed like a fun idea.

We waited until the kids were in bed to get started, not because we were dreaming of some ultimate reveal, but more so because we didn't know how much mental focus it would take to create something cute from cake pans and white icing.

As a note, I'm here to tell you that no specialty items were used to bake or decorate this cake. In fact, I forgot the round cake pans I was suppose to bring from my house. Instead, we used:

• 1 glass pie plate
• 1 9x13 casserole dish
• 2 vanilla cake recipes (you can use boxed)
• 1 batch of plain white icing (you can use store-bought)
• 1 batch of chocolate icing (you can use store-bought)
• 1 butter knife
• 1 serrated knife
• 1 toothpick
• 4 glasses of wine (optional, for some)

Confession: We used boxed cake mix and ready-made icing. When your baking adventure starts at 9pm, the risk of a mixer waking up the kids was too high for us. If you're a from-scratch baker, I suggest:

White Cake

Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Frosting

I'd also suggest starting before 9pm. Ideally, you'd bake the cakes the day before you want to frost them in order to allow them time to cool. Otherwise, you'll need to include those optional 4 glasses of wine and plan to stay up until about 1am.

Bake one full cake recipe in the 9x13 pan and bake according to your recipe's directions. Let the cook cake cool completely, then flip it out onto a cutting board. If flipping a glass container over to remove the cake makes you nervous, use a different type of baking pan. Meanwhile, bake half a cake recipe in the glass pie plate. We used the remaining batter for cupcakes, but you could also make another "layer" if you wanted to serve at a different time, or discard the extra batter.

Once the cake in the pie plate is baked and cooled, flip it out onto the cutting board you wish to serve the cake on; we used a white plastic cutting board, which you can see in the picture. This, my friends, is Minnie's head, so center it in the middle of the board but a little low so that you have room for her ears and oh-so important hair bow.

Using a round plastic container as your guide, cut two same-sized circles out of the 9x13 cake. You'll want to cut the circles somewhat close together, or on opposite sides of the car, to ensure you have space to cut the bow. The circles, the ears, should be smaller than Minnie's head, but you can make them whatever size you like. We used a whipped topping container to get our size. Remember, if they're too large, you can always trim them down. Place the ears by Minnie's head. We placed ours slightly askance, which gives Minny a hint of playfulness and whimsy, or just tells you how tired we were that we couldn't even line up ears!

Finally, cut the bow. We free-handed the bow, but you could also draw a quick template of what you'd like it to look like and lay it on top of the cake, if that helps your cutting confidence. Above all else, remember, this is for a birthday party-- the cake will be eaten, so don't get too attached! Place the bow between the ears to make sure you have enough space between them, then set the bow aside; it's easier to ice the ears without the bow in place at first.

Now that everything is in place (except the bow!) on your serving board, it's time to decorate. I prefer to decorate using a picture as a guide, so I searched for images of Minnie, chose the expression I wanted (pure glee!), and got to work.

Start with your chocolate icing. Cover the ears with chocolate icing using a butter knife or a fancy icing tool, if your kitchen is so resourceful as to provide one. Next, use the chocolate icing to create Minnie's hairline. If you look at pictures of her, her hair cuts in a little by her cheeks. Also, Minnie rocks a Widow's Peak, in case you hadn't noticed.

Next, get your white icing and divide it into three plastic bowls. One, you'll leave totally white for Minnie's eyes. To the second bowl, add a few drops of red food coloring, enough to create a pink-hued icing for Minnie's face. Finally, use the third bowl to make a slightly darker pink for Minnie's tongue. If you hate doing dishes, you can simply ice Minnie's face, then add more red to make her tongue, and finally more red to make her hair bow a fabulous shade of pink, but I'm ahead of myself.

Once Minnie's hair is done, ice her face in the lightest shade of pink. Then, add the white icing to make her eyes (you can either make ovals and top them with chocolate to finish her eyes or make mirrored semi-circles, then fill in the gaps with chocolate to complete her eyes). Use the chocolate to make her nose, then make her eyelashes by putting on a small amount of chocolate icing and dragging it away from her eyes with a toothpick. For her mouth, make a chocolate half circle, then drag chocolate lines with a toothpick to complete her smile. Use the second shade of pink to make heart in her chocolate mouth, which becomes her tongue.

Finally, un-frosted bow into place between the ears and ice it with the darker pink icing. My Minnie Mouse wore pink this day, but, as you Minnie Mouse fans know, Minnie has hundreds of outfits, so yours can wear a red hair bow or even one with polka dots. Ice the bow in your color of choice, then use the butter knife to create texture; I made a flat circle in the middle, then dragged the knife away from the center towards the edges to create a more bow-like feeling.

There you have it! A fairly-simple, super cost-effective custom birthday cake for your kiddo or, in my case, niece.

For the record, when she saw it the next day, she stared at it for about 30 seconds then let her smile slowly take over her face. "Is that Minnie Mouse cake for me?" she asked. I was happy to tell her that, yes, it most certainly was.

In light of Paula Deen's recent announcement that she has Type 2 diabetes, we couldn't pass on the opportunity to promote the hard-to-resist diabetic recipes on our site.  The position of the country's leading diabetic experts is that there is no one "diabetic diet" and that that dietary management of diabetes can vary depending on the person and the type of diabetes that they have.

Whatever approach you and your health care team take to control blood sugar, we think you'll find plenty of recipes that fit into your eating plan. If you're looking for recipes with certain nutrient parameters (carbs, fiber, protein, fat, etc.)  you can search for recipes to fit your needs with our Nutrition Search tool. 

You can count on these recipes because they are all reviewed by food editors who are also registered dietitians.  In addition to being registered dietitians, they're also passionate about food--so great flavor is guaranteed. As a dietitian and a person with Type 1 diabetes, I urge you to re-discover the joy of good food.  Believe me, I understand that there is much about having diabetes that is not joyful, but eating does not have to be one of those things.  You can eat well and stay healthy, and we can show you how.   

I think Paula Deen would agree with cookbook author Bert Green who said, "Food, like love, must never be a joyless experience."  But I would contend that the joy in food is not always found in excess sugar and fat but rather in fresh and wholesome ingredients and simple cooking methods. 

For more information on controlling diabetes, plus thousands of delicious diabetic recipes, see the following features: 
Diabetic Recipes 
Defy Diabetes
The Truth About Diabetic Diets
Low-Sugar Party Foods
Diabetic Desserts

Recipe: Cookies 'n' Cream Crunch

If you've got some favorite diabetic recipes you'd like to share with the MyRecipes community, please share them on the site.

If TV dinners and takeout are your idea of what's for dinner, then it's time to rethink what you eat. This week's goal, Learn to Cook. No, I'm not expecting you to make the perfect roux overnight nor do I want you to become a culinary god or goddess. However, making a basic 5-ingredient recipe or throwing everything into a slow cooker and forgetting about it DOES count as cooking and IS very doable. So let's get to it! Need more motivation? Watch here...

We have hundreds to how-to videos to guide you on your quest of learning to cook. From basics techniques like how-to chop an onion to more challenging skills like how-to make a layer cake to recipe demonstrations, you're guaranteed to find what you need to make dinner prep a cinch.

Here are a few other stories that we've created for you to help demystify cooking.

• Preparing Fresh Produce
• Knife Skills
• Demystified: Tough to Prep Veggies
• Master Sauces
• Ingredient Substitutions

These should help you get started. Let me know if you need more tips or have questions. We're here to help you achieve your goal of learning to cook this year!

“What is it about popping food on a stick that makes it so much cuter?” Linda Vandermeer asks in her new book Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, and Pies on the Go! Cake pops are not the first food on a stick, but they’ve become increasingly popular in the past year.

They’re at Starbucks. They’ve been on the TODAY show at Hoda and Kathie Lee's Pajama Party. And every department store had a cake pop maker on sale during the holidays.

For Vandermeer, the cake pop is just the beginning. Sweets on a Stick covers cupcake pops, cookie pops, cutie pie pops, outside-the-box pops such as Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks, fruit on a stick and candy on a stick. She’s engineered tiny treats from Pumpkin Pie to Boston Cream Pie Pops.

Yes, Boston Cream Pie on a stick. Yes, you really can make it.

The designs seem complex, but the instructions are simple and clear. It’s written for moms not professional bakers. “This book is about having fun baking with your family and not about buying stacks of stuff you might never use again or spending time online searching for special ingredients,” she writes in the first chapter. 

Amen. You don’t always need pearl pink dragées.

I love the creativity—rather the economy—of her decorations. Fruit Loops can be the base of a cake gumball machine or the iris of a cake eyeball. Mini Oreos become the center of sunflower cupcakes. M&Ms become dinosaur scales. These decorations are cheap and easy for the kids to handle. 

Sweets on a Stick is a great book for the cake pop novice, but it’s also a great book for spending time with your kids in the kitchen—from baking to playing with food. Vandermeer encourages it. “There will be no more telling the kids not to play with their food with these super-delicious sweets on a stick.”

Sweets on a Stick is a great way to get out of the cake pop box and spend quality time with your family. It’s available at most bookstores and Adams Media online store.

More Treats on a Stick:
Angel Food Cake Pops
Mini Caramel Apples
Football Cake Pops

In week two of Resolutions: Kitchen Bootcamp, we're breaking you down and making you sweat. It is time to get down and dirty because, really, how are you supposed to cook when your pantry is a mess, your drawers are stuffed and your shelves are packed? Your mission this week is to clear the kitchen clutter so that you have room to cook. Once you're organized, keep them that way or be prepared to drop and give me 20! A video message from me: Get Organized!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily Kitchen Bootcamp updates during the month of January. Here are some of my favorite tools and tips to help you stay on track:

Pantry Essentials Checklist
A well-stocked pantry is the key to creative cooking. With these ingredients, you'll always be able to bring tasty and interesting dishes to the table. Once you've stocked up on the basics, you can expand into more unique and unusual ingredients.

10 Must-Have Staples for your Family
Make meal time a breeze by keeping key ingredients on hand so you never have to resort to take out again.

Smart Storage Strategies
Know how to store food safely and efficiently in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to keep foods tasting great.

Spring Clean Your Fridge (from Cooking Light)  
The key to a streamlined refrigerator is to ensure easy access to foods when they're at their peak of flavor and freshness. We'll show you where best to store foods and tell you when to toss them out.

1 List, 5 Meals
The hardest part of getting homemade meals on the table is the planning. Leave the menu to us–Print our 30-ingredients or less Shopping List and head to the store. In less than an hour, you'll have everything you need to make five delicious dinners.

It's a new year and the time for resolutions, so I did an informal poll of our staff to see if they had made any cooking goals for the new year.  The question was "What recipe are you going to master this year?"  Here's how we're going to be spending our time in the kitchen:

Our production assistant Deanne Revel says, "I'm obsessed with French macaroons. I tried to make them last year…but I charred them. Feeling good about 2012!

Recipe: Fig-Pecan Macaroons

Jennifer Richards, the web content director for Southern Living, Sunset and Coastal Living is determined to make a really good French Onion Soup and souffled gouda grits! Can you say comfort food?

Recipe: Classic French Onion Soup

From Claire Machamer, Southern Living.com: "I was going to do a layer cake for Christmas, but didn't have time. I still haven't ever made a good one. So my goal would be layer cake – one that I don't have to serve in a bowl like my last one."

Our nutrition editor (and new mom) Holley Grainger is going to make homemade baby food, starting with sweet potatoes. 

I'm going to master feijoada, a Brazilian stew of black beans and pork.  I fell in love with the dish when I was in Brazil and have never been able to replicate those flavors in my American kitchen.  It's not a hard recipe to make, but I'm going to fiddle with it until I get it just right.

Recipe: Brazilian Feijoada

Leigh Corra, our studio manager, says that she would like to get a step beyond her go-to meals. "When I’m in a time crunch, for the past several years, there have been a few standard suppers I will always happily prepare.  I’d like that whole selection to change.  Maybe one of the offerings would be a curry, or a soup. I want to fix something with chimichurri, just because I like the name. And something in the slow cooker, absolutely.  I am not using my slow-cooker at all but would like to."

Let us know what you're cooking in the new year.  If you need some ideas for classic recipes, see 15 Recipes to Make Before You Die.

It's that time, fellow Runway fans.  This Thursday, January 5 is the premiere of Project Runway All Stars!  Austin Scarlett, Sweet P, Mondo Guerra, Kara Janx and more of our favorite designers are back for another shot at fashion fame.  

Friends are gathering at my house to celebrate this new season of Runway with a cookie fashion show.  Instead of fifteen minutes at Mood, we'll each have have icings and sprinkles and candies to create cookie couture.

Call your friends over and plan your own Cookie Runway.  The local supermarket is baking up a batch of gingerbread people and plain sugar cookies for us to decorate.  If you have time, by all means bake up a cookie recipe.  Just make it work!  (And if All Star mentor, Joanna Coles, actually says, "Make it work," everyone has to have a shot of icing).

You can choose a theme (evening, sportswear, lingerie...) but in the spririt of the season premiere, we're asking competitors to create a piece expressing their distinct cookie design vision.

The prize?  A beautiful, frosting- and sprinkle-covered cookie is its own reward!  Unlike fashion, cookies are always in.

***SPOILER ALERT*** I'll be sending menswear down the runway.  A beachy variation on the resort wear seen on my holiday gingerbread man above. 

Welcome 2012!

Usher in the new year by making healthy resolutions to focus on being your best self. If you've resolved to eat healthy, lose weight, get organized, learn to cook, save money, or spend more time with family, we are here to help!

Each week in January, we'll choose a new goal and arm you with the tools you need to accomplish it. Remember, when making resolutions, you should look at the big picture ("lose weight") but set small, maneageable tasks to help you stay on track ("eat smaller portions").

Our registered dietitian and Kitchen Bootcamp instructor, Holley Grainger, is here to whip you into shape and motivate you each week. So if you're ready to fall in and get in shape with our help then make it your mission to follow us. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter (#KitchenBootcamp) to find your daily tip. Now drop and give us 20!

Happy New Year!