Hunny's Yummy Tri-Tip

Get a tri-tip roast poke holes all over in it with a big serving sized fork and set aside.
Mix (in a BIG bowl) 1 large bottle of Famous Dave's Original BBQ and a 1/2 bottle of the Zesty.
Add about 2/3 cup of no pulp orange juice, 1/3 cup honey, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.
Put the roast in and cover completely then cover the bowl and let it marinate for at least 6 hrs but overnight is better. Grill it outside turning it often. The sugar in the sauce carmelizes and makes a REALLLLLLY yummy crust type outside and juicy tender inside. It's the BEST!!!!!!! Slice thick and ENJOY!! :)

Low Carb Cheesecake Cupcakes

These are soooo easy and really good!

For Cupcakes:
3-8oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup Splenda
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

For Filling:
6 oz Sour Cream
5 tsp Splenda
1/8 tsp vanilla

Brink cream cheese to room temperature. Place cream cheese in a bowl and add one egg at a time beating with a mixer. Slowly add the Splenda and vanilla. *The batter will be thin* Pour into cupcake liners about an 1/8 inch from the top. Bake in a 300F oven for 30-35 minutes or until large cracks appear on the top. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Mix all ingredients for filling in a small bowl.

After the cupcakes have cooled for five minutes add 1 tsp to the top of each cupcake and stick back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

I would put them in the fridge or freezer and keep them cold until you eat them. Mine were a bit soggy on the bottom but they were sitting on the counter and I used cream cheese that was previously frozen so that may have been a factor as well. They were still good.

This makes 15 cupcakes. I calculated the nutrition for each and they come out to be 200.9 Calories, 19.9 g of Fat, 125.8 mg of Cholesterol, 161.4 mg of Sodium, 91.4 mg of Potassium, 4.1 g Total Carbohydrates and 5.9 g of Protein.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 - 16 oz container of fat free sour cream
1 packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch original dressing
Half of a medium sized onion
1 tomatillo
1.5 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp of garlic

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

This makes 18 servings :)

Chicken Salad with Mango Salsa

Chicken filling/topping ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 c Salsa
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can black beans drained

Pico de Gallo
1 medium sized tomato
half of a medium sized onion
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lime juice

Mango Salsa

half of a mango, cubed

1/2 med sized tomato chopped
1/3 of a red onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

6 cups of shredded romaine lettuce

Chicken filling - Cube the chicken and cook in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of lime juice while cooking.
Start your rice cooking (if you are doing instant should be about 10 minutes if not then you need to start it about 45 minutes prior to cooking your chicken)
When the chicken is done add the salsa and the can of beans, lower heat, cover and simmer until the rice is done.

Pico de gallo -
Chop one tomato, half of an onion and 2 tbs of cilantro. Combine in a bowl add 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of lime juice. Let sit to let the flavors combine.

Mango Salsa -
Chop one half of a large mango, a third of a large red onion, and half of a medium sized tomato. Combine in bowl with 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp of lime juice.

Divide the lettuce among four plates. Add 1/4 of the chicken mixture, 1/4 of the pico and 1/4 of the mango salsa. Top with 2 tbsp Tomatillo Ranch Dressing.

This only has 256 calories, 2.7 g fat, 232.3 mg sodium, 45.9 g carbs (and complex ones at that) and 14.9 g protein per serving :) and that includes the Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in the other post :)

Beer Cheese Dip

Another dip recipe that is sooooo easy and sooooo yummy. I am all about easy and yummy when it comes to entertaining.

Ingredients:

16 oz of cream cheese
16 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c beer

Directions:
1. Put cheeses in a sauce pan and heat over med/low heat until melted
2. pour cheese mixture, beer and garlic powder in a large bowl and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. (you can also skip step one and just mix every thing in a large bowl with a mixer until smooth, doesn't get much easier than that.)

You can garnish with green onions and shredded cheese. Its great served inside of a bread bowl, with pretzels or even fresh veggies!

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

This dip is so easy and so great! People often ask me for the recipe. I love putting this in a bread bowl :)

Ingredients:
1/2 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 c artichoke hearts, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
1/8 t garlic powder
dash ground pepper

Directions:
1. Simmer the spinach and artichoke hearts in a cup of water in a small sauce pan over med heat until tender (about 10 minutes)
2. Drain in colander when done
3. Heat the cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave for one minute (high setting) or use a sauce pan to heat the cheese over med heat just until soft.
4. Add spinach and artichoke hearts to the cream cheese and stir well
5. Stir in the parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper combining well.

Serve hot with crackers, or toasted bread for dipping. Works great with untoasted bread too.

San Remo Seafood Dip

Here is another good party recipe.

Ingredients:

6 oz can of tiny shrimp, drained, reserve the liquid
6 oz can crab meat, drained, reserve the liquid
2 oz cream cheese, room temp and cubed
2 T olive oil
2 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/8 t crushed garlic
1 t prepared horseradish
1/3 c asiago cheese, grated
2 T parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 - 3/4 c half and half
1 1/2 c pasta sauce, drained to remove excess liquid
1/4 c fresh parmesan cheese, finely shredded for topping

Directions:
1. Put the pasta sauce in a colander to drain and preheat the oven to 325 F
2. In a 2 qt sauce pan over med/low heat olive oil and blend in flour.
3. Add the reserved liquid from the shrimp and crab, stir well.
4. Add cubed cream cheese, salt, crushed garlic, horseradish, and stir until smooth
5. Add shrimp and crab, blend well
6. Simmer until heated through
7. Add half & Half a little at a time until it starts to simmer and begins to resemble warm pudding.
8. Continue to simmer for an additional 12-15 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.
9. Spray a shallow 9" baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
10. Add drained pasta sauce and then carefully spoon the seafood mixture on top.
11. Sprinkle with fresh parmesean and place in oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through. (Dip should not brown on top)

Serve with bread.