New Twists on an Old Favorite

I think it is safe to say that dried beef, pickles and cream cheese may be one of the best food combos ever.  I know, some may disagree and think that I exaggerate, but once you try one of these two new recipes, you might just change your mind!

Since summer is fast approaching and there will graduation parties and picnics to attend, you can't go wrong with either of the make ahead recipes.

Magic Pickle Dip (found here and everywhere on Pinterest:)

Original recipe makes 16 servings 

1 8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 dill pickle spears, diced

1 jar dried beef, chopped

Mix together the softened cream cheese, diced pickle, and chopped beef until well combined. Chill until ready to serve.  Serve with Ritz crackers.

This is the dried beef we have around here.

Stackers 

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons dill weed

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 

8 oz french onion chip dip

 Mix together well! 

You will also need:

1 jar dill sandwich stackers or think sliced dill pickles

10 - 6inch flour tortillas

2 jars dried beef

Thin sliced cheese (I used about 6 slices of provolone sliced  for sandwiches)

 Long tooth picks

Spread cream cheese mix on one tortilla.  Top with sliced beef to make a single layer covering the whole tortilla.  Spread BOTH sides of the next tortilla and place on top of the beef.  Add a layer of pickles. Repeat tortilla layer. Add a layer of cheese.    Keep going until you have used up all your tortillas.  

To place the tooth picks. You basically want to have a whole bunch of 1-1 1/2 inch squares with a toothpick in each one.  I scored my stacker across the top into 4ths and then into the smaller  squares. I like everything to be even.  Then I added the toothpicks, evenly spaced across the entire stacker.  Once that was all done, I wrapped it up good in plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge.  I cut all the pieces all the way though right before serving.   

So here's to summer and lots of picnics, parties and light eating!

Getting it Together

I consider myself a fairly organized person.  I am busy with the girls,  I manage to keep up with the house, and I have plenty of time for baking and cooking.

I am  also able to waste time with the best of them.  I could look at Pinterest for hours and rearrange Pyrex all day if that was an option!

The one thing that I have found that keeps me on track the best is a dead line.  Sure, I have tons of stuff that I would like to do but if it doesn't come attached to a specific date, there is a good chance it may never happen.

That being said, I have some new deadlines and I am pretty excited to get to work.  July is filled with fun little summer things. The splash park, baseball games, bike riding and lemonade stands.  I also have cookies orders and a few other events to get planned.  All this because August means vacation, a visit from Grandma, a big birthday and back to school!

So here I go, off to get to work on my ever growing lists.  Here are a few projects I am most looking forward to.

1.  Painting  4 folding chairs and giving them fabric seats.
2.  Moving Cil to a twin bed which means some serious room rearranging.
3.  Finding a home for all the books I have been stashing away in boxes.
4. Some patio decor that is yet to be determined.
5.  Figuring out how to make a decent cinnamon roll.  Jan? Can you help me?

What's your summer list look like?