Breadsticks

I had never made breadsticks because my bread is always to heavy so I was afraid I would ruin them, but I found this recipe off of OUR BEST BITES and they were so delicious and they turned out GREAT!!! So easy too!! In the picture above I've added 1 cup of whole wheat flour and they still turned out great!!

1 1/2 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 cups of flour ( I used about 3 cups total)

In your mixer combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3- 4 cups depending on your elevation and your humidity- I live in Arizona so it's pretty dry here and added about 2 cups- so 3 1/2 cups total) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your fingers.

Spray glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter. (make sure it's a short rectangle, I rolled my out to wide and it made 24" breadsticks, which isn't necessarily a bad thing ;)
Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forfinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly.

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat oven to 425. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Baste some butter on top and sprinkle garlic salt or parmesan cheese . You can also sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. YUM

Vegetable Pizza

I used this as a substitute for a veggie tray at a party I threw and everyone wanted the recipe. I thought it was a fun and different thing to serve. Something new is always fun.

1 pkg. of cresent rolls
1 8oz. pkg. of cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 pkg. of hidden valley ranch dressing mix or use these spices instead:

• 1/4 tsp vinegar- plain vinegar

• 1 tsp. parsley

• 1/8 tsp dill

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1 1/2 tsp dried chives

• 1/8 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp seasoning salt

• 1/8 tsp dry mustard

1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup grape tomato halves
1-2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese

Spray 9x13 pan and lay down cresent rolls for a crust. Push the seams together so they form one piece. Cook as directed on package. Combine cream cheese, mayo and dressing mix (or other spices noted). Spread over sauce over cooled cresent rolls. Add veggies and top with cheese. Chill for 1 hour and serve in small squares.

Knorr Spinach Dip

I made this for a party and everyone raved about it. It's so easy and it looks great in a bread bowl.

1 pkg. 10 oz. baby spinach, chopped or 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (very important to squeeze the spinach dry or it will be nasty. I put mine in a strainer to thaw and then squeeze it dry and dab it with paper towels just to make sure all the liquid is out)
1 16 oz. container of sour cream
1 cup of Mayonnaise
1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable recipe mix

Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers; cucumbers, bread, grape tomatoes, celery, carrots, etc.

Tip: Hollow out cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes. Fill vegetables with dip as a garnish.