Sausage Stars

Tis the season for appetizers! This one is really tasty but I haven't eaten them since Christmas 1997. You see, I was 8 weeks pregnant that Christmas and I made these for a Christmas party. The smell and the raw sausage was too much for my tender tummy. That "pregnancy" is now a 10 year old girl who LOVES to cook so we're going to make these next week. Hopefully she'll love them!

1 pound bulk sausage
1 1/2 c cheddar
1 1/2 c monterey jack
1 c ranch dressing
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1 pkg. won ton wrappers

Brown and drain sausage. Combine all ingredients except won tons. Spray muffin tins with Pam. Press won tons into cups. Spray again. Bake for 5 minutes at 350. Remove from tins, fill and bake 5-7 minutes. Serve HOT!

Avocado Corn Salsa

It's summer so it's time for salsa recipes. This one is particularly good with those Hint of Lime tortilla chips. Next time you make corn on the cob, throw an extra few on the grill for this salsa. You could also roast it under the broiler but who would want to do that in the summer?

2 ears of corn, roasted
2 avocados, diced
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1/2 c red pepper, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2-4 dashes hot pepper sauce
2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 c chopped cilantro (Kim, you can leave this out and it's still good!)
2 Tbsp lime juice

Cut the kernels off the cob and mix with all the ingredients. Keep covered and refrigerated but serve quickly as the avocado will turn brown.

Chunky Veggie Dip

16 oz FF cottage cheese
1 med celery stalk
1 med carrot
1 med red pepper
1/4 c chopped shallots
few shots of hot sauce
dash fresh ground blk pepper

Chop veggies. Mix all together and season to taste. Serve with whole wheat cracker or more veggies.

8 servings~1 WW point each

Gi Gi's Taco Dip

Here it is. Grandma's famous taco dip. It is awesome.

15 oz refried beans
8 oz cream cheese
taco seasoning mix
8 oz sour cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
chopped onion
16 oz salsa
small can olives
8 oz cheddar

Mash beans on a platter. Mix next 4 ingredients. Spread over beans. Top with remaining ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips.

Zesty Chicken Dip

This one is for Linda. This was one of the few recipies that my mom made. She was NOT a cook but she was what my dad called a "good food warmer." She didn't really like to cook but this dip was awesome. It is also great on a sandwich as a good alternative to tunafish.

6 oz cream cheese
8 oz can chicken
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 Tbsp sweet pickle juice
1 tsp Worchestershire
pinch onion powder
pinch celery seed
pinch dill

Beat cream cheese til smooth. Add chicken. Blend in mustard and pickle juice. Add seasonings. Chill overnight to blend flavors.