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I am a die-hard dip girl!  Love to dip veges, chips, bread...you name it!  I love cold dips, hot dips, fondues, baked dips, dips in a bread bowl.  There is just something about actively eating that makes this a great party food. And with the Super Bowl looming and subsequent parties planned around this "blessed" event, this recipe is timely! Paired with Tostitos Scoops, this appetizer is colorful and a sure crowd-pleaser.  It's also relatively healthy and delicious.  Of course, I think anything with avocados in it must be healthy, so please take my commentary in that regard with a grain of salt. My aunt passed this on to me years ago, having gotten it from her grandmother.  I've used it as an appetizer in several dinner parties, but I suspect it would be a great fish or meat topper as well! Please note that this requires quite a bit of advance preparation/marinating (night before), so make sure you don't put it off till the last minute. ...

During the holidays, I became sort of addicted to one of the seasonal offerings at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf -- Red Velvet Hot Cocoa. It tasted exactly  like it sounds like it would. Melted, delicious red velvet cake-in-a-cup. Plus, it's pin k . It could have had one every day if I could (and I could afford it). So when the holidays passed and my beloved Red Velvet Hot Cocoa disappeared from the menu, I was devastated and decided to figure out how to make it at home myself.  I learned that Red Velvet Hot Cocoa at Coffee Bean is made from a mix, which they don't sell (unfortunately). So next, I tried searching online... and BINGO! I found lots of recipes, but they all seemed to be based off the Red Velvet Hot Chocolate with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream  recipe from A Cozy Kitchen , pictured above. While A Cozy Kitchen's cocoa didn't look exactly like the Coffee Bean's -- it was dark red instead of creamy light pink -- I figured it probably couldn...

A wonderful dark fantasy...give yourself a treat and read outside the box. My mom and my sister had been telling me about these books for weeks and I just wasn't interested.   Babysitting at my sisters one night  I finally started Darkfever and proceeded to inhale these books. As soon as I finished one book I went straight to the bookshelf for the next. I  was instantly hooked and very intrigued.    I liked these books so much I plan on rereading them and those of you that know me know that I NEVER reread. The last and final book Shadowfever came out on Tuesday and I had it delivered to me the day it came out.  All the women in my family waited VERY impatiently for the last book.  Many fans even took the whole day off of work just to read it.  If I could recommend any series or any books in general I would recommend these books. It's a mystery, thriller, suspense with a healthy dash of romance. when I say healthy dash of Romance I mean ...

These flavorful roll-ups will become a family favorite that grows with your kids' tastes -- teenagers might choose to spice theirs with jalapenos.             Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef 1/2 to 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix 1/2 cup water 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas 1/2 cup salsa 3/4 cup shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese blend Instructions Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet and brown over medium-high heat. When the meat is cooked (about 10 minutes), drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning and water, then stir and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the refried beans. To give the filling a smooth consistency, pour the beef mixture into a blender. With 4 or 5 short pulses, eliminate any large chunks...

Follow these simple instructions to make a nice lunchtime surprise you're kids will be begging you to do over and over. They can even join in on the fun! Add a twist to the term "starving artist" by creating masterpieces with food coloring paint on a crusty canvas.     Instructions Fill each paper cup with two tbsp. of milk. Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup. Paint pictures and designs on the bread using the colored milk and new paintbrushes. Toast lightly and use the slices to make crazy sandwiches.

All of these fun valentine ideas I have personally tried with my grade-school aged sister.  Everyone always said they looked forward to what she was going to bring each year.  Kids even use to be upset they weren't in her class that year when Valentine's Day came around. I have tried a few more these are just our favorites. These were another really big hit but a little bit trickier to make.  It was a fun challenge to accomplish together and they turned our so cute!   Scratchy and Win Valentine Very cute idea for Kindergarten and preschool aged kids! Bear Hug Valentine  Very unique teacher gift ideal for a female teacher.  Especially during these winters months, I'm sure that lotion will come in handy sitting right at their desk! Teacher Treat Any teacher could appreciate this cute gift. Popcorn Teacher Treat These were the biggest hit at my sisters class party.  We used Hersey Kisses for the ear-pods instead. Ipod Valentine...