I'm back!

I admit it has been a while since I've blogged. That doesn't mean that I haven't been cooking. It just means that life happens. Especially life with two kids. Having a daughter on a select soccer team takes up a lot of time. It seems as if we are always at practice or heading to a game. Then the flu hit our house, and my son was down for the count for several days. For once, I have a few moments without some kind of crisis, so I'm going to share a few recipes. There are no pictures...yet...but I'll get some on here soon. I'm still learning how to take pictures of food. With a chocolate lab in the house it's just a tad more difficult to get the picture before the dog gets to the plate. I did find out recently that the dog is quite fond of tortilla pie. My husband and I weren't to happy with the dog's desire to gobble up OUR dinner.

I thought that I would share a few appetizer recipes with you today. Where would we be without appetizers? It would be a sad, sad world.

Spicy Pretzels
1 large bag pretzel sticks
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 package Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending how spicy you like stuff)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Here's the hard part. Find a large bowl with a lid. Trust me on this. You do not want to use a large ziploc baggie. It results in a huge mess. In the bowl add the pretzels and the oil. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and shake until the pretzels are coated. Store in an airtight container. Take note...do not eat these and rub your eyes. It hurts. A lot.

Olive Balls
Green olives - drained on paper towels
1 1/4 cup flour
6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese - grated
1 stick of butter - room temperature
Dash of garlic salt
Dash of cayenne pepper

Mix flour with a dash of garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Mix in the cheese and butter. It works best if you use your hands. Form into balls around the olives. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. I used to hate green olives, but I would inhale them when made like this. It's easy, and yummy. I think I need to go to HEB so I can make some.