I think this is a great basic cheeseball recipe. I used 1/3 fat cream cheese and reduced fat cheddar cheese and it worked fine - you'd never know the differenc either but the calories and fat you save are HUGE. I highly recommend doing it that way. I made it for a haloween party and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. The only addition I made was some garlic powder. I think it'd be great with a bunch of chopped olives thrown in.

This was amazing chili. It was some work chopping and whatnot but it was fun and definitely worth it. I made it just as written except I used 3 large jalapenos in a HALF batch to make it extra spicy. I also added a little extra chili powder when I was browning the meat. This was the first chili recipe where I didn't have to reach for extra chili powder after it was cooked - everything was perfect! My husband said this was his favorite homemade chili he's ever had and he wouldn't just say that if he didn't mean it! Try this one!!! If you make a whole batch I hope you have a BIG pot. This makes quite a bit.

This was delicious. I had never heard of giardiniera before, but needed some for a recipe so I decided to make my own. I used what was left just for snacking and also on some ham sandwiches - it was awesome! It takes some work but I'd definitely make it again. I need to learn how to preserve as the batch was huge for just my husband and I.

Five stars because I think it's really difficult to find a great cut-out cookie recipe! Like others I also added some extracts: 2tsp almond and 1/2 tsp butter - though 1 tsp butter probably would have been ok too. This has given these cookies the PERFECT flavor. That said - I haven't even cooked them yet! So far they are just dough - but the dough is amazing haha! I wanted a recipe because I wanted to make my father-in-law a nice batch of cookies for Father's Day like they have at those expensive designer cookie shops at *gasp* $8 per cookie! That's insane to me. These are going to taste even better! I'll post an update and a photo after they are finished!

Extremely bland - not for me.

This was very delicious but very different from other clam chowder's I've had. I followed the recipe mostly as listed with a few modifications. Instead of using water I used the clam juice and chicken broth - I would have used all clam juice if I had some on hand. Instead of half and half I used evaporated milk and whole milk - it was still extremely rich and creamy. To thicken it I used 4T of flour mixed with just enough cold water to get rid of lumps and make it smooth - this made the chowder nice and thick. If you do this make sure to add half of this while the potatoes are cooking and the other half right after adding the milk - you want to make sure your flour has a chance to cook and thicken up. I also added a handfull of fresh chopped parsley and some dried dillweed - oh and quite a bit of salt and some pepper. It was very thick, very rich and very good! I think I would add just a tad less potatoes next time - it was almsot like a stew with so much stuff in it but some people might like that! I used small red potatoes with the skin left on. Serve with some warm baked ciabatta - delicious!!

This pie was very good - nice creamy texture as opposed to the usual gooey stuff.

I make these noodles every time I make chicken soup. I want to try to make some stroganoff with them sometime as well. I never realized how easy homemade noodles are to make - and it's definitely worth the little extra effort!!

These are awesome - I like to use diet 7-up instead of the water and usually use Corona as the beer. Make sure you have enough for 2 batches!! These are better than you'll expect them to be!

Good but the mayo was off. I wouldn't recommend using olive oil at all - just use decent quality vegetable oil. I had to use a full cup and even a bit more as it just wasn't thickening up - or maybe I just don't know how to make mayo properly - who knows! But even with the very small amt of olive oil I used - it permeated the whole batch. To cover that up I added some curry powder and sugar. It was alright! I used 2 cups of grapes as well.

Really delicious. I had never made hoppin' john before but this will be my new tradition for every new years day! Here are my modifications: I soaked my black eyed peas the overnight and used 3 cups since they had increased in size. I think the reason why people are having trouble with their peas is because they don't pre-soak. I used smoked ham shanks as I couldn't find any hocks - worked just fine. I also added 2 cloves of garlic and substituted 1 tsp of old bay seasoning instead of the red pepper flakes. I added 1 tsp of "better than bullion" chicken flavor to the simmering process. When I made the rice I actually cooked it separately in some of the broth and a little extra water though I don't think this was necessary to cook it separate. Next time I make this I'll reduce the rice to 1 cup of dry rice - it makes so much I don't know why you need 1-1/2. I definitely recommend increasing the water to 5 cups - the rice really soaks it up and the broth is very tasty. I tossed the rice in with the rest and then added a can of mixed okra and tomatoes (it had corn in it too but I tried to leave it out). This is totally optional as it was already flavorful and tasty before I added this. I just like to find any excuse to use okra.

These were delicious - perfect. They tasted just like my grandmas recipe!! I poured mine out onto a cookie sheet with a lip on all sides to cut flat, square shaped caramels. Like others have said - take it off the heat at 240! They are perfect then. Make sure you recruit someone to help you wrap these up - that part took forever!! We used red colored saran wrap and placed them on a green tray, very cute.

EDIT: I am changing my rating to five stars. Give these a day to sit and they are like heaven. They do have a shelf life though. Plan on eating these within a week for the best taste.

These taste great but I can't figure out how to make them retain any kind of shape. I wanted to dip half of mine in chocolate but I don't think that's going to be possible. I've put them to chill in the fridge overnight so I'm hoping today they might roll out better. My advice is keep them in the fridge up until the moment of serving. They are gritty - because of the powdered milk but strangely I kind of like that texture.

I should have read the reviews before attempting these at all. I was pretty annoyed last night for wasting so mucb money on the pecans and caramels just to throw it all out. First, tip - for best results - make your OWN caramel to use. If you use hard, storebought caramel - your turtles will be hard. Turtles are supposed to have soft yummy caramel but using the store bought squares just doesn't work. Maybe if you found some good quality soft caramels it would - I don't know - I tried kraft and trust me it doesn't work. At 10 minutes of baking - mine were still retaining their shape so I stupidly let them go 2 more minutes. Of course by trhen they looked perfect but when firmed up they were rock hard.

This was pretty good pie crust but I barely worked with it and it just wasn't flaky at all. It was more like a cookie.

This was very refreshing and yummie. I used the ocean spray cranberry sauce with whole berries instead of the jellied cranberries. Would be really good in the summer too!

YUM - this is the best potato salad I've had in YEARS. I did make my own variation as others have and it was absolutely perfect. Instead of the whole regular onion, I used 1/4 of a sweet yellow onion and 2 bunches of green onions. I also added in a 1/2 cup of finely chopped red pepper and 1/2 cup of chopped bacon. Everything else I kept exactly the same. Wow it's a lot of work - and I think I gained a pound just by cooking it so it isn't something I'll make often - but oh boy - I will make it again.

This recipe was pretty good although I thought it was a little heavy.