Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Last night we had a wonderful dinner. Relatively unhealthy, yes, but we didn't mind especially since my roasted chicken sausage went awry the night before and we were hungry.

We had grilled cheddar, apple and bacon sandwiches and roasted butternut squash and apple soup - the perfect fall meal. It filled us up and made us happy.

Even though I was nervous Adam wasn't going to love the soup he did! And so did I. It turned out very well and I highly recommend making it. It's really quite easy after you gather all the ingredients, chopping them up is the most time consuming part. I am a huge fan of cream soups and I have been waiting for weeks to try this.

The recipe is from Ciao Florentina but I altered it a bit.

1 butternut squash (3lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 granny smith apples, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces (Florentina did not peel them but I did)

2 carrots, sliced

4 Tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup white wine

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used chicken)

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used a splash more because I love cream!)

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

In a 9x13 glass baking dish, toss the squash, apples, carrot slices, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt and pepper with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Roast uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Stir a few times during cooking.

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat in a cast iron pot. Add and saute the diced onion with a pinch of salt until transslucent. Add the wine and let it reduce by half. Add the roasted vegetables to the pot together with the stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and using a hand held blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and cook an additional 3 minutes.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Florentina also suggests serving the soup with a drizzle of cream, snipped chives and a pinch of ground nutmeg.

You can also add fresh thyme leaves to your vegetables as they roast.

To make the grilled cheese, spread Dijion mustard on 2 pices of bread. Top one slice with cheddar cheese, 3 pieces cooked bacon, a few granny smith apple slices and more cheese. Place other piece of bread on top with mustard side down. Spread butter on the top of the sandwich and place on a hot grill. Butter the other piece of bread before you flip it.

Pepperoni Pizza Bites

During our quest to eat healthy we took a break and indulged in pepperoni pizza bites. And they were soooo worth it! This is such a fun idea. The exact same ingredients as a plain ole pizza but in reverse. Somehow, to me, it tastes kinda better!

We used pepperoni but you can use your favorite toppings.

This recipe is from Our Best Bites

1 tube rerigerator pizza dough

mozzarella cheese, shredded

pepperoni slices

1 Tablespoon ollive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano

grated parmesan

marinara sauce

Preheat oven according to pizza dough package. Around 400 or 425 degrees.

Spread out the dough on a counter top and press out until as thin as possible without making a hole in the dough about 8"x12". Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into 24 squares. (or you can make the squares larger, as I did)

Add cheese and pepperoni to each square center. Then carefully fold up the corners of each square and press together to form a ball. Place in a lightly sprayed pie plate seam side down. Brush the top of the balls with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 10 minutes but keep your eye on it because all doughs bake differently.

Serve warm with warm marinara sauce.

We have all the ingredients so I think we'll be making this again this week.

Caramel Fruit Dip

I made the best fruit dip for a New Years party we went to on Friday. And it's soo easy to whip together! On mini skewers, I put a piece of pineapple, a strawberry and, on some, a piece of mango. I figured the skewers would make the fruit pieces easier to eat at a party.

The recipe:

1 8 oz. block Neufchatel cheese - the low fat version of cream cheese - or you can use cream cheese - room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

With a mixer, beat until smooth. The mixture will be grainy at first but keep beating until it's smooth.

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites. They additionally add toffee chips right before serving, so that is an option too. I bought the toffee chips but just didn't add them because I thought it was good as is. Plus now I can make some toffee chip cookies later!

Orange Chipotle-Spiced Pecan Mix

I made these very tasty pecans for Thanksgiving appetizer. I will definitely be making more - sweet and spicy! If you can, buy the chipotle chili pepper. It is a great smokey hot flavor.

I found this recipe from on myrecipes.com and it was originally in Cooking Lite in November 2008.

1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 large egg white
2 cups pecan halves
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 225°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until slightly frothy. Stir in pecans. Combine sugar, salt, and pepper. Add to pecan mixture; toss well. Spread mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 225° for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; cool completely. Stir in cranberries.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I saw this easy recipe on a blog I read, Kelly's Korner, and added it to my list of quick and delicious snack/party recipes. I made it last night to take to a party tonight.

As Kelly does, I just scooped the mixture into a bowl and refrigerated it overnight. I didn't go to the trouble of shaping it into a ball and rolling it in pecans, as the original recipe calls for. So it's more of a cheese spread than a ball! I am serving it with graham crackers but animal crackers & Nilla wafer - regular or chocolate - would be good too!

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of real unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners sugar (you may want to add more to your liking)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
chopped pecans, optional

Beat cream cheese and butter until very well blended. Mix in sugars and vanilla. Then mix in chips.

Now you can either form the mixture into a ball and coat with chopped pecans or spoon it into a little serving bowl. Refrigerate several hours before serving, ideally overnight.

This is a fun, sweet appetizer!

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Rebecca's Bridal Shower

Last Saturday was Rebecca's bridal shower. We held it at my parents house, outside by the pool in the sweltering heat. I can confidently say that party was flawless - the guests were charming, the games entertaining, the food aplenty and the bride glowing! Here is Rebecca (center) with her bridesmaids:


I had the pleasure of preparing the food for the 3pm shower. This is the menu:

• chicken waldorf salad - chicken, mayo, salt, pepper, chopped celery, chopped granny smith apple, quartered red grapes, and walnut - with potato slider rolls
• turkey, bacon, swiss on mini pretzel rolls with a guacamole sauce - 2 smashed avocados, lemon juice, lime juice and salt and pepper
• vegetable pizza (recipe below)
• mini caprese salad skewers
• strawberry salsa (recipe below)
• cannellini bean salad crostini (recipe below)

Bec's mom made her famous orange juice & peach schnapps slush topped with 7Up. My favorite and perfect for summer!

Here is the food table (Miriam provided the beautiful flowers):

The mini pretzel sliders:

The guac:

The strawberry salsa:

1 quart strawberries, washed, hulled & chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, washed, cored & chopped

3 kiwis, peeled & chopped

2 tablespoons apple jelly, melted in the microwave for 30 seconds

2 tablespoons brown sugar

juice of 1/2 orange

1 tablespoon orange zest

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Mix all together. Best if enjoyed immediately.

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Serve with cinnamon & sugar chips: cut a flour tortillas in wedges, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

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This is the vegetable pizza. I made it earlier in the summer and Bec requested it for her shower:

2 cans crescent rolls

2 8oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup mayo

1 package ranch dressing mix

chopped vegetables - I use broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & celery

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread rolls out onto a baking sheet to make a crust, making sure all seams are pressed together. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Mix together cream cheese, mayo and ranch. Once crust is cool, spread evenly over crust. Sprinkle chopped vegetable over cream cheese mix. Cut into squares to serve.

The caprese skewers - mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil:
Cannellini bean salad:

*I only have a photo copy of this recipe so I can't give credit to the source

2 1/2 cups dried cannellini white beans

1/2 medium onion, chopped (I used a red onion)

4 green onions, chopped (I omitted cause I didn't have)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/3 cup olice oil

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

2 cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 cup prosciutto, thinly sliced & chopped (optional - I did not use but regret it!)

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Place beans in a bowl and add 6 cups fresh cold water. Allow to sit on the counter overnight. Drain and place in a 6- to 8-quart pot. Add 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes until barely tender. Drain well and pour the beans out onto a large sheet pan. Allow to cool completely and put in a large bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Toss and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours at room temperature before serving.

I made crostini rounds to eat with the bean salad - slice French bread, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper and bake at 350 degress for 15 minutes:

I don't have a photo of the chicken salad but it did look pretty with all the colorful ingredients!

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I also made a chocolate sheet cake (click on that link and make that cake. it is to die for!) and peanut butter icing and a Boston cream pie - Bec's 2 favorite cakes. They were a success!!

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Happy Bridal Shower to Rebecca!

Only 5 more weeks until her wedding!!

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All the photos you see here are from Rebecca!

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Just Beet It!

The second healthy food on my list are beets. Just look how beautiful the color and texture of a beet is:

I'd never really worked with beets before. I do not like pickled eggs and I believe that's how most people consume beets but I just can't go there.

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Instead I found a beet and horseradish dip in the January O magazine and thought I'd give it a try. You're probably thinking, that doesn't sound good (because that's what I was saying) but turns out it's pretty tasty! The horseradish is very subtle.

1 medium beet
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt - I used sea salt so I added a pinch more
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped chives or dill - I did not add herbs simply because I didn't have any on hand.

Peel then grate beet on the largest grating blades of a box grater. Mix all ingredients together. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving to let flavors meld. Keep refrigerated. Serve with chips or, as my one taste tester suggested, with sliced baguette. May by even good served atop a steak!

I just love the pink color!

Why the beet is good for you:

• high in folic acid
• high level of anti-carcinogens
• contains betacyanin which is the red pigment that is obsorbed in the blood stream and can increase the oxygen carrying ability of blood
• high in good carbs and low in fat
  

Just be careful.... even though the color is pretty they have evil intensions... they stain your hands and clothes very quickly!

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Looking for delicious snacks?

Look no farther! Here are three yummy and easy snacks that are perfect for parties or as an anytime snack.

With the help of Our Best Bites, one of my new favorite food blogs, I made two special treats for our New Years Eve party: a cheese ball and cinnamon bun popcorn.

First, the cheeseball:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions

2 tsp. seasoning salt

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained very well

1/2 c. chopped walnuts - the original recipe calls for pecans but I only had walnuts

*The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, but I didn't have any so I omitted it

Mix all ingredients except the nuts together. I started with a spoon but found that using my hands was most effective. It's very important to mix everything very well so you don't get a mouthful of pineapple or green onions :)

Form into a ball. Place nuts on a plate and roll the ball to coat. You may need to press the nuts into the cheese to help them stay put and ensure the cheese ball is fully coated. Refrigerate until serving.

Next, the cinnamon bun popcorn. Oh sooo good! I was originally going to bag this up for party favors but decided to leave it out in a big bowl.

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12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels or I used microwave popcorn)

1 C pecan halves, roughly chopped

1 C brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C karo syrup

1 stick real butter (1/2 C)

1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz) - I used the white chocolate wafers from the bulk bin but because there was hardly any left, I had to use some dark chocolate on some of the popcorn. See pictures below.

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Preheat oven to 250 degrees

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Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.

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Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise.

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Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

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Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

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Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks.

And for the buffet table centerpiece, I made a chocolate covered strawberry tree. I didn't have enough strawberries to fill the tree so we had to lop off the top of the styrofoam cone so it looks more like a squat shrub. I got the inspiration from a blog called Everyday Celebrating. Check it out!

You make your chocolate covered strawberry with good dipping chocolate, put a styrofoam cone in a pot or urn and use toothpicks to secure the strawberries and kale. So easy and fun!

Most of the stawberries were flat where the stem was so they would lay point up while the chocolate hardened. Some did not and they have a flat side and don't look all that pretty but they still tasted delicious!

Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms

Yesterday Adam and I wanted to make a few snacks for our friends who were coming over to watch the Penn State/Ohio State game. My mom made these stuffed mushrooms for Adam and I once and he loved them so I thought I'd give them a try. Eventhough PSU lost, the mushroom caps were delicious!

20 large mushrooms (white or baby bella)
1/2 cup brocolli, finely chopped
1/4 c carrot, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon onion, finely chopped (I sliced up 2 green onions)
1 cup seasoned croutons, crushed to 1/2 cup
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean and remove the stems from the mushrooms, reserving the stems. Cut away some mushroom for a larger hole. Place the mushrooms, rounded side down, in a deep dish baker.

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Using a small chopper, chop enough mushroom stems to equal 1/4 cup. I used a small chopper to chop up the broccoli and carrots too. Adam crushed the croutons with the back of a wooden spoon. ha! Whatever works! :)

In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, carrots, onion, croutons, cheese, salt and butter.

Gently fill each mushroom with stuffing.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes until....

... golden brown.

Pepper Poppers

For my birthday, my best friend pre-ordered me a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks for my birthday because the book wasn't published until after my birthday. I just got the book on Friday night so throughout Saturday I looked at the books, reading the Pioneer Woman's life stories and delicious recipes, enjoying her vivid and lively photographs. I really wanted to make something from the book and the bacon wrapped jalapenos caught Adam's eye. However, we couldn't find jalapenos so it was Adam's idea to use red and green bell peppers instead. They turned out to be quite tasty!

BBQ Jalapeno Poppers from the Pioneer Woman

18 fresh jalapenos, sliced lenghwise, cleaned of membranes and seeds - OR, bell peppers work too!
1 8oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 grated (I used shredded) cheddar cheese
1 (I used 2) green onion, sliced
18 slices thin bacon
Favorite BBQ sauce
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese and onions until well incorporated. Fill each pepper half with the cheese mixture and place on baking sheet. Cut bacon to fit around each pepper half. Wrap each pepper with a piece of bacon - but not too tight because bacon shrinks as it cooks - and secure with a tooth pick. Brush the bacon wrapped peppers with BBQ sauce. Bake for one hour until bacon is cooked.

The baked peppers. Anything with cheese and bacon turns out good!

Fresh Salsa

So do you all remember my mom and I growing vegetable plants from seed? Well look at the fruits of our labor!!!:

We were pleasantly surprised to have a huge watermelon plant because we didn't plant it. We did plant yellow squash but none of them took off. But the Roma tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers are magnificently abundant!

With all those tomatoes I decided to try my hand at some salsa.

The ingredients:

white onion
green pepper
garlic cloves
jalapeno pepper
Roma tomatoes
cilantro
lots of salt and pepper

First, I roughly chopped the ingredients (except the lime) and took the seeds and center from the tomatoes.

Then in a food processor, I added the onion, peppers, garlic, cilantro and just a handful of tomatoes and coarsely pulsed it all. I then put that in a large bowl and added the juice of a lime and salt and pepper. Next I filled the food processing bowl with tomatoes and pulsed them so they're a tad chunkier than the peppers and onions. Then mixed everything together and continued to adjust the salt and pepper.

The finished product! I think it will taste much better after it's refrigerated overnight.

We still have a lot of tomatoes left so I think my mom is going to make some tomato juice and as long as they last until next weekend, I want to make bruschetta for our Labor Day party.

Ranch Crackers

It's been quite a few days since I've posted and I'm not happy about that! Lots of things have been going on that I want to share - like my brother's 21st birthday and a friend's baby shower - but as I work on those posts, here is a recipe for one of my favorite snacks. So easy and always a crowd pleaser. This is my Aunt Donna's recipe:

12-16 oz. oyster crackers

1 package Ranch salad dressing mix (Hidden Valley)

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2-1 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4-1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the ranch mix, oil and herbs in a small bowl. Place the crackers in a large bowl and pour mixture over crackers. Stir to coat the crackers. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned.

DMB

The concert Arielle has been waiting for since I bought the tickets in March finally came last Friday... Dave Matthews in Hershey. Arielle is a huge fan and knows all his songs and everything about him. Luckily a little over a week before the concert Arielle gave me their latest cd to listen to in my car so I was well prepared. They played lots of songs from their new album, several of which I love. But before the concert, Arielle made us some great treats:

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Spicy Pretzels:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 package Ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

15 oz. pretzels

Mix all ingredients together. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Let cool completely on baking sheet and store in air-tight container.

Son of a Peach Cookies

These are a great soft, cakey cookie. We had just bought some fresh peaches in Adams County the week before.

Oh and the name... After I had one of these cookies, I had to run out in the pouring down rain in my long flowy skirt and when I got back in the car, I was soaked and yelled 'son of a peach' and the name stuck. ha!

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well mixed. Add egg and mix. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well blended. Stir in peaches by hand. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes.

Picnic Loaves

This is a favorite. We make it for church potlucks, parties, picnics, tailgating... It's from a Taste of Home Cookbook.

2 loaves Italian bread
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (we use McCormick brand)
½ lb roast beef
¾ lb provolone cheese
16 basil leaves
3 small tomatoes, sliced (or however much you like)
¼ lb hard salami
10 oz. salad greens
½ lb turkey
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper

Cut loaves in half horizontally. Hollow out some of the bread, being careful not to go get too thin against the crust. Mix the oil and garlic together. Brush oil on the cut side of the 4 pieces of bread then sprinkle with Italian seasoning. On the bottom loaves, begin building the sandwich in this order: beef, cheese, basil, tomato, salami, salad greens, turkey & onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper and repeat layer. Place the top of the loaves on the layers. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before slicing.

Sisters

The rain was over by the time the show started and we ended up having a great evening!

And I'm loving this song.

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Apple Salsa

Last Sunday at my cousin Katherine's baptism luncheon, my Aunt B made a delicious apple salsa with cinnamon and sugar chips. So sweet and refreshing, I had quite a bit of this creation. I was raving to Aunt B about the recipe so she sent it to me. I whipped it up last night and it served as a late night snack and for this morning's breakfast.

This would be a hit at a party (where I first tried it) or served with grilled fish.... or a cheesecake topping.... Lots of options!

Apple Salsa:

2 medium tart apples

1 cup strawberries

2 medium kiwis

1 small orange

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple jelly, melted

Cinnamon & Sugar Chips:

8 flour tortillas (7or 8 inches)

1 tablespoon water

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a bowl, chop and combine apples, strawberries, and kiwi. Zest orange peel to measure 1 ½ teaspoons and squeeze juice from orange. Add zest and juice to apple mixture. Stir in brown sugar and melted jelly.

For chips, brush tortillas with water, cinnamon, and sugar mixture. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place in a single layer on un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with salsa. Makes 4 cups.

Chili Lime Peanuts

For this recipe, I was on the search for salt free, dry roasted cashews, as the recipe calls for, but I couldn't find them at the grocery store but I did find salt free peanuts. I decided they would be just as good for this sweet and spicy snack. The recipe is from the June 2009 Everyday Food magazine:

2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest (I used the juice of 1/2 a lime instead)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 large egg white

3 cups raw unsalted nuts (peanuts, cashews, a combo)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon, grind salt with lime zest (or juice). Add brown sugar, red pepper flakes and egg white. Whisk together until frothy. Add nuts and toss to coat.

Spread cashew mixtures in a single layer onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15 - 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Before they're tossed in the oven

These are a little well done so I recommend checking them after 15 minutes.

Very tasty... a nice bite but the sugar makes them sweet so you can easily eat handfuls at a time!

Summer Party Series - Black Bean Salsa

This begins my series of posts on throwing a summer party. A refreshing and healthy salsa is a great appetizer and snack to have available at a party from the arrival of the first guest to the departure of the last one. People can nibble on the following concoction for a long time - I know I can't get a fill of this salsa. Thanks to Paula Deen, I have found a great go-to recipe for entertaining and for an any-time snack:


2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (17-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cover and chill overnight. Taste and add salt, pepper or more lime juice as necessary. Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer, or with grilled chicken breast as a meal (can't wait to try this!).

For Arielle's party, I doubled this recipe and it was plenty for a large crowd. Use Paula's recipe as a guide - I began estimating according to what ingredients I had and what looked good. I realize I should have used a little more chopped tomotoes when it was too late. I was also generous with the lime juice - mostly to perserve the avacados, which I added right before serving.

At the party we served this with blue, yellow and white corn chips.

Photo by Rebecca.

Onion Dip

I made this dip well over a year ago but Adam - my dear, picky little eater - remembered how much he liked it and asked for the recipe last night to go with his bag of chips. Together we made this smooth, creamy & decadent dip - way, WAY better than the dip from the dried onion soup mix.

The recipe is from this book: Everyday Celebrations. It's a great compilation with complete menus for dinner parties.

So we're making the dip and go for the bag of chips and here Arielle polished off the bag without us knowing! Adam had to make a run to the grocery store at 9:30pm for chips but it was well worth the effort! It's 11am and I am counting down the minutes until noon when I can go eat some chips and dip (well I could eat it now, but I would feel too indulgent! haha).


2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped (I used a mini food processor)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce


In a medium saute pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and let cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayo and lemon juice. Add the onions and mix well. Season with salt and peper and hot sauce. Refrigerate until chilled but overnight is best to allow flavors to mix.

Cooking the onions. I actually let them cook for longer than 20 minutes - until they are slightly caramelized.

Ready to dig in!!

Deviled Eggs

Knowing Greg loves deviled eggs, I decided to make a batch for Easter. I, however, do not like them, so this was my first time attempting the popular snack. While cooking, I do not pay much attention to detail (which I learned how much I really don't after working with Tim the Chef who enjoys perfectly uniform meatballs and precisely square mango chunks) so it was difficult to neatly get the yolk out of the egg while keeping the whites intact. I think I pulled it off ok though. Below is a recipe from Alton Brown, which is doubled from his original recipe.

12 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
2 teaspoons whole pink peppercorns, divided
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole green peppercorns
1 teaspoon caper liquid
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch sugar

Slice eggs from top to bottom. Scoop out yolks unto a medium mixing bowl and lay whites aside. Place all of the peppercorns except 1 teaspoon of the pink pepeprcorns, into a spice grounder and process until ground well. **NOTE: I use a mixture of these four peppercorns in my pepper mill so I just used the pepper from my mill. However I only used 3 teaspoons instead of the 4 it calls for because I felt like it was a lof of pepper.**
Add the ground peppers, caper liquid, mayo, mustard, salt and sugar to the egg yolks and using a fork (I used a wire whisk to get it extra smooth), stir to thoroughly combine. Place the mixture into a zip-lock plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corner. Pipe mixture into each of the white halves (I did not use a plastic bag, but a teaspoon. However I can see how this method would be less messy!). Coarsely grind the remaining 1 teaspoon of pink peppercorns and use to garnish top of each egg (I did not do this. I sprinkled them with paprika - the traditional garnish).
Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Greg was carrying around the plate of devil eggs while looking for his Easter basket.

Spicy 'N Sweet Pickles

Yesterday, my mom and I spent some time in the kitchen making some snacks for the upcoming week. My mom was in the mood for spicy pickles, so we used my Aunt Donna's recipe. She says they taste just like the 14 day pickles her mom - my grandma - used to make (a recipe similar to this).

Because you make these from jarred dill pickles and not from a fresh cucumber, they're ready to enjoy shortly after making! And I do love pickles, especially sweet ones like these!

1 quart dill pickles

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon pickling spices

Drain pickles and slice in to thick, bite-sized chunks. Return to the jar.

In a small saucepan, mix together sugar, vinegar and spices. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mix begins to boil and the sugar disolves. Pour over pickle chunks in the jar. Seal with lid. Let cool and then refrigerate.