dip

the easiest dip ever

kdavis 2 Comments

this past weekend phillip and i spent some time in dadeville, alabama visiting my childhood friend adam at his parents’ lakehouse.  at lake martin we lounged in the water drinking beers, took the jet ski for a whirl, ventured to chimney rock, and enjoyed the company of friends both old and new.  after this long day of relaxation and fun, we arrived back at the house hungry and lazy.  well, the dip that adam’s mom tina whipped up was the perfect appetizer for a bunch of hungry and lazy twentysomethings.  this recipe is so easy and so delicious that i insist you go out to the store, acquire all of the ingredients, and make it right now!

so, how easy is it?  let me tell you.

step one:  grab an 8-ounce block of cream cheese out of the fridge (no need to let it soften).

step two:  moosh that cream cheese evenly across the bottom of some kind of microwave-safe dish (i think a square or circle casserole dish would do nicely).

step three:  grab a can of your favorite chili.  with beans, sans beans, beef, turkey, whatever your taste buds desire.

step four:  evenly spread the chili on top of the cream cheese.

step five:  suffocate the chili layer with shredded cheese of your choice.  i prefer to put so much on that you can’t see the chili through the cheese.  true confessions:  i love cheese.

step six:  microwave your masterful creation for about 3-5 minutes, depending on how powerful your microwave is and depending on how melty you want the cheese.  we nuked ours long enough so that the cheese kind of bubbled around the edges.  mm.

step seven:  devour the entire dish without any regrets because you’re at the lake and it’s the weekend and that’s acceptable.

salsa – the number one condiment in america

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recently phillip returned home with arms full of groceries from the local buford market for, you guessed it, taco night!  as everyone knows, no taco night is complete without chips and salsa, and phillip picked quite the winner with the herdez salsa casera.

this salsa is fresh and flavorful, everything you want in a little pre-dinner appetizer.  i mean, if you’re gonna fill up on chips and salsa, it may as well be the best stuff you can find!  this jar of condiment heaven is the perfect balance between chunky and liquid-y, if that makes any sense at all…?  i guess what i’m trying to say is that it’s kind of more restaurant style, and i think it is just divine.

also enjoyable is their verde salsa.  it was a great topping for my taco salad, and i’m sure it would be a great addition to a plate of enchiladas or maybe even chimichangas.  heck, dip your quesadilla in it, too!  the possibilities are endless!

i mean, as long as you don’t get your salsa mixed up with your seltzer, you’re good to go!

good luck, 2015!

kdavis 1 Comment
as the pioneer woman would say, the cast of characters.

as the pioneer woman would say, the cast of characters.

well, i don’t know about you, but i had a blast ringing in the new year.  new year’s celebration is one of my favorite holidays, and last night was just what i wanted.  kyle, kari, nathan, alison, brandon, larissa, and i had a killer dinner at rosebud in morningside.  i mean, doesn’t crawfish risotto sound divine?  after several drinks and delicious meals, we headed back to buckhead to drink champagne, eat cheetos, and light sparklers in our pajamas.  it may not have been a black tie affair, but who cares?  it’s not about what other folks think; it’s about doing what makes you happy.

in a renewed spirit of “chase after your dreams” and “live the life you’ve imagined,” i wish 2015 and everyone experiencing it the best of luck.  spend your days doing what you want, for anything else is just a waste of time.

so, in the name of new year’s tradition, i give you my all-time favorite black eyed pea dip recipe.  no new year is complete without this classic dish, and if you haven’t had any yet, you still have a few hours!  now, if you’re a good andrich woman, you will do two things when making this recipe.  first, you will make it a few days in advance of january 1st so that it has time to chill and meld in the refrigerator.  second, you will also prepare it far ahead enough so that the grocery store doesn’t run out of regular cans of black eyed peas, because then you have to use black eyed peas with snaps, and then you’ll be standing with the bowl over the trash can, picking out each green bean because you waited until the last minute.

this recipe includes lots of chopping, so get out your best knife and cutting board and get to it!

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zesty corn dip

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corn dip

tori was in town this past weekend to tend to wedding activities (it’s only nine days away – eek!), and like always, she had plenty of things to bring to atlanta from home.  for clark, she brought his winter clothes.  for the kessey girl, she brought me a recipe.  ah, yes, she knows me so well!

this zesty corn dip really couldn’t be easier.  well, i suppose the only way it could be easier is if you didn’t have to do any chopping, but even for the most novice cook, you got it!

ingredients

2 12-ounce packages frozen corn

1 8-ounce block of cream cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup diced green onion, white and green parts

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 2.5-ounce package fully cooked bacon, diced

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

directions

place all ingredients in a crock-pot/slow cooker.

cover and cook on low for 4 hours OR on high for 2 hours, stirring the dip halfway through cooking time.

xlviii

kdavis 1 Comment

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like most of america, i spent last sunday afternoon cleaning house and preparing appetizers for my friends.  it was super bowl sunday!  what better excuse to get together, eat unhealthily, and drink?  i hosted a quaint party of ten at my condo and served up some pretty killer food.  the menu included buffalo chicken dip, spinach and artichoke dip, pimento cheese, chicken wings, and jalapeno poppers.  all homemade.  that’s right.  i slaved away in my little kitchen for three straight hours to get these prepped, mixed, and plated.  i truly do like to think of myself as the hostess with the mostess.

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