Layered Taco Dip

I love furniture!  My favorite thing is to go to antique stores and consignment stores to find old furniture that has character.  Preferably the cheap kind!  I see the value in old expensive furniture, but our budget just doesn't quite match up.  I had been looking for a corner cabinet to go in our dinning room.  My mother in law found this one which was perfect!  It just needed a little touching up to update it.

Before:  ugly wood and silver hardware.

Close up of silver hardware.

I painted the inside with the same color as our dinning room walls and spray painted the hardware with oil rubbed bronze (my new favorite can of spray paint)!

The finished product before it was staged.

Spay painted with ORB

Close up

This is a typical layered dip.  It fulfills my Mexican cravings quite well.  Just try it for yourself and make it your own!

Layered Taco Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Frito's bean dip
• Guacamole
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• Shredded cheese (I prefer white cheddar)
• Salsa
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Optional layers:  diced tomatoes, black olives, green onions
• Serve with tortilla chips

Layer dip in ~8X8 dish.  Layer bean dip, guac, mix together next three ingredients in a separate bowl (mayo, sour cream, and taco seasoning) and add on top of guac, shredded cheese, salsa, and pickled jalapenos.  Enjoy!

Spring Salsa

What a fun Easter weekend!  We started it off on Friday night with our anniversary dinner at Hal's.  Alex and I agree, it was the best steak we have ever had.  I had the filet with crab meat and a side of hollandaise sauce.  Alex had something with a bone in it:)  Mine was definitely better.

Doesn't he look so cute!  I love getting dressed up for a fun dinner.  Alex is more of a shorts and flip flops kind of guy.

Do you think he has changed in the past 5 years?

Saturday, I took care of stuff around the house while Alex worked.  We went to dinner that night with our friend's, Lauren and Jon.  This was a "make-up" dinner from a few weeks before, when Jon didn't feel so good.  We ate at INC on the Roswell square.  Dinner was awesome!  Lauren and I split the Tacos Al Pastor. They are pork tacos with pineapple, YUM!  I tried these for the first time when we were in Mexico.

Most of the restaurants on the square have outside seating.  Perfect for this time of year.

Lauren and Jon

Sunday morning we went to the 9 o'clock service at North Point Community Church.  Andy gave an amazing sermon.  Each year I think it can't get any better than this, and then it does.  We came home and got to work on the yard (by we I mean Alex) and went grocery shopping (that would be just me).  While I worked on this salsa and dessert (coming soon), Alex gave my car a much needed wash.  

"Best husband ever" award!

Jackson, resting his head on the window seal while Alex worked in the yard.  He is such a daddy's boy.

Yesterday evening, we went to Alex's parent's house for Easter dinner.  Susan prepared yummy BBQ, green beans, apples, and potatoes.  After dinner we sat around watching Tini and their dog, Makaya, play.  

 Makaya

Tini stole Makaya's bed

Now Tini is posing on the fire place for some BBQ.

This salsa was easy to make and had a great flavor.  Super fresh for this spring weather.  Enjoy!

Spring Salsa

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup of shoepeg corn (canned or frozen, thawed)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• Additional salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with tortilla chips or on a grilled chicken wrap

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together.  Chill and serve.  

Shrimp de Gallo

What a weekend!  Alex and I were gone from Friday night through Sunday morning at a weekend event called myLIFE.  We both lead a small group, mine 9th grade girls and his 9th grade boys.  With InsideOut there are three main events outside of our typical Sunday routine.  The first is The Walk held at the beach for 5 days during the summer.  Next, is Vertical Reality weekend held up in Jasper at Sharptop Cove in the fall.  Last, myLIFE held locally for a weekend.  All four campuses came together.  This meant 1,300 high school students in one place!  AHHH!

I am blessed to have about 22 girls that I lead.  Only 12 were able to make it for this amazing weekend.  They are great girls who really have a desire to grow in their relationship with Christ.  The theme of the weekend was to help them spend time deciding who they want to be and to realize who do they currently model their life after. Is it the pretty girl in math who seems to have it all, the sporty girl who plays volleyball and looks like a pro, is it the girl who can sing and might be the next American Idol?  By the end of the weekend they realized they have the most perfect model ever right at their finger tips, Jesus.  They discovered ways to learn more about Him and how to change their lives to live like He did.

This was the perfect weekend for these girls.  I am sure you remember what it was like to be in 9th grade and feel so lost and confused.  To find who you are at this age is a blessing.  I know some adults who are still struggling with this concept.

I was running late on Friday because I had to finish up at work.  My girls were told to hang out in the room we do small group time in at the church.  When I got there I found them being about as mischievous as 9th grade girls get...playing in an abandoned Target grocery cart.  We still have no idea why it was in our room or where it came from!  (Well, it obviously came from Target, but how did it get to North Point!).

What else would 9th grade girls do while waiting for the first session but play with each other's hair?  Get in line and let's start braiding!

The entire group!  What a beautiful group of girls!

Alex and I were more than a little exhausted when we got home Sunday morning, so when Susan (my mother-in-law) invited us over to watch the Super Bowl and eat chili we jumped at the offer.  I ran out to the grocery store after we got home to grab the ingredients for an appetizer to bring.  I knew once I hit the couch I wouldn't be able to move until it was time for dinner.

This dip was easy to throw together and healthy too.  I figured there would be enough of your typical super bowl food.  I was disappointed that Trader Joe's didn't have any ripe avocados.  I think it would have been a great addition.  The taste was good without.  

Shrimpo de Gallo

Source:  Pioneer Woman's Blog

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of cooked shrimp (tails removed), chopped
• 1/2 whole red onion, diced finely
• 1/2 cup green or black olives, chopped (I used green because I don't really care for black)
• 2 whole tomatoes, diced
• 2 whole fresh jalapeño peppers, minced
• 2 whole avocados, chopped
• 2 whole limes, juiced
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 cups cilantro, chopped (I don't think I used quite this much, just eyeball it)

Directions:

Combine shrimp, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and jalapeños in a large bowl.  Add lime juice and salt to taste. Add cilantro.  Stir gently with a spoon, taste to determine if you need more lime or salt.  (I also added about 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder to taste).  Chill before serving.  Add avocado right before you serve so it does not turn brown.    Serve with tortilla chips.  

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe takes a while to make because everything is fresh down to homemade enchilada sauce.  It was well worth it.  Great flavor.  Perfect for entertaining because it makes a lot or leftovers for lunch all week!

Alex and I had so much fun making this dish.  We took advantage of some of the breaks by having a dance party in the kitchen.  See, cooking can make your marriage stronger:)

The jalapeños got me again!  My eyes burned for the next two mornings and nights while I was putting in/taking out my contacts.  One day I will learn to wear gloves or get smart and have Alex clean them up.

I loved that this recipe used white cheddar cheese.  Did you know the yellow cheddar cheese is yellow because of food dye?.  Here is an interesting site that explains why.

We made spanish green beans for our side and they are definitely not blog worthy so I won't waste your time!

Chicken Enchiladas
Source:  Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 15oz. can tomato sauce (another good Sam's bulk buy)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tomato seeded and chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 if you have the big frozen bag like us)
• 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided (I don't think it would kill you if you already have the yellow stuff on hand)
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
• 1/2 minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas
• cooking spray

Directions:

Combine the onion, jalapeño, and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to almost a boil, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes (ours took a little longer, just keep a thermometer in it or take it out and cut it to see how it is doing).  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.  

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer to reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.  Add in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Oil a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave fro 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese (and a little extra if you want!).  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  (I would suggest spraying the foil with cooking spray before putting it on so the cheese does not stick to it like some of mine did).

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Salsa

I felt inspired to use my UGA chip and dip tray because the DAWGS were playing the Knights while I was making this salsa!  GOOO DAWGS, SIC EM!

Shocker, another Mexican type recipe:)  I love salsa!  I could eat salsa for three meals a day.  Some people love chocolate (which don't get me wrong, I do love that too), but I would rather be stuck on an island with just chips and salsa then chocolate any day!

I am ashamed to admit that this is my first attempt at making homemade salsa.  I would consider myself a pro at the store bought stuff, but I never tackled this challenge before.  I got this recipe from my January Southern Living Magazine.  This is like my cooking bible.  Every month when I get my new one I sit down and read all the recipes.  I turn the page corners down for the ones that I like.  Then as I prepare my grocery list each week I go to the recipes that I have marked and pick 2-3 out for our meals that week.  I highly recommend a subscription if you don't already have one.

I made this as an appetizer to take to our friends, Scott and Katie, house for a New Years Eve get together.  It was super easy, just dump it all in the food processor or blender and blend.

Katie and Scott at Alex's 30th birthday party 80's theme!

A tip when using fresh lemon or lime juice.  While it is still whole roll it on the counter with firm pressure through your palm.  This will soften it and allow all the juices to come out easier.

Alex was my first taste tester and said it was awesome!  He loved the after kick that it leaves in your mouth.  You can make this salsa as chunky or smooth as you like.  My picky husband prefers smooth vs. chunky. Note from Alex...I will never eat store bought salsa again.  As a man that enjoys chips and salsa I have to say that this is some of the best fresh salsa I have ever had.

Since it is a new year and many people have health related goals to loose weight I thought I might add that spicy foods have been shown to increase metabolism.  No, alone they will not cause you to loose tons of lbs, but it is a good addition to burn a few more calories in your day.

All the ingredients ready to go

Southwest Salsa
Source:  Southern Living Magazine January 2011

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes and zesty green chilies (I used a can and half of Rotel original which gave it a nice kick)
• 5 pickled jalapeño pepper slices
• 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (approximately one lime)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Drain liquid from tomatoes, reserving 1 Tbsp. liquid; discard remaining liquid.  Place reserved liquid, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Pulse 5 to 6 times or until finely chopped.  Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving.  Garnish if desired with fresh cilantro sprigs and/or pickled jalapeño slices.  Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days. 

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

We had our annual Christmas party Saturday.  I love using events like this to make new recipes.  These were yummy.  You can not go wrong with this combination!

WARNING:  When working with jalapenos just know your eyes will burn if you touch them within 48 hours of touching the jalapeno.  I washed my hands many times and showered after working with them and it still burned!  You can use gloves if you have them available. 

We had some of these left over and I do not think they taste as good reheated.  Best if eaten after cooked. 

PS- Don't even think for a second that my picky husband touched these!  He was missing out!

Sorry, not the best picture...I was in a hurry to get it before people started eating!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies
Source:  The Pioneer Woman
Makes 20

Ingredients

20 fresh jalapenos
2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese, softened
1 pound regular bacon, sliced into thirds

Cut jalapenos in half, length wise.  Remove the seeds and white membrane (these are the hot parts so you can leave some if you like it spicy). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half.  Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice).  Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.  (You can freeze them at this time for later use if you do not need them all).

Bake on a pan with a rack (I put a cooling rack on a baking sheet) in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  You do not want the bacon to shrink so much that it starts to squeeze the jalapeno.  If after 20 minutes the bacon still needs additional cooking turn on the broiler for a few minutes.