Italian Salsa

So, this past week i've been sick and I've come to realize one thing: it stinks. Drippy nose, sore throat, congestion that makes you feel like your face is going to pop -- you know, all the fun stuff. I remember being a kid and thinking that being sick was kind of awesome. No school, sick bed on the couch, tv all to yourself -- could life get any sweeter? Now that i'm all grown up, I realize that being sick as an adult has absolutely no perks whatsoever. When you have kids who need to go to school, be fed and bathed and all that jazz, you have no real down-time... Fathers on the other hand... Well, let's just say when my husband is sick, he gets a full-time waiter, pillow-fluffer and masseuse. Which is why I feel that someone should really put a few rules into play for sick mothers:

Rule #1 When a mother is sick she is in no way required to wait on un-sick family members. 

This rule only applies to those family members who are not also sick, because, of course, if another family member in the home is sick, they will always take priority.

Rule #2 The only time a sick mother should have to get out if bed is when she chooses to.

There should never be a point where you absolutely have to get out of bed while sick. No responsibilities, no work, nothing.

Rule #3 Sick mothers should always receive gifts of chocolate and other sweets.

If there was ever a time when I wish I had an endless stash of chocolate, it's when I feel helpless and my body is under attack.

For now, those are the 3 most important rules and I won't continue on to the other 873. I'll save them for another time. 

Okay, so, now that i've gotten that all off my chest, I think I can focus on the important issue at hand: a new recipe! Last week I was trying to think of something fun and different for all you fine people and it just kind of hit me... an Italian Salsa recipe! I'm not sure if it's been done before (i'm sure it has, because everything has) but when I imagined it in my mind, it was tangy, a little sweet, and packed full of yummy italian flavors. 

After I chopped up all my ingredients and after I let them sit in the fridge and get to know each other on a personal level, I couldn't have been happier with the finished product! It reminded me almost of a pasta salad... minus the pasta, of course. Next time I make it, I'll be serving it up on some toasted baguettes -- bruschetta style. It would look so pretty and taste oh, so good!

It's a great spring recipe that would be wonderful to take to a potluck or a party. Give it a try and let me know what you think! 

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Italian Salsa:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 5 large pepperoncini, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped 
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dry oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme 

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours to get the best flavor. Serve with crackers, flatbread or toasty bread.