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.

Pineapple Upside-Down Dip

Growing up, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake was one of my mom's most commonly made cakes... It was always my favorite and to this day, I always ask her to bring it to family get-togethers and holidays. To me, it's all about comfort. I love the sweet, caramelized pineapples and cherries almost as much as I love my family. Well, that might be going a little far, but the truth is, I really do love them. That part is true.

I decided to take my love for this wonderful cake and transform it into something new. I wanted to take the components of the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and try to turn them into a fluffy, magical dip... just to see what would happen.

The results? A fluffy, magical dip that you won't be able to stop eating. And your family won't be able to stop either. I know this from experience. My husband, Mr. No-thanks-I-Don't-Need-Dessert couldn't keep his hands off this dip. That's right there is all the confirmation I needed. Do you need any more proof than that?

I served ours with some vanilla wafer cookies (which I would highly recommend) but you could also serve it with graham crackers or even some cut up strawberries or fruit. Whatever makes your boat float. Or... Whatever floats your boat. You know that old saying...

Before you take my word on it, I highly suggest you grab the ingredients you need for this magical dip, maybe even grab some friends to share it with, and make a nice, big bowl full. Then, come right back here and tell me how much it reminded you of your granny's pineapple upside-down cake, or your aunt's or your childhood. Then, proceed in thanking me and sending warm wishes my way because you feel that your life is now just a little bit better because of this delightful dip.

Pineapple Upside-Down Dip:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pineapple tidbits
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, halved
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons butter

Directions:

In a stand mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Remove from bowl and set aside. Add cake mix and pineapple juice to mixer and combine. Mix in the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add whipped cream back in and mix until fluffy.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add brown sugar, pineapple and cherries. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until fruit is caramelized. Allow mixture to cool completely, then slowly fold into the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Best served cold.)

Serve with vanilla cookies, graham crackers or your choice of yummy treat.

Creamy Jalapeño Popper Dip

Dip is my thing. You know this. I've shared this with you in the past and I just want to restate it one last time: I heart dip. Any dip. The creamier and cheesier the better... There comes a time in every girl's life where she makes a dip that she loves almost as much as she loves her family. Okay, so maybe that was a little exaggerated, but what I'm getting at here is that this recipe for Jalapeño Popper Dip that i'm going to share with you today is one of my new favorite things in the whole wide world. And that's the truth.

The next time you're looking for a dip to make for a party, a get-together, the Oscars (coming up later this month!) I would highly recommend giving this one a try...

But only if you love things that are ooey gooey and delicious. If you don't love things that are cheesy and flavorful and filled with delicious bits of bacon then definitely look the other way and avoid this recipe completely. It's not for you. RUN!

But, if you're like me and you love bacon and cheese and jalapeño poppers, then you're going to be in heaven when you taste this dip. And you're going to want to make it again and again and again. 

And you will make it again and again and again. Your husband will also ask you to make it again and again and again. And... when you think you've had it too much and that you can't possibly eat it again, a friend will ask you to make it for your next get-together. 

Basically, I'm gifting you this delicious dip recipe today because I care about you and your well-being. I want you to be happy and I want your friends and family members to be happy, too.

So, just make the dip. The end.

Jalapeño Popper Dip:

{Print Recipe}

Ingredients: 

• 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeños
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese
• 1 cup + 3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 7 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 tablespoons sliced green onion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine jalapeños, cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, jack cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and bacon (reserve about 1 tablespoon for garnish!). Make sure the mixture is well combined and there are no huge lumps of cream cheese. Spread mixture into your baking dish (a pie pan works great!) Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the top. 

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until dip is bubbly and cheese is melted. 

Top with green onion and crumbled bacon, or you can add some sliced jalapeños!

Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

#JungleFresh Party Food For Disney's Jungle Book Release!

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are my own.

I can't even tell you how excited I was to be able to do this #JungleFresh post for #CollectiveBias on behalf of Disney's Jungle Book Blu-Ray/DVD release! I grew up watching the Jungle Book, as did my hubby. It was always one of my favorite Disney movies because the songs were just so catchy and the characters (especially Baloo) were so memorable and fun! 

In order to get the party started, we headed to Walmart to pick up a copy of the Jungle Book on Blu-ray/DVD (which came out on February 11)! Walmart is the only store where you can receive a Free lunch box when you purchase the Diamond edition! :) We also picked up all the fruits and veggies we needed to create the perfect party foods!

Now that I have kids of my own, it's become extremely important to me to create fun, magical Movie-watching experiences for them... which is why I like to create snacks and foods to fit the theme of the movie we are watching! It completely enhances the movie experience really takes it to the next level. Also, it's a great way to get the whole family involved in the kitchen!

Some of my favorite memories with my daughter are times that we've spent in the kitchen together, creating delicious treats. She loves to put on her little apron, get out her stepping stool and help me measure, stir, and, of course, use the food processor (she thinks it's so cool!) This time, I came up with a couple of extremely adorable Jungle Book-themed party foods that would be healthy, easy to make, kid-friendly and that we could serve up while we watched one of my favorite childhood movies -- "Baloo-berry" Smoothies and "Guaca-Mowgli" with oven baked veggie chips! Too cute, right?! Cute food always gets kids more excited! 

For these recipes, I wanted to incorporate as many fruits and veggies as I could, since this is a Jungle-themed movie! Plus, I know that my daughter is much more likely to eat her veggies when she's the one making them!

The first thing we did was get the avocados all peeled and into the bowl, along with the cilantro, garlic, salt and lime. 

Next, we added all the ingredients to the food processor and got them all nice and smooth! My daughter loves the food processor... I think it makes her feel powerful. Then, we covered it up and put it in the fridge to chill while we made the "Baloo-berry" Smoothies!

Now, this is one of my favorite parts... The smoothie making! We took our blueberries, yogurt, honey, coconut water, ice cubes and a little spinach and threw it in the blender. 

It made such a pretty colored smoothie! 

Here's the finished "Guaca-Mowgli" and the homemade veggie chips! For the veggie chips, we simply sliced up a zucchini and tore off a bunch of kale pieces, added a little olive oil and salt and baked them in the oven until crispy! Healthy & delicious!

The smoothies were so pretty and so delicious!

We had so much fun watching the Jungle Book together, as a family. It brought me back to my childhood and made me remember all the good times when I was young -- before life was complicated. My daughter loved it, and she, too, loved Baloo! I also created a fun, "Jungle Trivia" printable to go along with the movie, so that we could learn some fun facts about the animals from the movie! You can download it here (or click the image below) for you and your family!

"Guaca-Mowgli" & Veggie Chips Recipe: 

{Print Recipes}

Ingredients: 

"Guaca-Mowgli":

• 3 ripe avocados
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 heaping tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

Chips:

1 zucchini, sliced thinly (about 1/8")

2 cups torn Kale leaves

Olive oil

Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place avocados, garlic, lime, salt and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Place zucchini and kale on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp.

Makes about 2/3 cup guacamole.

"Baloo-Berry" Smoothies Recipe:

{Print Recipes}

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 4-5 ice cubes

Instructions:

Place blueberries, spinach, coconut water, yogurt, honey and ice cubes in blender. Blend on high until smooth. 

Makes about 2, 8 ounce smoothies.

Nacho Cheese

If I can just be honest here... I am completely addicted to cheese dip. I mean, completely addicted. If there's cheese dip around -- I will find it and I will consume most or all of it. Nacho cheese is my absolute weakness and one of my cravings during this pregnancy. I could seriously eat it all day, but luckily, I don't. My thighs wouldn't appreciate that. Plus, I don't want my baby coming out a beautiful shade of orange (can that happen?!).

Luckily, instead of spending $3 on the canned variety, I stumbled across a recipe for homemade nacho cheese sauce! It's made with REAL ingredients! Real ones!! Not those fake, non-real ingredients found in the other stuff! I made a big batch of it for the Oscar's last night using my Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese and it was unbelievable. So unbelievable, in fact, that if I kept eating it at the rate I was eating it, it would have been devoured within 15 minutes. I had to stop myself because I needed to have something to bring to the Oscar party...

All I can say is, If you're a cheese sauce fan like I am, you should make this. But be warned -- It's highly addictive and highly scrumptious.


Nacho Cheese Recipe: {Print Recipe}

Ingredients:
4 ounces Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (12 ounce) can of evaporated milk
2 teaspoons hot sauce

Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, toss cheese with cornstarch. Add 1 cup of evaporated milk and hot sauce. Melt over medium-low heat, whisking often, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and whisk in additional condensed milk until it reaches desired consistency.

Recipe yields 1-1/2 cups of sauce.

{Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.}


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Chipotle Ranch Sauce

See that up there? That's a whole lotta goodness in that little bowl! If you know me, you know that I absolutely LOVE ranch! I'm a ranch addict. I am also fully aware that when I completely drown my salad in ranch that it loses a tiny bit of it's nutritional value. But, at least it's only a tiny bit, right?

I made this chipotle ranch because I had a completely amazing idea for a sandwich and I needed something extra special to go on it. It's only a little bit spicy and if you'd like you can add more spice if you're feeling daring or you can add less if you so choose! It's great on sandwiches, as a dip or even in wraps! Yum... i'm getting hungry just talking about it!

Chipotle Ranch Sauce Recipe:   {Print Recipe}

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce bottle Ken's Steak House Ranch or Buttermilk Ranch (I personally love the buttermilk!)

2 Embasa chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until mixture is smooth and creamy!

*If you don't like any spice you can start with 1 chipotle pepper and taste and adjust to suit your taste!

The perfect salsa

Our family loves salsa. We often determine whether or not to return to a restaurant based on their salsa. Personally, i'm not a huge fan of cilantro so my least favorite part of making this salsa is chopping the cilantro. Sometimes i'll even make my husband do it :). But, once the cilantro has been blended into the salsa, I like it!

It took me a lot of searching and testing to find the best salsa recipe and this is it! It's sweet and flavorful and you can adjust the spiciness to suit your taste!

What is the absolute best thing to put this salsa on? Check back tomorrow and find out!


Salsa Recipe:
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of stewed tomatoes (you can also use fresh tomatoes if you prefer, I personally like the sweetness of the stewed tomatoes in this recipe)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons of chopped roasted green chile (you can also use one of the cans of diced green chiles)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste (I personally use around 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons)

optional: chopped jalapeño

The only steps in this recipe are chopping all the ingredients and pulsing them in the blender a couple of times! Try not to blend it too much, unless you like watery salsa.

Be sure to put it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. The longer it sits in there, the better!

This recipes makes about 3 cups of salsa.