They’ll Have To Drag Me Kicking And Screaming From This Scrumptious Appetizer!

I always look forward to our game nights with family and friends. We’ve had this fun tradition for years now with some of our friends; we take turns hosting each other’s families, and everyone always brings a little something to the party. The hosts make any bigger meals, if that’s what they decide to serve, but whoever’s coming over as a guest will bring an appetizer, a six pack or whatever they think is suitable for the occasion.

Lately I’ve been trying to find a dip that would tickle my fancy. It seems I’ve grown tired of the same old shrimp dips, guacamole or salsa, and I really wanted to bring something super delicious to our next event. As soon as I came across this awesome Tex Mex dip over at Guy’s Home Kitchen, I just knew this would be it!

I am most definitely making a double batch of this goodness because there’s no way my tex mex loving friends would ever settle for one! This is the perfect combination of flavors, if you ask me, and I can’t wait to dip my tortilla chips in this – or maybe I’ll just eat it with a spoon…

Recipe and image courtesy of Guy’s Home Kitchen.

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Quick Tip: Like your food extra spicy? Add a layer of diced jalapenos!

The Only Guacamole Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Am I the only one who has these absolute staples, when it comes to a party menu? Guacamole is one of them. To me, it just doesn’t feel like a party unless I’m serving guacamole!

I still remember when I was a teenager and a friend of mine had just returned from an exchange trip to Chile – she brought with her an amazing recipe that wasn’t quite the kind of guacamole I was used to. Sadly, we lost touch over the years and I never got to ask her what was in it. But this recipe right here is so delicious, I probably wouldn’t even want to try anything else anymore!

The best thing about this is that it’s super easy. Since I’m making this for every party, I appreciate the fact that I don’t need to go through my recipe book every time. Simple ingredients and measurements make this one really easy to memorize – and, of course, share it with everyone who comes begging for the recipe. Trust me, they will!

I like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes in there, too, but that’s totally optional. If you’d rather not add them, it’ll still turn out super yummy.

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Quick Tip: If you’re not serving the guacamole immediately, refrigerate it with the pits added to the bowl. They prevent the guacamole from going brown!

The Easiest Homemade Ice Cream Ever

Every other year, or so, we like to travel with a small group of our best friends. There’s nothing better than enjoying a fun, sunny vacation with great people, learning about new cultures and taking a break from your everyday life.

One of the things I love most about our trips is that we get to try all kinds of exotic dishes. I love finding new spices and flavors that I can later incorporate into our dinner routine at home. I often bring home spice mixes and recipes I’ve received from the locals – it’s a wonderful way to look back and remember all the people you got to know during your vacation.

This recipe is originally from Peru! I haven’t been there myself but a friend of mine has, and she said this was the most delicious ice cream she ever had in her life. To be exact, this is a parfait, but we call it the Peruvian ice cream in our family. Everyone loves it!

You can tweak the recipe to your taste and possible food allergies – for example I’ve tried soy cream instead of regular heavy cream, for a friend who is lactose intolerant. The best part is, you don’t need an ice cream machine to make this!

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Quick Tip: Adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet the fruit puree is.

I love trying new things.  One time while in college my best friend and I decided we were going to go on an all-raw diet.  We went to the grocery store and spent $60 on fresh fruits and veggies (this was about 15 years ago and on a college budget, so that was quite a sum!)  We got home and prepped our fruits and veggies.

The next morning, we had our healthy breakfast, high-fived and praised each other for our hard work.  We left for classes and enjoyed our homemade lunches, each across campus from the other.  When we returned to our apartment that evening we both looked at each other, shyly, and uttered “Can we please order pizza?

Recipe courtesy of the Complete Book of Raw Food and the picture courtesy of Heidi Washington.

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Quick Tip – The book suggests serving this atop a bed of lettuce, though I enjoy it by itself.

Bring something new to your spring and summer picnics this year when you show up with a bowl of this savory Mexican corn salad. Unlike traditional side dishes, this salad kicks up the spice factor a few notches by incorporating onion, garlic, and red pepper to the mix. Who doesn’t enjoy a spicy salad made with fresh ingredients?

I made this salad as a side dish on taco Tuesday, and boy, was it ever a hit! I served warm flour tortillas, crunchy taco shells, all the fixings, and refined beans alongside this amazing salad. I found that it tasted really good inside of the tortillas. If you wanted, you could even eat this salad warm, but we prefer it as a cold side dish.

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes.

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Quick Tip: Add a few spritzes of lime juice for an added kick.

It’s that classic Mexican dip loved by so many!  This Chunky Guacamole recipe yields a rather authentic version of this Mexican treat without too much time or hassle.  Though great just served up with some tortilla chips, it also makes a great addition to tacos and many other delicious Mexican dishes.

My sister and I ate a ton of guacamole dip back in the day, both in restaurants and at home.  We loved chowing down on a good bowl of homemade guacamole with some Tostito’s tortilla chips, and Mother would usually make some to go in tacos for our frequent Tex-Mex nights.  I hadn’t had guacamole in a little while, so I decided to give this recipe a try.  It is a bit of a variance from my typical at-home recipe, but I really liked how it turned out.

Recipe and photo courtesy of  Food.com.

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Quick tip: Adjust the heat with the amount of jalapenos!