Black Eyed Dip….A new year with a new tradition.

Typically, every New Years I have to make Texas Cavier.  It is delicious and I crave it often.   It contains black eyed peas.  Those little guys are a must on New Years Day.   I have to thank the lovely M.M. for getting me hooked on making it.  (Hey…M.M.  I have missed talking to you!!)

I had every intention of making it this year…… until I saw this recipe on Ree's site.  I noticed that cheese was involved.  She had me at "cheese" friends.   You can count me in for just about anything that involves cheese.   Cheese is like bacon…….it just makes the world a better place.

Black-Eyed Dip

1 can of Black-eyed peas, drained and mushed a little bit
1/4  onion, diced
1/4 cup sour cream
8 slices of jalapeños, or more if you love them like I do
1 cup  cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tablespoons salsa
hot sauce to taste

Mix together & bake @ 350 for about 25 minutes.  Serve with scoop chips.


Note: if you are planning on feeding a crowd…..double this.


And one last thought…. smear the cold remains on a cracker the next day for breakfast.  Delish!

Creamy Avocado Lime Ranch...my new best friend.

Sometimes a good idea just hits me.  Occasionally, it isn't as great as I originally planned.  This afternoon it was amazing.  OH my!   If you have ever been to Chuy's in Plano..this stuff is similar.  I think the avocado is what makes it so yummy.

2 cups of buttermilk
3 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix
almost a half cup of mayonnaise
1 jalapeño
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro
1 lime, squeezed
1/2 t. cumin
a small handful of cilantro

Vitamix until it is creamy and light green.  The avocado pit was lonely.  I tossed it in the bowl.

I grilled some chicken and drizzled it on top of my salad with multigrain tostito scoops and some fresh salsa.   The boy child,  C.G. was double-dipping.  He said it had changed his life.  He ate salad willingly and cleaned his room.  

Salsa......coming soon to a blog near you.

Don't judge a chip by the thumb holding it.....I need a manicure.

Polly's Yummy Cheese Ball

Last year for Thanksgiving Dinner  my sister-in-law was in charge of the appetizers.  I believe appetizers are the most important part of the meal.   They get you started.  If not, they give some breathing time when you only have pie and side dishes to serve.   Case in point......last year's turkey brining incident.  I still have nightmares about the 20 pound turkey and the 5 gallons of brining liquid erupting across the kitchen.  The cell phone went swimming in kosher salt & water.

*** Never  EVER substitute an "oven roasting bag" for a brining bag.  It wasn't  one of my shining moments.

This cheese ball literally change my life.   I like to think that it saved Thanksgiving.  This cheese ball solves the problem of cracked crackers.  Is there anyone other than me who finds cheese balls delicious. and hates them because they are too hard to cut into???  This one is an entertaining Miracle!!!  Try this one and I promise you that it will bring harmony to the buffet. 

Polly's Yummy Soft Cheese Ball 

8 oz. softened regular cream cheese

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar

1pkg. sliced almonds (toasted)

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (NOT THE DIP MIX)

Keebler Toasted Compliments Wheat Crackers

Make dressing with HALF MAYO and HALF MILK that it calls for.

Mix in cream cheese, then cheddar.  Mold onto plate.  I just plopped it into a pretty bowl!

Toast almonds, cool, then cover the dip right before serving.

(The almonds get mushy if they sit in the fridge with the dip too long)

Enjoy!

I most likely should have staged this picture better and maybe added a layer of crackers or pretzel chips.
Don't you just love that orange platter?  Me. too.

Redneck or Cajun Sushi... you decide.

This one goes out to my buddy, R.B.   She's my in-bred Cajun friend.  I'm her in-bred RedNeck Gal.   Us white-trash folks like to stick together.  It's like Thelma & Louise...except we've never committed murder nor do we have plans to drive off the side of the Grand Canyon.  I don't get to see her often but when I do...it seems like old times.   Good times!   Now, there are some people in life that you meet that just mesh into your world.  That is R.B.  I honestly haven't known her for that long.  It isn't like she is a high-school or college friend. She was my first friend that I met & liked...when we moved here to the big D.  Sometimes friends come along that just feel right.  She is one of them.  She is the CAJUN.  She moved.  (I am still upset with her about that.)  She is smarter than me and her hubby is my go-to computer geek.  It is nice to have one of those types listed on your contact list isn't it?!!   (Well, I like to let her think she is smarter...)  R.B. needs a boost every now & then...after all, she is married to "The Computer Geek of LaFayette."  Now...enough with the mush.

So here goes what  I have made in honor of her...  Sushi.   Now, everybody knows rednecks & cajuns just don't eat raw fish.  That just ain't right.  Something just ain't natural 'bout that. We hunt, fish, fry, trap, bait, smoke, broil, & boil.  I think that 'bout covers it for us.  I texted her about this post and she snarled and gagged.  Her response alone left me slightly disturbed.  If she ever reads this post.....I might be off her christmas card list.    I am laughing now at the thought of what she will say.  She loves me....  Her children love me.  I will bribe them with ice-cream & cookies someday soon.

This is super easy...that's how us in-bred folks like it.  EASY.

Go grab yo'self a jar of dill pickles.  I bought da ones dat were medium sized.  

Buy yo'self a package of thin sliced ham and a carton of spreadable cream cheese.

Soften the cream cheese up a bit...trust me here.

Spread some on 2 or three slices of ham and roll 'em around the pickle.

Chill'em for a while and then slice'em.

That's it folks!

ps....please read this blog post in your best southern-redneck-drawl.  It just sounds better that way.

* 7/10/12   I made this tonight again and added a layer of spinach leaves between the ham & cream cheese.   Love it!!!

Would someone please make this for me?

Ok,  last week on GMT they had a girl on there making appetizers.  She made this and all the teens in the audience were going crazy for this stuff.  This stuff is all I have been thinking of when I am in the kitchen or grocery store.  I am avoiding it.  I think it might be amazing and I am afraid to go there.  Anything with BACON!!!!!

Here goes............

Get a brownie pan and layer this stuff in it.

1 brick of cream cheese....softened and spread out.
1 jar of pumpkin butter
crumbled bacon
green onions
toasted pecans

I saw a bag of "Stacy's Pita Chips" at Sams yesterday.  They were gingerbread flavored.  Would that work?
Wheat thins might also be a good one to dip into it.

Someone?  Please?  Make this and let me know!!



11/29/11....... Here is the official picture of that madness.  It was awesome.  It was different.

Evil Firecrackers in the house!

Today is the 40th day in a row of 100" weather!  I thought I would turn up the heat inside the house and make up some firecrackers.  The humble M.M. turned me onto these when she mentioned they were being sampled at our favorite store...Williams Sonoma.  I ran to the mall just to try these babies.  These don't disappoint with the heat level.  There is a nice ranch ting that smoothes and brings you back for more.


2 packages of those tiny saltines.... about 16 ounces in all
1 cup of Canola oil
2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
1 package of dry ranch salad dressing mix

Dump the crackers in a large ziploc.  Mix everything else together and pour over the crackers.  Zip it up and mix it up every 5 minutes or so for about an hour.  The longer they sit...the better they get.  Enjoy!
I may have to see if those small round pretzels would be good mixed up like this......  :)

My oldest daughter just said..."ah man...those things are evil!"  

Corn Dip................... Amazing.

I give you CORN DIP............stay tuned for further information.   Get up off of the couch and burn some extra calories.  You will want to stuff yourself silly with it............  :)

What is in this stuff?  

well....

2 cans of mexi-corn, drained

about 3 cups of sharp chedder

green onions, chopped

a large container of sour cream

a spoonful of mayo

mix it together and eat with a spoon or a fritos scoop.  I will not judge you on how you do it.  My neighbor eats it on toasted bread....kinda like a sandwich.    However, you do it.  Just do it.  Then grab those Nike's and get up off the couch.  Get movin'!

Stuff that will change your world..........

Go ahead and laugh.  Go ahead and just try it.  I dare you.  But, seriously, this stuff is amazing.  This stuff can be eaten daily.............  "TEXAS CAVIER"  Yes, many of you have heard of cavier.  Yet, few have even heard of it served Texas style.   I made a batch a couple of days ago and it still haunts me.  I hear it calling me from the refrigerator........"Come back....Come back..."
My friend M.M.  gave this recipe to me back a few years ago for New Years.  She  first gave me a Tupperware bowl filled with it.  That night, I believe I went back to her house for a refill.  I think she gave me the recipe the next day when I showed up again.   The recipe makes about a gallon and will last for days.  I think our family ate most of her batch that weekend..........


'Texas Cavier'


1 large bottle of zesty italian dressing
1 onion, chopped.   (I like the purple ones better.)
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 or 2 jalapenos, chopped
3 cans of black eyed peas, drained
2  or 3 bunches of green onions, chopped
5 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 bunch of cilantro


MIx it all together.  Let it sit overnight...if you can.  Drain.  (Which I never do.)  Serve with Tostito scoops.