Today is a friend's birthday, and I hope she has a fab.u.lous day. She deserves it, but she also works toward it. Some therapeutic discussion over wine and vodka lemonade last night revealed her philosophy of life. She believes it is what you make it, and a fabulous attitude goes a long way. Fabulous. I couldn't agree more.

Hot Corn Dip is what you make it, as well. Over the years, I have seen various recipes for this cheesy appetizer. A famous country music singer turned Food Network star makes hers with canned Mexican corn, while others use frozen or fresh. Sometimes, it is just green chiles to flavor the melty cheese, but jalapenos do pop up in some recipes. And, speaking of melty cheese...my experience has led me to believe that Monterey Jack is the smoothest with the corn, but in a pinch Cheddar-Jack, Provolone, Pepper-Jack (for more heat), or whatever you have on hand can work. Mayonnaise is a binder that aids in the creamy texture of the dip, but when your Hellman's jar (Really, there should be no other mayo than Hellman's.) is empty, I have found that some softened cream cheese does the trick and adds a nice tang. Truly, with the right attitude, you can make Hot Corn Dip whatever you want it to be...and it will always be fabulous...even with stale corn chips.



Preheat oven to 350F.
Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet.
Add onion, red pepper, and jalapeno.
Stir and saute until softened.
Add the fresh corn and green chiles.
Cook until heated through.
Stir in the mayonnaise to coat the corn kernels.
Add the Monterey Jack cheese and combine well.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly. (Serves 12 for snacking with sturdy corn chips.)

The local school almost always serves cinnamon rolls with their chicken noodle soup. I pack my lunch when I hit the classrooms as a substitute, but that pairing still has worked its way into my mind. When I make chicken noodle soup at home, I want cinnamon rolls for dessert.

I also like to enjoy cornbread with my chili, quesadillas with chicken tortilla soup, and of course, grilled cheese with tomato soup. Vegetable beef soup begs for pie for dessert. Thick and creamy soups like Fresh Pea Soup or a pureed squash or pumpkin soup scream for the crisp crunch of a salad at their side.

When I plan a menu of soups for the shearing crew at the farm, I usually fall back on the old stand-bys of chili and Potato, Bacon, and Green Bean Chowder. Corn muffins and/or garlic bread of course make their way to the table, and I also put together a veggie tray with Dill Dip to round out the meal.

I have made a variety of dips throughout my culinary experiences, but always come back to the clean simplicity of Dill Dip.  Those packaged ranch dips don't seem to agree with me. (Can you say, "BUURP?") This dip is really delightful with fresh dill from the garden, but a good quality dried version works during the winter months. (However, beware...if you are paying 99 cents for a seasoning, it is probably mostly dust and will taste that way...not that all herbs and spices need to be expensive.) Grating the garlic and onion with a microplane allows the flavors to easily blend through the creaminess. This dip tastes fresh and not heavy and is a perfect pairing for vegetables, with or without soup on the side.




Combine all ingredients together.
Chill for 3 hours (or more) to meld.
Serve with fresh vegetables of your choice.

Preheat oven to 375F. 
Cut the crown from the top of a head of garlic, place in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
Cover baking dish with foil and roast for 45 minutes. (Do 2 heads. Trust me. It will be so sweet and wonderful, you will eat one before it can become part of the hummus.)
Meanwhile, drain chickpea liquid into a small saucepan.
Skin the chickpeas by pinching off and discarding the shells. (Again, trust me. This is time consuming, but produces a much smoother hummus.)
Add skinned chickpeas to the saucepan and simmer on low heat.
When garlic is done roasting, squeeze the cloves into the bowl of a food processor and discard skin.
Add chickpeas and liquid and process until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients and process until combined. 
Season to taste.
Best served at room temperature.
Garnish with cayenne pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and shredded (I season my chicken with fajita seasoning or even Montreal Steak Seasoning prior to grilling.)

In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper.
Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Cube the Velveeta into 1/2-inch portions.
Make sure the spinach is thoroughly drained. (I first squeeze in a colander and then place in a clean kitchen towel and wring the heck out of it.)
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the Velveeta cubes, salsa (I use a pint of my home-canned Basic Salsa, but use your favorite. The ones available with black beans and corn would add interesting dimension.), and spinach.
Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.
Stir to combine the melty cheese with the other ingredients.
Return to the microwave and cook on HIGH for 2 more minutes, and stir again.
Repeat heating in 2 minute increments as needed until cheese is fully melted.
Stir in the sour cream.
Heat again for 1 minute.
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips for dipping.

But, there is no excuse necessary for some dips. Roasted Garlic Dip is so rich, so cheesy, so deliciously wonderful that you might even forgive me for being such an unorganized, blog-neglecting dip. Seriously. I am a dip who loves Roasted Garlic Dip On My Plate.




Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut a half inch off top of head of garlic. 
Place garlic in a small baking dish. Drizzle top with olive oil.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour. 
Allow to cool slightly. 
To "harvest" the roasted garlic, squeeze the cloves from the husk.
(You may want to roast a couple of heads of garlic, as this is so sweet and wonderful that you will eat the cloves straight from the skin before they ever can dream of becoming part of the dip.)
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. 
With a food processor or electric mixer, blend cream cheese, Asiago cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and parsley until well-blended.
Add garlic and blend again.
Spread mixture in a greased casserole or baking dish and top with shredded mozzarella. 
Bake 20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top. (Serves 8-12, depending on appetites)

Place all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with blade and process until smooth.

RED is my obsession. It started with my RED Kitchenaid Mixer. Hubby had told me that he wanted to make the purchase for my birthday a few years ago. Some women might be insulted with a kitchen item as a gift, but I was thrilled. A Kitchenaid Mixer had been on my wish list for ages (and more of necessity after an unfortunate incident involving wedding mints left my old mixer out of service). However, at the time of my birthday, I couldn't decide what color I wanted. The pink was so cute; the gunmetal so serious; the tangerine so fun; the cobalt so cool; the white so predictable and boring. RED kept popping into my mind and finally, 3 months after my birthday, I placed the order for the spanking new, RED, bad boy of a mixer. When it arrived, I was in love and the seed of RED obsession was planted.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I determine that an iPod would be a great accessory for my workouts. I debated features and storage capacity. I checked out various sources for purchasing, but when the Apple website unveiled the RED Nano, my mind was made up. I needed a RED iPod; I wanted a RED iPod; I would have a RED iPod.

Jump to the next Christmas, and Hubby once again thinks that the best gift is to knock an item off of my kitchen wish list. He decides to purchase a LeCreuset pot for me. What color do I want the enamel coating on this cast iron French pot to be? Of course, it has to be RED. It has to match my Kitchenaid, after all. ;~)

In keeping with the true nature of an obsession, I have also collected RED shoes, handbags, scarves, kitchen towels, plates with red trim, mixing bowls, spatulas, and drawer organizers. RED has wormed its way into every bit of my life. I am awash with color...or rather a color, RED.

Now...here I am ready for an upgrade of my cell phone. I am happy with my current plain jane phone, but it is showing a bit of age (and...oops...misuse). A new phone would be a good investment. I don't have anything in mind as I check out the Verizon Wireless website, but the instant I see the RED Krzr, I know it must be mine. I need that RED phone to balance everything else red in my life. I truly am obsessed.

RED is a good obsession to have when it leads you to Red Onion Dip. Red onions are sweeter and more mild than their yellow or white contemporaries. Baking them with balsamic vinegar and honey only makes them sweeter while the mustard provides just the right amount of tangy bite. I love this spread over toasted rounds of baguette, but it could easily be served as a condiment with pork, chicken, or beef as part of a main meal. I am obsessed with Red Onion Dip On My Plate.



Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients and put into a small baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Increase oven temp to 420, bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Serve with toasted baguette slices. (Serves 8, as an appetizer)