Jalapeno Ranch Dip!

What you need:

• 1/3 quart sour cream
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup green tomatillo sauce
• 1/3-1/2 cup chopped jalapeno (depending on how spicy you want the dip)
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 packet of the dry Ranch dressing (1 ounce)

(makes 2 cups of dip)


What to do:

1. Combine the sour cream, buttermilk, green tomatillo sauce, jalapeno (make sure you remove the seeds!) and cilantro in a blender.  Mix until combined.  Stir in the packet of dry Ranch dressing.  
2. Serve with chips, and enjoy! :)

This dip is delicious, and extremely easy to make!  It can be served with chips, but also goes great with veggies, salad, and fried pickles! (the recipe for fried pickles can be found on this blog).  I hope you like it!

Garlic Lover's Salsa!

What you need:

• 4 tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 4-5 cloves of garlic (depending on the size of the cloves)
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 drops of Tabasco
• salt and pepper
• tortilla chips (optional) (my favorite is Tostitos: Hint of Lime tortilla chips)

What to do:

1. Cut your tomatoes into quarters, and peel the garlic cloves.
2. Put the tomatoes, garlic, cilantro leaves, red pepper flakes, orange juice and olive oil in the food processor, and pulse until combined, but still chunky (don't over-mix).
3. Put 3-4 drops of Tabasco in (depending on how spicy you want it), and season with salt and pepper.  Stir.
4. Serve with tortilla chips (and a coke!), and enjoy!

There's nothing better than chips and salsa!  It makes for a perfect appetizer or snack. Aside from eating with chips, my family likes to put this salsa on salads, wraps and tacos!  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do! :)

B.A.G. Panini! (Bacon, Apple, Gruyere)

What you need:

• Italian bread
• Granny Smith apples
• Bacon
• Apple butter
• Dijon mustard
• Gruyere cheese
• Butter

What to do:

1. Melt butter in microwave.  Cut apples in thin pieces.
2. Butter the outer sides of the Italian bread.
3. On one piece of bread, spread an even layer of apple butter.
4. Layer the apple, 2 pieces of bacon, and Gruyere cheese on the bottom piece of bread.
5. Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on the top piece of bread, and place on the sandwich. 
6. Place the sandwich in the Panini maker, and let it cook until cheese has started to melt and the bread is toasted.
7. Enjoy! :)

This panini is SO good!  The combination seems so unusual...apple butter and dijon mustard?  It sounds unusual, but it's delicious!  The apple gives it a very fresh taste, and the flavors marry very well together.  This panini could be served as either breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and goes great with soup!  Give it a try! 

Addicting Fried Dill Pickles!

What you need:

• Flour 
• 1/2 cup Panko
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon each: cayenne, paprika, garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (you may want to omit salt if your pickles are really salty)
• a dash of pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
• 8 dill pickle spears
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• ranch dressing (for dipping)

What to do:

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg, milk, and dill pickle juice together.  Set aside.
2. In another shallow bowl, combine Panko, bread crumbs, dill weed, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt (if your adding salt). 
3. On a plate, put approximately 1/3 cup of flour.  
4. At this point, I tend to make an assembly line with the plate and two bowls.  Put the plate w/ the flour first, then the egg batter, and then the Panko mixture.
5. Coat the pickles in flour.  
6. One at a time, put the pickle into the egg batter, coating all the sides, and then place the pickle in the Panko mixture, coating all the sides.  
7. Repeat for all the pickles.  
8. Heat vegetable oil in small, shallow pan.
9. When appropriate temperature is met, add pickles.
10. Fry each pickle for approximately 2 minutes, (one minute on each side), until golden brown. (you can fry pickles in batches of 3-4).
11. When done frying, place pickles on a plate with a paper towel, and allow the paper towel to absorb the oil.
12. Serve with ranch dressing, and enjoy! :)

I LOVE making and eating these fried pickles!  After about 3 years of experimenting with different recipes, this is what I've come up with.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do!

Apple Cobbler!

What you need:

1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3 cups peeled and sliced apples (Granny Smith or Heirloom)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place butter in a 2-quart baking dish, and place dish in oven until butter has melted.
2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add milk, stirring to combine.
3. In a large bowl, toss apples with cinnamon.  
4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish (DO NOT stir batter and butter together, just pour batter over butter), and scatter apples over batter (make sure the apples aren't pressing against the edges of the dish).
5. Bake until cobbler is light brown and bubbly, 30 to 45 minutes.   

• For extra sweetness, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, if desired!

This apple cobbler is delicious!  It's not too sweet, so it could be served as either a breakfast, or dessert!  It's extremely easy to make, and the ingredients are common items that most people have in their kitchens.  Try it out!