wordless wednesday

simply delicious dip

Saturday I had an appointment in a city an hour away, which meant an opportunity to shop at grocery stores with lots of organic options, including fresh vegetables. For a special treat, I decided to buy the most delectable-looking organic greens I could find.

Fresh veggies don't keep well in my fridge; it's a tiny old fridge with two options:

1) keep all the fridge contents teetering on the edge of freezing

or

2) have meltwater from the little freezer compartment dripping down and pooling on everything below.  This option also makes opening the fridge door an adventure, let me tell you.  Nothing quite like opening the fridge first thing in the morning when you are not yet fully awake, and having a little wave of extremely cold water pour onto your feet.  Sometimes, my life is a bit like a cartoon.

3) Bonus option!  I just realized that a third choice would be to crank the dial all the way down and use the entire fridge as a freezer.  But then I would just fill it with frozen french fries and ice cream.  Or possibly just ice cream.

Hmmmm.

I generally choose the first option, which means most of my food is very, very cold, but not frozen solid.  The downside is, fresh vegetables don't have much of a chance.  They must either be eaten up in a day or two, or made into something else, such as soup or a casserole, that can take colder temperatures.

~~~

Here are the greens I selected on Saturday:

It seemed a little odd to be in a store boasting a massive display of loose produce and then to choose something prepackaged in a bag, but the three romaine hearts looked so perfect and clean and 100% edible, that they seemed like a fair deal.  I can't say "bargain" because the price was high, at least by my frugal standards: $4 for 12 oz of lettuce.

The above picture is what was left in the bag this morning. There were many outer leaves that have already been eaten.  They were delicious.

But the title of this post suggests a dip recipe, and here it comes.

Maybe everyone already knows about this, and if so, I hope I am not boring you. Perhaps the luscious lettuce leaves are worth the visit, at least for those of you who are, like me, still living in Winter? I hope so! 
I must also say, this is not much of a "recipe" but what else to call it?  "Trick" sounds sneaky or dishonest.  Suggestions for an alternative word welcome, as this will come up again.  My "cooking" and "recipes" are often of this level of complexity.

~~~

Here is my favorite way to make a dip or spread.  It is delicious.  I have taken a big bowl of this dip to parties, and people have begged for the recipe.  Seriously.  Begged.

It is versatile.  By modifying the ingredients slightly, or by serving it colder or warmer, it works as a thin dip or a thick dip, a chunky dip, or a sandwich spread.

It is simple to make.  There are TWO ingredients:

cream cheese

salsa

I've used many types of salsa, of varied heats and ingredients.
So far, every experiment has been a success.
Every time.
Success!

~~~

This dip is a great way to try out new salsa flavors and brands.  I've used everything from generic grocery-store brands to fancypants "gourmet" brands that were on sale, like this one:

If you start by experimenting with a few ounces of cream cheese and a good glug of salsa, you can taste as you go, knowing that more cream cheese makes it sweeter and cooler.

Or you can start with this simple combination:

8 ounces of cream cheese
6-8 ounces of salsa, depending on how thick and/or hot you want the dip to be.

Know also that the flavors will blend and change when the dip is in the fridge.  So exciting!

Of course the very best thing would probably be to use salsa one has put up from one's own garden vegetables.  I know lots of you do have lovely jars of homemade salsa glowing on your pantry shelves, and I admire you wholeheartedly.  If you try this dip, please tell me how awesome it tastes with homemade salsa!  Gardening inspiration needed, especially after the Flooding and Mudding Debacle of 2012!

~~~

To make your dip, all you have to do is warm the cream cheese a bit - I use 5-second shots in the microwave - then add the salsa and mix thoroughly.  You have a choice here: warm the cheese enough that it mixes completely, or a bit less, so there will be little chunks of cream cheese scattered throughout the dip.

You can also vary the taste and texture by adding more or less salsa.

These are the type of choices I can handle in life.
There is simply no way to lose.

Oh, and if you use a salsa that contains large chunks of tomato or such, you've got some excitement ahead!
Will the tortilla chips break under the load?
And will that stain ever come out of your favorite halter top?*

~~~

Yesterday I made a very thick batch, to spoon onto torn pieces of lettuce for a finger-food snack.  It was so good, I made it again for breakfast this morning.  

I wish you had been here to try it  :)

~~~

And here's an example what was left from the bag of lettuce:

Can't even call it "waste" because what you are looking at here is goat treats.  There will be Big Excitement in the paddock today, for about 30 seconds!

~~~

*No, that stain will never come out completely.  You will eventually admit defeat and cut up the halter top.  You will use the unstained piece of material to make a pincushion that will evoke memories of lovely summer days and remind you to buy cream cheese.

~~~~~

snowdog

The light may be too low for good photographs, but this morning after chores I set myself a little photographic task:

sharing the experience of Piper in the snow.  

Ready, Piper?  Action!!!

"Piper, go!"

"Piper, come!"

"Piper, sit!"

"Piper, SIT!"

"Piper, SIT!!  Piper...."

Perhaps next time I won't attempt action photography quite so early in the morning...

the light is low and my reflexes are not fully functional.

But Piper made me laugh, and I hope she made you laugh, too  :)

~~~~~

more snow, anyone?

It snowed all day yesterday.  Just a light little snow.

The kind of thin, light, tiny, piddling little snow that looks like nothing will come of it.

That is the first indication: something will very likely come of it.

Around 4PM it occurred to me to check the weather report.

The prediction for the entire day and night, through to this morning, was "up to 4 inches possible."

We already had more than that.

Aren't we lucky that snow can be so pretty?

Even when you're starting to think that maybe - just maybe - you've seen the last heavy snow for the season?

Still pretty!

~~~

Fortunately for me, I had a lot of help with chores this morning.

Can you see there are no pawprints on the steps leading up into the goat barn?  Just one mighty leap for Ms. Piper, and she was poised to leap right back down again when I took that picture.

It's really hard to get a picture of Piper in the snow, because she is in constant, explosive motion.  She comes very close to flying.

 

Piper loves the snow.

It makes it difficult for her to actually focus on getting the chores done, but that's okay.
~~~~~

string now optional

When Julie Andrews (as the Sound of Music sort-of-nun Maria) sang:

"Brown paper packages tied up with string

these are a few of my favorite things"

I felt that Julie/Maria and I were totally kindred spirits.  I have always loved brown-paper-wrapped packages, especially packages that come in the mail, and most especially of all, packages that are a surprise.

Now, I knew an exciting little package was coming from my bloggyfriend Lucy Locket in England, and I knew what would be inside: a lovely little crocheted flower pin.  This was a special treat, because I don't crochet.  It is as exotic to me as handknit socks are to some folks.

And even though I knew about the flower, I had not seen a picture of it...so it was still going to be a surprise!

Well, look who I found today, sheltering from the latest snow, snug inside the letterbox:

It's the QUEEN!!!

But when I gently removed the package (just kidding! I grabbed it and yanked it out if there, possibly with a little whoop of excitement) it soon became clear there was more than a crocheted flower inside.

Much more.

And it's brown paper packages!!!

I tried to guess what might be in each one, and a smooshy one seemed likely to be my much-anticipated flower, so I opened that one first.

But...even that was a surprise, because Lucy sent two flowers!

There's a charming white one for my coat.

I love the wooden button center!

And there's a cushy camelia of an Autumny-colored one!

I have a flower wardrobe now!  This one is going to brighten up my (previously boring) bag immediately.  :)

~~~

Next, I opened what I suspected might be...could it be...I do hope...

YES!!!!!

The "easy reclose" package made me smile...I mean, does anyone ever close a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar once it has been opened?

LOL!

Wait, you do?

Oh.  Well, maybe I'll try that, then.  ;)

~~~

And after the flowers and chocolate, I must report that all pretense of calm, adult behavior was out the door, and I gleefully tore open each brown paper package with deep gratitude that there was no string to slow me down. 

Lucy, honestly, you are so sweet!  Thank you very much for all my lovely treats.

And thank you for not using string.

Apparently this is where Julie Andrews and I part company after all!
~~~~~