Avocado Feta Dip

Paige, my best friend since childhood, taught me this life changing dip recipe.  THANK YOU (for this addicting concoction), Paige.

Quick trip down memory lane:  In the spirit of July 4th right around the corner I thought you’d like this picture of Paige and I sportin’ some pretty awesome patriotic outfits back in the day.  Hilarious.

Yay for America and best friends!

Love the socks…and the hats.  Wow.   Those were the days.  Anyway…back to the dip!

Avocado Feta Dip...just waitin' on ya to dig in...

I can’t think of a better summertime crowd pleaser than this.  Fresh tomatoes and avocados mixed with salty, crumbly feta cheese.  My, oh my, your chip hand will be going back for more – I can promise you that.

Avocado Feta Salsa Ingredients:
2 avocados, cubed
2 plum tomatoes (Sometimes I use cherry tomatoes – about two handfuls, halved or cut into 1/4ths.  You could really use any tomatoes, but make sure to take out the runny/seedy part.  You don’t want the tomatoes to water down the dip.)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar (I use white)
1 tablespoon oregano (dried)
1 tablespoon parsley (also dried so it can stay in your spice drawer and you don’t have to run out and get fresh every time)
1 clove chopped garlic (or 2…I love garlic)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Dip seasoning ingredients

Fresh dip ingredients (minus avos)

1. Mix everything, but avocado into bowl and stir well.
2. Add the avocado cubes to the bowl and mix together lightly.  Be gentle with the avocados so they stay in a cubed form and don’t turn into guacamole.
3. Serve chilled or room temperature with tortilla chips.  You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate for a few hours.

Add the avocado cubes to the dip party last and mix lightly...

There she is...all mixed up!

The flavors all mix together really nicely after they sit a while, but it is even excellent right after you make it.  And good luck to you having the willpower not to dig right in.  It’s yummy the next day, but isn’t quite as pretty because the avocados brown a bit.

Avocado Feta Dip in all its glory...

Apparently this is meant to serve 4 to 6 people, but Z and I can knock out the entire bowl just the two of us (shocker).  Paige admitted that her and her hubby, Daniel, do the same so it’s not just our piglet bellies – this dip is really THAT GOOD!

Zach-o-meter:  Like I said…we ate it all.  Our friends, Claire and Nathan, came to visit us in the bayou a couple weekends ago and they loved this dip too!  We all couldn’t get enough.  Party pleaser fo’ sho!

Download a printable (pictureless) recipe PDF by clicking the below link:
Dine with a Darling – Avocado Feta Dip PDF

Try it…you’ll like it…

...OR ELSE!!!!

Escargot. On the go…

No, we didn’t make a fancy french dish out of him, but look at this cute little guy.

Mr. Bayou Snail

The things we appreciate living in shhmall town Louisiana…haha!  This cajunadventure  is definitely helping us “smell the roses” and appreciate the little things.  God’s attention to detail just continues to astound and inspire me every day, and I had to share this with you.  So many little gifts that we hurry by without noticing…

We’re all on our own journey, and I was lucky enough to capture part of this little guy’s trip down our back porch railing.  Zach(o-meter) was totally grossed out.  Haha – city boy…

Going down?

Don't mind if I do...

Stretching...

A little further...

And a little further...

Look at the snail slime! haha...love it.

And then little snail went on his way....

Take a minute today to notice God’s little gifts hidden throughout your day…they’re all around you.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10

Mashed Cauliflower and Cheese

Who doesn’t looooove mashed potatoes?  We all do…until we either make them ourselves or watch someone else mix up potatoes with sticks of buttah, heavy cream, and cream cheese.  Hello – not figure friendly.

So I was SUPER PUMPED one day watching sweet, precious Gina and Pat Neely on The Food Network come up with this genius mashed potato replacement:  Mashed Cauliflower and Cheese.  They look like mashed potatoes and the Neely’s “MMMs” and “YUMs” made the dish sound like mashed potatoes…

BOOOONK (game show wrong answer sound)!!  Let’s just say not a favorite of the ‘Zach-o-meter’.

So for those of you who think my man, Zach (o-meter), loves all food (most of the time you’re right)…this one was a total miss.  As promised, we share the yummies and the not-so-yummies and hey – maybe you’re a huge cauliflower fan and will love it (insert rolling of the eyes…).

Mashed Cauliflower and Cheese Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower, finely chopped (about 2 pounds)
1 cup chicken stock (I used organic low sodium chicken broth)
2 tablespoons roasted garlic (I used regular chopped, not roasted)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole milk (I used fat free Half and Half b/c I had it in the fridge…might have been part of the problemo!)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Ingredients (minus the cauliflower)

1. Add the cauliflower to a medium-sized saucepan along with the chicken stock.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Stir in the milk and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  (First time I got to use my handheld blender/mixer.  You could also put it in a regular blender to mix up if you don’t have a handheld – just more to clean up.)
5. Mix in the cheese and taste for seasoning.
6. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with sour cream and chives.

Simmer cauliflower in chicken stock...

Blend up with hand mixer (or in regular blender)

To top it off it was our first time to smoke ribs on the Old Smokey smoker cooker…and the ribs I bought at the store were SMELLY AND SICK!  Strike two. So we ended up eating our weight in Dynamite Deviled Eggs.  Those things never fail to impress…

Mashed Cauliflower and Cheese (looks kinda pretty)

So we tried to be all healthy with the cauliflower…fail.   It wasn’t fluffy like potatoes, was runny and even with all the seasoning and cheese it was flavorless.  BUM-ner!!  Bomb-out big time.

For Real: check out the runniness (bottom right of picture) Ew!

Zach-o-meter:  “If you have to eat cauliflower, eat it raw and dunk it in some full fat ranch dressing.  And just mash POTATOES if that’s what you’re looking for…”

Haha!  You know what happens after a sub-par meal?  ICE CREAM!  (bad meal = freebee to eat dessert!)

Download a printable (pictureless) recipe PDF by clicking the below link:
Dine with a Darling – Mashed Cauliflower and Cheese