From the category archives:

Appetizers

Hot Artichoke Dip

February 1, 2012

I just booked a few upcoming date nights for my husband and me – I’m so looking forward getting out together. We aim for at least one a month these days. It’s usually something simple like dinner somewhere local and maybe a movie, but it’s so nice to have the time to ourselves while the [...]

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Cheese Ball Pops

December 18, 2011

When you enter a holiday potluck carrying a basket studded with savory lollipops, people pause their conversations to check out what you’ve got there. At least that’s what happened when I brought these Cheese Ball Pops. The idea of converting the cheese log recipe I posted a few years ago into bite-sized lollipops came [...]

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Citrus Salsa…Are You Sweet or Salty? (Take the Quiz!)

January 24, 2011

Before I get to today’s recipe for a bright, refreshing Citrus Salsa – a fresh salsa made with oranges, tomatoes, sweet onions, lime juice and jalapeños – I thought we might start with a fun little (non-scientific) quiz for a change. Do you have a sweet tooth? Or do you tend to go salty? Let’s [...]

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It’s Dip Week! ~ Queso

June 18, 2010

Whenever I used to travel to Texas on business my hosts would never take me to a Mexican restaurant, assuming that since I’m from San Diego I probably have it often enough at home. But the Mexican food we have in California isn’t quite the same as in Texas. True Tex-Mex is a variety all [...]

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It’s Dip Week! ~ Fresh Tomatillo-Lime Salsa

June 16, 2010

Dip Week on Cooking On the Side continues…with Tomatillo-Lime Salsa. I wish I could let you taste this salsa through your computer screen because it’s unlike most salsas I’ve ever tasted. It’s not zesty like a pico de gallo or spicy like a chipotle salsa. It’s not sweet like a mango salsa, although the lime [...]

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It’s Dip Week! ~ 7-Layer Dip

June 13, 2010

I hit the mother lode…on the back of a bag of tortilla chips. A whole menu of fabulous Mexican and southwestern party dips is printed on the Mission Tortilla Strips bag! With lots of celebrations and family gatherings coming up this time of year I’m declaring this week Dip Week on Cooking On the Side [...]

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Bacon Wrapped Sweet & Sour Meatballs

February 2, 2010

Bacon has been a bit overhyped lately…but not for lack of a good reason. The truth is bacon really does impart such an irresistable smoky, salty flavor to so many foods. I unabashedly still love bacon, especially when it’s paired with something sweet. If you’re with me, you’re going to want to look into these [...]

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Holiday Cheese Log with Cranberries & Pecans

December 13, 2009

It isn’t the holidays until someone breaks out a cheese log, am I right? Well this year I guess that someone is me. I can honestly say I’ve never really been all that into cheese logs. The whole concept is so odd…rolling out cheese into log form, crusting it in nuts and serving it with [...]