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 kids are home having fun with our sitter whom they adore.

I can count the number of date nights my husband and I had during our first two years as parents on one hand. We were still a little unsure about hiring a babysitter so we’d wait until our parents came to visit so they could watch our daughter while we went out. A friend of mine, who had a standing date night with her husband every week, relentlessly encouraged me to get a sitter already. I finally followed her advice, once our son was born, and she was so right. Even getting out together just once a month has restored a bit of balance to our lives.

When Mike and I go out to dinner we usually will pass on an appetizer except if artichoke dip is on the menu. If they’ve got artichoke dip, we order it. And we will probably finish it. For me, it’s the cheesy, baked crust on top that I can’t pass up. I make sure I get a good amount of that on my bread along with, of course, a lot of artichoke. This Hot Artichoke Dip recipe I found on a package of Alexia Waffle Fries is as tasty as any I’ve had in a restaurant. It’s makes a whole lot more than you need for just two people so invite some friends over and share!

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© Cooking On the Side, 2012. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/hot-artichoke-dip/

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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 to mind after I saw a Goat Cheese Pops with Herbs, Pecans and Bacon appetizer on Mom It Forward. While I was at the grocery store, collecting all of the ingredients to make the goat cheese pops for the potluck, I realized that way you make the pops is remarkably similar to the old familiar cheese log…except it’s on a stick.

So I went back to that cheese log recipe. Instead of rolling the cheese and honey mixture into a log I just rolled them into little balls. I made them a little on the small side (think Dum Dums rather than Blow Pops) so they could neatly be consumed in a single sweet and savory bite. People really went for these – they thought it was a fun spin on the traditional appetizer. I’m sharing the recipe and rolling technique that I used but I’ll bet you could easily adapt almost any cheese log recipe into pops. Give it a try!

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© Cooking On the Side, 2011. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/cheese-ball-pops/

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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 find out.

1. It’s 10 AM on a Saturday morning and you’re perusing the menu at your local brunch spot. Do you go with:

a) The buttermilk pancakes with caramelized bananas
b) The spinach, bacon and cheddar omelet

2. It’s lunchtime and you’ve ordered a sandwich combo that comes with one side order. Would you choose:

a) The cookie or fruit
b) The chips or pretzels

3. Do you have candy in your house right now?

a) Yes, it’s actually within arm’s reach, now that you ask
b) No, once the Halloween stash is gone that’s usually it for the year

4. You’re 10 years old again and dipping chicken nuggets. You go for:

a) The honey
b) The barbecue sauce

Mostly a‘s? Hello, Sweet Tooth! Mostly b‘s? Sounds like you may have a taste for the salt. Okay, don’t take this exercise too seriously. What brought this all about was this Citrus Salsa recipe I’m sharing today. My palate tends toward the sweeter side, but I began to question it when I just couldn’t bring myself to include the one ingredient that was supposed to be featured…three packets of Splenda.

Yes, this recipe actually comes from the back of a box of Splenda artificial sweetener (I’m usually a “real food” girl all the way, but I do like this stuff in my coffee). The idea of adding the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of sugar to a naturally sweet dish seemed a little over the top for me. So I left it out. On its own, the salsa is wonderfully refreshing and a little bit tangy with a touch of heat. Not only did I not miss the extra sweetness one bit I actually craved the saltiness from the blue corn chips each time I scooped the salsa. Maybe I’m a salty type after all?

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© Cooking On the Side, 2011. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/citrus-salsa-are-you-sweet-or-salty-take-the-quiz/

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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 its own…and one I’d love to get to know better.

This Tex-Mex-style queso was the dip I was actually most looking forward to making of the three I’ve shared for Dip Week (see also the 7-Layer Dip and Tomatillo-Lime Salsa). The word queso literally means “cheese” in Spanish, but it also describes an amazing fondue-like dip with chile peppers, green onions and tomatoes swimming in a melted blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. That’s my kind of dip.

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© Cooking On the Side, 2010. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/its-dip-week-queso/

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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 juice adds a touch of sweetness. “Fresh” is really the best word to describe it.

Something interesting happens when tart tomatillos (aka green tomatoes) unites with lime juice and zest. You still get the tartness, but it’s mellowed out a bit by the citrus, leaving you with this really bright, fresh, mouthwatering flavor on your palate. And then when you dip in a salty tortilla chip…it’s pretty much a flavor explosion.

I’ve got one more dip left to share this week – I promise it’s a good one!

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© Cooking On the Side, 2010. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/its-dip-week-fresh-tomatillo-lime-salsa/

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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 and making a few of the recipes to share on the blog. First up: a personal favorite of mine, 7-Layer Dip.

I can’t tell you how many times I brought a 7-layer dip to school potlucks or scout meetings when I was growing up. The seven layers, in case you’re not familiar with this great dip, are: refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, onions, black olives and cheddar cheese (there’s sometimes a little variation, but generally you see most of these ingredients). Half the fun is digging deep through the layers with your tortilla chip, all the way down to the beans, to create the perfect bite with a little of everything on it. I don’t remember whether I was the one who always requested it (I imagine I was) or if it was just my mom’s standby dish, but I do remember watching my mom assemble all of those yummy layers quite often. It was always a crowd pleaser.

Flash forward a few decades to last week – I found myself with the decision of what to make for my daughter’s year-end preschool potluck. It was my first time bringing food to school as a parent and I didn’t really deliberate about it for too long. In our family, we bring 7-layer dip!

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© Cooking On the Side, 2010. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/its-dip-week-7-layer-dip/

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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 Bacon Wrapped Sweet & Sour Meatballs the next time you’re in need of a crowd-pleasing hot appetizer. Like, say, for watching the Super Bowl?

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© Cooking On the Side, 2010. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/bacon-wrapped-sweet-sour-meatballs/

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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 crackers? It’s just always seemed like this strange retro holiday food that’s continued to show up on appetizer tables inexplicably over the years.

I decided to make one – what the heck? What convinced me was the ingredient list in this recipe, which actually sounded like something I’d want to eat. Feta, cream cheese, Swiss cheese and honey? That combo was sure to be super tangy and a little bit sweet. And I’ve definitely demonstrated my affinity for cranberries and pecans over the past month. It would come together quickly and I could easily refrigerate and transport it to the holiday party I’m attending on Tuesday. Really…what’s not to like?

So I abandoned my past judgments on the issue and made one tasty holiday cheese log.

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© Cooking On the Side, 2009. | Permalink: http://cookingontheside.com/holiday-cheese-log-with-cranberries-pecans/

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