Recipe: Caramelized Onion Dip

I just submitted this recipe to the Old Farmers Almanac Competition!  Cash prizes and winning recipes will be included in the 2016 Almanac.  We will find out in September how I did.  Cross your fingers!!!

Caramelized Onion Dip

It is not a family gathering in our house if there is no Onion Dip!  Now everyone loves how quick and easy it is to mix the dried soup mix into a container of sour cream but this recipe is well worth the time involved.  The soup mix version will quickly become a memory after trying this version.  But be sure to give yourself the time to caramelize the onion.  That is the real trick to this recipe.

Serves 8 persons

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Large Red Onion, minced (about 1 ¾ Cup)

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

¼ heaping teaspoon Fresh Thyme (⅛ teaspoon if dried)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 Cup Sour Cream

Directions:

Heat the oil in a small skillet over low heat.  Add the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized- at least 30 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook about 2 more minutes, stirring constantly, until softened.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce and thyme. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.

Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and let cool completely.

Stir in the sour cream until well combined, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.  

Serve with your favorite chips, veggie chips or crackers.

Keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days.


What do you think of this recipe? What are your family favorite dishes for gatherings?

Recipe: Orzo Pasta Salad with Smoked Salmon and Roasted Vegetables

With as cold as it has been, I need something to remind me that Spring is coming, and with it comes sunshine and planting in the garden.  The garden brings a bounty that makes me wish Summer will never end.  I need brightly colored food loaded with vegetables to get me through the winter doldrums.  If you can relate then you will love this Mediterranean inspired Recipe.  I have used ingredients that you should be able to find even in the dead of winter.

This is what I need! Sand, Sun and Surf...better than Snow, Snow and Snow!

Feel free to play around with the vegetables that you have on hand. Just be sure to cut them and cook them in bite size pieces. Although it is not my favorite vegetable you could just as easily add Eggplant.

*If you are shopping within 100 miles you may want to omit the cucumber from the dressing.  That is fine, it will still make a lovely dressing.  You can add mint or basil for added flavor if you wish instead of the cucumber.

What`s it like Living in Mexico? - Laundry

Life in Mexico is like hanging the whites on the line in the sun.  The billowing of the sheets is only matched by the puffy clouds, reminiscent of last nights storm.  We hang the clothes on the line not because it is a third world country and we don`t have dryers.  We do it because for one it is the ecologically correct thing to do.  And two, because there is something so beautifully calming, so right about watching the clothes soak up the sun and the smell of the fresh clean air wrapped around your body.  From my roof I can see that Tuesday is Laundry day in our neighborhood as the rooftops and gardens come to life with fluttering laundry on the line.

People around the world are becoming more conscious about what they put in their body.  Where their food come from, Water conservation, upcycling instead of throwing away... the list is growing and we should be proud!  Few are starting to think beyond what goes in the body and starting to think about what we put ON or wrap ourselves IN.  DIY Laundry Detergent is growing in popularity not just because it is better for our health but also better for the wallet.  I researched and read up on the differences in recipes, asked a lot of why and narrowed it down to two posts.

What`s it like Living in Mexico? - Introduction

If you have been following the blog for a while you will have noticed that I like to run a few different series.  There is the "Tastes Like...", and I also like to share about the various Holidays and Festivities, as well as host guest posts from Expats experiences in Mexico.  Now I am getting ready to introduce a new series, similar to the "Tastes Like..." where I add to it periodically.  For the most part I like to share with you what we are doing, what we are cooking, some of my silly experiments in the kitchen...  But the main goal of this blog is to share with you the REAL MEXICO.  The kind of things that you typically only discover by living here.

In this new section I want to share with you various products that you can find in Mexico, where to find them, how to use them...  This is less about food and more about the culture of the day to day.  You can expect to read about Beauty Products, Laundry, Tips on Shopping, Driving in Mexico...  The kind of things you would talk about with your girlfriends.  So pull up a kitchen chair, while I fold the kitchen towels, and lets talk about the daily life in Mexico.

And please remember, just like all good gossip this is solely my opinion about personal experiences!  I will do my best to provide the necessary information for you to be able to formulate your own opinions as well.

New Years Resolutions

I know that today is the 4th a little late for New Years Eve.  But there is method to my madness!  Today is the new moon, the first new moon of the new year and a powerful time for making your resolutions known.

This is a perfect full moon to activate something new, something big, something prosperous and something you desire for yourself. Pick an intention and ask to receive the right ingredients that will activate this new and fabulous dream.