Let's Do the Salsa!

I'm bad at hostess gifts. Really bad. I usually give a bottle of wine when I go to someone's house for dinner or a party or get-together. But then they ask, "Oh is this one of your favorites?" I lie and say, "Yep! I absolutely love the fruit notes in this one."

I don't know what fruit notes are.

I don't know if fruit notes even exist.

So for a friend's pool party recently, I decided to up my game. Be a better gift giver. Skip the token bottle of wine... for a jar of salsa!

Restaurant-style salsa, partner.

The good stuff.

No big chunks, lots of flavor, and a little kick of heat.

Yum yum goodness! And, she can save it for later or serve it up at the party as another side dish. (Just be sure to bring a bag of chips too.)

Clearly, we didn't wait.

And you can get your very own salsa logos here or here! The circles are about 2 inches, so you can use a 2-inch punch for a solid-red button, or use a slightly larger scalloped one to get a look like mine.

I wouldn't leave you without the recipe, would I?

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 can (28 ounces) Whole Tomatoes With Juice -- I used diced because that's what I had on hand. It turned out fine.

2 cans (10 ounces) Rotel - diced tomatoes and green chiles -- This comes in original or mild. Original packs a little extra heat, but not much.

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup cilantro

juice from half a lime

1 whole jalapeno , quartered and sliced thin -- Use the whole jalapeno if you like some heat, half if you're weak a fan of milder heat.

Directions

Combine tomatoes, Rotel, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, cilantro, lime juice, and as much as you want of the jalapeno in a food processor. Pulse several times (for me it was about 10 times because my diced tomatoes were small than whole) until you get the sale the consistency you prefer. Taste and season accordingly; want more heat? More cumin or jalapeno.

Then refrigerate for about an hour to let all the good flavors mix and mingle. Enjoy with tortilla chips.

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