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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Summer Lovin'

I have to talk myself out of buying crayons and pencils in bulk when I go to the store. This time of year, I crave 3-ring binders, lined paper, pocket folders, colored pencils, and backpacks. I want to go to school and see my name written on a desk, find a cubby that is all mine, and raise my hand to ask a question.

It's back-to-school time around these parts. That's right - early August.

And it's hot.

I mean real hot.

I mean I accidentally left a candle in my trunk, and it melted and was completely liquid. In an hour. Hot.

And because it's hot, we should all still be in the pool, sipping on juice, eating ice cream fresh fruit, and catching some rays, right? I haven't done that yet this summer. It's been work, work, work for a few weeks, but I've got a date with a pool, a float, and a big ol' margarita very soon.

So for this week, it's still summer at attempting creative.

And what's summer without baseball?

Oh yeah - and a Sara Evans concert after the victory.


And whether you're at the ballpark, watching from home, or just a fan - corn dogs are the perfect treat.

"But I don't fry."

Yeah, whatever. I don't either. I let other people fry. I'm scared of heating oil above, say, room temperature. But get over it just for this recipe. I did. Sorta.

Be Don't be OCD like me and set out all your ingredients, just to make sure you don't start and realize half-way through you're short some ingredient. (Been there. Done that. Can I get an "Amen!"?)


Stare in complete wonder that, yet again, you can't measure flour without it getting everywhere. Wonder why in the world that is.

Oh. That's just me? Okay, moving on.


Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper (don't be scared--it's okay), sugar, and kosher salt?


Stir.


Combine buttermilk and water, then stir in dry ingredients. You know, 'til it's all batter-y. Set it aside.


Find your 8-quart pan. It needs to have high sides 'cause o' the oil that will bubble up.


Pour in vegetable oil. Boy, that's a lot of oil, but it's worth it. I promise. (By the way, why does the oil make the bottom of my pan look like gold leaf?)


Don't buy the totally-horrible flat toothpicks. I wasn't paying attention. They kept breaking on me. Oy.


Heat your oil to 375°F, using a candy thermometer. Breathe deeply. Heating oil is perfectly okay. Your house isn't going to explode. (Oh. That's just me, again? Okay, moving on.)


Skewer all your cocktail sausages and get them ready for a bath in the batter.



Congrats! You successfully heated your oil. And the world is still spinning.


Dunk your cocktail sausages in the batter. Now it's time for them to take a swim in the oil you successfully heated to 375°F.


Woohoo! We're cookin' corn dogs!


One pack of sausages makes about 40 mini corn dogs. I think I counted 39 in the end. One may or may not have walked off into someone's mouth before the headcount.


Ketchup. Mustard. Dipping sauces. Perfection. Mini corn dog perfection.



Mini Corn Dogs
adapted from Sunset

Ingredients
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons water
4 cups vegetable oil
toothpicks
1 pack (16 ounces) cocktail sausages

Directions
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and water. Then stir in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Let rest 10 minutes while the oil heats.
3. Heat vegetable oil to 375°F (measuring with a candy thermometer) in a high-sided, 8-quart pan. Insert a toothpick into each cocktail sausage and set aside.
4. When oil is heated, remix batter. If your bowl is shallow, transfer the batter to a tall/deep dish. This is to make dunking the sausages easier. Working with three sausages at a time, dip each sausage into the batter and drop directly into the heated oil. (Don't cook more than three at a time. They cook too quickly, and one may burn before you get it out if too many are in there.)
5. Turn corn dogs with a slotted spoon until it's golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain extra oil. Let cool slightly before eating.

Enjoy!




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Cheesy Dice

Okay, let me first say this: This is really cheesy (pun intended). But it's too fun not to do at your game night.

What is it? A Cheese Dice of course! And it's really easy to make.



Ingredients
1 (2 1/4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives (drained)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 cup sour cream
assorted crackers

Directions
Set aside about 20 olives. Finely chop the remaining olives.

In a bowl, combine chopped olives, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, onion powder, cayenne, and sour cream. Mix until well combined.



(I had to use my hands for this next step.) Mound the cheese mixture onto your serving plate, and using a spatula, press all sides to form a cube. Cover wit plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (With a little extra push, I could have made this more cubical, so it won't be that hard when you do it.)





Before serving, spread the remainder of the sour cream on the outside of the cheese ball. Be sure to smooth it with a long knife. Use the reserved olive slices to make the dice spots. Serve with crackers.