Skinny Poolside Dip aka COLLEGE GAMEDAY Dip!

If you're a UTE fan, you're in heaven right about now. Winning our Pac 12 season opener for the first time EVER and hosting ESPN's COLLEGE GAME DAY  here in our own backyard for the first time since 2010 calls for a celebration!  This Skinny Poolside Dip is tasty, fresh, simple and perfect for the game tomorrow.

You know how the word "skinny" always catches a woman's eye!?!  And the words:  skinny, pool and dip all together in one recipe name? That was all it took to grab my attention. When I saw this recipe for Skinny Poolside Dip on Pinterest,  I immediately thought of all the times I had packed my pool bag with Red Vines, Cheetos and Diet Coke.

One look at this recipe and I knew it was a keeper. I must admit, I have a gift.  It's a small gift, insignificant to most, but very helpful if you're a food blogger. I can usually look at a recipe and tell you if it's going to be worth trying. This dip? One look and I knew it would be good.  I made a couple of modifications (I know, you're shocked) to make it my own and more appealing to our family.

I'm not sure why this dip is called Skinny Dip? The first recipe I looked at was made with Neufchatel otherwise known as low fat cream cheese. Ok, makes sense. That would qualify as Skinny Dip (kind of). But the recipes using regular cream cheese? Well, the word "Skinny" should probably not be attached to that recipe ;)

I loved the ease of this recipe. Start to finish, this recipe takes about 10 minutes, if you are grilling corn. Otherwise,  if using frozen corn, it's close to 5 minutes total.
It's absolutely delicious and a dip that most will love.
Oh, I almost forgot.. GO UTES!!!



Poolside Skinny Dip
modified from Buns In My Oven

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (regular, low fat or Neufachatel)
2 red bell peppers, cored and diced
3 large ears fresh corn, cooked or 2 cups frozen corn
1 cup sweet onion or red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing or
pepper to taste

In a large bowl, fold cream cheese, red peppers, corn, onion,  jalapeno, and ranch dressing mix together. Season with ground pepper.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or cut up vegetables.

Tips:
-The dip will set up and be difficult to scoop right out of the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes prior to serving.
-If fresh corm is not available, use one can of corn or 2 cps frozen corn, do not thaw before using.
-If grilling corn, husk corn. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Butter the corn if desired, not necessary). Wrap tightly in a piece of foil. Place on grill and cook over med high heat for about 10 minutes.


If you're looking for more appetizers,  here are a few of our  favorites...

Cowboy Salsa Everyone loves this salsa!

Buffalo Wing Dip The ultimate guy dip...

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus nice if you're trying to eat healthy!

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ABK's Ultimate Chunky Guac

When we traveled to Mexico a few weeks ago I was in heaven. Guac heaven. Guacamole is one of those items I can eat morning, noon and night. By the end of the week, the boys were saying NO MORE GUAC! But the girls, Grant and I were happy to slather it all over our morning eggs and breakfast quesadillas on our way out of town and back to the good old USA.
I usually just mash the avocado, add some lime juice, salt and garlic. It's one of my favorite lunches. When I have a few more minutes, I love this dressed up version. It includes so many flavors I love- all in one wonderful bite.

This recipe is perfect for watching games, family gatherings and all types of parties.
The ultimate guac?
This is it.




ABK's Ultimate Chunky Guac
A Bountiful Kitchen
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4 ripe avocados
one juicy lime
1 large firm Roma tomato, chopped (if juicy, seed the tomato)
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 of a medium white or sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped coarse
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced (more or less, depending on heat level desired)
1 large clove garlic, minced
coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Scoop the avocado out of the skin into a medium size bowl and discard the pit.  Squeeze the juice of the lime over the avocado. Mash the avocado with a fork into large chunks. Place the chopped red pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and garlic into the bowl. Mix gently. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Serve immediately, or to keep from browning, spread the mixture evenly in a small bowl using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Press a piece of plastic wrap firmly against the surface of the guac, leaving no room for air to collect. Place in refrigerator until ready to eat. when ready to eat, remove about 15-30 minutes before serving and let sit on counter. Remove plastic wrap , scoop into serving bowl and serve.

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Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Skewers

Have you planned your Superbowl menu yet?
I thought it would be fun to create another recipe in honor of the Seahawks going to the big game. Again.
Last year, I posted an original recipe for Seahawk Sliders, a grilled salmon slider, complete with Sriracha mayo and my history with the Seahawks :) .  It was the hit of our party! We loved the Sriracha sauce so much, I decided to incorporate it into this dish as well.
This year, I'm sharing a recipe for a super simple chicken skewer. They are best when marinated for 24 hours, and then grilled on the bbq or on the stove. It takes less than 5 minutes to cook, then drizzle with some extra sauce, garnish and serve.
So simple and so very tasty. I'm predicting this will be our favorite appetizer at this year's Superbowl party.
You know what I'm going to say now.
Say it.  For all of my Seattle family and friend fans.
Seeeeeeaaaaa Haaaaaaaaawwwwwks! 
thanks.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken Skewers
A Bountiful Kitchen
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about 2-2 1/2 lbs chicken, boneless, skinless*

marinade ingredients:
1 cup Cola, not sugar free
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Aji- Mirin (Sweet Rice Vinegar)
1 cup prepared Teriyaki Sauce, I used Yoshida's or Very Teriyaki
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce (more if you like it hotter)
3-4 tablespoons honey

wood skewers about 12-24
for garnish:
Sesame seeds, toasted
chopped green onions, about 2-3

6-24 hours before serving:
Mix all marinade ingredients together in a bowl with whisk. Remove 1 cup of sauce from bowl, set aside in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Slice the chicken into one inch wide strips. If the breast meat is thick, you may slice the breast in half, then slice again the opposite way in long thin strips. The strips should be about 1" wide by 4-6 inches long, and about 1/2 inch thick.
Place the remaining sauce (that has not been saved for serving) in a Ziplock bag or a shallow pan with the chicken. Seal and refrigerate at least 6 hours, and up to 24 hours. Move the chicken around a couple of times during marinating to insure all pieces are covered with sauce.
When ready to cook, discard sauce that was used to marinate chicken.
Thread the chicken onto the wood skewers and place on a baking sheet or a 9x13 pan.
Place the remaining reserved sauce in a small saucepan and heat for about 5 minutes over medium heat or until reduced and thickened a bit. Turn off heat.
Chop the green onion for garnish.
Heat a griddle or barbecue and grease lightly.
Cook the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side at about 400 degrees, or until cooked through. Do not overcook, or the meat will dry out very quickly.
Place the cooked meat onto a tray. Drizzle with reduced sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with chopped green onions.
Serve immediately, or keep warm by covering with foil. Or refrigerate and serve cold. Do not garnish until ready to serve.


Tips:
-* I used boneless chicken breasts, boneless thigh pieces are also delicious.
-Before heating the sauce to drizzle on top of the chicken, I add about 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar for color and flavor. I like the way it adds a little more intense flavor to the sauce.
-If you would like to make this dish ahead, it's easy to do so!
Marinate the chicken. Follow directions for cooking. When the chicken is cooked, carefully place the skewers in a 9x13 pan and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, let sit on counter for about 30 minutes. If serving warm, heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat uncovered on a cookie sheet in a single layer for about 3-5 minutes. Remove, and drizzle with sauce, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve.

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Vintage White Cheddar Dip

I took a trip with my girls to Oregon for a few days in August. We ate our way through Portland, then headed to the coast. Here's a little look into our five- food packed, beach loving days in the great state of Oregon! At  the end, I'll show you how to I made this really simple cheese dip filled with cheeses, corn, red pepper and jalapeno and the Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar I brought home from our Tillamook Cheese Factory tour...

First stop, berry picking by the side of the road.

Multnomah Falls. Right outside the city. Worth the 30 minute drive.  

A trip to Portland isn't complete without breakfast at THE Original, Original Pancake House.
Sit at the community table, chat with locals, highly recommended. 

Cannon Beach, OR. Haystack Rock. Serious beauty. 

More serious beauty, love these two. 

Time to get serious.
Bananagrams.

Hydrangeas the size of your HEAD.

Walks on the beach. 

Once at the coast, we headed to Tillamook to tour the factory. We were met by Leeanne,  our lovely tour guide. She led us through the factory, explaining every detail about the cheese making process. Leeanne is an expert on everything Tillamook!

Guess how many pounds of cheese are stored at the Tillamook facility at any given time? 

Did you guess 50 Million lbs?  You're right! 

Watching all of that cheese being made will make you HUNGRY. 

It's hard work touring the factory. 

Enter our friend, Leeanne with CHEESE SAMPLES! 

The next half hour was spent receiving an education on several types of cheeses,

 made under the same roof. 

We tried Squeaky cheese (usually yellow, but this was a special vintage batch). 

The second was a Medium Cheddar. More trivia- It takes 20 lbs of milk to make one 2 lb baby loaf of Medium Cheddar Cheese. Leeanne guided us through about 12 different types of cheese including: Smoked Extra Sharp, Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar, Swiss and Squeaky. My favorite was the Vintage Extra Sharp  White Cheddar. 

After our cheese tasting, we had lunch. We tried the grilled cheese, of course. And the house made tomato soup. Who can eat grilled cheese without tomato soup? I ordered the Tillamook Mac and Cheese. Creamy, smooth, melty. So good. Made with five cheeses. If you tour the factory in the morning hours, they serve breakfast too. Lots of omelets with CHEESE on the menu.

After lunch, we ventured over to the ice cream counter, where we tried a variety of Tillamook ice cream. This is the 5 scoop sampler bowl. Because we just couldn't decide. So yummy.

Tillamook tour = happy kids.

Stop by next time you're in Tillamook, OR. 

The  self guided tour is free and the ice cream and lunch are reasonably priced. 

And who doesn't want a pic in the baby loaf with their girls?

All of that eating can make you tired. It was a good afternoon for a nap on the beach...

After the nap, a walk through downtown Cannon Beach. Brooke and Corrine making convo with a furry friend. 

More Bananagrams. This time at a restaurant, while waiting for what? More food, of course.
Corriney is determined to win this round. 

The Inn at Cannon Beach was so quaint. Bunnies roaming the property. 

Highly recommend this place. 

We loved out time at the coast. No matter the time of year, the Oregon coast has to be one of the most unspoiled and beautiful beach areas in the world.
After our tour at the factory, Leeanne gave us a round of my favorite, the Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar. The flavor is pungent and the round is a little crumbly when cut. I wanted to create a recipe that featured the flavor of the cheese, and I think my Vintage White Cheddar Dip does just that!
This dip is perfect for spreading on crackers or dipping a tortilla or corn chip. It would even be perfect with celery sticks. I added some fresh corn and red peppers to break up the rich creamy texture of the dish.  We served it at a gathering and it was gone in minutes. It's perfect for anything from a holiday party to a tailgating event. Thanks Tillamook!

Me and my cheese.

Vintage White Cheddar Dip
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

1 cup sour cream, regular or low fat
16 oz cream cheese regular or low fat (not no-fat) at room temperature
1 cup Tillamook Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar, grated
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen, not thawed*
1/2 -1 Jalapeno, chopped (seeded if you do not like spicy foods)
1 red pepper, seeded, chopped and divided (a few bits separated for garnish)
1/2 to 1 cup cilantro, chopped (a few bits separated for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 drops hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Mix the sour cream and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth.
Fold in the remaining ingredients, (leaving some of the cilantro and red pepper to sprinkle on top after baking).
Spoon into a  lightly greased dish for baking. I used a 10 inch round tart dish.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes on top third of oven or until bubbly and slightly golden.
Serve immediately.
Serves about 10-12 as an appetizer.

Tips:
- If using fresh corn, cook the corn and then cut the corn off of the cob before using. Measure out 1 1/2  cups of corn for the recipe.
-You may make this ahead and bake when ready to use. Remove from refrigerator about 30-45 minutes before baking.  and set on counter. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
-You may add chopped peppers, tomatoes that have been seeded, onions (chopped fine), green chilies,  and/or other types of grated cheese.
-If you cannot find Tillamook Extra Sharp White Cheddar, you may use other brands of cheese.  This would also be great with an Extra Sharp (yellow) Cheddar cheese. I would stay with a "sharp" variety of cheese. It will cut the richness of the cream cheese and sour cream combination and add a depth of flavor.

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