I was thinking of doing a fresh, vegetable dip for today's post, but then it snowed a few inches last night and the fleeting summer feeling escaped me, so I thought we'd snuggle back into some comfort food while it's still chilly. Also! I'm doing dips because it's March Madness! One of the best times of the year! Where you, too, can watch all the college basketball your heart desires (while snacking) and root for the Kansas Jayhawks to win it all (against all odds!). And if they lose, then you can drown your sorrows in comforting, creamy salmon dip. How's that for problem solving?
First off, here's what you'll need. You should note that I tried to make it this week with "lox" style smoked salmon, and I would not suggest that. It still tasted good, but I prefer buying actual smoked salmon -- you know, the kind you can flake into small pieces and it blends better into the dip. My grocer was all out of that kind, and since I had walked to the store, I didn't have the time (or energy) to walk another mile and back to see if the next store did have the proper kind. Like I said, this works in a pinch, but the flaky, smoked salmon fillets work better.Oh! And I also should mention that you may use canned salmon. That's actually what this recipe (handed down from my wonderful mother) calls for. I did that once and the contents of that can are still haunting me (what is all that hard stuff? why is it black? THIS IS NOT WHAT FISH SHOULD LOOK LIKE!), so I prefer to use the "real" kind instead of canned. But it's up to you. Oh! And one more note! My mom throws in 1/4 tsp liquid smoke. I'm sure it makes it taste even more divine, but I cannot figure out what is exactly in liquid smoke except for chemicals, so I leave it out. I'm paranoid like that.OK! Let's get to it!• Either 1 lb smoked salmon (canned or from your butcher shop) OR 8 oz of the lox-style salmon• 8 oz of soft cream cheese (the block kind works perfect)• Juice from 1/2 of a lemon• One very small shallot grated (and have kleenex nearby -- grating onions produces major waterworks). You can also use 2 tbsp grated regular onion.• 1 tsp horseradish sauce• 1/4 tsp salt• 1/2 cup chopped pecans• 3 tbsp fresh, chopped parsley• dash of Worcester sauce
Start by mushing up the cream cheese to make sure it's soft and pliable, then add in the salmon. Again! This is super easy when it's from a fillet. A bit challenging when it's the lox-style.
Next, mix in your lemon juice, horseradish sauce, Worcester sauce, salt and grated onion. Now, once it's all mixed, I think letting it sit a few hours in the fridge does wonders for the flavor, but it's not mandatory. Also, if my mom were making this for you, those fingernails would be freshly manicured. Um, sorry.
Lastly, I mix it up in small serving bowls and mix in the pecans and parsley. Now! If you are feeling retro and kitschy, my mom makes this into a ball served with a delicate little knife. She rolls the ball in the pecans and parsley, which is lovely. After Magda jumped on the table and ate my cheese ball last fall, I prefer bowls that cannot be gulped down in several gross swallows (resulting in trips to the emergency vet). But that might just be me.
Also! This goes great with any kind of cracker. I, personally, love the Nut Thins by Diamond that are made of pecans. But those yummy butter crackers work well, too!And this is about 217 calories if split between 8 people (and that doesn't count the crackers). The good news is that it's so rich, you can skip dinner! Oh, and I should also mention that it's great on warm bagels in the morning as well.For your internet share, I'm sending you to another recipe that would be a huge hit if you were to bring it to my house to watch basketball. In case you haven't picked up on it, baking scares the crap out of me. So YOU should make ME these brown butter donut holes. Eh? Eh?
Oh hi there! So today I arrived in Arkansas. And that baby goat there? It's only one day old. Squeee!So could you guys all hear me singing along to Justin Timberlake on the radio as I cruised down Interstate 49 through Missouri and Arkansas searching desperately for a Starbucks today? No? Wow. You missed quite the performance.Let me rewind a bit. A year or so back, a dear friend of mine from 7th grade found me using Facebook. This friend? She was with me at my second concert ever (
What an amazing day! First, I woke up to birds chirping and 60 degrees. So that was a much-needed change! Then I had breakfast with a dear, childhood friend (the one that taught me about the birds and the bees, as a matter of fact!), and it was amazing to see her and hear about her life. Then after THAT we met up with Mere to head to a sports bar to watch the Kansas game with friends (KU won and I got to hang out with one of my very best friends from high school who still makes me laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh). After that we got Oklahoma Joe's, my VERY favorite BBQ brisket (although I still prefer BBQ sauce from The Salt Lick in Austin, which my husband says is blasphemy). And after THAT I got to photograph Lorde (above)! And her show was soooooo good and it was so fun and man, could every day be like this? And! And! There's even more!This next paragraph is a little more "hater" than I tend to be, so I apologize. But these two losses made me pretty happy. First? Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, who would protest funerals of AIDS victims among other things, died. Yeah, good riddance. And? Duke lost in the first round of the tournament. Obviously, these are on different scales, but they both added to the glory of the first day of Spring, I'd say.Now, let's end things on a pretty note. How about 
Say hello to one of my very favorite dog models, Rafie. I photographed him the first time 
Well, somebody sure is happy to have his daily walks back in the mix now that we're into the 30s! We woke up to this fresh coat of snow today (spring starts day after tomorrow, RIGHT?) and we took an afternoon work break to stroll around the neighborhood sniffing new corners and fire hydrants. Up next? I'm about to take out some smoked salmon to prepare for this week's Savory Sunday, and I'm sure the collie will be EVEN HAPPIER about that.Yes, yes, yes, I'm doing Sunday post today because tomorrow the collie and I are driving to Kansas and Arkansas to embark on a photo project and to see Lorde in concert! So we're wrapping up all of the business/blog/office stuff today if we can.Don't worry, I'll still be blogging from the road. You all just WAIT until you see what I bring you on Saturday. Mmmmhmmm.For today's internet share of the day, I'm sending you to 
How cute is this guy, eh? Today I had lunch with my buddy London, and after we ate we ventured over to this new home store in the neighborhood called Pharmacie. It had really fantastic gifts inside (including a soap dish that I am still coveting) and the best part was that the owner's dog, Hannibal, greeted us at the door and followed us around keeping us company while we shopped. Quite the shopping date.For the cat people, today's internet share of the day involves a cheetah cub! 
Today, Magda had her annual checkup at the vet's office (as seen above). You guys, she was AFRAID. I mean, clearly she has been to 
The good news is that all of her tests came back fine and she's in excellent health. It's been awhile since I've had a dog with a clean bill of health, and man does it feel good. Nap on, sweet sister.For your internet share of the day, I'm sending you to a delicious spring-time cocktail 
Today's recipes is one of my old standbys that I've been making for years because a) it is super fast b) it is super easy and c) everyone seems to love it. My mom passed it on to us many years ago, and it has never gotten old.
First, you'll need:• 3 cans of black beans. I use Kuner's with cumin and spices -- that brand/kind makes a huge, huge difference.• 3 cups chicken broth• 1 medium onion, diced• 3 cloves garlic, minced• 3 tbsp olive oil• 1 tsp dried oregeno• 1/2 tsp dried thyme• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (make this heaping, I always add a little extra)• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper• optional for garnish: diced tomatoes, fresh chives, sour cream
While you heat the olive oil in the soup pot, dice the onion and garlic. Also! Remember my match trick. Hold an unlit match between your teeth to avoid the tears.
Add this mixture to the warmed olive oil and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.
While that's cooking, measure out your spices. You add these after the onions are soft and let it cook for one minute. Cooking the spices in with the browning onions is a good way to increase the flavor.
Next, add in 2 cans of the black beans (semi-drained).
And then mash them with your potato masher. This infuses the beans with that yummy oniony/spicey mix. DELISH.
After it's all mashed together, add the last can of drained beans and the 3 cups of broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
SEE? I told you this was simple! And so dang delicious! For a cup of soup like you see above, it's 168 calories (and pretty filling for a small lunch). For a bigger bowl (for dinner maybe), it's about 240 calories. And the garnishes add about 23 calories per bowl.For your internet share, I'm sending you to