My Very Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Sandwiches

It's that time of year when my kitchen is messy from the best kind of debris: cookie making supplies. I wanted to share with you what has come to be my very favorite holiday-time cookie to eat, and there's no actual "baking" involved. If you can spread peanut butter and dip something in chocolate, you can master these treats that taste incredibly similar to the Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs that your local Girl Scouts sell every year. They hold up in the freezer like champs, too, which means it's never too early to start your Christmas baking...er, I mean dipping. 

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

(In my house, we call them "Peanut Butter Ritz").

 

 To make these cookies, you’ll need:

3 sleeves of Ritz Crackers

1 (16 oz.) package of Chocolate Flavored Coating

Creamy Peanut Butter, about 1 cup

1 Tbsp. Shortening

(Yields about 40 cookies)

Directions:

1.Spread a layer of peanut butter on a Ritz cracker, and top it with another cracker; set aside. Continue until all crackers are used.

2. Break chocolate coating into squares and place into a glass, microwave safe bowl. Add shortening as well.

3. Microwave for 90 seconds. Chocolate squares will still hold their shape, but they are actually soft inside.

4. Stir chocolate and shortening together.

5.  Microwave again in 15 second intervals, stirring after each one, until the mixture is completely smooth. Do not overheat, as this will cause scorching.

6.  Dip each sandwich into the melted chocolate.

7.  Use two forks to pick up and coat both sides of the sandwiches. Shake excess chocolate off crackers by lightly tapping your fork on the side of the bowl, and then scraping it gently across the rim of the bowl.

8. Place coated cookies onto a sheet of wax paper, using the other fork to slide them onto the paper.

9. Top with sprinkles while chocolate is still wet (optional).

10. Allow cookies to dry on wax paper until hardened, placing in refrigerator if desired. 

11. Try not to eat them all before you want to share them with friends and family.

Helpful Tip: Did you notice that my Ritz are not round, but a festive shape instead? In the Fall, stores start to sell Snowflake shaped Ritz Crackers. I buy up lots of boxes and tell the kids they aren't allowed to eat them. If I wait till the week or two before Christmas, the shelves will be filled with the regular round crackers again. Of course, the cookies made with regular Ritz taste just as rich and yummy, but if you want that holiday flair, think ahead and grab yourself a stash of Snowflake Ritz.

 

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Broccoli Rice Casserole

Every family has those favorite dishes we feel must grace our holiday tables in order to make the day complete. I've told you that Thanksgiving is the holiday I love the very most. It's about family and food and companionship. We talk and laugh and relax...and eat! When my brothers and I were growing up, we always made two stops on Thanksgiving Day. We would spend the daytime hours with my dad's side of the family, and then in the evening, we would pop over to see my mom's family for a quick sandwich, slice of pie, and a bowl of my aunt's famous macaroni salad.

Until I was a young adult, my paternal grandmother prepared a traditional and hearty meal every Thanksgiving, always set at 2 p.m.  She was a very tiny woman with a quiet grace who opened her home and heart for the love of her family. I'd like to share one of the recipes that she used to make for our Thanksgiving dinner. It has been thirteen years since she passed away, but every time that I smell this dish bubbling away in the oven, I fondly remember all of the years we spent gathered around my grandma's table.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of margarine (or butter)
1 T. minced onions (from the spice rack)
1 1/2 c. water
10 oz. chopped frozen broccoli
1 1/2 c. raw Minute Rice
1 can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can of French's Fried Onions (the kind you put on green bean casserole)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. (2 qt. round or 11x7 inches).

2. In a medium pot, bring water, butter and minced onions to a boil. Add the frozen broccoli and bring to a boil again.

3. Add the Minute Rice. Stir, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

4. Add the 2 cans of soup and stir all together until combined.

5. Spread the broccoli/rice mixture into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with fried onions and bake for 5 more.

HELPFUL TIP: For weeknight dinners, I've been making this dish with California blend, which gives it an added sweetness from the carrots. Otherwise, I like it just as it is for Thanksgiving, Easter and baby showers. It just reminds me of Grandma.


I know you have some favorite family recipes that remind you of holiday dinners or desserts. Would you leave me a comment to tell me about them?

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Sneaky Kid Digs into Banana Brunch Coffee Cake

I've spent the past twenty minutes looking through my kajillions of digital photos for one very specific picture. It is one that I took when Chip was four years old. I had just made two really delicious Banana Brunch Coffee Cakes and were letting them cool for a while on the kitchen counter. That's what we, meaning bakers, do when we make cakes. We let them rest for a while before we cut into them, right?

Well, that's what adults do. That's what people who have developed self control do. That is not what little boys do. Chip decided that he did not want to wait for Mama to slice him a piece of that cinnamony-sweet banana cake with a crunchy crumb topping. He decided just to help himself.

Did he know how to use a knife and spatula? Of course not! He just dug his chubby, stubby hands right into the middle of the cakes. Both of them!

What did I do when I found a chunk had been taken out of each cake, that just so happened to be the size of a toddler sized fist?

I laughed and ran to grab my camera!

 

DUH! What else would there have been to do?

 

Not long after the coffee cake incident, when Baby Marshall was just about to turn two, all of his other sibs were off at school for the morning. He and I were home alone, and I must have been in the other room for a little too long. When I returned to the kitchen, I found him sitting at our dining table, doing this...

 

  

I don't know what it is about my baby boys that makes them feel the need to sneak sweets, but obviously, I reached for my camera again. I am so glad I did, and I have my mom to thank for that foresight. She always told me to have my camera ready, because we never know when a moment will hit us that's worth remembering. 

 

Since that day, when I found Marshall eating just one bite out of at least seven powdered and chocolate Donettes, we began to refer to Marshall as Sneaky Baby. He became quite adept at finding treats when no one was watching him. I once caught him eating from a tray of Christmas candy that he pulled to the floor.

 

I suppose these shenanigans should be expected when you are not the first or even second child in a family. Your mama is busy, harried, frantic, tired. You name it, she feels it, and so being left to your own devices once in a while might lead to mischief.   

 

I'm as guilty as the next modern mom of not printing enough of my digital pictures. I don't do scrapbooks. I've already told you about the Dwindling Baby Books around here. I have learned to let go of the guilt that surrounds it, but I am definitely glad that I do indeed have some photos stored somewhere, easily accessible with the click of a button! I had such a blissful time reminiscing tonight, giggling to myself while I looked through these pictures, seeing the bits of nonsense my four hilarious kiddos have caused over the years.

 

Goofy poses, faces covered in my mascara (Chip did that to himself once), throwing leaves, juggling apples, years worth of Halloween costumes, showing off their bloody gums from missing teeth. I loved seeing them all!

 

So, although I don't have a beautifully staged photo of my Banana Brunch Coffee Cake, I still want to share the picture I do have with you. It's the picture that documents the time Chip ripped half of the cake out with his hand and shoved it in his mouth. It's a memory I love.

 

This cake is actually one of the recipes that family and guests request from me very often. It is moist and perfectly sweet from the bananas, but the added spice of cinnamon and nutmeg on top really makes it into something special. It's simple because it begins with a cake mix, so there's very little measuring to do, and we all tend to have leftover bananas lying around the kitchen. Please let me know if you try it.

 

 

Banana Brunch Coffee Cake

 

Ingredients

 

1 c. mashed ripe bananas

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 c. veg. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

 

Instructions:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

 

2. Combine bananas, cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix well at medium speed for 8 minutes, scraping side of bowl occasionally.

3. In a smaller bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. When the batter is finished mixing, pour it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle about half of brown sugar mixture on top and swirl slightly into batter with a butter knife, making figure eights. Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top and bake until toothpick comes clean. 

 

Helpful Tips: Start with baking for 30 minutes and go up to 45.  A lot of times, I divide it all into two square pans, so then the time is less. Keep an eye on it or add foil if the top is browning too quickly.

 

I also really love to make this recipe into muffins. I use cupcake liners and sprinkle the topping over the batter. I use a toothpick to lightly swirl it together.

 

 *Recipe is adapted from Favorite Brand Name Baking, 2002 

 

Have you ever thought to take a picture of your kid when he's wreaking havoc on your house or your schedule or your life? I promise, if you try it, you'll be able to laugh about it later!

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm happy to share with you another one of my favorite Fall recipes. It's a simple pumpkin muffin that uses only one bowl and calls for my favorite ingredient to add some extra sweetness: chocolate! These muffins are always a hit for playgroup brunches and with the elementary teachers for PTA breakfasts. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we do. I'm warning you, they won't last long!

 

Trixie's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Ingredients:

 4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1- 16 ounce can of pumpkin puree

1 1/2 c. melted butter or vegetable oil

3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or plain cinnamon is fine, too)

1 tsp. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and butter.

3. Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until combined, but not until all of the lumps are gone.

4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Fill the muffin tins that have been lined with cupcakes wrappers and bake at 375 for 16-20 minutes.

6. This recipe makes at least two dozen muffins, so it can easily be halved.

Helpful Tip: You can bake this recipe in two loaves pans to make pumpkin breads, which freeze really well.

 

 

Perfect Fall Apple Crisp

Today has been one of those cold, rainy, yucky October days that are typical for us in our Midwestern town. Mark has coached Chip through countless wet soccer games over the years, but today set a new record with hail coming down on them! Lucky for me, I was warm and dry inside the aquatic center with Marshall, while we watched Reese and Trixie glide through the water for their swim practice. Saturdays are our split-up days, but now, we are finally back together under one roof.

The moist gloom is still present outside, the leaves have really begun to descend to the ground, and the acorns are still constantly dropping from our oak trees. I'm sure you can guess what I'm doing today to warm us up and make our home smell extra sweet and inviting.

Baking!

Today's dessert is my favorite apple crisp, made with the fresh apples Marshall and I plucked from the orchard during his preschool field trip this week. I have been baking this crisp since I received my copy of The Big Red Cookbook from Betty Crocker at my wedding shower fourteen years ago. It's a family favorite, and I'd love to share it with you. 

Perfect Fall Apple Crisp*



Ingredients:
4-6 cups apples, peeled and sliced (I love Golden Delicious)
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. oats (quick or old-fashioned)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 c. margarine or butter, chopped into pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 7x11 inch glass pan.

2. Spread the apples in the pan.

3. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. With a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until crumbly.

4. Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the apples. Bake for 30-45 minutes until apples are tender. You can test it to see if a toothpick will easily go through the apples. Topping the crisp with foil will prevent it from browning.

Helpful Tip: This crisp is delicious served warm with ice cream or the next day for breakfast with some hot cider on the side.

*Adapted from The Big Red Cookbook from Betty Crocker

Do you have a favorite fall dessert?

 

 

 

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Would You Please Pass the Bon-Bons?

So, we are wrapping up our third week of school, and I have yet to have one single bon-bon! What is going on here? Three of the kids are gone all day, and one of them is gone part of the time, and still, there has been no bon-bon indulgence for this stay-at-home-mom. That's my job, right? Is it happening at your house? I'll come over there if it is, because this place has been kind of a mess.

I don't remember it ever being this hard to readjust to the kids being back at school. I don't actually mean for the kids. They are doing very well with waking up on time, finishing their homework, taking showers when I tell them to, and squeezing in their extras. It's their mother who just can't get in gear this year.

Usually, I'm so organized at the beginning of school. I look forward to the newness that Autumn brings and all that we are going to accomplish in the new school year. So far, I just keep dropping the ball. Read on if you want to feel better about yourself!

I try to make menus for the week's dinner plans and have all the ingredients ready. The dinners I have made this Fall wouldn't impress anyone, and I'm usually thinking about them just as the first kid is walking in the door, asking, "Mom, what's for dinner?" In three weeks, we have run out of milk in the house twice...twice! That never happens here. I always buy three gallons of milk at a time, yet somehow, on two separate occasions, my poor babies had nothing for their morning Cocoa Puffs. (Yes, my kids eat Cocoa Puffs. There was something about having that fourth kid that brought my guard down).

I usually have a variety of homemade treats in the freezer for the kids to take in their lunch boxes, but I haven't had a chance to do any big baking yet. Last night, I thought I would bake a few kinds of homemade cookies to stock the freezer, but now I'm out of flour. I usually have two or three bags of flour waiting in my pantry for when one of my baking frenzies hits. There's nothing. What is my problem?

I really don't deserve any bon-bons when I'm doing such a shoddy job of keeping up with my basics of feeding the family. I shouldn't even mention the cleaning I haven't been doing. Sometimes I'm not doing the dishes every day. Laundry is piling up more than my usual six foot high mound that lurks in the back of the house. Vacuuming, uh, I cleaned up the kitchen crumbs over the weekend, does that count? When the kids head back to school, it is usually my time to make the house shine again. Maybe next week...

In my defense, we've had our fair share of germ-sharing going on around here. Everybody missed at least one day of school already! Having a whole house of sickie-sickersons didn't go well for my bon-bon parties. I did finally muster enough energy to Clorox-wipe down the banisters and door knobs.

Weeks ago, I was supposed to complete a whole stack of papers for the elementary school that I received on the first day of school. It's called a welcome packet. I started filling in answers right away, like the dedicated mom that I am, but set them aside in all the excitement of hearing first day stories from the kids. I have yet to pick them up again. Trixie asks me about every other day if I finished the packet yet. I have to shamefully tell her, "no." I have resorted to asking her if the teachers are bugging her about it. They are not, so I instructed her to stop worrying about that stinkin' packet. It's my homework assignment, not hers, and I promise her I will finish it.

If this family scenario were coming from anyone other than me, I would be dishing out all kinds of advice. Why am I being so hard on myself when I would never have such high expectations of any other mom? If you happen to be feeling the way I am feeling, like it's the last month of school, when it's really only the first, this is what I would tell you:

There is only one you. Just write down what you know you need to do, and that will help you remember. What is forgotten, is forgotten, and it will be okay.

So what if the kids have pancakes for dinner? You know they LOVE when you make Brinner.

A perfectly stocked pantry or freezer isn't necessary for a happy home. Your husband can run out to buy milk when you need it. Stores are open 24 hours for a reason!

Kids are likely trading away what you give them for lunch and are just itching to go outside for recess. They aren't going to remember if they had a homemade cookie or Oreos. Although, some kids might remind you if you do forget a dessert entirely or try to pass fruit off for dessert (Chip).

The dishes will eventually be clean, and so will the floors and clothes. All of that takes time, and one person cannot do it all. You only have so much time, and taking care of the needs of so many other people on top of your own doesn't leave big chunks of time for all that cleaning! Kids can learn chores. Even young ones. Enlist their help. They'll feel valued and important.

Being sick gives everyone a pass, period.

Um, filling out those school papers really does need to be done. If you haven't heard from the school about it yet, you're probably fine. Just get it done when you can. Write it down so you remember to do it. Did you forget my earlier tip? Write everything down.

Lastly, give yourself a freakin' break and go buy some bon-bons! How are you ever going to have a bon-bon party if you don't have any in the house?

 

Last night, I was craving chocolate and really did want the kids to have something sweet in their lunchboxes. With no flour in the house, I resorted to making a box of brownies. I jazzed it up my favorite way. Here's how to do it that will wow kids and guests galore, all for about $2.00.

 

Marshmallow and Chocolate Chip Brownies

 

1. Preheat your oven according to your favorite brand of boxed brownies. Collect all of the ingredients needed according to the box. (mine needed eggs, oil, and water).

 

2. In a bowl, combine all of the original ingredients, plus about 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1-2 cups of mini-marshmallows. Stir until combined, based on the box directions. 

 

3. Spread the batter into a 9x13 inch pan sprayed with baking spray.

 

4. For extra festivity, I like to add a thick layer of sprinkles, although it's totally optional.

 

5. Bake according to the box directions.

 

6. Let them cool a while before slicing. They'll be ooey and gooey and just deliciously chocolately. Enjoy as a late-night snack while the kids are in bed or with your morning coffee (until you have a chance to buy some bon-bons).

 

Helpful Tip: Boxed brownies can be jazzed up however your family likes them.  Other additions I love are M & M's, Andes Mints, Heath Chips, or Chopped Reese's Cups. The possibilities are endless. No measurements are really required!

 

 

 

 

 

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Home

As I sat down to write tonight, I realized it is the eve of the 13th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, yet until five minutes ago, I had only planned to write about zucchini bread. I know that in the morning, when I publish this post, everyone's feeds will be lined with memories and American flags and quotes like, "We will never forget." My post will feature a recipe for my mom's zucchini bread. How can my words be relevant on such a momentous and somber day? A day that is meant for remembrance and reflection?

My mom's zucchini bread is meaningful. It is a part of me. It is part of my family, my history, and making it tonight has helped me to remember and reflect.

Today was a long, rainy, and just overall dark day. It was chilly and somehow felt especially lonely. It was one of the rare days when I had those 2.5 hours to myself, and while I was able to spend a bit of it with a beautiful friend of mine, I also felt a little lost while all of my children were at school.

The nagging rain was wearing me down. I needed something to pick me up, more than the hugs and smiles the kids brought with them as they bounded through the doors at the end of their day. People were talking about rainy day baking today, and suddenly, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to bake.

It's my therapy. It's my happy place.

Trixie was playing on the computer with her brothers, but I asked her if she wanted to help me make some of Grandma's zucchini bread. I was expecting her to say no, but she enthusiastically said yes. She rushed right into the kitchen with me then started opening cabinet doors and drawers, finding all of the ingredients, measuring cups, and bowls that we needed to make this quintessential fall treat. I shredded the zucchini, and away we went with making warm memories together. We set to work on baking the drear away.

We chatted about her day at school and how much she likes her new music teacher. She told me that she couldn't wait until October when we could start baking pumpkin muffins. Standing at the counter with my ten-year-old daughter, making this recipe that I had learned from my own mom when I was a little girl, was an incredible way to spend what had just been a pretty depressing day. This had been an icky, gloomy night before one of the worst dates in our nation's history.

I didn't expect the rush of emotions that ran through me when I bit into that freshly sliced, still-warm-from-the-oven zucchini bread that Trixie and I baked together. I felt just like a little girl, standing in my parents' kitchen in a flannel nightgown. I remembered baking those loaves many times for my dad to share with his friends at the mill. I remembered taking them to school to pass around my sixth grade social studies class. I remembered coming home from college to find my mom had some waiting for me on the kitchen table. The smell of the cinnamon, the taste and the texture of that sweet bread: all of it took me right back to being a kid again, being home with my mom, my dad, and my brothers.

Zucchini bread. It's so simple, yet so heartwarming. So what if the recipe is at least 40 years old and calls for two cups of sugar? We only eat it a few times a year. It's worth it for the special treat and the memories we're making. Our whole family enjoyed the moist, delicious bread with glasses of ice cold milk, while the rain kept falling through the trees outside our window. 

As you read this post on September 11th, our children will have woken up to carry on with the life that they know as American kids in 2014. Their world is nothing like the world I knew when I was baking zucchini bread at ages eleven or ten or seven or four. I'm sad for the changes that have come through the years, but I'm also thankful for what has stayed the same.

Dads going to work; moms baking in the kitchen; kids drinking milk. 

 

Home.  

 

May we always remember.

 

 

Grandma's Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. grated zucchini
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk together the last five dry ingredients.  Gently fold them together, not overbeating. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack. 

*You may also add 1/2 c. chopped nuts to the dry ingredients.  I like it with pecans.

What constants from your childhood have you passed on to your children? What is "Home" to you?

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Blueberry Buckle

I have been baking this easy blueberry cake for years.  It's the perfect compliment to coffee or tea with friends, on a Sunday brunch buffet, or as a dessert on a late summer evening.   I make it with the fresh blueberries we pick from a local farm, but then in the winter, I pull some from my freezer and thaw them under running water.  It's delicious served warm or room temperature. 

 

What You'll Need for Blueberry Buckle:
8x8 in. or 7x11 in. pan
1/2 c. softened butter or margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. blueberries
 
Crumble topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter or margarine

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease the pan. 

2.  In an electric mixer, beat 1/2 c. butter until creamy.  Then add 1/2 c. sugar; mix well, and then egg; mix well.
3.  In another bowl, combine 1 1/4 c. flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add it to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk.  (Begin and end with flour mixture).  Stir in vanilla. 
4. Pour the batter into the baking dish.  Top with blueberries.
5. Use the flour bowl again to make the crumb topping.  Mix all the ingredients with a pastry cutter until course crumbs are made.  Sprinkle evenly over the berries.
6. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.

Helpful Tips:  You can make this buckle with raspberries or peaches or a mixture of any fruits you like.  You could easily double the recipe for a 9x13 size cake.

Adapted from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, 1999, Oxmoor House, Inc.

Refreshing Pineapple Punch

During the two years we lived in Japan, I did not have the normal arsenal of ingredients at my disposal.  In America, to make punch for a party, I used the old stand-by of mixing Rainbow Sherbet, Lemon-Lime Pop, and Hawaiian Punch.  In Japan, I had a lot of time on my hands and endless recipes available to me online.    I learned a new, simple way to make a crowd-pleasing party punch. 

What You'll Need for Refreshing Pineapple Punch:

1/2 c. Lemonade Mix (like Country Time)
48 oz. chilled pineapple juice
2  cans of cold Sprite (3 c.)
2 c. cold water

Instructions:
1.  In a large pitcher, mix together the cold water and lemonade mix. Next, add the other ingredients and stir.  Done! 

2.  You can serve it in a punch bowl or straight out of the pitcher.  If I have a lot of time, I like to make a lemonade ice ring the night before the party.  If not, I serve ice on the side, and it's perfectly chilled.

Helpful Tip:  Add a little splash of Peach Schnapps to each glass for an adult version.   

Adapted from:  http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/country-time-pineapple-punch-60151.aspx

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Lizard's Homemade Salsa

One summer, our city suffered a fresh tomato shortage when a food safety concern was keeping stores from selling them.  Instead of making my typical Pico de Gallo with fresh tomatoes and jalapenos, I was forced to try it with canned. The result was a refreshing, zesty salsa which has become one of my staple party foods. It is the one item that my older brother requests for every family gathering. He walks in the door and asks, "Lizard, where's the salsa?"

What you'll need for Lizard's Homemade Salsa

A food processor (even a mini-chopper will work, you'll just need to do it in batches)

1 can of Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilies (Original or Mild, depending on the amount of kick you like)

2 or 3 cans of petite diced tomatoes (15 oz. each)

1/2 of a medium onion, largely diced

1 clove fresh garlic, smashed

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (This is the most important ingredient in the flavor of Lizard's Salsa)

salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste

Instructions:

1. Remove and discard the stems of the cilantro. Wash it by soaking it in a bowl of cold water, allowing the dirt to settle to the bottom. Sometimes, it needs three soakings to be totally clean. You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge, wrapped in a paper towel and plastic bag.

2. Drain the cans of Rotel and tomatoes. 

3. In the food processor, throw the onions and garlic. Pulse till finely chopped. Next, add the tomatoes and pulse one or two times. Finally, throw in the cilantro, and chop until it is the consistency you desire. I like mine pretty fine, but not runny. 

4. Finally, add salt, pepper, and about a tsp. of lime juice. Pulse once more to combine, and store in the fridge till ready to serve (at least an hour is best).

5. Serve with tortilla chips. The salsa will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge, but you probably will not have any leftovers.

Serving Tip-Lizard's Salsa is great with scrambled eggs and cheese in a flour tortilla. 

 

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