Dill Pickle Dip

Super Bowl Sunday- it is so interesting to me how what an event today has become. Even people who don't watch a minute of regular season NFL football come together and watch the Super Bowl. It really is America's sport and something that seems to bring everyone together- even it is just to see the commercials!

Two years ago we were fortunate to actually go to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, TX with my dad and brother. For the weeks and days leading up to the game it is a mix of nervousness, unbelief, excitement and anticipation. It was fun to see fellow fans dressed in green and gold all around town in the days before the game. On game day, we arrived early, parked several miles away from the stadium (to avoid the $100 parking fees!), ate a quiet lunch at Panera of all places and then joined the crowds entering the stadium. Aside from it taking 5 hours for my husband and I to actually get in to our seats (yes, 5 hours! We were part of the seating snafu that affected hundreds of fans) it was a very memorable day. It is an extraordinary feeling being at the Super Bowl when your team wins. A mixture of happiness and relief, definitely unlike attending any regular season game. I will always remember turning around to see my dad and brother's faces after the Packers won- pure joy!

Today, when the Packers aren't playing, the outcome is not important to me. We are having some friends over, playing commercial bingo, eating brats and having this dill pickle dip.  Dill pickle dip has been a tradition in my mom's family for at least all of my life (almost 30 years!) and probably longer. I have no idea who started it, but it has been at every Thanksgiving, Christmas and family gathering that I can remember. Aaron now likes it and has started requesting it for our own gatherings. It is typically served with potato chips, but it is also great with carrot and celery sticks. You don't have to be a dill pickle lover (Aaron isn't) to like this dip. The tangyness of the cream cheese mixed with dill, garlic, and Worcestershire just make it a flavorful addition to salty snacks and is somehow different from just biting into a whole dill pickle.

The ingredient list is small, and this is simple and quick to make. I have listed the ingredients and approximate amounts, but taste testing is required to get the flavor just right how you like it. Enjoy!

Dill Pickle Dip

1 block regular or light cream cheese, softened
6+ medium dill pickles, grated
1+ tbsp pickle juice from jar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork. Taste with a potato chip and add more pickles, pickle juice, garlic and Worcestershire as desired (I ended up adding 2 more pickles, a little  more juice, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire and another sprinkle of garlic powder). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Serve with potato chips and veggies.

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars (gluten free)

Summer appears to be here! I love the sun, heat and warmth and I can't seem to get enough! My apartment garden is planted, I made my first trip to the farmer's market yesterday and went on a bike ride by the lake where hundreds of people were laying out on beach towels trying to soak up all of the warmth we missed during the winter months. Summer makes me think of crisp salads, fresh fruit, and cold desserts. Lime cheesecake fits right in.

This past weekend we were in Houston, TX for a funeral. Although we were there for a sad reason it was very nice to visit with Aaron's family and to have some delicious food! I had requested some authentic Mexican while we were there. Growing up in Montana I wonder about the Mexican food that I grew up with and how authentic it really is/was. I wanted some real TexMex and I was not disappointed!

We were treated to a fajita feast complete with rice, beans, tortillas, salsa, guacamole, sauteed onions, beef, shrimp and chicken. It was so delicious and something I could eat everyday I think! Of course our trip also included a visit to Fiesta for fresh tortillas. Unfortunately, the store we went to this time did not make any on site, but they did have key limes. . . for $0.88! Yes, $0.88 for that entire bag pictured above. Those are something I will likely not find in abundance in Minnesota, so I brought a bag home. What a better way to use some of them, then a key lime cheesecake! The flavor of lime to me screams summer, so these were a great way to kick off the season. They do have a strong lime flavor which pairs very nicely with the blackberries I found at the market yesterday. You could of course make these with out key limes, but they do have a slightly sweeter flavor that works great in a dessert. Enjoy!

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars with Almond Meal Crust
Makes: 16 bars

For the crust:
2 cups almond meal
6 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar

For the bars:
8oz light cream cheese
4 oz light sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup key lime juice (juice from~8 key limes or 2 regular limes or use bottled lime juice)
zest from 4 key limes or 1 large lime

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients for the crust and press into an 8x8 in pan. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes
2. With a mixer and whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese for about 3-5 minutes or until fluffy.
3. Add the egg yolk and mix for another 3 minutes- mixture will be pale yellow.
4. Drizzle in the condensed milk and whisk another 3 minutes.
5. Add lime juice and zest and whisk again until combined.
6. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake for about 20 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate for several hours before serving (I was impatient so I actually put the pan in the freezer for about 90 minutes)

Nutrition Facts- Calories: 190, Total fat: 14g, Saturated fat: 5g, Cholesterol 55g, Sodium 89mg, Total Carbohydrate: 10g, Dietary fiber: 2g, Sugar 7g, Protein: 5g