Home Grown Tomatoes: Auntie's Bomb Diggity Dip

Marlayna's Mexican Dip

Home Grown Tomatoes is a weekly Vegan/Vegetarian column written by Giovanina Bucci

Disclaimer: Those are MY (unbitten) nails.  And yes, you should be (shocked) proud :)

The semester is over, YEAH!  I can't say that I am super proud of the two papers that I turned in at the end, but alas, they're done and I have officially checked out.  Feels good to know that the only thing calling my name after work is a nice glass of wine, our backyard, and dinner.  I relish just thinking about it.  And knowing that I will once again have time to cook actual meals...like real meals, brings me great joy - for those of you who come here to find recipes, and not just links to other peoples' creations :) 

Beau and I spent this last weekend with amazing friends, laughing about old times and creating new memories.  We're exhausted, by the way.  But our dear friends, Chris and Amy, got married this past weekend in the warm dusk skies of Tucson, Arizona.  It was a perfect evening spent with friends and family, enamored with the love that filled the outdoor patio air.  I know I sound like a giant sap (probably a side of myself that I haven't expressed much here...but it exists, I promise!).  There are moments that can cause a person to reflect, and it was a weekend of reflection - I am so incredibly lucky to have such awesome peeps in my life.  And we'll leave it at that!

Moving on, let's talk about Scarlet Lily's mom, and her totally stellar taco dip.  It's stellar.  I promise.  It's super easy to make and there are definitely ingredient variations, which makes it that much more flexible, easy, and definitely a great appetizer for a party.

Serving Size: 1 dinner plate worth of goodness

1 container cream cheese

1 can kidney beans

1 medium (diced) tomato

1 handful of chopped black olives or banana peppers (optional)

1 green or red chopped pepper (optional)

taco sauce

1 diced avocado

3 chopped green onions (optional)

garnish of cilantro and sour cream (optional)

That's a lot of optional(s), I get it.  The point being, that you can use any combination of these ingredients and you will come out with a winner.  And for those of you cheese lovers, you could definitely top off with some melted cheddar.  The most important part of the layering technique - if you can call it that - is that you begin with the cream cheese, and follow it by the beans.  And ideally, you want the taco sauce to be a layer that's closer to the top.  Honestly, that's it.  You can't mess this up.  I don't think so, anyway!
      

That green grass smells of spring, doesn't it?  I sure hope so.  I'm so ready.  But aside from weather, I'm looking foward to a whole spring and summer wardrobe that's full of skirts with stretchy waistbands.  Thanks a lot winter weight (or just plain over induldging...call it what you may).

Enjoy,
- Giovanina