It's the Chex Mixiest Time of the Year

I get free samples from General Foods Cereals on a regular basis. Sometimes I use them in recipes.

Growing up, we weren't much of a breakfast family, particularly after I got old enough for school. My dad got up at the crack of dawn, had coffee, and headed to work before anyone else was up.

I got up, didn't have coffee, and headed off to school. Mom was still asleep, but it's a fair bet that she didn't make pancakes for herself.

Because of the general lack of breakfast foods in those formative years, I never developed a fondness for some of the most typical breakfast foods. My cereal preferences are pretty much limited to Cheerios and Chex. And while I don't mind French toast for lunch, the chance of me making it for breakfast is ... slim to none.

On the other hand, I like cereal as a snack. Not with milk, but just as a crunchy treat. When that cereal turns into Chex Mix, I'm a happy camper. I've created my own versions a few times, and I've used other people's recipes as well.

This time, though, I've got something different. I got a Chex Mix kit directly from General Mills, and they included their recipe.

While I haven't made this yet, I've got all the ingredients squirreled away. I'll probably make this right after the New Year, when I've *ahem* disposed of all the candies and cookies that are currently hanging around here.

I received these products at no cost; I was not required to post. Okay, you want the truth? I'm posting this here because it's a good bet I'll lose the recipe card. It's safe here.

Election Day Cocktails: The Bad Hombre and The Nasty Woman

We're all going to need a drink on election day, right? Well, I've got two of them right here.

I'm not getting political, just having fun with some names that seemed perfect for cocktails, Bad Hombre and Nasty Woman.

They sound like drinks you'd find on a trendy bar menu, right? Heck, I'd be surprised if someone isn't already using them.

But these are my versions.

Either of these could be served as mocktails, of course, which is wise to do before you've voted. After voting, however, a cocktail might be appropriate as you watch the votes roll in.

And there's a third drink I've included as a bonus. Possibly for the day after the election. For celebration, to drown your sorrows, or, really, it's just for the fun of it.

And, since it's a party ... and maybe because you didn't cook anything because you were busy voting, I think some snacks make perfect sense. So I've got that, too.

Because I'm a food blogger, I get samples of a lot of stuff to review over on my review blog, but this time I decided to use some of those products to create cocktails and for the election day party.

I mean, they're here. Might as well use 'em, right?

If you're interested in the products, there's more information about them at the end of the post. Meanwhile, let's mix up some tasty drinkies, shall we?

The Bad Hombre

Bad Hombre evokes something a little sinister, spicy, and south-of-the-border, so I decided that peppers and chocolate had to be involved.

A boozy, spicy hot chocolate seemed perfect, but what about the liquor? I considered tequila, but opted for rum, instead.

Rather than adding the heat to the drink itself, I rimmed the glass with a chili-chocolate sugar.

Bad Hombre

Chile-chocolate sugar
1 ounce dark rum
Hot chocolate (your favorite) to fill glass

Wet the rim of the glass with a little bit of water. Dip it in the chili chocolate sugar.

Add the rum to the heatproof glass. Add hot chocolate to fill.

Get it while it's hot.

The Nasty Woman

I decided that this drink should be just a little sweet, but also tart. A little spicy. And not shy about the choice of alcohol. Whisky. 

For a garnish, I chose lemons sprinkled with a bit of flaky salt. Because a nasty woman would be a bit of a salty tart. Or a lot.

I mean, what the heck. Use half of a lemon as a garnish. Because, why not?

The base of the drink is a spiced cranberry and citrus juice.

Nasty Woman

1/2 lemon
Flaky salt
1 ounce Crown Royal (or your favorite)
Hot Ruby cranberry and citrus
Dash of flavored syrup from Cocktail and Sons

Cut a slice in that lemon so you can affix it to the side of the glass in a perky but slightly menacing manner. Sprinkle a little salt on the cut side.

Add the Crown Royal (or other favorite whisky) to the glass, then add a dash of the flavored syrup. I tried both the Demerara and the Honeysuckle and Peppercorn and couldn't decide which I liked better. Fill with the Hot Ruby,

Okay, if you want, you can add ice to the glass. Wimp.

Drink, refill, repeat, as necessary.

The Bigly

If you ask me, one of the best things that has come out of the debates is the word "bigly." Okay, I know it's not a word. Yet. But it will be a word. Or it should be a word. I'm an admitted word nerd, and I want to use that word as a reply to questions like, "Did that brownie recipe work out for you?"

And then I reply with just one word. "Bigly."

It's like Big-Time and Happily rolled into one. The brownies were awesome, it says.

"How did you do on the job interview?"

"Bigly."

"Did you like your birthday present?"

"Bigly"

I mean, seriously, I'm a little in love with it.

The Bigly

Get a BIG glass. Okay, let's be honest. I made this just because I wanted to use the giant glass.

Fill it with whatever you want to fill it with. Tears of joy or angst. Champagne or moonshine.

Party on, dude.

Stuff! I used STUFF!

Chili-Chocolate Sugar from Spiced Up.

They also sent a cute little metal stirrer. It's adorable!

Lemons from Limoneira

These aren't the same as lemons I've bought at the store. More lemon, less bitter.

Flaky Salt from New Zealand

I used the regular salt, but the chipotle or mesquite would have been interesting, too.

Hot Ruby

This is different. It's like a mulled wine, but non-alcoholic, with cranberry and citrus. It can be served warm or chilled. I've been drinking it plain, but it was awesome in a cocktail.

Flavored Syrups from Cocktail and Sons

They sent syrups, switchel, and a ready-to-drink haymaker's punch. I'm sure you'll see more cocktails using these in the future.

Gift Basket from iGourmet

This had some fun stuff in it that would be perfect to dive into and snack on along with the cocktails. This basket had pate, sausage, peppers, little toasts, sweet little peppers ... and it all came in a cute basket. They've got other baskets to choose from, but I loved this. The sausage is already gone.

Proper Crisps and Some Sweets from New Zealand

The same folks who sent me the New Zealand salts also sent me some awesome chips and some sweets using manuka honey as well. If you can find those chips anywhere, I recommend them. The candies are really nice, too. I like having one or two after dinner. Just YUM.

Thanks to all the companies who sent me goodies to sample! This was way more fun than it should have been.

White Lily White Grape Flour Bread Machine Loaf (and Degustabox)

So, last month I did a review of a Degustabox box. It's a delivery service that sends an assortment of different food products every month.

It's not themed, so you won't get stuck with a box full of items based on a theme you don't happen to like. Some products are things you might find soon in your grocery store and others are a more local or regional.

The item that immediately got my attention was the White Lily All Purpose and White Grape Seed flour. And of course the first thing I thought of was ... bread.

I mean, it's usually the first thing I think of. And it's a really good way to taste the nuances of a flour since there aren't other flavors competing. Bread isn't sweetened like cake or cookies and it doesn't have vanilla or chocolate or nuts or other flavor-forward ingredients.

Well, okay, it could have those things.

But when I'm testing a flour in bread, I like to leave it fairly plain. I just used the basics for this recipe: the White Lily flour, bread flour, water, yeast, and a little bit of sugar, salt, and olive oil. Nothing fancy.

And since it was a warm day, I used my bread machine. Yes, me, the person who wrote a book about bread baking, used the bread machine. Again. It's summer, it's hot, and the bread machine doesn't heat up the house very much.

The bread was interesting. Although the flour was a cream color, the bread had a purple-ish cast to it.

Not the sort of purple where you'd gasp at the weirdness of it, but the sort of purple where you look at it sideways and try to decide if your eyes are playing tricks or if there's something odd about the lighting. It looked a little like a light rye, but with that purple nuance.

The bread didn't have a distinctive flavor, but it wasn't plain bread, either. It was a little richer and deeper, perhaps. I think I'd like to try this flour in cupcakes and see what it's like. For now, I have bread for sandwiches.

White Lily White Grape Flour Bread Machine Loaf

1 cup water
2 1/4 teaspoons Red Star active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 1/2 ounces White Lily White Grape flour
7 ounces bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put all the ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer (some suggest water first, other suggest water last, for example.)

Press appropriate buttons to knead and bake bread.

When the bread is done, remove the bread from the machine and let it cool completely on a rack before slicing.

What's in this month's Degustabox:

Besides the White Lily White Grape flour, there was:

Sir Kensington's Chipotle Mayonnaise
This isn't your regular mayonnaise - it's got chipotle peppers, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and spices. Great on any burger, or a spicy pasta salad, or a chicken salad. Or a marinade. Or deviled eggs. I've got a recipe in mind, so we'll see if it works.

Oregon Chai Tea Latte powdered mix
I've bought this before, and it's pretty darned good . You just add hot water and stir. I also like it chilled - you need to mix it with hot water first, then add ice to chill it down. I'm thinking about using a couple packets to make a chai-flavored ice cream, if I don't manage to drink it all first. Like I said, it's pretty good.

Goetze's Mini Cow Tails candy
I've never had these before, but they remind me of another candy I remember from when I was a kid. These are a nice treat, with caramel and a creamy center. They're the perfect size. They're disappearing fast. There won't be a recipe. Hah!

Loacker Rose of the Dolomites chocolate candies
If you like hazelnut and chocolate, you have to try these. There are little crunchy bits, as well. These are freaking amazing.

Vermont uncured turkey sticks and cracked pepper beef and pork sticks
I'm a huge fan of sausages like summer sausage, hard salami, and similar sausages. These are in that family, They're the perfect snack when I get home and I'm hungry and I need just a little something to tide me over until I have lunch or dinner. The ones I got to sample are 1/2-ounce sticks, but it seems like the ones they sell are 1-ounce, or there are larger 6-ounce sausages that you'd slice.

Popchips Potato Ridges with Cheddar and Sour Cream
I'd seen these in the store, but hadn't gotten around to buying them yet. These are baked, not fried, and have no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. But that's not the important part, right? They taste good. The texture is interesting. They're sort of puffy, but also nice and crunchy. Great for dipping. I'm going to hunt up some other flavors next time I go to the store.

Honey Bunches of Oats with strawberries
I haven't opened this yet - I had a few other cereal boxes open, so I didn't want to have another one opened at the same time. I seldom eat cereal with milk - I either snack on it as-is, or I use it in cooking. This is a new one for me, but I've used plain Honey Bunches of Oats as a coating for chicken.

ALO Allure juice with Mangosteen and Mango with aloe juice
I haven't tried this yet, because it seems like the perfect drink when I need hydration. It's going to hide in the fridge for a while. Interesting thing is that on the side of the bottle is a QR code that leads to some music. That's different. Check it out if you buy some. I have no idea if all the QR codes are different, or if they all lead to the same song.

Goya Maria Cookies
You need to read about these on Buzzfeed. That says more than than I ever could.

That's a pretty impressive lineup of products, right? The box also included recipes, a sheet that showed the products and retail pricing so you know what you'll pay for the goodies when you go to the store (I added it up, and it was $34.53, but they'll cost a bit more if you can't find them locally and have to order online). And, for fun, there's instructions for how to fold an origami swan, and a little quiz.

I have a free subscription to Degustabox.You can get your first box for just $9.99 with the code R7TXK.

Fiesta Chex Mix

I have no idea why I don't make Chex Mix all the time. It's soooo tasty, and compared to downing a hunk of pie or cake, it's a reasonable snack food. And now that there are gluten-free versions of the cereals, it would be easy to make it a gluten-free snack.

Well, it's not gluten free if you throw crackers in there like I did. But you know that, right?

So anyway, this particular version of Chex Mix has a bit of a south-of-the-border theme. For several reasons. First, I've been on a Mexican food binge. Things like that happen. I wander into a cuisine and I get stuck there for a while. I've had chicken mole, fajitas, tacos, tamales, and enchilada recently. So my taste buds are leaning towards that flavor profile.

And second, my friends at General Mills sent me some margarita-themed holiday swag. So that reinforced my craving for Mexican flavors.

Chile con Limon seasoning is often used for sprinkling on fresh fruit, but it's also great for seasoning other things. As the name implies, it's spicy and has lime flavor as well.

Perfect for Chex mix. It's got a nice amount of spice, but it's not too crazy. If you want more heat, you can certainly add more.

Why, yes, that is felt mistletoe!

While Chex Mix might not be considered a holiday food, I know a few people who make large quantities right before Christmas and they hand it out as gifts. It's also nice to have around for snacking and noshing with guests, or to stave off hunger while you're busying doing all that holiday stuff. You know, the wassailing, and all that.

And it's a nice snack to have around in bowls when you have people milling about during holiday visiting.

Or, you know, just stash it away for yourself as a little holiday treat.

Fiesta Chex Mix

1 stick butter
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
6 cups Chex cereal (I like using different flavors, but you could certainly use all of one type.
1 cup Cheerios
1 cup peanuts
1 cup cheese crackers
1 cup corn chips
1 tablespoon Chile con Limon seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 350 degrees with the butter in the pan. By the time the oven is heated, the butter should be melted. Add the worcestershire sauce and stir it around. Add the cereals, nuts, crackers, and chips. Stir and toss it all around until everything has had a chance to meet the butter.

You might notice that in the photo above, I hadn't added the O's. They got there. Just not for the photo.

Now, imagine me saying this in my best "Ina" voice:
If you don't have Donna O's, you can use regular store-bought Cheerios.

I crack me up. I really do.

Sprinkle the Chile con Limon and salt over the top and give it all another stir.

Put the pan in the oven and bake until the cereal is a little toasty and the butter is mostly gone, stirring a few times during the cooking, about an hour.

Let the mix cool before storing.

Cheesy, Spicy, Sweet and Nutty Snack Mix

I've always liked Chex Mix, but I've never really found that ultimate recipe that I wanted to make over and over again.

Until now.

The inspiration for this creation was traditional Chex Mix, of course, but also a popcorn mix that's sold at my local farmer's market. That mix includes a spicy cheese popcorn mixed with caramel corn. I don't buy it often, because I devour it way too fast.

Chex Mix can be spicy, but I thought that the addition of cheese and sweetness would make it unbeatable. Turns out I was right.

The mix of sweet toffee-coated nuts, spicy buffalo flavored nuts, crunchy buttery toasty cereal, all coated in salty savory cheese powder makes perfect snack mix.

Cheese powder can be found online from spice shops, or from companies that sell popcorn supplies. There is also a cheese-flavored popcorn topping that you can find at grocery stores, but I don't recommend it - it can be way too salty, well before you taste enough cheese.

Even so, taste the cheese powder before you start. If it seems salty, you can skip the salt in the recipe and keep the saltiness in mind as you add the cheese powder.

The nuts I used were from Truly Good Foods supplied to me via 37 Cooks for a blogging challenge.

Cheesy, Spicy, Sweet and Nutty Snack Mix

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of garlic salt
5 cups Chex cereal (mixed or all one type)
1 cup Cheerios cereal
1 cup Buffalo Nuts
1 cup Butter Toffee Peanuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup cheese powder

Put the butter on a large sheet pan and place it in the oven while you heat it to 250 degrees. When the butter is melted, add the worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle on the salt, onion powder, and garlic powder so it's fairly well evenly distributed.

Add the cereals and stir and toss to coat the cereal with the butter and seasonings.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

After 45 minutes of baking, add 1/4 cup of cheese powder and stir. The cheese will stick to the cereal. Add more cheese powder, if desired. I added another 2 tablespoons and I was happy with that, but more would not be terrible, either.

Add the nuts and stir to combine.

Cook an additional 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and let the mix cool before storing.

This makes about two quarts worth of snacks, which is fine for family use, and it's simple enough to make again and again and again and again whenever you want more.

Ahem.

But if you're making this for a party, I suggest doubling or quadrupling the recipe. It will disappear pretty quickly in a setting where people are nibbling.

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Eggs

I love deviled eggs, so when I saw the pimento cheese stuffed deviled eggs in Pimento Cheese The Cookbook by Perre Coleman Magness, I knew that was one recipe I had to try.

I also made pimento cheese. There are a whole bunch of different types of pimento cheese. Who knew?

One thing I really like about this book is that the recipes that use pimento cheese don't have you start with one of the pimento cheese recipes. They're all self-contained, rather that recipes that require other recipes. And that means you won't have to make a tub of pimento cheese in order to use a portion of it in a recipe.

Not that I couldn't find a use for pimento cheese.

I've made an awful lot of deviled eggs in my life, and I tend to stick to variations of my "usual" recipe, unless I'm making something from a book. I don't think I've ever used cheese in the filling. I have used pimento as a garnish, but never in the filling. I think I'll be using both again soon.

Pimento Cheese Stuffed Eggs
Adapted from Pimento Cheese The Cookbook by Perre Coleman Magness

Eggs, after refrigeration.

1 dozen large eggs, hard boiled, peeled, chilled
2 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 2-ounce jar diced pimentos, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Place the yolks in a medium bowl and set the whites aside.

Mash the egg yolks with a fork, then add the cheese (you can save a little for garnish, if you like), mayonnaise, paprika, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Eggs, before refrigeration. The yolks are lighter in color.

Mix and mash the yolk mixture until it's well blended and smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if desired.

Mix in the pimento, stirring until the pimentos are evenly distributed in the yolks.

Fill the whites with the yolk mixture. The book suggests that you refrigerate the eggs for at least an hour. I don't know if it's absolutely necessary. The yolk mixture firmed up a little bit during refrigeration, but I thought it was fine right after it was made. The one big difference I noticed was that the yolk mixture got a little darker after the eggs were refrigerated.

Garnish with paprika and reserved cheese, if desired.

I received this book from the publisher at no cost to me.

Three Recipes: Grape, Pistachio and Goat Cheese “Truffles,” Beet “Tartare,” and Camembert Grilled Cheese with Apple

In November of 2013, I went to a cheese fest where there were a number of speakers. Best, for me, was Hosea Rosenberg, who prepared three quick recipes while he took questions from the audience.

A lot of what he talked about was about his experiences on Top Chef, but he also talked about life before and after the show.

And of course he talked about food.

Back when Rosenberg was on the show, he was chef at Jax Fish House. Now, he's got his own catering company in Boulder, Blackbelly Catering. And he seems like he's having a heck of a lot of fun.

Chef Hosea Rosenberg kindly offered to let me post his recipes here, which is pretty awesome.

The grape truffles were really interesting - it's simple in terms of ingredients, but the flavors mingled in ways you might not expect. He said the key is to get a super-thin layer of the goat cheese because the flavor of goat cheese is so strong, it could easily overpower everything else.

I wish I had a photo of the finished products, but the venue wasn't really conducive for taking any photos. The interesting thing was how the goat cheese was a tiny layer. Like, the thickness of ... uh... really thin. As thin as you can get it. Nearly impossibly thin.

Grape, Pistachio  Goat Cheese “Truffles” 
Recipe courtesy of Hosea Rosenberg from Blackbelly Catering
Used with permission; all rights reserved.
serves 4-8

40 fresh, juicy green & red grapes
8 ounces plain goat cheese
8 ounces shelled pistachios, toasted
grey sea salt
truffle oil

1.  Pick grapes, wash gently in cold water and dry on paper towels.
2.  Roll a very small ball of goat cheese in your hands (roughly half the size of a grape) and flatten in the palm of one hand with your thumb.
3.  Place one grape in center of goat cheese and gently work cheese around until grape is entirely covered.  Chill.
4.  Crush toasted pistachios in food processor until very fine.  Place in bowl.
5.  Roll goat cheese grapes in pistachios, gently pressing, until covered in nuts.  Chill.
6.  To serve, slice grapes in half and set on platter with cut side facing up.  Garnish each cut grape with a couple grains of salt and one drop of truffle salt.  Serve immediately.

Beets me

Next up, we have a beet "tartare." But before you start questioning the idea of raw beets, that's not what's going on here. Hosea called it a tartare because it looks like one. The beets are fully cooked.

Beet “Tartare”
Recipe courtesy of Hosea Rosenberg from Blackbelly Catering. 
Used with permission; all rights reserved.
serves 10

2 pounds large red beets
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp  fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp  shallots, chopped fine
2 Tbsp capers, chopped
hot sauce, to taste (optional)
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper

Boil beets in water until cooked through, but still al dente.  Remove from water and chill in ice water until cold.  Peel and dice very small.  Combine with remaining ingredients and season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired.

Serve on crackers with shaved hard cheese (queso de mano from Haystack is our recommended choice).

Grilled and Cheesy

The last recipe is a grilled cheese. Yeah, I know. We all know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Even our moms knew how to make them. But this one's got a twist, with apples two ways in the sandwich.

And some spices you might not think of.

As far as the cheese, since Hosea is a local, he chose a local cheese. You can find more info on Haystack Mountain's cheeses here.

Haystack Camembert Grilled Cheese with Apple
Recipe courtesy of Hosea Rosenberg from Blackbelly Catering. 
Used with permission; all rights reserved.
serves one!

bread of choice
Haystack Mountain camembert cheese, sliced
honeycrips apple, sliced
butter
apple jam (recipe below)

Spread butter on one side of two slices of bread and place in hot pan.  Spread jam on one side, top with cheese and apple.  Place other slice of bread on top and press with spatula.  Flip occasionally until both slices are golden brown and cheese is melted.

apple jam:
2 Honeycrisp apples diced very small
2 Tbps sugar
1 tsp dry mustard seeds
2 C apple cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod

Combine all ingredients in pot and bring to boil.  Turn heat to low and simmer until thick and jammy. Remove star anise and cinnamon stick. Cool and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

California Dip and a Classic Manhattan for the Virtual Mad Men Finale Party #PartyLikeAMadMan

California Dip! Different brands of soup mix resulted in dips of many colors.

Are you a Mad Men fan?

The season finale is April 5, and those wacky people who wrote The Unofficial Men Cookbook  are hosting a Mad Men Blogger Virtual Dinner Party. Because, well, why not?

I can't pour you a drink, but I can entice you with some virtual snacks and a classic cocktail.

I also have a GIVEAWAY of the cookbook at the end of this post. Parties with prizes are fun, right? And you don't have to play Twister or anything.

Oh, and I can also introduce you (virtually) to Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin who wrote the book. I wrote about them and the "inside story" about the book, here.

I've already made quite a few recipes from the book, and I blogged about some of them as well.

Way back in March of 2012, I made (and wrote about) the Steak Tartare and my own version of the Brandy Alexander.

I was pawing through the book looking for something new to make, when I spotted a recipe that I remember my mom's (much hipper) friends would make - California Dip. I remember thinking it was really fancy.

Heh.

I hadn't had this dip in years. Heck, I seldom buy potato chips. But then I saw this recipe and figured it would be good for nostalgia's sake.

Let me warn you. DON'T MAKE THIS RECIPE. Just don't.

If you do make it, you will become obsessed. You will decimate the potato chip aisle. You will buy giant tubs of sour cream. And you will buy every brand of onion soup mix you can find, followed by all the brands of onion soup dip mix, because soup mix makers know their soup mix is likely to become dip.

Well, maybe that won't happen to you, but it did happen to me. And I'm still obsessed.

Did you know that not only is there French onion soup-dip mix, but there's also a green onion dip? It's madness, I tell you. Delicious, creamy, crazy madness.

In my defense ... ah, never mind. There is no defense.

Welcome to the party! Have some snacks!

California Dip
Adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin

You want this dip. You want this dip. You want this dip.

1 envelope onion soup mix
2 cups sour cream*

Mix well.

Yup, that's it. That's all the magic that you need to make this insane dip.

This is best if you let it sit for at least an hour or so before serving, so the mix hydrates and the flavors get all friendly with each other.

I think it's really best if you make it the day before you need it.

Keep it refrigerated until you need it.

*If you don't want to consume vats and vats and vats of sour cream, you can make this a little healthier by substituting Greek yogurt for some or all of the sour cream. Although I love Greek yogurt, I think this dip is better if there's at least some sour cream with the yogurt.

Oh, but let's not stop at a snack. Let's have a cocktail, too.

Manhattan
Adapted from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Peter Zheutlin

I see a snowman. It was accidental, but I thought it was a cute photo.

2 ounces rye whiskey (I used Templeton's)
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes bitters (I used a cherry bitters)
Cherry, for garnish (I used my own home made cocktail cherry)

Pour whiskey, vermouth, and bitters into a glass with ice.

Stir well, then pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry.

Or, I know some folks who simply drink it over ice.

If you like ice and don't want a watery drink right away, use large ice cubes. There are plenty of ice trays and molds for large cubes - or rounds.

GIVEAWAY is now over.