Spicy Corn Dip

Chelsea and me at the TCU v. BYU Tailgate at Cowboys Stadium

I had 2010 season football tickets for the TCU Horned Frogs, but I did not use them a single time.  I was taking a class at TCU, and my current student ID could get me into the games for free, but I chose not to go.  "Why?" you ask?  Because I saw no sense in leaving our sweet tailgate set up, comfortable camping chairs, shade from our tent, and an ice cold cooler of beer to go stand in the middle of thousands of sweaty, stinky, sometimes drunk fans while baking in the hot Texas sun.  Some may say I'm not a true fan- I say I chose the better of the options- watching the game on Chris' tv at the tailgate spot.

Andy and me at the TCU v. BYU Tailgate at Cowboys Stadium

This year, the 2011 season, I did not have season tickets.  I did, however, chose to buy Andy and myself two tickets to the TCU v. BYU game at Arlington's Cowboys Stadium on October 28th.  I figured it would be an indoor game, with seats, with a roof to block the blazing sun, and with adult beverages (available at outrageous prices).  No sweaty, stinky fans to crowd me- it'd be great.  Great, however, until the Rangers decided to get to game six of the World Series and miss being World Series Champions by one strike not only once, but twice.  Luckily, they had played much better in game five when I went, but game six- not so much.  Losing game six advanced the series into a seven game series- Game Seven being on Friday, October 28th.  At the exact same time as the TCU v. BYU game.

Jennifer and me at the TCU v. BYU Tailgate at Cowboys Stadium

Since Andy had so generously taken me to both an ALCS Playoff Game and a World Series game, I thought that the only way to repay him would be to offer to give up our TCU v. BYU tickets.  We figured we would go to the game, see if we could sell our tickets to anyone at the tailgates, then watch the game at Chris' tailgate (again, the tv on the tailgate came in handy).  Well, we weren't the only ones who preferred to watch the Rangers over the Horned Frogs.  When we arrived at Jerry World, numerous people were trying to sell their tickets in an effort to watch the Rangers win their first ever World Series Championship.  Oh, well, at least we would get to see the game- if only for the price of our tickets. 

Andy and me freezing and watching the Rangers in Game 7 of the World Series
Arlington, Texas, Cowboys Stadium

So we set up camp.  Food on our right, cooler on our left.  Although it had been a beautiful day when the sun was out- cold and windy, but very sunny- the temperature dropped dramatically when the sun set.  There we sat, wrapped up in blankets, gloves, and sweatshirts, cheering on the Rangers.  Unfortunately, the Rangers did not win that night (the Horned Frogs did), and we lost the World Series, but what fans we were, huh?  Not everyone would give up tickets to a football game to watch a baseball game outside and freeze to death.  But, what can I say, we were pretty dedicated this season!  I made spicy corn dip for the tailgate- an easy, low fat dip that I threw together, and it was great.  I served it with tortilla chips, and even had leftovers.

Spicy Corn Dip
Pinterest, healthified by Kate Strickland
Servings: 32 (about 5 cups total); Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 1/serving

I made this again for the TCU v. UNLV game yesterday, but I altered the recipe a bit.  I have made those changes to the recipe below in italics.  If you want a spicier dip with a bit more zip, go for the one in italics.  Note- the italicized recipe is for half of the amount, so it only yields about 2 cups.

• 1 (16 oz) container fat-free sour cream  *8 oz fat-free sour cream
• 2 c fat-free mayonnaise  *1 c fat-free mayonnaise
• 2 (11 oz) cans Mexican-style corn, drained
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced  *5 jalapeno peppers, seeded & minced
• 1 (7 oz) can diced green chilis
• 1 1/4 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Mississippi Sin Dip

Big/Little Sis Collage that my wonderful Little Sis, Jennifer, made!

When I applied to UT, my college counselor was not exactly enthusiastic.  “You should have a back up school, just in case,” he said.  “UT has become impossible to get into these days, especially for schools like ours that doesn’t rank and doesn’t have a top 10%.”  In 2004, at Texas public high schools, the top 10% of the grade was automatically admitted to Texas public universities.  As much as I appreciated my counselor’s advice and (lack of) support, I was bound and determined to go to Texas, and I was going to do whatever I could to get that acceptance letter.  I applied to Texas Tech, TCU, Trinity University, Southwestern University, Midwestern State, CU Boulder, OU (oops), and UT. 

My Big Sis, Amber, and me with Roger Creager at Anchor Bash 2008 at Hard Rock Cafe

I had seven acceptance letters, but it was the eighth letter for which I sped home every day at 3:15.  Finally, the day came when the last acceptances were being announced.  My best friend, Whitney, and I walked into the math classroom with computers, and we held our breath as we checked our admission statuses.  Whitney closed her eyes, and she told me to read what A&M University was telling her.  “You got in!”  I screamed.  Then it was my turn.  I logged onto my Be A Longhorn account, and I prepared myself for the worst.  “Congratulations!” was the first word I read.  I was admitted to UT as a “Summer Admission,” meaning I had to take nine hours of class during summer of 2004 before beginning regular classes in August.  I didn’t care though, I was going to be a Longhorn, and my best friend was going to be an Aggie.

Jennfier and me at her Bid Day in 2005

Starting about February of my senior year of high school, all of my girlfriend started talking about rush ("recruitment").  Most of my friends' moms put together color coordinated packets, complete with beautiful professional pictures, meticulous resumes, and their entire family history of sorority and fraternity membership.  My best friend, Whitney, and I stared, bug-eyed.  Neither of our moms had been in a sorority, and we had no clue where to start. 

Jennifer and me in our matching outfits for Big/Little Revealing at a haunted house

We asked our friends, and ideally we were to have “one formal recommendation and two letters of support for each sorority at our respective universities.  UT had 14 Panhellenic (nationally recognized) sororities.  This meant I needed to find 42 women who I knew and who also happened to be in one of each of the sororities.  One of the great things (but sometimes not so great things) about Fort Worth is that it is a tiny big town.  A lot of Fort Worth knows each other (and each others’ business), so I had women calling me left and right, volunteering to write my “rec” for XYZ sorority.  Whitney and I drove around all day for three days straight, delivering our packets to women’s homes so they could write our recs.  (Most of our friends’ moms were doing this delivery for them, but our full-time-working-non-sorority moms had no idea where to start, so it was up to us). 

Me, my Grand Little (Ashlea), Great Grand Little (Nicole), Great Great Grand Little (Jackie)
and twin Great Great Great Grand Littles (Anne and Michelle) at DG Bid Day at UT in 2010

I spent summer of 2004 having a blast in Austin, meeting a ton of sorority girls, , and worrying about rush.  I decided that I would keep an open mind, despite many of my girlfriends’ preconceived ideas of each sorority.   The first day I walked into the Delta Gamma house, I knew I wanted to “Be a DG, too.”  It was the first house I didn’t feel like I had to put on a fake smile or force conversation.  My smile was legitimate, and my conversation was genuine.  On preference night, my feet were aching from my heels, and the girl with who I was matched told me “Take your shoes off, it’s totally fine.”  What?  No way.  Somewhere I can be myself, relax, and be comfortable?  Surely that didn’t describe a sorority, but it did.  On bid day, I opened my bid card and found I was invited to be a Delta Gamma. 

My Grand Little/Cousin, Ashlea, me, and my Little, Jennifer at my 3rd Annual Holiday Cocktail Party

I am now an advisor to the TCU Gamma Tau Delta Gamma chapter.  My little sis from DG, Jennifer, and I are the Co-Advisors for the New Member Program.  We had a meet and greet for the alumnae to meet the baby DGs, and I made Mississippi Sin Dip.  It’s not truly “sinful” since I made it with fat-free ingredients, but it was addicting.  It was fun watching all of the new members mingling and making friends, just like I did back seven years ago.  While I’m not in touch with many of my pledge sisters these days, the closeness that I have with my little sis, Jennifer, and my cousin, Ashlea, (who also happens to be my grandlittle sis!), is all thanks to Delta Gamma.  There is nothing in this world for which I would trade those days of driving around Fort Worth with Whitney, or my close friendship with Jennifer, or watching my cousin, Ashlea, become my sister.

Mississippi Sin Dip
Sondra Cochran
Servings: 3 cups; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 40 for the bowl 


Mississippi Sin Dip in a bread bowl, served with Wheat Thins

• 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
• 1 1/2 c (12 oz) fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 c chopped ham
• 1/3 c chopped green chiles
• 2 jalapenos (more or less for taste)
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese (using fat free would cut down on points value)
• 1/3 c green onions
• 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Loaf of round bread/bread bowl

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly
3. Slice top of bread off and scoop out inside (You may cube and use the bread for dipping)
4. Pour mixture into bread
5. Wrap in foil & bake 1 hour at 350° 
6. Serve with crackers, chips, or veggies

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Guacamole

If you've read my entry on my history of love for Mexican food, you'll know that guacamole has been a part of my life since I was a baby... literally... in my high chair.  I've tried guacamole all over Texas and Mexico, and it varies from restaurant to restaurant and recipe to recipe.  I've eaten guacamole on cheerios, chips, tortillas, and chicken.  I love avocado, and often eat avocado on my sandwiches, as well  for added flavor and a health benefits (think Turkey and Avocado from Great Outdoors... mmm!).

Julio's spicy chips go great with guac!

Whoa, back up, wait a minute.  Avocado and guacamole- healthy? You betcha.  At least it can be, in moderation.  (Actually everything can be healthy in moderation, but that'll be another entry).  A lot of restaurants make their avocado with sour cream, in which case, no, it isn't healthy for you.  But mash yourself a few avocados and mix in a couple of veggies, and you have yourself a healthy dip.  According to Health Benefits.com, there are ten reasons that you can indulge on avocados and not feel the teeniest bit bad about it.  Ready? Here they are.  Avocados have been associated with prevention/defense against prostate cancer, oral cancer, high cholesterol, and stroke.  They also promote good heart health, better nutrient absorption, and good eye health.  (Hey, maybe that's why my eyes are so green...)  Lastly, avocados are great sources for antioxidants, Vitamin E, and healthy fats.

Below is a recipe I tried over the Fourth of July at the lake.  I love it when guac has chunks of avocado in it, so I was sure to leave some in this batch.  My friends were raving about it and couldn't believe that I'd made it relatively low-fat.

Guacamole
Adapted from Bethenny Frankel's Mock-a-Mole, by Kate Strickland
Servings:  12 (3.5 cups) Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 3 (41 points in the whole bowl)

Guacamole

• 4 avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed (but leave chunks if you like them like me!)
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp red onion, chopped
• 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (plus or minus, depending on how spicy you like it)

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
2. Serve with tortilla chips (Julio's are my favorite, but they have limited availability- if you're in Texas, try HEB, Kroger, or Central Market)

*Fun fact: leaving the seeds in the avocados keeps the avocado from turning dark/brown.  After your guac is complete, plop the seeds back in the bowl to help keep the guac green if you're not serving it right away.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Southwest Crab Dip

Brian Sims and me at Brian's 26th Birthday Crawfish Boil at Katie Fenn's house

If you went to dinner with me tonight, you would have no idea that four years ago I did not eat seafood.  Before 2008, my seafood preference list was limited to crawfish at crawfish boils, shrimp, fried calamari, and tuna salad.  Nowadays, I'm willing to try any kind of seafood- fish, lobster, crab, alligator- baked, raw, grilled, or fried.  When I was assigned Dip Duty for a Super Bowl party back in February, I thought I'd look for something that fit my new found pallet for seafood.  Dips, however, are often a healthy eater's worst nightmare.

The Super Bowl XLV invaded North Texas!
Andy and me at the Super Bowl Headquarters in Sundance Square

I have a crazy love for queso, but it is the prime example of how unhealthy dips can be- chock full of fat and carbs- it is delicious but ridiculously bad for me.  Most dips have a cream base, such as creamed cheese or sour cream, so unless it's fat free creamed cheese or sour cream, your diet is down the drain.  Dips are also addicting.  Let's get real- who has one chip dipped in queso and then walks away?  Impossible.  By the end of it, you've stuffed yourself and you have that "food baby" feeling, sometimes before your main meal has even begun.

Super Bowl XLV (2011) was held at Arlington's Dallas Cowboys Stadium
My mom, me, and my dad on the Dallas Cowboys field for the VIP Tour of the Cowboys' Stadium

So back to my Dip Duty and the Super Bowl party.  We were going to our friends Clay & Michelle's house- Michelle is the one with the DIY blog that I've mentioned a few times, Chic Little Things.  I made Bourbon Meatballs because no football watching party is complete without them.  I knew Michelle was making queso and her famous Alfredo Meatballs (the recipe for which I will try to finagle from her), so I wanted to contribute something that was non-cheesey and a little lighter.  I found a mix for crab dip for the party, and it turned out really well.  The best part of it was that it was delicious AND healthy!  For once, it was okay to crowd around the dip and not (pretend to) care about the addictive factor.  Don't get me wrong, I still have my fondness for queso, but through exploration and new ventures, I have found that it is possible to make healthy dips for crackers or chips, too.

Michael Berthold, me, and Andy in front of the ESPN stage in Sundance Square, set up for Super Bowl XLV

The spice mix that I used in the recipe below is from a company that I love called Company's Comin'.  I wait until the Fort Worth Stockshow and Rodeo or the Fort Worth Junior League's Christmas in Cowntown to buy it, but you can find it online here.  If you really wanted to, I'm sure you could make your own spice mix, so here are the ingredients that are in the Company's Comin' one that I used.  I don't know the proportions, though, so I just spend the $3.00 on the pre-mixed stuff.

Ingredients:Onion, parsley, taco seasoning (chili pepper, wheat flour, salt, spices, dextrose, corn syrup solids, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, natural flavor, disodium insonate, extractives of paprika, spice extractive, silicon dioxide), garlic, celery, dill, tasty blend (salt, onion, paprika, sugar, garlic, yeast extract, sodium silica aluminate, celery), and selected spices.

Southwest Crab Dip
Company's Coming, made healthier by Kate Strickland
Servings: 2 c of dip total; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 9 (yes, for the whole bowl!)



Southwest Crab Dip

• 1 package Company's Comin' Southwest Crab Dip spice mix (available for sale online here)
• 8 oz fat free sour cream
• 1/4 c fat free mayonnaise
• 1 can (appr. 8 oz) crab meat

1. Drain crab meat
2. Mix spice mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, and crab meat in bowl
3. Serve with crackers

Enjoy!

Texas Caviar

My mom and me walking into my new house!

After I finished my undergraduate work in 2008, I planned to move home to begin graduate school at TCU in the education department.  I was moving back to Fort Worth, and I knew that I was going to need to find a place to live.  As much as I adore my parents, I could not fathom moving back into their house, so I began the long adventure of house hunting.  I spent many weekends back going house to house with a patient real estate agent and even more patient parents.  We probably saw 30 houses, but none of them were quite right.  Finally, my mom suggested that we look a bit farther out where I could get a nicer, newer house for less money.  At first I was hesitant, but then I fell head over heels for what I'd soon after call my home.  It was perfect for me.  A gorgeous backyard, a quaint back patio, three bedroom, two bath, with a country kitchen.  If this house was a food, it would be King Ranch Chicken (low fat, of course)- close to home, but with enough flair and differences to make it my own.

Holiday Cocktail Party 2009 Crew

For the past two Christmases I have had a holiday cocktail party because 1.  I love decorating for the holidays and 2. I will make any excuse to have people over to my sweet little house.  I say "holiday" party in order to be respectful of my Jewish friends (shout out to Sam!), and so everyone will feel welcome (the more the merrier!)  This past year, I decided to turn the party into a potluck dinner and had everyone bring their favorite holiday dishes.  (You know, the classic argument of "my grandma's Christmas cookies are better than your grandma's!"  This potluck put those arguments to an end.)  My kitchen was filled with bourbon meatballs (recipe to come later!), a cheeseball and crackers (Melynda), white cheddar queso (The Cochrans), candied yams (The Settles), chess (no, not cheese- chess) cake (Michael), sugar cookies (mom), about 10 other dishes that I can't remember... and Texas Caviar.  The Texas Caviar was brought by my friend, MaryEllen, who I can't say enough great things about. She's kind of amazing ;-) I was nervous because I figured caviar meant caviar... as in fish eggs... but no no, there is no fish found here.  Texas Caviar is the perfect light dip for any get together, and was the first bowl that was practically licked clean at the holiday party.

Holiday Cocktail Party 2009 Counseling Crew

Recently, we Horned Frogs congregated in the parking lot of Jerryworld for pre-game festivities before the TCU v. Oregon State game.  If you haven't been to the new Cowboys' stadium, go.  It is awesome.  MaryEllen brought Texas Caviar, and, as usual, it was a crowd pleaser.  I'm not sure if we had so many people at the tailgate because of the shade of the tent, the flat screen TV, or the delicious Texas Caviar dip.

TCU v. Oregon State 2010, tailgating group

So whether you make it for a tailgate or game watching party when you're cheering on the Longhorns, Horned Frogs, or Cowboys... or taking it in a fun Christmas bowl (these are cheap cheap by the way at Walmart!) to a holiday party to deck the halls, Texas Caviar is sure have everyone gathered around the food table.

Chris' tailgate setup at the TCU v. Oregon State 2010 game

Texas Caviar
MaryEllen Strong & Debbie Burns

• 2 cans black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can corn (drained)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced/minced)
• 1 bunch green onions (diced/minced)
• 1 small can diced black olives (I leave these out, but they're optional)
• 1 bunch cilantro (finely chopped)
• 3-5 jalapenos diced (or the jalapenos in a jar prediced, 3-5 tbsp)
• 1 bottle of Paul Neumann's Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (to keep this fat free, pick up a bottle of fat-free balsamic vinaigrette instead!)

1. Slice & dice all ingredients above *Hint: if you have a food processor, pulse quickly for a finer consistency.  Be care not to puree because it turns out too soupy.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
3. Pour in the dressing
4. Mix gently and let stand overnight to marinade
5. Serve with chips or crackers

18 Year Friends at the 2009 Holiday Cocktail party