• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

  • All
  • Family
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Decor
  • About Lena
  • Contact

appetizer

Life Made Delicious: Saved By the Dip

February 28, 2012 By Lena

While I’m normally down for a good ol’ Oscar fest, this past weekend I was under the weather and overly cranky. In fact, given the option of just lying in bed all day with the shades drawn, I would have gladly secluded myself in my bedroom sanctuary. Alas, kids. And laundry. And life. And so, it was just Brad, Angelina, her right leg and me – among others – on Sunday night.

Halfway through the red carpet, my husband suggested that we put together a little Oscar appetizer to munch on throughout the 2-hour fashion parade and 3.5 hour awards ceremony. (Now that I think of it, that’s a LOT of television!) Thank goodness I’ve always got the ingredients for my favourite 7-layer Mexican Dip on hand. I’ve served the dip at almost every party I’ve thrown over the last 10 years, and why not? It’s easy to make, delicious, and there are never leftovers to worry about. NEVER.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chili sauce
2 cups salsa
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Grab a 13×9 inch glass dish. Mix the cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth, and spread a layer at the bottom of the dish (1). Follow up with a thin layer of chili sauce on top – I prefer “A Taste of Thai Chili Sauce” (2). Next, spread on the salsa (3), green peppers (4), green onions (5) and black olives (6). Finish by sprinkling the cheddar cheese on top (7). The dip should be refrigerated for about 30 minutes before serving. It serves about 8-10… or 6 ravenous party guests. Oh, and serve with tortilla chips, of course.

I found a similar recipe for Tex-Mex Layered Dip from Life Made Delicious, and while I would have tried it on Sunday, I didn’t have Old El Paso Refried Beans or guacamole on hand. Next time! And, if you’re looking for more party food ideas, do check out the site –  I’ve saved some pretty yummy-looking appetizers that I’d love to try!

I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: 7 layer Mexican dip, appetizer, easy recipes, Life Made Delicious

Happy Thanksgiving!

October 10, 2008 By Lena

Here’s a quick and easy side dish you’ll “gobble-gobble” up! Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

4-5 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
½ cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, ½ cup melted butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serves 4-6.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: appetizer

Primary Sidebar

Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

Connect with Lena

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Virtual Queue Strategies

Five Cool Tips for a Backyard Ice Cream Bar

Beaches Turks & Caicos: Your FAQs Answered!