OT better than a recipe ?

A tub of sour cream and onion soup mix makes a good dip, all you gotta do is stir. Wholly guacamole is good (wholly guacamole is a pre-made, you don't have to cut up a bunch of ripe avacados, etc.). Salsa, like Pace, is always good. I prefer those two on tortilla chips like tostitos, but they would probably work on heavier potato chips like ruffles.

There is also hummus. I am told it is better on pita bread, I really don't know as I dont recall having too much of it that I can remember, but potato chips would probably work.

Brian Christiansen

Thank you so much, Brian. I mostly avoid the long and longingly wonderful aisle that offers tostitos and ruffles and other grand treats but our guests are mostly 20-somethings that aren't concerned with cardio-killers. So. I don't have a clue what's newly just great. I remember and can do the Lipton's onion mix. Just wondered if there's something that doesn't require more than stirring. Probably the soup mix has some interesting adds that I could manage without perfect, ripe, chopped, soaked in lemon and assorted other time-consuming diddlies? Polly

How about Rotel Tomataoes and Velveta Cheese melted together in a microwave.

kate T. South Mississippi

My Go To recipe for this sort of thing is dead simple: Soured cream and a couple of tubes: One of minced garlic, one of minced coreander. Teaspoon of garlic, tablespoon of coreander, stir into a 300g tub of soured cream. You can also do it with 0% fat Greek yoghurt or reduced fat creme fraiche. I also put veggie sticks with it for a waistline watchers.

I like plain Kettle Chips for this. My Simple Salsa is

1 small onion, minced 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped fine 2 tablespoons tomato puree 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar dash of Tobasco Teaspoon mixed herbs or heaped teaspoon ready minced basil.

Stir and chill. Leave 24 hours if you can.

Hummus:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste) 1 teaspoon minced garlic juice of 1 lemon

Enough water to let it work...

Chuck all the stuff except the water in the food processor. Turn it on. Add water slowly until you get a smooth creamy mix about the consistency of your sour cream dip.

If you like some texture to the hummus, don't process it until it's smooth.

I tend to do all three dips and a pile of veggie sticks as well as a big bowl of crisps.

Suggested veggies: Cucumber carrots bell peppers celery courgettes cauliflower coss lettuce leaves Chickory leaves

I also make my own garlic mayo, but you may not want to go to the bother.

Just make sure you use LIPTON Onion Soup mix! I've tried other brands and it's just NOT the same. Add one package to a 1# tub of sour cream and it's wonderful. Oh -- and make it the day before and let it sit in the 'fridge overnight. It tastes much better if it's allowed to "mellow" a bit :-). Mele Kalikimaka! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Haven't had this in ages. Love my Lipton Onion Soup dip with Fritos! It is now in my stay-at-home New Year's Eve menu!

Thanks for the reminder.

Oh, heck, Polly. Just head to the dairy section and buy the Ranch dip (I think most all the dip companies make it). Good stuff.

For tortilla chips, we just take some Velveeta or other artery clogger, melt it, stir > Thank you so much, Brian. I mostly avoid the long and longingly

I agree with Taria about the hummus we buy at Costco. The brand we like is Sabra Hummus with Sun Dried Tomatoes. It has to be served with Multigrain Tortilla Chips also from Costco.

Donna in Idaho

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I was skimming through this and read it as ...."Costco sells really good humans here in So. Cal." Maybe I should keep my glasses by the computer....... KJ

Roast peasant, anyone? ;)

I just watched a tv commercial with a dip recipe. Use 16 oz. sour cream, one envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (the dry powdered mix) and a package of spinach. I assume that's frozen spinach and it appeared to be chopped up rather small??? That sounded good!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I'm like Louise. I am overbooked and in over my head. One of the things I'd like to have on the party foods table is some real, honest-to-goodness potato chips (including fat, trans-fat and cholesterol) and a dip. I don't care if they double-dip and exchange germs or not. It's the holidays, right? Can you recommend a dip that is 'store bought'? Not one of those that has 17 ingredients that must be toasted, minced, pickled and gently, patiently raised from a small seed. Help me. Polly

I thought there was a way to use the Ranch with sour cream but I went with the 'first' chip dip that we remember - the Lipton onion soup mix + sour cream. My shoulder that's connected to my stirring arm is 'sprung' so I had to get Mr. Esther to do the blending. There was a lot of tasting going on which is good. Gotta know if it's acceptable, you know? Next challenge. I made a special cheese stuffing for celery. Most of the celery I bought on Monday has turned white and slimy. Never had that happen before. Tomorrow, I'll have to check with my neighbors and see who can trade me some celery for lovely blue cheese and walnuts. Most of the neighbors are bachelors and hunting season is in full swing. If trading fails, I'll just fill a basket with crackers and set the cheese spread beside it. Nothing would persuade me to go out in our traffic. Lotsa Yankees heading south. Polly

"Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." I just watched a tv commercial with a dip recipe. Use 16 oz. sour cream,

Well, it all sounds yummy to me. DH told me not to worry my pretty little head about Christmas dinner, he will do it all this year. He and DS used to be very accomplished Dutch Oven on-a-tripod cooks back in their Boy Scouting days and so they shall cook the entire dinner in the back yard. I'm trying not to over-think this. I'm grateful we do not have neighbors. The only spice they know is onion. Oy. It will be a real grease-fest. A very onion-ey greasefest. But it's the thought that counts, no? They *did* used to make delicious dutch-oven peach cobblers and I'm looking forward to that. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Sherry

The year I had my gall bladder out, Himself and the now GMNT cooked roast Bambi and all the veggies. They also managed to steam the pud. It was lovely.

WAIT!!! BACK UP THE BUS!! You have batchelors who hunt, for neighbors? Are any in my age group? Is Santa hiding my presents from my wish list over in your neighborhood???

G> I thought there was a way to use the Ranch with sour cream but I went wit= h

Three of 'em, Ginger. About 45 to 50 years old. Each has a 'real' job, a nice home, a couple of pick-up trucks ( a special one for Sunday go-to-meeting), and an arsenal. If Santa has promised you a hunter, here's where he put them. All are unmarried and never have been; they say all the good women are taken. (Little do they know some of us bad ones are taken too.) Polly

G> I thought there was a way to use the Ranch with sour cream but I went with