Baked Pepperoni Dip and bread dippers

So I am going to try to post at least 1 recipe a week on here. Let’s see how it goes!

This dip is amazing. It always seems to disappear before I can even set it on the counter to cool.

For dipping in the dip, I recommend buying New York Style- Garlic Bagel Chips (DON’T BUY THE MINI ONES! They’re too small). Plain ones work too.. but I like the garlicy-ness. You want something firm that isn’t going to get mushy- this dip is a cheesy dip so you want a heavy duty scooper!

You can also make bread to eat with the dip. We use this recipe for bruschetta bread too.(I will post my bruschetta recipe another time! It is delicious!!)

Bread Dippers:

You will need:

• Pre-sliced Italian bread from your bakery section, or slice some Italian bread yourself (about 1/4 inch thick).
  *Depending on loaf size, you may only use half of the loaf. Try baking half first, then if you want more, use the rest*
• 1 clove of fresh garlic, sliced lengthwise
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• white pepper
• aluminum foil

What to do:

1. Set your broiler on high, and cover a baking sheet or broiler pan with aluminum foil
2. In a small bowl pour about 1/2 cup of olive oil then sprinkle a couple shakes of garlic powder and white pepper into the olive oil. Mix with basting brush.
3. Lay bread slices in one layer on baking sheet
4. With basting brush, brush a thin layer of olive oil mixture over each bread slice, making sure to cover each slice entirely, but not soak. Flip slices over and repeat on other side.
5. Place bread under broiler until the slices begin to brown, about 2-4 minutes depending on your broiler. Keep an eye on them!! They will burn fast!!
6. Stab one slice of garlic with a fork and rub the garlic, cut side down, all over the top of the bread. Flip slices over, broil and rub with garlic.
7. If slices are large, cut in half. Otherwise, place on a serving platter and set aside.

**If you run out of olive oil, you can simply replenish the oil in the bowl. The garlic powder and pepper usually sink to the bottom.

Now for the best part!!

Pepperoni Dip:

What you will need. Minus the cheese.

You will need:

• 1 8oz packaged sliced pepperoni
• 1 can Campbells Cream of Mushroom w/Roasted Garlic Soup
• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened (about 30-45 minutes out on the counter will do)
• 3/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella and/or Cheddar Cheese (mix them or use just one), plus some for sprinkling on top later.
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic Powder (optional)
• Onion Powder (optional)

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Chop entire bag of pepperoni into small pieces, place into bowl.
   
3. Place Cream of Mushroom soup and softened cream cheese into bowl.
   
4. Shake some Italian seasoning in bowl. I never measure this.. so you can add as much as you want. I would guesstimate that I usually use about 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons.
5. Give the bowl a couple shakes of garlic powder  and onion powder (about 1/4 teaspoon each. More if you like one or the other.)
6. Mix all ingredients together until all clumps of cream cheese are incorporated. Small clumps are ok, but no big chunks.
7. Combine the shredded cheese (3/4 cup) with the ingredients and mix to incorporate.
   
8. Pour contents of bowl into a small/medium sized baking dish.  I use my Le Creuset 9 inch, 1 1/8 quart Oval Dish. Or you can seperate it into two smaller dishes if you are having a party and want to set them out in different places. *Tonight, I am seperating them and  freezing them both to cook later. If you do this, about an hour and a half before you plan on baking them, set them in your fridge to thaw a little. Cook as instructed below.*
9. Smooth out dip mixture in dish so the top is flat.
   
10. Sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning.
11. Bake in oven for about 15-20  minutes or until edges are a golden brown and dip is bubbling slightly. Remove from oven and sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese on top. Return to oven until cheese is completely melted.
12. Remove for oven, let cool for about 5-10 minutes or as long as you can hold off on tasting.
    

Serve with bagel chips or bread from recipe above. Give guests small serving spoons to scoop out and put on top of bread or chips to avoid having chunks in your dip.

You can also prepare this dip the day before, and store in your fridge covered in saran wrap.

Enjoy!!

The Handshake

So working in the type of environment I do, I meet on average about 20 new people a day. Sometimes WAY more. So it is safe to say I shake a lot of hands.

But sometimes these handshakes turn out ugly, awkward or are just plain “ohmygodineedtogosoakmyhandsinbleachnow”.

What IS the proper way to give a handshake? Should it be firm and last a couple seconds? Should it be a soft touch with just the finger tips? Should it last for awhile while your hands hang their limply? When letting go, should either person run their hand down the other’s slowly until their fingertips touch as they pull away?? Should you shake someone’s hand when yours are cold, clammy, wet or sweaty??

These are all questions that run through my head when I shake someone’s hand. Often times, the handshake is the first impression I get of a new person. Sometimes MY handshake is more “manly” if you will, than some men whos hands I shake. It’s just weird.

Here are three of the worst handshakes I have encountered:

The Vice-Grip
This handshake is the most unbearable in my opinion. And you can never tell who is going to grab your hand and squeeze it like a fat kid tryin to squeeze into a pair of leather pants.

Guys are usually guilty of this handshake, but I have met some women who left marks on my fingers they squeezed so hard.  This handshake usually seems like it lasts the longest and leaves your fingers white-tipped and sore for a couple minutes after. You have to avoid shaking your hand out when the other person lets go and seething through your teeth- lest you look like a wimp. Just quietly excuse yourself if possible, find somewhere private and scream out the pain.

The Mine Cart Pumper
This handshake often makes you feel like your arm is about to be ripped out of its socket and thrown across the room to a pack of hungry Ligers.

The shaker eagerly takes your hand, grasps your palm and fingers firmly and begins to ferociously shake up and down. This person often holds your hand entirely too long, and what could have been a seemingly pleasant handshake turned wrong, becomes a nightmare and even more awkward that walking in on your parents while they are having sex. It leaves the two of you standing there awkwardly, wondering who should break the handshake first.

After someone takes the high road and ends the awkwardness, you walk away to ice your arm for the next 3 hours.

The Dead Fish
This handshake is the worst first impression giver. The shaker presents a limp, lifeless hand for you to grab. When you grasp their hand and shake up and down, their arm wobbles effortlessly with yours.

A lot of women are guilty of this.. but I have encountered the dead fish more with guys. They usually seem insecure or intimidated. Or maybe its because I have boobs and they’re afraid they might hurt me. Who knows.

So Erica. You ask. What made you think of this really random post??

Well. I shook hands with a guy today and was totally creeped out. He was a mixture of the Mine Cart Pumper and the Vice Grip, mixed with a lot of clammy and and a little creepy. He shook my hand up and down at least 10 times, and then didn’t let go. It kinda dangled there for what seemed like forever, while he looked at my boobs and said something about tattoos because apparently he saw mine this morning. I tried to pull my hand away as soon as I could, but he had a good grip. For fear of seeming rude, I just stood there and smiled… but I wanted to rip my hand away and run. For the rest of the day he hit on me and Boss Lady. He wasn’t sly. Wasn’t coy. Wasn’t nonchalant. Whatever you think he should have been when flirting? He wasn’t.

netflix, chess cake, vietnamese food, New York & Company and Leatherheads

Why are almost all of the DVDs we get from NetFlix silver with nothing on them??

Casey and I made a cake called Chess Cake. It was interesting. I will maybe post pictures and the recipe later.. at first the batter is more like a cookie dough, and you can form it into a ball.. then you put egg whites in, and it makes it a little gooey-er.. still weird… I ate some after it came out of the oven because I have no patience.. and now no taste buds left either… it was too hot. But good!

We had Vietnamese for lunch today in Downtown Silver Spring. It was delicious! MmMmM. I love me some grilled chicken with vermicelli. DELICIOUS!

Casey and I also stopped into New York & Company to look around.. and I ended up spending $108.00 on four shirts.. oops.

Now we are watching Leatherheads… another DVD that is silver with no character.. Hrm.. Jim from the office is in it. He has a gymongous nose.

That is all.