1-2-3 Mexican Dip

 first off lets start this post with my insane craving I had last nite.  I was really in the mood for biscuits from Popeye's.  you know the ones I'm talking about...  I thought I could manage to make some and found a recipe on www.foodnetwork.com.  one thing I realized about myself last nite: I am NOT a midnight baker.  other things that are really important: it's critical to measure out ingredients when baking.  it's also probably critical to not forget certain ingredients (as I later found out there's a "science" to baking, you need the right acidity to make a balanced biscuit, so when I forget an ingredient like say, LEMON JUICE, they're probably going to taste like shit.)  the biscuits rose just fine, and browned on the top like they were supposed to.  however, they were hard as hockey pucks and only a morsel of each one was edible.

some cravings need to be satisfied by the original creator.

for tonight's recipe I decided that I would go to one of my survival foods.  yes folks, I'm pretty sure I could survive on chips and salsa.  this recipe seemed easy enough (boy was that a joke, there's a lot of steps and measuring out the ingredients you already had measured out- what's that about?!).  anyway, lets get on with it.

the ingredients:

1 can Refried Beans

1 1/2 c. medium Salsa

1 tsp. Chili Powder

 1 tsp. Ground Cumin

3/4 tsp. dried Oregano

1/2 c. Mayonaise

1/4 c. finely chopped Red Onion

1/3 c. chopped fresh Cilantro

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1 small Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 c. grated Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 fresh Japapeno chile

Tortilla chips for serving

1-2-3 layers, no?

this recipe was a chore to make.  there is a lot of "divide this" and mix that".  in the end I used 3 different spoons, one spatula and 3 bowls (not including the one it was served in) just to make this dish.  I liked it.  I mean, I ate half the bowl for dinner...  so it wasn't a total loss.  or total mess for that matter.  I'm just not sure it's any better than any 7-layer dip you could find in the grocery store.

the recipe didn't call for black olives, but I couldn't resist.

as a treat to myself, I decided to try Erin's Salted Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats!  OMG.

the best Rice Crispy Treat EVER.

~pam