Thursday Thankfulness

This morning I sent an email to my music BFF with the subject line "Food."  It has encompassed my craving for an amazing Mediterranean restaurant near her, bacon of the month clubs (Praise the LORD for the New Testament), and finally this recipe which is on repeat at my house.  I suggest a Pinot Grigio.

Really, what's not to love about an email chain related to food.  Unless you back up to yesterday where we had an email chain about "Les Miserables", actresses who do controversial roles to get Hollywood's attention, and our love of all things Broadway.

Of course then you could back up two days to our chat where her boss made her pack up her things, walked her to a coffee shop, bought her drink and told her to work there the rest of the day.

So, today I am thankful for gmail.  And friendship rooted in music, food, theater, and a deep love of our Lord.  And for the fact that this friendship was grown and strengthened through gchat when we were living half a world a way from each other and keeps us in contact now that we are in the same time zone.  

Salsa - It's What's for Snack (Lunch and Dinner)

If I had to choose one food group to eat for the rest of my life it would be Mediterranean.  I love hummus, baba-ganoush, grape leaf rolls, falafel, etc.  Plus I figure the Mediterranean really encompasses Italy so I'll get my pasta and pizza.  However, a close second on my list of foods would be Mexican.  Now, before anyone goes and tells me the Mexican food I eat is not really Mexican, I know.  But it's all I know.  And I know this.  It is good in my belly.  So a few years ago I wanted a good salsa at home.  I was over the stuff in a jar, what I really wanted was something finely processed and tasting like the local Mexican dive.  So I researched the world wide web and found this recipe: D's Famous Salsa.  And I decided I would make it.  But that I would be like my Granny and just use the recipe as a suggestion.  And thus we now have what I make.  And apparently what 82% of my RiverChurch family makes (or so they tell me.)  So here goes:

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can Ro*tel
1/4 - 1/2 onion
3-4 cloves garlic or 1 heaping TBSP of the garlic in a jar
cilantro (I use a lot, I'm a fan)
garlic powder <-- really, can you have too much garlic?

1. Throw the onion and garlic in your food processor.  (Whitney can tell you that the food processor works better than a blender because she did an experiment.  Whitney can also tell you the onion is necessary.  Do not leave it out, but adjust the amount you use to your tastes or based on the strength of the onion.)  
2. Once the onion is to chopped finely status, add the tomatoes and Ro*tel.  (I have learned there are people in American who do not know what Ro*tel is.  I am sorry.  It is goodness in a can.  Check it out.)  Pulse a few times to incorporate with the onion and garlic.  
3. Then throw in the cilantro (a heaping TBSP to 1/8 of a cup I would think is good...or more.)  Put in a few dashes of garlic powder at this stage as well.  Pulse again.

And voila, you have salsa!  The best part is you have so much salsa, you can use 16 ounces of it to make this recipe: Crockpot Chicken Tacos.  This may be my new favorite recipe as I am in love with the tortilla soup that you make with the finished product.  Yummy!  

Notes: 

• There are 15-20 varieties of Ro*tel and stewed tomatoes on the market these days.  Part of the fun of this recipe is to use different combinations while trying to find your current favorite.  
• My friend Lauren uses the cilantro in a tube and it works well too.  It's really whatever you feel like purchasing.  The fresh stuff is good, but it doesn't keep more than a week so if you know you'll want several batches of this over several weeks (and you will) then the cilantro in a tube is probably the way to go.