hey there! this recipe is the latest and greatest from my recipe swap club. This month I partnered with The Culinary Taste to bring you this oh so summer perfect ribs with a Jack & Coke marinade. This particular collaboration was extra fun because I got to interview the chef behind the recipe as well as see one of my recipes come to life on his blog. For those of you who may be new to my blog the recipe swap club is a group in which I collaborate with a new blogger each month to try out one of their recipes and vice versa - I love it because it helps me learn and try new things, which in turn I get to share with you! 

Hi y'all! It has been far too long since I have posted a new recipe! I've been so busy lately between friends events and weddings and a promotion at work (YAY)! As fun as that has all been I hate when I don't have time to get creative in the kitchen and share with you guys so I was so excited yesterday when my boyfriend dropped me an E-mail from work saying he got all the ingredients I'd need for this salsa so we could have a mexican food and blogging night! I had so much fun making this and it turned out amazing .... and hot hot hot, just like I like it. Don't worry though, if ultra spicy isn't your thing I'll give you tips on how to tone it down and still get a great salsa! I decided to go with roasted salsa because I love the flavor you get my roasting and browning the tomatos vs. just boiling them in water! This recipe will take no longer than half hour from beginning to end and is super easy, so with that being said, let's get to it!

Queso is everything. It's what I miss most about Texas... well, besides the people, southern hospitality, but you get the picture, it's really high up there on the list. If there's any other displaced and homesick Texans out there I hope you love this! And anyone else of course... if I had it my way, queso dip would be a staple everywhere and to everyone. My biggest queso pet peeve though? Velveeta based dips. Not trying to hate on Velveeta, it just doesn't have that homemade, fresh, real taste I look for in my dips. i'm all about the fresh from the deli cheeses when it comes to my queso! Once you measure out all the ingredients it is so easy to toss in a slow cooker for about an hour and just let it cook while you prep other things. I don't want to bore you with my obsession here though, so let's get to it!

Let me just start by saying this not only tastes amazing but is only 400 calories per serving, and by serving I mean bowl large enough to call a full dinner! Zoodles (zucchini noodles) are my obsession right now .... I mean a whole zucchini is only 35 calories, so good for you, and spiyralizes into a whole bowl of "pasta" noodles that boil up nice and soft, what's not to like?! Pasta is one my weaknesses and hardest things to give up while trying to be healthy so these zoodles are the perfect solution. I get to twirl, enjoy my sauces & protein, all while dramatically cutting calories and carbs. The asiago sauce and shrimp perfectly compliment each other to make this quick and easy recipe taste amazing. 

Confession time: this was my first time every making my own guacamole recipe from scratch, considering how much I love it that was surprising even to myself. But ready for confession #2? It was one of my favorite guacamoles I'd ever tried ... like whole bowl gone in a few minutes, everyone loved it, why didn't I make like 3X the amount kind of good. While that's how me and my friends felt, I am also well aware that guacamole, salsa, tortilla chips, and quesos are such a matter of personal preference. So before I talk it up too much... I'll let you get to making it so you can form your own opinion and be on your way to fine tuning your perfect guac... while secretly I hope you just love this one! It's such a great recipe to have up your sleeve because it's so quick to make and always a great addition to any party, BBQ, game day, etc...!

Do y'all love alfredo sauce as much as I do? Fettuccini alfredo has been one of my favorite dishes to order since I was a little kid, and I'll even admit that Pasta Roni alfredo was on my top list of favorite things to make at home once I figured out how to work a stove. Lately I've been loving it on not only pasta, but pizza as well. I've also graduated to making all my own alfredo sauces, which by the way is SO easy. And seriously once you start making homemade alfredo you won't be able to go back to store bought. It really is one of those things that there is just no comparison between the two! With that being said let's get to it!

So if you can't tell already, I am a huge pesto fan! It's one of the things I make most often, give out as gifts, etc... It's so easy to make in a food processor and it always tastes so fresh! While it may not be lower calorie than other pasta sauces (the pine nuts are pretty high up there!) I love knowing that fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, and good things go into it versus just cream & butter & cheese. I've already shared my basil pistachio pesto recipe with you guys as well as my parsley chives & pine nut pesto and last night realized I haven't shared the most standard pesto with you yet, so here it is! 

Anyone who knows me knows pesto is one of my very favorite things to make. It is so easy, so fresh, and so yummy! I love that it is so packed with flavor yet not with cream, butter, or other ingredients that make up so many pasta sauces. Traditional pesto is a basil pine nut pesto, which I love, but substituting pistachios for the pine nuts is amazing! My boss (major Sicilian foodie) challenged me to try making a pistachio blend after trying my traditional pesto and I'm so glad he gave me the idea because it's now one of my favorite sauces and I am so happy to be sharing it with you! 

Hi! I can't lie, this was my first time making a caramel sauce so I was a little nervous as to how it would come out, especially since I was making it for a large group of people. I taste tested and liked it but the true test was in the party. I made it to use as a dipping sauce for churros and although it was perfect for the churros I'd totally use this as a multi purpose caramel for dipping apples, topping ice cream, etc...! Everyone at the party was raving about how great the caramel sauce was so I'm so excited to share this recipe with you. I hope you love it as much as I did!