I woke up at 6am today and checked out the window to realize I couldn’t see to even the end of my back yard through the dense fog. It’s continued all day and all I really want to do is curl up with a book in bed. I should probably start the supper prep soon, but I’m going to push it until the last moment, I think. I was doing so well with meal preparations, too! Planning is the key to us eating well and sometimes, benefits others, too! Yesterday, I made food for a family since the mother is on strict bed rest. Sloppy joes, sweet potato fries and creamy feta dip.
The feta dip is the reason for this post. I’d been buying a glorious Greek yogurt and feta dip at the grocery until we realized Sylvi liked it and she was having an allergic reaction every time she ate it. And I’m sorry… there is almost nothing worse than having to deny your child food due to an allergy. Especially when you love it too. Of course, after looking at the ingredients on the container, I kind of felt I wasn’t going to miss anything… until I remembered how much I really, really liked it.
Thus far, I’ve tried this recipe with sweet potato fries, veggies and crackers. Amazing. Also amazing on a hummus and cucumber sandwich. Or just from a spoon. Ahem. To prove the taste factor, my friend told me that her teenaged son ate half of the dip himself. In my experience, if a teenage boy inhales your food, you may as well stop cooking… you’ve reached your pinnacle.
Creamy Feta Dip
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- 1/2 Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. Greek seasoning
Soften the cream cheese until it easily mashes with a spoon…. I typically warm it in the microwave so it’s really soft. Then, place all the ingredients in a food processor and whir until smooth and blended. You’ll have little bit of Feta still, but it’s primarily smooth. At this point, test for taste. You may want more seasoning or to thin it out a bit with some milk. I keep mine in the fridge (and it does firm up, by the way) in a glass jar. I can’t tell you how long it lasts for… I eat it too fast. But I can tell you this is a staple in our home and it’s something I can safely feed my kids without worry!
I made a quick batch of granola first.
Then, melt the butter in a small pan with the brown sugar and honey. Bring it to a boil and stir constantly. The mixture will become caramel colored and bubble constantly, remove it from the heat and very quickly stir it into the dry ingredients. Press the granola into the prepared pan. My bars were about 10 inches square, so I just molded it so that they were fairly even across the top. Then, press your toppings into the granola and set aside for 20 minutes while the caramel hardens.
These granola bars and crispy and chewy and just the right amount of sweet. Store them wrapped tightly for 2 weeks.
Honestly, it sat in the fridge for over a week because I was afraid it wouldn’t reheat well and I’d have to throw it away. That’s right, pushing something to the back of your fridge is the best way to avoid it. Anyway, my husband has hardly been home for the last few weeks and I’m finding myself getting hungrier and hungrier while I try to stay awake long enough to say hello and the dip called to me. It’s so warm and gooey and cheesy and flavorful. I had caramelized the onions until they lost the bite and were sweet instead. Even then, they were still too chunky for the style of dip I was going for so I added them into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. The result is a smooth dip that when heated retains that gooey, cheesy goodness that makes me glad that no one got to eat it at the party… just me, after the kids are in bed, curled up with a vapid Disney movie waiting for my husband to make it home from a night being the artist he is.
