Makeover Monday: Skinny Corn Dip

 With football season in full swing, I find myself spending an ever increasing amount of time on the couch.  And watching football.  And eating.  And, perhaps, enjoying an ice cold Bud Light.  Life is good.  Somehow a football game is made exponentially better with the addition of junk food and beer.  I can't explain it.  It's just a law of nature.  And I would never argue with science.

But after a few full weekends of football, I sometimes find that my jeans are feeling inexplicably tight.  Could it be the sitting on my butt and stuffing my face?  Perhaps.  So every now and then I have to swap the junk food for something lighter.  But I still want the pleasure of my traditional football watching food.  Enter this delicious, satisfying, and made-over skinny corn dip.

Peanut Butter Dip

Some things are just right.  Peanut butter and chocolate are magical together, as we have discussed over, and over, and over, and over.  When I found a recipe for this peanut butter dip, which has both peanut butter and cream cheese, I knew I had found something special.  And then I thought about how I could use chocolate graham crackers as the instrument for dipping.  I am pretty sure I started drooling instantly.

And upon making it, it was everything I thought it would be.  Rich, creamy, and peanut-buttery.  And then I scooped some on a chocolate graham cracker.  Wow!  This one is definitely a keeper!  Peanut butter, chocolate, and cream cheese....holy cow!  I know I missed Monday, but I didn't lighten up this recipe, and I wanted to share it with you before Super Bowl Sunday.  Because you have to serve this.  You just have to.  So let's call this a Makeover Thursday recipe.  It doesn't have the same ring to it, but it tastes just as good!

Guacamole

 Last week I mentioned making guacamole when I shared my Make it Yourself Margaritas recipe.  I thought it was about time to share my guacamole recipe as well. I am a fairly new member of the guacamole fan club.  It is one of those things I just didn't get around to eating until a few years ago.  For the record, as far as appetizers go, chips and salsa will always be number one in my heart.  I have been known to polish off a small jar of salsa in one sitting.  And to be honest, I probably wanted more when I was done.  But guacamole is pretty high up there as well. 

This recipe is the only one I have ever used for guacamole because I was hooked the first time I made it.  It just tastes so fresh.  The jalapeno gives it the perfect amount of kick and the lime juice adds just a touch of tartness.  When making guacamole, you do want to make sure the avocados you use are soft to the touch.  Unripe avocados are hard.  That means gritty, yucky guacamole.  I know from experience.

Not only is this guacamole delicious, it is also nutritious!   Avocados are a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K, which are all low in the typical American diet.  Do keep in mind that avocados are high in total fat, which means guacamole packs 5 times more calories per serving than salsa.  The good new is that the fat in avocados is mostly monounsaturated fat, which is a heart healthy fat.  Plus, one avocado contains a whopping 13 grams of fiber.  That's more fiber than you would get from eating 3 medium apples.  Holy guacamole!