COOK OF THE WEEK - DIP RECIPES

Has anyone ever heard of a DIP-A-THON? I never had. But leave it up to the staff of Long Term Care at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. They think of many fun ways for the residents to celebrate what is going on in the community. Each month their calendar bulletin board has a theme and usually throughout the month that theme is carried out in decorations as well as new activities. Since July is the month for the Humboldt County Fair, it seemed only fitting to have a contest with prizes being blue ribbons, red ribbons and white ribbons. And with Bike-a-thons, walk-a-thons and such it seems only natural that LTC residents would have some sort of “thon” also! The idea for the dip-tasting came from Kathy Bagwell who is always looking for new and fun ways to engage residents, staff and other departments in the hospital, as well as the help of many loving and caring volunteers. The Activity Directors, Kathy Hill and Nancy Huddleson stay busy helping to keep the residents busy. The DIP-A-THON was a fun activity enjoyed by many people. Each person that entered a dip included crackers, veggies or fruit to share with the dip. This fun contest was judged both by a panel of six judges chosen by the activity directors and also a vote from people as they came through the line and sampled the delicious dips. The judges were Pam Allen, Harold Schipull and Mary Louise Carlson, all residents of LTC; Karen Smith and Amanda Danzl, HCMH Employees; and Sally Cuthbertson, LTC Volunteer. The prizes were blue, red or white ribbons. Everyone who entered a dip was a winner. And why not? Every dip was delicious! The people chosen to judge the dips had a lot of fun tasting and discussing each and every dip. The judges’ panel was comprised of three LTC residents, two hospital workers and one volunteer. They share their recipes with us as well as who made each dip and the ribbon each dip received. Chicken Bacon Ranch Dip(Red Ribbon)Made by Brittany Laubenthal, Nurse-LTC16 ounce sour cream1 Ranch Dressing powder packet10 ounce can of chicken1/2 bag shredded cheddar cheese1/2 bag bacon bits Stir all ingredients together. Let set in fridge to cool. Serve with club crackers.Green Pepper Dip(Red Ribbon)Made by Mandy Gascho,Nurse-LTC(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese1 small can crushed pineapple, drained1/4 cup diced onion1/4 cup diced green pepper1 tespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt Mix all together in a bowl and let chill in the fridge overnight. Serve with club crackersCowboy Caviar(White Ribbon)Made by Stella Boomgarden15 ounce can black beans, drained4 ounce can ripe olives, chopped1/4 cup chopped onions1 clove garlic, chopped2 tablespoons oil2 tablespoons line juice1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon cumin1/8 teaspoon pepper Mix all together and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with crackers.Bloody Mary Shrimp Dip(Red Ribbon)Made by Kathy Bagwell,RN-LTC8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature1/3 cup mayonnaise1-1/2 tablespoons juice from shrimp can2 tablespoons tomato paste1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon Tabasco Original red sauce1-1/2 teaspoons minced onion1 teaspoon parsley flakes1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked1/4 teaspoon salt4 ounce bag frozen shrimp, drained well and coarsely chopped In medium bowl, mix together cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients except shrimp and mix until combined. Gently fold in shrimp. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. Serve with crackers or vegetables. Makes 1-1/2 cups.Cheesecake Dip(Blue Ribbon)Made by Lori Thompson,Nurse-LTC(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese2 tablespoons milk2 tablespoons powdered sugar1 large jar marshmallow creamMix well and refrigerate. Place in a separate bowl 2 packages graham crackers, finely crushed. In another bowl or on a plate, fruit or fruits of your choice (Strawberries were used here.)Pharmacy’s Phantastic Beef Dip(Blue Ribbon)Made by Larry Hall, Pharmacist10 ounces dried beef, chopped16 ounces sour cream16 ounces cream cheese1 bunch green onions, chopped1 package Ranch dressing powder Mix well and chill for 8 hours or longer. Serve with crackers.Doggy Dip(Blue Ribbon and People’s Choice)Made by Penny Porter, Housekeeping and Materials(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheeseabout a cup of butter1 box powdered sugarabout a handful of brown sugarsplash of vanilla1 bag mini-semisweet chocolate chips1 bag Heath bar chips Mix all together and serve with Scooby Doo graham crackers, shaped like dog bones. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Cuthbertson, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com. I will be happy to email or send you my short questionnaire and set up a time to come and visit you at your convenience. I’m always looking for NEW Cook’s of the Week. Also, if you are new in town, this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt community and surrounding communities. I look forward to visiting with you.The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.