Hot Chorizo Dip and Love in the Kitchen

This Hot Chorizo Dip is too tantalizing not to share. Although I absolutely love to eat most any type of food, my lifetime favorite is still Mexican cuisine. I love the spices, the heat, the textures and the inviting fragrance that fills the house (or restaurant) when Mexican food is on the menu.

Twenty or so years ago, when my son, Jeff, and daughter-in-law, Nicole, were in the early months of their relationship, they lived with me for awhile. Nicole is of Hispanic descent and comes from a large family where mom, Rita, cooked traditional Mexican dishes. Lucky me! Once in awhile Nicole would take over the kitchen and give us a sample of her family's culinary experience. I have had the delightful opportunity to love and embrace this precious and caring woman who brings light, life and grace to my family and who I am thankful to call my 'daughter'. Over the years, I have also had many opportunities to watch her adventures in the kitchen. She's creative and has no fear. She's willing to tackle difficult dishes that are totally new to her experience. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In my world that comes under the heading of 'bravery'. She could teach me a lot! Actually, she does teach me a lot...about unconditional love, forgiveness, tenacity and heart.

One Christmas, knowing that Nicole was very homesick, her mom sent her a huge box of homemade tamales that she had made especially for her. They were packed in dry ice and shipped from California to Washington. What a treat! Our whole family had the pleasure of enjoying this traditional holiday dish. Making tamales is quite an intimidating process that is probably too involved and scary for me to try. So it was marvelous to enjoy this special gift and to appreciate the many hours that were required for its preparation.

Being that I'm not a very adventurous or talented cook, the recipes that I typically share here don't have many ingredients and are fairly simple to create. This Hot Chorizo Dip is one of those recipes.

Ingredients you will need:

12 ounces chorizo

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 cup refried beans

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 green onions, diced

The web site http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2011/01/hot-chorizo-dip-recipe.html where this tasty creation originated and where you will find the directions to create this party masterpiece has so many delicious looking recipes that I could spend months trying them out. I probably won't do that much cooking, but I'll share with you the ones that I am willing to brave.

I deviated a bit from the topic of recipes, but family is the heart and soul of all that has meaning in my life. Those treasured relationships and experiences are never very far from my sight and mind. For me, that is the recipe for living. So I share these tidbits with you.

Enjoy life, enjoy family...and enjoy the living that takes place in the kitchen. Life's circumstances are ever changing and unpredictable, so always take the time to reach out and share your love with those who are important to you. Never take anything for granted.