Shower Power: Recipes from my Southern Style Bash

I am totally a semi-homemade girl. I am envious of my super-hostess friends that create amazing things like roasted red peppers on french bread with lemon caper butter but let's face it - that is just not me. When I threw Lauren's shower last week I got home from work at 6:30 and guests started coming at 7 so I did lots of prepping the night before.

One thing that made it more simple was picking a "theme" for the food. I often go with Tex-Mex because it is easy, colorful, and everyone loves it. I like to choose dishes that require some of the same ingredients so I have less to buy at the store. For Lauren's shower I served:

• Homemade Black Bean and Corn Salsa
  
• Pinwheels - tortillas, cream cheese and the bean and corn salsa
  
• Chicken Enchilada Dip - chicken, more cream cheese and a few other things
  
• Taquitos - just throw in the oven and serve with a trio of interesting dips
  
• Chuy's Chips and Jalapeno Ranch dip - that stuff is so good there is a Facebook Fan Club for it
  
• Simple Sangria Wine
  
• Hey Cupcake! cupcakes from a bakery here in Austin, topped with my personalized cupcake toppers
  

Everything went well together and with a few added dishes from the girls we had quite a feast! Here are the recipes for some of our favorite book club treats:

Chicken Enchilada Dip

• In a skillet, mix 2 cans white meat chicken (drained) with 8 oz cream cheese and a sprinkle of taco seasoning
• Once cream cheese is melted, add 6 oz mayo, 4 oz can of diced green chilies and diced tomatoes if you wish
  
• Put in casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 25 min on 350
  
• Serve with Fritos. Tastes amazing - like a creamy casserole you can scoop with a chip!

Mary Catherine's Hot Artichoke Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, quartered

3/4 cup mayo*

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Tabasco

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix all of the ingredients and place in a greased au gratin dish. Bake at 500 for 10 minutes until browned and bubbly.

*You can totally use reduced fat/ low-fat mayo if you want. That's what I always do and I still think it tastes good.

Simple Sangria

I have shared this one before but people always ask me how I made it and although I wish I could lie and say its so hard, its not. Just mix 1 part Sprite (Diet works, and so does orange soda) with 2 parts Carlo & Rossi Sangria. Add sliced oranges or apples for color. Serve over ice and watch guests drink pitchers of it!