Epicure Lemon Dilly Dip

Ok, now I know that I have mentioned an Epicure dip mix before, but I just want to take time to mention the Lemon Dilly Dip Mix because it is also amazing. Having so many cherry tomatoes left over from my last recipe, plus a bunch of fresh veggies in the fridge, prompted me to find my as-of-yet-unopened jar of Epicure dip mix.

Originally I had bought the Lemon Dilly, 3 Onion and Cheese Chives & Bacon dip mixes so that I could make a batch of the "Extraordinary Cheese Dip" I had had at a party. That cheese dip was SO GOOD that I knew I had to have it again - and that's what led me to Epicure.

Anyways, I am not promoting Epicure products for any other reason than the ones that I've tried, I love. If I don't have success with something or don't like it, I'll say so. I have only tried a few things from the Epicure company so far, and I don't expect to like everything, but these dips are not included - they are amazing!

So, today I made the Lemon Dilly dip mix to accompany some fresh veggies. I mixed equal parts sour cream & mayonnaise, added the dip mix, and chilled it in the fridge. It was excellent. I won't hesitate to make this for a party, or just for myself! :) 10/10 on both counts!

Creamy Pasta Salad

I know that it's practically a staple at every BBQ and picnic, but I have never made creamy pasta salad. And upon deliberating what to bring to a friend's BBQ, I was informed that it was really simple and fast to make. You can just imagine how my eyes lit up at those two words: simple, and fast.

A friend of mine is a consultant/representative for the Epicure Selections company, which deals in gourmet spices, mixes, cookware, and more. She introduced me to a few things, and while I haven't fully delved into everything that Epicure has to offer, I am quite pleased with the few things I have tried.

One of those things was the creamy pasta salad. All it took was the making of the noodles, adding whatever accompaniments that you choose (I chose bell peppers, cheese, grape tomatoes, broccoli and parsley), and then adding the creamy sauce - that's where Epicure came in.

The Cheese, Chives & Bacon Dip Mix is mixed with sour cream and mayonnaise (low-fat versions if you wish), and after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, makes the most delicious & creamy dip or sauce. I was doing quite a bit of taste-testing before adding it to the salad.

The trick is to make sure that your pasta is very cold before you add your sauce. I think that my pasta was slightly warm and it may have encouraged absorption of the sauce into the noodles (or maybe it just does that anyways, who knows...). Epicure products are generally low in salt, so it could have used a little seasoning to really bring out the flavours, but other than that, it tasted good. I would give it a 7.5/10 for taste and a 10/10 for ease of preparation! I am definitely going to make it again.