#1. When going out to dinner what items do your order? Appetizers, soup, salad, dinner, dessert.

Sometimes we order an appetizer to share. I usually order a dinner that comes with a salad. We rarely order dessert, but if we do, we get one piece and split it .

#2. How predictable are you when eating out? Do you usually order a meal that you’ve had before or do you like to try new things?

I am very predictable. Every once in a while, I’ll try something new.

#3. When eating at a restaurant, what beverage do you like to order with your meal?

Usually water with lemon, but sometimes I order iced tea with lemon.

#4. Name a meal that you ate at a restaurant that you liked so much you tried to recreate it, as well as the name of the restaurant and the recipe.

I have tried to recreate several dishes in the past, but artichoke spinach dip is probably the main thing. Here’s a recipe a friend of mine gave me for Olive Garden’s Artichoke Spinach Dip. It’s really good, but I’m still trying to make the dip closer to what we’ve had at Charleston’s.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
• 8 ounces sour cream cream cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I left these out the second time I made it- my family likes it better that way)
• dash ground pepper

Directions:

Cook the spinach and artichoke hearts in a cup of water for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Heat the cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the spinach mixture and stir well.

Add the Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.

Serve with crackers or toasted bread strips for dipping. What we like best is to serve with Tostitos Gold Chips. They’re small triangular chips that are thicker and don’t break when dipping into a thick dip. I think that’s what they’re called. I know it has “gold” in the name. 🙂