Potato Poppers

I have been waiting to try this new recipe for a long time. I finally got the opportunity last night at my friend's baby shower. They are a mini version of twice baked potatoes. They are delicious!!! The only pain is scooping out the potato from each little half. I think it was worth it. Enjoy. Sky Blue Potatoes (from Real Simple Magazine)

24 new red potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp, about 30 minutes; let cool.

2. Scoop out the center of each potato half and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the sour cream, blue cheese, bacon, parsley and onion. Fill each potato skin with the sour cream mixture and top with more crumbled bacon and parsley.

Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado

I have been craving salad lately, really yummy salad. This salad has a great homemade dressing and tastes great with tortilla chips and black beans. I made a few changes, so this picture is not quite accurate. Obviously, I switched out the beans, and I don't like raw onions in my salad. I have a little corn and onion saute I have perfected, so I used that in this recipe. Enjoy. Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bit size pieces
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or pinto)
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
2 avocados, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (or 1 onion, diced)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro torn into small pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
tortilla chips

1. In a large bowl combine the lettuce, beans, corn avocados, ion, and cilantro.

2. OPTIONAL - I took the corn and diced onion and sauteed them over some olive oil for a few minutes to soften the onion. You can also add some minced garlic for even more flavor. Then add to the salad mix.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle over the salad and toss. Serve with the tortilla chips.