Bubba?s Traverse City Famous Mexidip

Afternoon friends & happy Friday! First off, I want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your kind, sweet comments on my last post. The tri was an awesome thing to add to my (small) list of accomplishments, and I can?t wait till next year when I can add a second?maybe third?maybe fourth!! I?ve been bitten by the tri bug! And seriously, if I could do it- so can you. Face whatever it is you may fear, whether it be the swim, bike, or (like me) the run. I am living proof that just finishing is enough. Who cares about time!  

So anyway, I am patiently counting down the hours till I can celebrate with a nice cool glass of wine?perhaps a Sauvignon? Maybe some Pinot Grigio? Although, with the brisk chill in the air & faint tinges of red and orange on the trees, maybe it is time to make the switch from white to red. I already made the switch this week from iced coffee to hot..and I busted out the knee high boots & scarves two days in a row. Farewell, sweet sweet summer. Also, there is a random FLOCK of monarchs invading my back yard. I have never seen so many butterflies congregate in one place before!  

My leaves must taste extra good.  

 Last weekend TJ (boyfriend) and I went out for lunch with Shawn & Niki (our BFF?s) at Bubba?s. Bubba?s is a Traverse Area favorite located on Front Street- known for good casual food, good drinks, and an amazing bottled beer selection. 

I love that, in addition to food specials, Bubba?s offers drink specials every day of the week. We were there on a Sunday, so $1.50 bloody marys were the deal.  

Seating is family style, so you can opt to join others, or wait for your own table. It wasn?t too busy when we were there so we were sat immediately at a nice table by the window.  

I love that they start you with pretzels and grainy mustard right away! Yum. We attacked this bowl immediately & ordered our drinks. The girls started with an Abita Strawberry Beer & the boys got the bloody marys. We also split the Fiesta Trio- warm tortilla chips served with their homemade salsa, guac and the famous mexi-dip.  

Strawberry Abita is my FAVORITE beer. So light, and not FRUITY, just an essence of strawberries. The bloody mary however?..MEH. It needed a lot of work. It was very very bland. After dumping in some hot sauce, pepper, salt and Worcestershire sauce it was a LITTLE better. The cajun seasoned rim, however, was delish.  

As for the dips- they salsa here is FAN-TAS-TIC! Spicy, chunky, not too acidic. Really really yummy. The guac was good, nothing special. And the Mexidip. Oh my golll. The dip. Spicy, smokey, creamy, cheesy. We LOVED it! So much so that I decided to recreate it. More on that later.  

For our meals, Niki & I both got the HALF size Avocado Salad topped with grilled veggies- romaine, avocado, sweet corn, tomato, zucchini, and goat cheese with pesto ranch.      

Umm?have you ever seen such a beautiful salad for UNDER $6??? I know. And the portion size was amazing- neither one of us could finish it!  

They boys went the heartier route- TJ ordered the daily special, a Turkey Chimichanga: Roast turkey, peas, carrots, corn and beans in a flour tortilla, flash fried, served over house whipped potatoes with homemade gravy & roasted corn on the cob.  

Dang. Another steal for a mere $8.50  

Shawn ordered the California Chicken Club- Grilled Chicken Breast,guacamole, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and bubba Sauce (which I think is a mayo-bbq sauce blend?tasty!).  

Overall, I give Bubba?s a consistent 2 thumbs up for wonderful service & a great casual atmosphere!  

And because I couldn?t get the mexi-dip off my mind, I set out to whip up a batch for a cookout we attended later that weekend. Here?s what I came up with.  

2- 24 oz containers nonfat cottage cheese  

1 ? 24 oz container light sour cream  

6 oz sharp cheddar (can use preshredded, but seriously, just grate your own. SO much more flavor)  

2 cans diced green chilies (use diced jalapenos for even more spice)  

2 small fresh jalapenos, minced  

1 bunch green onions, minced  

1 large clove garlic, minced  

Salt and Chili Powder to taste   

This couldn?t be easier. Combine all ingredients. Let sit an hour or two to develop flavors. Garnish with thinly sliced jalapeno & chili powder. Serve with chips or veggies.  

Obviously this makes a TON. but trust me- you will need it. It goes FAST!! If you like spicy, I highly recommend swapping the chilies for jalapenos. And don?t leave off the fresh sliced peppers- every ones favorite bites had a fresh pepper on there.  

And if you end up with, ohhhh, say, half a cup left over? Please stuff a chicken breast with it. And back in the oven. You won?t regret it.  

TGIF!