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And we’re back. I wanted to get this recipe up in time for all the July 4^th celebrations, if you plan on having or attending one. What can I say about Texas Caviar? Well…

Travel back with me to about ten years ago. A good friend from high school and college introduced me to this summery salsa/dip. Her family threw a huge 21^st birthday party for her and so graciously extended the invite to my little sister and I. Her aunt brought this insanely giant bowl of this stuff, and good thing she did. Sarah and I nearly finished it off in a matter of hours.

I later found out that Texas Caviar was a staple in their family, even though I had never heard of it. We made it almost weekly once we got back to college. (We were roommates.)

I had forgotten about this recipe up until about last Memorial Day when I needed to bring a dish to a vegan friend’s get together. I knew this was the perfect thing to bring!

With that being said, this is a really great dish to bring to any kind of get together, but it’s especially great for spring and summer, because it’s so light and refreshing.

Enough of that. Let’s talk about what we’re all here for – the food. Now that I know this is a rather popular dish, I’ve seen it made with all different kinds of ingredients. Many people like to use black eyed peas, but I really prefer black beans any day of the week. (I really don’t like black eyed peas, and I’m not sorry about it.)

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Be careful with how much red onion you add, as it can overpower the whole dish pretty quickly. I suggest adding in a bit at a time. Don’t do it like me and add wayyyy too much and have to spoon it out.

Feel free to adjust the salad dressing amount, too. I don’t like too much, but I know lots of people who like the salsa to be soupy. Absolutely up to you!

As far as a vessel for the dip, the obvious answer is tortilla chips. But, my family loves Hot Crackers. Okay okay – I’ll tell you how to make them. Are you listening? It’s very labor intensive and difficult..

Add saltines, a Hidden Valley Ranch packet, your favorite hot sauce and enough oil to coat the crackers in a sealable bag. Give it a quick shake, and you’re done! Hopefully that wasn’t too hard, right?

That’s it! I am dying to answer any questions about any of my recipes. So, please, comment or email me. Really.

I’m going to make some Hot Crackers now.

Happy eating!