Marshmallow Fruit Dip

Mr. Devilish Dish golfs and fishes.  A lot.  And when he's been at the golf course or the lake all day, he usually doesn't want a huge, heavy dinner.  Especially when the weather is hot.  Those are the nights we have something like chicken salad sandwiches.  Which I like to think is healthy.  And sometimes I use yogurt instead of mayonnaise so they are a bit healthier. And then I offer fruit as a side dish.  But in order to pass fruit off as a side dish to my family I have to serve it with something yummy like fondue or Marshmallow Dip.  To offset the times I try to feed them healthy things.  Fresh veggies?  NO.  Ranch Dip?  Yes! So on hot days when I serve fruit as a dessert, you can imagine the excitement when they see this dip alongside the fruit! You won't believe how easy this is.  It's only three ingredients.  One of which is marshmallow fluff.  Which could be a meal on it's own.  (Not that I would know, because I would never do something like eat marshmallow fluff from the jar with a spoon.  I mean who does that?  Not people that make healthy chicken salad sandwiches for dinner.  Well okay maybe.  It's called balance.) Whether you consider Marshmallow Fruit Dip a side dish or not, we can all agree it's fabulous.  And spoon worthy! 

It's a side dish, people.

Look how fluffy and yummy it is!

Strawberries, bananas, grapes, and apple slices.
That part is definitely good for you!

Marshmallow Fruit Dip...
Almost as good as eating the marshmallow fluff
out of the jar!

Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

We've been working on our yard a lot this year.  The deck has been stained and sealed with new lights installed all around.  I got a great little corner plant stand to hold some of my plants and herbs.  Mr. Devilish Dish got a new grill he's been playing with.  Once we pop up the big red umbrella and turn on the tunes it is a great little place to dine al fresco or enjoy an evening cocktail.  Now in no way do I have a green thumb, but I try harder every year.  I really love having tomatoes, peppers and especially fresh herbs for cooking.  So when Mr. Devilish Dish suggested an impromptu meal on the patio with friends I was totally excited to show off our hard work.  I wasn't as excited when he suggested grilling beer brats for dinner, with the usual side dishes of baked beans and potato salad.  Don't get me wrong, I love baked beans and potato salad and they are my go-to summer side dishes, BUT it was a small gathering which didn't require the typical large, potluck-style side dish.  We ran to the store for a few essentials and I said, "Let me assess what produce looks the prettiest and I will create a side dish around that."  I found the prettiest package of little organic heirloom tomatoes.  Not only were they bursting with flavor, but the color variety was gorgeous.  When you start with great tomatoes, you really don't need a lot of ingredients to improve upon their flavor.  I knew immediately a Caprese-style salad would be perfect.  The traditional Caprese salad features alternating tomato and mozzarella slices topped with fresh basil leaves and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic.  With a patio full of fresh herbs that would be no problem.  I grabbed a package of mozzarella pearls, because I knew their tiny bite size would be ideal with the cherry tomatoes.  This salad goes together in under 10 minutes and makes the perfect fresh side dish for any grilled meal.  And with the weather getting hotter and tomatoes getting riper, you'll want to make this all summer, it is easy peasy!

A colorful side dish perfect for dining al fresco.
Goes together in under 10 minutes.
Easy Peasy!

Only 5 ingredients...

Check out the vibrant colors
of the fresh tomatoes and basil!