The easiest buffalo chicken dip you'll ever make

When Tim and I started dating I remember asking him what his favorite foods were, just so I'd know and I'll never forget what he said.  Tim's favorite foods are buffalo chicken wings and cinnamon buns.  I thought it was the funniest thing but I never forgot it.  Over the last year I have made him countless dishes but he and I had always talked about finding the perfect buffalo chicken dip to make as a snack. We like to cook together but we also like when it's easy to do so we looked and looked and finally found something worth making!  We got the base of the recipe from my Aunt Rachel and have since just modified it for ourselves since we have made it a million times!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz of low fat cream cheese, soft
• 1/2 cup of blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing (I use low fat or fat free as well)
• 2 cans of canned chicken, drained
• 2 oz of cheese (any kind, I use mozzarella, part skim)
• 1/2-1 cup of hot sauce (start with a half and do this to taste)

You can always play around with how much of each ingredient you put into the dish.  Every dip we make tastes different.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a medium sized dish that can be heated in the oven, add the cream cheese and stir until smooth
• Mix in dressing, hot sauce and cheese
• Mix in the canned chicken
• Top with extra cheese
• Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling

A little bit of Italy right in New York City

Recently, I have taken up an obsession with Italy.  I don't know if it has something to do with a series of blog posts I recently read from my favorite blogger or if the travel bug that bit me in high school after my trip to Spain has shown back up and bit me again.  Regardless of the reason, I have become all sorts of obsessed with the beautiful country that is Italy.

The sad news is that I do not have the funds to send myself to Italy and lets face it...I would never go alone.  Tim and I will probably have kids by the time this trip is feasible...but hopefully not.  He isn't as infatuated as I am with the idea of Italy, but I don't think he'd oppose the trip if we could afford it.  So because I know that trip isn't at the tip of our fingers just yet I have been trying to find ways to bring Italy to us.

What I found was Eataly in NYC...which is probably my most favorite find since Tim. ;)

Last Thursday my mom, Tim and I were in the city to see a taping of The Chew (blog post on that to follow) and after watching people cook for an hour...we were starving.  I had found Eataly online not too long ago and have been dying to go since.  Tim and my mom were champs and let me drag them across town to 5th Ave. to experience this phenomenal food market/restaurant.

Basically Eataly is a food lovers dream.  It has everything you could need, equipped with a fully stocked market and nine different restaurants.

That day we ate at La Pizza & La Pasta and I had the best damn pasta I had ever eaten.

Ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, butternut squash and amaretto cookie. It was in a brown butter sauce.  UGH to DIE for.  

Seriously, if you are ever in the city and are near 5th ave...hell even if you aren't...GO THERE.