Oh, garlic! Let me count the ways... One of nature's medicines this gem seems to be jammed packed with goodness. With my extensive (5 minute) Google search it looks as though garlic lowers cholesterol, helps prevent the common cold, improves circulation, keeps mosquitoes away, and the list goes on... So why not slather it on some bread?! Let's do it!

Ingredients:
3 heads of garlic
olive oil
salt

Serve on Crusty bread

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Rub off any excess, dangley skin from the garlic head. Slice off the top of the head (about 1/4 inch down)

Place garlic heads, cut side up, on a large strip of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt.

Wrap foil around all 3 garlic heads and whack them in the oven until tender, 45 min. (Makes your house smell great).

Serve with crusty bread. Scoop cloves out with a butter knife and then mash and spread. FAB!

When it comes to dipping sauce, I used to be an olive oil skeptic. I never really understood the restaurants that gave you a plate of plain olive oil and bread. My thought was always, "butter tastes much better than this tasteless goo". Now I know olive oil purists might gasp at the thought of my unrefined taste, but the truth is, extra virgin olive oil that holds substantial flavor is expensive. And remember, we're cheap. But this puppy right here is my answer. I could dip bread in this tasty olive oil for weeks. It still contains the health benefits of olive oil and brings out a much stronger flavor than oil alone. It's EASY, classy, and sure to win big fans.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese, grated
fresh ground black pepper

Plain French or Italian bread (I recommend plain because flavored breads compete with the flavor of the oil)

Directions:
Pour olive oil onto a saucer (my Ikea saucer has a blue dot in the middle, so that's why it's colored a little funky)

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

Serve with warm bread. Let the dipping begin!

Yes, yet another soup. I know, I know. But we've been so cold! I actually didn't even take a picture of this one because I didn't think it warranted keeping. I was wrong. This is a waaay quick soup that's really light, so it goes well with a gooey cheesy sandwhich. It's made with stuff I tend to have in my freezer so it's great for last minute, or to use up some frost-bitten items.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tea garlic powder
1 cup frozen 3 pepper medley (cheaper way to get peppers at Trader Joe's or Tesco)
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup favorite salsa
4-5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken if you don't have veggie)
1 tea basil
1/4 tea cayenne pepper (if you're not already using hot salsa)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I know this isn't a typical frozen item, but I actually never know how to use up the whole bunch of cilantro before it gets wilty. So now I chop up the extra, ziploc it and throw it in the freezer. I'm lovin' this idea)

For optional topping:
crushed tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced

Directions:
I was trying to come up with a soup quickly (I had some very hungry folks waiting) so I just threw everything into a pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes. If you have more time you could saute the garlic, corn, pepper and onions for a toastier flavor.