All Olympics, All the Time!

Here in the Shetler household, we anxiously await the Olympics every other year. The DVR has made it such that if we are in the house, it is an all Olympics, all the time scenario. This year, we put off a camping trip in order to have an Opening Ceremonies party. I knew we needed some kind of Olympic-themed food, and was also in the mood for a dip meal. These two thoughts led me to Olympic colored dips, in the colors (and arrangements) of the Olympic rings. Three of them ended up being original recipes (see below).

Red: Salsa and chips (peach-pineapple from Safeway)
Green: Guacamole  and chips/veggies. (It was great, but next time I'd use about half the salt.)
Black: Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Dessert Dip (inspired by this recipe) with graham crackers
Yellow: Tangy Curry Mustard Dip (using a mustard-pepper sauce I got as one of my food souvenirs at a farmer's market on vacation this summer in Indiana) with pretzels/veggies
Blue: Blueberry Fruit Dip (inspired by this recipe) with fruit.

Another fun addition was our Olympic "torches," which I saw on Pinterest :-)  Then, when we were all dipped out, and the Parade of (all 204) Nations started, we stayed interested by trying to find the answers to some Olympic trivia questions that I had come up with. Many of the answers were mentioned by the announcers, but those that weren't, Google took care of. Those that completed the questions (and anyone else who wanted one :-)) got gold medals (aka, Rolos :-).)

In addition to the Olympic food, we also planned on having it set up so we could watch the ceremonies from my parents-in-law's pool via a rear projection set-up my husband rigged. A few technical difficulties that night meant we all watched the events inside, but this idea's time will still come during the London Olympics and I am psyched :-)

Tangy Curry Mustard Dip

1 c. plain, non-fat yogurt
1/2 c. mayo or Miracle Whip
1/4 c. mustard-pepper sauce*
1 T. curry
2 T. minced onion
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. spicy brown mustard
1/2 t. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for an hour or more. Serve with pretzels and/or veggies. Yield: approximately 1 3/4 cups.

Blueberry Fruit Dip

8 oz. fat-free cream cheese
1/2 c. milk
6 oz. blueberry yogurt (1 small cup)
1 c. fresh or frozen, thawed blueberries
1/4 t. almond extract
1/2 c. fresh blueberries to top the dip with (optional)

Mix cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add yogurt, and extract. If desired, blend the 1 c. blueberries before adding to dip. Top with fresh blueberries. Serve with apples, bananas, peaches, nectarines, melons or graham crackers. Yield: approximately 3 cups.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Dessert Dip


8 oz. neufchatel cheese
6 oz. vanilla yogurt (1 small cup)
1 pkg. sugar-free chocolate pudding mix (4 serving)
1 c. milk
1/2 c. peanut butter
2/3 c. crushed oreos
1/4 c. crushed oreos for topping (optional)

Mix cheese and yogurt until smooth. Add pudding mix and milk and mix until smooth. Add peanut butter. Fold in 2/3 c. crushed oreos. Top with crushed oreos. Serve with graham crackers and Nilla wafers. Yield: approximately 3 1/2 cups.

*If I had to guess at a substitute for the mustard sauce, I'd probably try something like this: 2 t. vinegar, 1 T. dijon mustard, 1/2 t. brown sugar, 2 t. chopped sweet pepper, dash of cayenne)