Tis the season to cook. Or at least dream to - what with all our free time, right? What with different gatherings for Halloween, Thanks Giving and then the holidays in December, I thought I would give out a secret that my friend Christine gave to me: a delicious, easy recipe to bring to parties that tastes like it took far longer to cook than it does:

Here's the "recipe" for the artichoke dip. Sorry that I'm not more specific - I swear that I "wing it" every time I make it! Soften 1-2 blocks of cream cheese (depending on how much you want to make - I just eyeball it!)

Add 1-2 jars of marinated artichokes - chopped and mostly drained - I save some of the marinade and add that to the cream cheese - Mix together

Add garlic powder (maybe 1 tsp)

Add salt to taste

Add 1/2 tsp white pepper

Add 1/2 bag (1 cup or so) of shredded cheese - italian or four cheese mix or cheddar

Microwave or bake until melty

Add remaining shredded cheese on top and continue to nuke or bake until bubbly

Dig in - pita chips, tostitos, bread or veggies are good with this