I decided that I wanted to spice up my cream cheese today. I was craving celery and cream cheese but decided that unless I put more nutrients in the cheese, it would not be worth the calories. This recipe features some of my favorite flavors: roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, and scallions.

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese (8 ounces), softened to room temperature

2 tablespoons chopped scallions

2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives (pitted)

2 tablespoon finely chopped roasted red pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place cream cheese in mixing bowl. Add other ingredients to the bowl. (Make sure everything is chopped fine enough before you put it in the bowl). Mix the ingredients into the cream cheese with a fork. I prefer a crunchy texture but if you want the spread to be smooth, you can pulverize it more in a food processor. Serve with crackers, vegetables, or pieces of toasted bread.