Bacon Crescents

Oh Num! Eat these on a chilly day that will warm you up!
I love finger food great to serve at a party!

Here is what you will need:
1 block of softened cream cheese
8 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped onions
2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoons milk
2 8oz cans of refrigerated crescent dinner

How to make them:
Preheat oven to 375
Mix all ingredients except the dough
Separate each can of dough into 8 triangles, cut each triangle lengthwise in half.
Spread each dough triangle with 1 generous teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Roll up.
Starting at the short side of the triangle.
Place, point-sides down, in baking sheet
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve them warm!

NUMMY!

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/home.aspx

Shrimp Toast

Love me some Shrimp Toast!  
I don't make this nearly enough!

This is what you will need to make your Shrimp Toast:
1/2 Pound of medium sized shrimp, washed, pealed & deveined
1 Large egg white
3 Tablespoons of chopped yellow onion
1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley
1/4 Teaspoon of salt
1/8 Teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 Teaspoon + 2 Table spoons of sesame oil
1 Large egg yolks
1/4 cup of water
16 sliced of white bread with the crusts removed
6 Tablespoons of vegetable oil

How to make them:
Put the shrimp, egg white, onion, cilantro, salt, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp. of the sesame oil in a food processor and pulse two or three times to finely chop. Do not puree.
 Put the egg yolks, the remaining 2 Tbsp. sesame oil, and the water in a shallow bowl and whisk to blend.
 Spread equal amounts of the shrimp mixture onto 8 slices of the bread.
 Top with the remaining 8 slices of bread.
 Press together gently but firmly. 
Heat 3 Tbsp. of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
 Dip 4 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, coating them evenly on both sides. 
Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. 
Remove from the skillet. 
Repeat the process with the remaining 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil and sandwiches.
 Slice each sandwich into 4 triangles to serve.

Planning Your Party Food

With the Holidays upon us, planning is an important thing.
I've always struggled on how much to make when hosting a get together
You don't want to run out!  
So what ends up happening, in my case is I make way too much food.
That's not always a bad thing if you know what I'm saying :)
Here is a good chart to go by when making appetizers

	If you are having a Cocktail Party 12 pieces per person

Dinner Party four to six pieces per person

You will want a variety of appetizers if you are hosting a party with 50 or more people at least eight different types to chose from.

A party of 20 or more people plan on four to five appetizers to chose from.

Smaller gatherings three choices will be fine.

Happy Holidays to all!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I made two appetizers for Thanksgiving evening to munch on while playing games.
Well I must have lost my mind because no one could eat another bite!
So I have a couple of appetizers all ready for the weekend!
One of them is the Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  I have several variations of this dip, and here is one.

This is what you will need:
 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped

14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 Block of softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon chili sauce (optional)

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

 

How to make this:

Mix everything and pour it into a baking dish.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

 

Easy!!!  And delicious!

Baked Mexican Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

These looked SO good to me and I'm always up for trying new appetizers  I thought I'll make this for a munchie while we play games tomorrow night.
That is if anyone can fit anything in their stomachs after this huge Thanksgiving spread I'm making!
I don't remember originally where I saw these but you can find it here at Gimmie Some Oven, what a cute name & they take excellent photos too!

This is what you will need:
12 sticks of Mozzarella string cheese
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup of flour
5 Tbsp of Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs
2 Tsp of chili powder
1 Tsp of garlic salt
1/4 Tsp of oregano
Cooking spray

How to make them:
Unwrap the cheese sticks.
Cut them in half.
Place on a plate in freezer for one hour.
Preheat your over to 400 degrees.
Take a baking sheet line with tin foil and spray with the cooking spray.
In a bowl fill it with the flour.
The next bowl beat the egg in
Your third bowl fill with the Panko, chill powder, cumin, garlic salt and oregano and mix.
Now remove the cheese sticks from the freezer.
Like an assembly line, dip the cheese stick into the flour bowl, then the egg bowl finally the Panko mixture.
Place each finished stick onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes

Severe with salsa or marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

Cheey Pesto Pizza

I just read this fast & fabulous appetizer & I have to make this for the holidays!
You can find it on Rachel Rays site.
Its called Cheesy Pesto Pizza

This is what you will need:
1 Garlic clove
1 Cup of flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil or how she says it EVOO
4 Pita breads
6 oz of slice gruyere cheese

How to make the pizza:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Use a food processor to chop the garlic add in the parsley and walnuts.
Pulse to chop.
Add the oil and puree to a coarse paste, season.
Divide pita bread between 2 baking sheets.
Spread with the pesto.
Top with the cheese.
Bake in your preheated oven until cheese melts and the bottom of the pita bread is crispy, about 8 minutes
Now cut into pizza wedges.

Enjoy! 

Spring Rolls

Today my wonderful daughter made us lunch.
And one thing she made was spring rolls.
She found this recipe in Pinterest, imagine that :)
They were super nummy and very fresh!

This is what you will need:
Spring roll wraps
Rice noodles
Lettuce or cabbage
Bean sprouts
Julienned cucumbers and carrots
Cilantro

For the Dip you will need
4 Tablespoons rice vinegar
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Cloves crushed garlic
Red pepper flakes to taste
Mix all together in a bowl until sugar is dissolved set aside until ready to dip

How to make the rolls:
Cook the rice noodles according to the packaging set aside
Fill a large bowl with cold water
Dip a spring roll sheet into the water for 20 seconds until just softened.
Now place the sheet onto a flat surface pat with a paper towel, to make the sheet tacky
Assemble your roll ingredients in the center of the circle.
Fold the top half of the circle over the mix, then fold in your sides, finally fold up the bottom

Dip into the sauce & enjoy!

Holiday Cheese Balls

I made these a couple years ago they are so cute (well I think they are)
I liked the variety and the color is very appetizing.
Perfect for the holidays.
Super simple too.

What you will need is:

2 packs of softened cream cheese
1 pack of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp of garlic powder
A dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup of chopped roasted red peppers
2 sliced green onions
1 2/3 cups of chopped pecans
Chives
Sesame seeds
Crackers to serve

How to make the balls:
Beat the first 4 ingredients together.
Divide the mixture in half
Add the peppers to half of the mix and the onions to the other half of the mixture.
Mix well.
Chill in the fridge for a few hours
Now shape each mixture into about 24 balls.
Roll some balls into nuts
Some into chives
Some into cayenne pepper

Try sesame seeds too if you would like.
Place on a serving platter with crackers.

I'm sure you guests will love these!

Pepper Onion Relish Dip

My Aunt Susie turned me on to this nummy dip several years ago.
And from time to time when I find myself by a Harry and David's store, I have to stock up on their Pepper and Onion Relish, it's SO good!
There are four different varieties, Hot and Smokey, Zinfandel, Classic Recipe and the Sweet Recipe.

I would use any of them for this dip.
It really depends on your liking of the flavors
There is always a sale on these too, so stock up!
If you don't have a Harry and David's store by you visit their web site you can order online.
They have many other great things at this store too.
You can make so many different things with these relishes, they are great!
So far I have made the dip & the chicken soup recipes they share with you on their web site or on the jars themselves.

All you need to make the dip is:
One jar of the Harry and David's Relish, pick your favorite flavor
One softened block of cream cheese
Optional a chopped nut of your choice, about a half a cup

How to make it:
Mix the relish and cream cheese.
Chill until ready to serve.
Serve with your favorite crackers
*if you decided to use the nuts, sprinkle on top of your dip or mix into the dip.

Enjoy!

Pesto Arancini

This is So easy!
Look at the picture you know you want to eat this!
Thanks Rachel Ray for this easy Thanksgiving Day appetizer (well you can make this when ever you want silly)

This is what you need:
2 cups of risotto
2 tablespoons of pesto
16 1/2 inch cubes of fontina
1 cup of panko
Vegetable oil

How to make them:
Mix risotto and pesto.
 Stuff a cheese cube into each ball.
Roll into panko until well coated.
In a frying pan/pot (whatever you use to fry) add the balls, fry for about a minute.
Lay on a paper towel to drain off any oil.

Enjoy!

Artichoke Bread

If you do not follow this blogger you really should, he is an amazing cook!
 Closet Cooking, his name is Kevin and he is from Canada.
And damn him for being so skinny & making all this delicious food SO not fair! ;)
I started following him a couple of years ago.
He seems to be getting more popularity & rightfully so!
This is one appetizer I picked up from him & love it!

This is what you will need:
1 14oz can of drained & chopped arichoke hearts (tip load up on these when you find them on sale)
1 green onions sliced
1 chopped cloves of garlic
1 oz of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano
1 loaf of sliced lengthwise Italian bread (or french, don't be a hater ;) )

How to make this:
Pre heat your oven to 350
Mix all the ingredient together, excluding a bit of the cheese & the bread.
He said to hollow out a 1/2 an inch of the center to both halves of bread, I did not.
I spread the mixture right on top of the bread & that worked just fine.
Do what you would like.
Now top with the remaining cheese you set aside.
Tent tinfoil over the bread & bake for 20 minutes
Remove the tinfoil after 20 minutes & let the breast continue to brown.
Remove , slice & serve!
It's wonderful!

Dick's Last Resort Review

Restaurant review time again!
Oh boy are you gonna love this!
I'm usually a quiet person but I can really open up and have fun!  I love meeting people and having a good time.
When I tell people I've been to this restaurant they are shocked because they will not go here.
And they will not go with me :( boohoo.....
But I think it was a blast!
It's Dick's Last Resort at the Mall of America.  I live right by this monster of a shopping mall.
So first off I think it takes a really special person to work here, its almost like you're an actor so hats off to the brave souls who work there.
I went to Dick's with my hubbie & youngest son about a year ago.
Our waiter came over to the table and immediately made us special hats to wear during out visit, pretty hysterical!  

So here my son & I are

Me: Instant Cougar just add alcohol (true story!)

J-Dog (nick name) My XBOX gets more play than me :(

The Hubbie: My Thong hurts! ROFLAO!

Do you see where this is going?  You said it humiliation time! 

The restaurants deco is wild & fun just a bunch of crazy stuff every where to look at.

So lets talk a little about the food.  Well my son was with & they had fried pickles on the menu so that is what we had to get. 

Pretty good I don't think you can go too wrong with that appetizer.

The menu is small & to the point, it's a southern themed menu & written on a chalk board on the wall.

This was a year ago I don't remember what we had but I remember we like it!

I hear that the bar has menus and they have large variety of appetizers (I'll sit there next time).

A few more embarrassing moments where, once when the waiter came to bring us our paper napkins he just threw fistfuls at our table for us to gather up if we wanted to use one.

My son Loves root beer & especially in the bottle so it looks like he's drinking beer (hummm just like his mama)

So the waiter brought over a HUGE highchair for my son to sit in while drinking his beer.

J & the waiter

I think I forgot to say he made us wear bibs too.

You would think that an 8 year old would just die of embarrassment, nope he ate this up!

OK now if this happened to me and not my son I may have been embarrassed but he's a trooper.

The little man needed to used the bathroom, the waiter follows J to the bathroom while shouting in the restaurant this kids gotta go to the bathroom!!!!

And when he came back the waiter carried him from the bathroom back to the table like a baby, I think he said he wet his pants?  Not sure.

Its fun to watch the other tables too.

So its kinda like dinner & a show!

There are several Dick's Last Resorts in the US.

So if you're brave I suggest you visit one!

Cranberry-Chicken Fillo Cups

Hello Thanksgiving!  These Scream Thanksgiving.  So pretty & colorful.

Honestly I have not made these yet, BUT I will!

They look wonderful, the ingredient totally go together, they have to be excellent!

Here is what you will need to make these beauties:
 
1 package of frozen mini phyllo shells (one of the best inventions for a cook)
1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries
3/4 cup of finely chopped (cooked, duhhhh...) chicken breasts
1 6oz container of fat free Greek plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
2 chopped green onions
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves ( I think these are optional, maybe use chives or parsley)
1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make them:

First thaw your phyllo cups, bake according to packaging
Next in a bowl mix 2 of the tablespoons of the cranberries with the remaining ingredients.
Spoon the mixture into the cups, top with the remaining cranberries.

Thank you Betty Crocker for once again providing us with another wonderful recipe!

Smoked Salmon Pate

I love smoked fish!  Then you add in some cream cheese!?  It just melts in your mouth!

Can we say this is good for you, fish = brain food, right????

Here is what you will need:

 4 oz of smoked salmon (make sure there are no bones in there!)
1 8oz container of chives & onion cream cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped red pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon of chopped dill weed
3 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Crackers or mini bread squares to spread this on

How to make this:

Mix all ingredient into a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Transfer into a bowl.  Refrigerate over night.
When ready to serve flip the bowl over onto a serving plate.
Sprinkle with parsley.
And serve!

Philly Cheese Steak Egg Rolls

Your going to LOVE these!
You can't go wrong here!  Well unless your a vegetarian, then leave out the meat :)

What you will need is:

1 package of beef roast au jus
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 green pepper, cut into strips
8 egg roll skins
1 egg, beaten
8 slices of smoked provolone cheese, if you cant find that use any white cheese you like.
Au jus for dipping

 
 How to make them:

Cook beef roast as directed on package; drain, cool and shred. 
Reserve au jus for a later use.
In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, onion and bell pepper in oil 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove from heat.
 Stir in shredded beef. Cool to room temperature.
In deep fryer or 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil to 350°F. 
Meanwhile, place 1 egg roll skin on work surface with 1 corner facing you. (Cover remaining skins with damp paper towel to prevent drying out.)
 Brush edges with beaten egg. 
Top with 1 slice cheese. 
Spoon 1/2 cup beef filling slightly below center of egg roll skin; fold corner of egg roll skin closest to filling over filling, tucking point under. Fold in and overlap right and left corners. Brush remaining corner again with egg; gently roll egg roll toward remaining corner and press to seal. Place seam side down on plate. 
Repeat with remaining egg roll skins, beaten egg, cheese and filling. 
Fry egg rolls, a few at a time, in oil 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm. 
Dip into to your warm Au Jus sauce if you like or eat plain.

Thank you Betty Crocker for this bad boy! 
  
I bet you can't wait to try them!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

 

This is a huge hit on Pinterest!  I finally made this one this weekend. 

It was a huge hit with my friends and my husband loved it!

The blogger that posted this originally is Simply Gourmet, check her out.

 

6-8 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crispy ( I used a whole bag of real bacon bits)

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1 cup of mayonnaise

4-6 jalapenos, chopped and deseeded. (I did not have fresh jalapenos I used about a cup of sliced jarred jalapenos, chopped)

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup diced green onion

Topping:

1 cup of crushed crackers ( I used Ritz)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all of the ingredients into a medium bowl.  Stir well.

Transfer to an oven proof dish. The size of the dish depends on how thick the dip is.  The thicker the dip the longer it may need to warm up.  I used this stoneware dish that is round and measures 12 inches across.

 

Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the top of the dip.

Bake the dip for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

I'm going to make this for Christmas!

 

Easy Brie

I was recently on a trip with my husband we had a indoor picnic one day.
And one of the appetizers I made was SO simple.
It was only the two of us but you can of course make this in a larger quantity.

All you need is:
A wedge of Brie Cheese
1 head of garlic
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
Olive oil

Warm your oven to 400 degrees
Place your peeled garlic head on a baking tray rub olive oil on it.
Cook until mushy, that would be about 45 minutes.
Place the wedge of brie in a pie tin or glass pie tin.
Squeeze the garlic over the brie and rub on top of the cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove and top with slivered almonds
Bake another 15 minutes.

Serve with crackers or sliced baguette

Simple yet delicious! 

Crockpot Chipped Beef Dip

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween!
Now on to the next,  Thanksgiving!
This dip is SO good.
A warm dip is the best in the fall isn't it???
And this is also cooked in a crock-pot, can't go wrong there.
Like I've said before a crock-pot is a working Mom's best friend!

This is what you will need to make this belly warming dip:

1 8oz pack of softened cream cheese
1 cup of shredded hot pepper Monterey jack Cheese
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped onion
2 Tablespoons of mayo
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce seeded, and finely chopped
1 2.5 oz packages of chopped dried beef (lunch meat)
1/4 to a 1/2 a cup of chopped and toasted pecans.

I adjust these ingredient to my liking.  The more the better I say!

How to make it:

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, onion, mayonnaise, garlic powder and chiles; mix well. Stir in dried beef. Spoon into 1 or 1 1/2-quart slow cooker.
Cover; heat on Low setting 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle pecans over top. Dip can be kept warm in slow cooker for up to 1 hour. Serve with crackers or cocktail bread. 

Enjoy!

I found this on the Betty Crocker site