So, We Had a Party....

We had a little group of people who work for The Mister

come with their spouses for some Christmas fun!

Fancy hors d'oeuvres, a little wine and white elephants gifts

all make for a good time, right?

I was busy and forgot to take photos of the food

so you'll have to trust me that it was yummy. haha.

We had steak and goat cheese sliders, shrimp cocktail,

a cheese ball, salad skewers, veggies & dip

 and sweet & sour meatballs.

Then for a little dessert ~ red velvet cake, lemon sugar

cookies, chocolate covered strawberries
 and chocolate peanut clusters.

The white elephant gifts are the best, though.

I had to show you what I got!  A Sculpt Your Own Boyfriend kit!

hahaha....little packs of clay, instructions and all!

I think The Mister felt threatened when I obviously 

loved it. lol.....

One thing I love about this group is how loving they are to our

boys!  They let them open their gifts, sit by them, etc. and I love 

 that.  Their kindness and acceptance does not go unnoticed!

We are up to our eyeballs in receptions and parties

over here!  The Mister has to attend many and host many

because of his job, so he is crazy busy and gone most 

evenings.  This week we have two more dinners to attend

together and our anniversary is this week.

Next week we have three gatherings to attend...oh,

and there are two auctions and a doctor appointment

in there, too! Whew!

♥

                                                                            

  

Pecan Studded Cheese Ball

If you need a tasty appetizer during the holiday season,

this is a good one!  You can make it ahead of time, too.

Pecan Studded Cheese Ball

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 t salt

pinch each of onion powder,

garlic powder and paprika

20 oz can of sweetened pineapple tidbits, drained very well.

1 c chopped pecans

Mix everything except the pecans on low in your electric mixer.

Form into a ball, roll in the pecans and wrap in plastic wrap.

Chill.  Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

♥

Fried Dill Pickles

I've seen these as appetizers in restaurants before but

had never tried them.  Taylor and Lauren were talking about

how good they are, so I thought we'd give them a try!

I changed up a few recipes I found online and made this one my own.

Fried Dill Pickles

1 one lb jar of dill pickle slices

2 c Panko Bread Crumbs

2/3 c cornmeal

1/3 c flour

1 c buttermilk

1 egg

1 t paprika

Preheat oil in fryer to 360.

Drain the pickle slices and pat dry with paper towels.

Spread Panko crumbs in a shallow dish.

Whisk up remaining ingredients for the batter.

Dip each pickle slice in the batter and then in the crumbs.

Let sit a minute or two to allow mixture to stick to pickles.

Fry in small batches for 4-5 minutes until brown and crispy.

Serve with ranch dip or dressing.

Yum.

♥

Cranberry Sauce and Turkey Leftovers

I know there are a bunch of ways to enjoy leftovers after Thanksgiving!

We usually just heat up a plate of food that looks like a repeat of the

original dinner!  But when it comes time for something light, like a

sandwich, we tried this. ... Turkey, Jarlsberg Cheese Dip,

 and Cranberry Sauce on wheat bread.  Yum.  

The cranberries were also good with the jarlsberg dip and crackers!

Such a pretty looking snack and very tasty! 

 It would make a great holiday appetizer or hor dourves!

I got the cranberry sauce recipe from Susan Branch.  Yes, the

Susan Branch.  Do you visit her blog?  You really should.

She and I are kindred spirits, I'm telling you.  Today she posted about

hanging bird feeders outside her kitchen windows.  She has a cat

named Jack that is very much like ours of the same name, in fact

that is where I got the idea to name ours!

Anyway, her recipe is so simple and wonderful.

I will be making it again!

Cranberry Sauce

1 package of fresh whole cranberries.

1 c sugar

Spread berries in a greased 9x13 pan.

Pour sugar over them.  Do not stir.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, stirring part way 

through to make sure sugar is dissolved.

That's it!  Serve room temp.

♥

Jarlsberg Cheese Dip

If you need a great appetizer recipe, you need to try this!

It couldn't be easier and is addictively delicious! 

I guarantee it will replace the traditional cheese ball during

the coming holidays.  It's also great with soup or a salad.

 Serve with pretzel crisps, crackers,

or it's really great piled on a grilled juicy burger.  Oh my!

Grate desired amount of Jarlsberg cheese into a bowl.

Add some finely chopped red onion.  Stir in just enough mayo

to make it all stick together and add a few grinds of

fresh black pepper.

Make extra, because I know you'll eat half of it before it has a 

chance to be served to anyone!

I'm speaking from experience here! ha ha.

♥

Beef and Cheddar Spirals

Cute little sandwich bites.  Great for an appetizer or snack.

I paired them with a salad and fruit for a light, summer meal.

Beef and Cheddar Spirals

1 can crescent dinner rolls

4 thin slices of roast beef

4 t Dijon mustard

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 T sesame seeds

Unroll dough into 4 long rectangles.  Press seams to seal.

Layer with mustard, beef and cheese.  Start with the short side

and roll so you have 4 rolls.  Press seams closed and slice each roll

into 4 spirals, creating 16 little sandwiches.  Put on parchment-lined

cookie sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 until golden.

Can refrigerate 2 hours before baking.

These are also good using ham and Swiss, too!

I double the meat to make them a bit heartier, but

for an appetizer I would leave as is.

I'm hooking up with The Weekend Potluck!

Click HERE for more fun recipes!

One funny thing...I never buy crescent rolls in a can!  I've made these twice in the last month, and both times I couldn't get the can open! LOL!  I had trouble peeling off the paper, kind of holding it away from me in fear that the can would pop open and scare me.  Then when I got the paper off, I couldn't get it to pop open!  I'm glad I was alone in the kitchen as I'm sure it was a comical sight. :)  Geesh!

♥