easy shrimp cocktail

Like I said before I took a little help from costco this christmas.  I was semi homemade this season, I had been not feeling too hot latley and unexpected  company came. I was looking for quick and easy things to have on hand for snacking.   I bought a bag of cooked peeled devined shrimp.  whipped up a  cocktail sauce and a healthy yummy appetizer.

 2 pounds shrimp
Cocktail sauce

• 1/2 cup chili sauce (recommended: Heinz)
• 1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

mix and refrigerate. 

Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Torte

Hey I am back.  we had a great Christmas and I hope you all did too.  Eat too much?... yeah me too.  I am sticking to stretchy pants for the next few weeks until my jeans seem to unshrink,  yeah I am pretty sure that is what happened, must have.  Until the new years resolutions start here is a a great one to share.

 This was one of the dishes I served for Christmas dinner as an appetizer. I was in a time crunch and bought mine from Costco, but it was so good, so  now I recreated my own.  I looked around online and there were many like it and this is the one I think is the best.  This would be perfect for a party this new years.

Ingredients

• 3  packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened (light)
• 1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3  cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1  container (7 oz) refrigerated basil pesto
• 1  jar (8 oz) minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, well drained
• Baguette slices or crackers

Directions

1. In food processor, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic. Cover and process until blended. Divide into thirds (about 1 cup each).
2. Line 5-cup mold or 8x4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture in bottom of mold; smooth top with spatula. Spoon pesto evenly over cheese layer. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture over pesto layer; smooth top with spatula. Spoon tomatoes evenly over second cheese layer. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over tomatoes. Strike filled mold on counter to pack down. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
3. When ready to serve, turn mold upside down onto serving platter and remove plastic wrap. Serve torte with baguette sliced or  hearty crackers.

Recipe and photo from Betty Crocker

Cranberry Salsa

 Update:
I made this salsa for a party we are going to tomorrow, but I can not stop eating it.  My exchange student Rina and I have eaten almost the whole batch. I need to go make  another for tomorrow.  Yes it is that good. I told my husband I wouldn't mind this replacing my regular salsa and using it for everything.  He rolled his eyes he doesn't get it,  but it is really  I would.  Try it!


The other day I was at a friends house for lunch while our kids played and she pulled out this cranberry salsa.  She had seen it on the today show last year. She asked if I  had had it before and I had not. I had not even heard of it.  We just ate it with chips and salsa, but it would be divine with a soft cheese on top of crackers  or atop of grilled fish or poultry.
 I think this would be killer with turkey this thanksgiving, different but great!!!    I will also serve it as an appetizer with cream cheese and crackers. This week.

printer friendly recipe
Ingredients

• 12 ounce bag cranberries
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bunch green onions, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup cilantro
• 1 1/2 T oil

Directions
  Place cranberries and garlic in food processor or blender and pulse a few times.  Add onions, pepper, lime juice, sugar, salt and cilantro and pulse.  Add oil and pulse until desired texture.

The original source is Yankee magazine

Stuffed Mushrooms!

Even if you are not a mushroom lover, try these they are great!


 I had posted this recipe last year but it is too good not to post again. I hope you make these.  The first time I made these was last year for  Christmas dinner appetizers. They were so good! My dad just kept saying Nicole these are unbelievable!!! Over and over. They were quite tasty if I do not say so myself. This year when I asked my father what he wanted for Christmas, he said those stuffed mushrooms again!  Yes they are that good.  So if you are in charge of appetizers anytime this holiday season these must go on your list!


Printer friendly recipe
Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8

Ingredients
24 ounces, White Button Mushrooms
⅓ pounds Hot Pork Sausage
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
8 ounces,  Cream Cheese
1 whole Egg Yolk
¾ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
⅓ cup Dry White Wine
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Preparation Instructions
Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.
Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.
Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.
Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Recipe from  Pioneer woman
picture from The girl who ate everything

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno's

Last year at  super bowl time I was scrambling for great football watching  food.  My husband is not a sport enthusiast who loves to watch a good game and eat yummy non nutritional food (weird huh). I rarely ever have to entertain this kind of crowd.  But last year my dad and brother were in town and this is there kind of thing.  While searching what I would fix them I found these on Pioneer Woman's site.  She is always great for food like this.

    Now we are in football season again and you might be searching for something to feed your football loving crew too.  These will do the trick.  They are great!!  Creamy, bacony and really not spicy ( I was afraid of that)  you can make them spicy if you want though.  These are so good men will actually walk away from the TV to come into the kitchen to see if there are more,  so make sure you make enough!

Printer friendly recipe

Ingredients 

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half with a spoon. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).
Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.
You can eat these hot or room temperature.

Original recipe from Pioneer Woman

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

I have heard so many people talk about this fruit salsa recipe I got from allrecipes.com
I heard announced at church that during our next weeknight activity we were supposed to bring a fruit dish. I thought this was a perfect excuse to try it out. Everyone loved it. it was fun to make and the cinnamon sugar chips, were so good. People could not believe they were baked and not fried. I have heard you can buy these chips, but I looked everywhere and could not find them. I am happy I made them myself.

Enjoy it as a summer appetizer or an easy dessert."

Ingredients:

2 kiwis, peeled and diced 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced 8 ounces raspberries 1 pound strawberries 2 tablespoons white sugar you can add whatever fruit you would like I added to this fresh blueberries and pears.

1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas butter flavored cooking spray 2 cups cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and in a zip lock bag add cinnamon sugar mixture ading a few wedges at a time shake until covered then remove and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture

cheese ball

I had this at a baby shower and I thought it was just delicious!

Here's the recipe for the cheese ball:

2 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 tsp. Bon Appetit (The only place I've found it was Albertsons)
1/4 tsp cream style mustard (I just put a squirt in)
3 stalks green onion--chopped

Mix all ingredients together and form into a ball. I let that sit in the fridge overnight, but you don't have to.
Roll in chopped walnuts and parsley.

Artichoke dip

1 (14 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, in water drained and quartered
1 cup mayonnaise ( I use light)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not from the green can!!!!)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (Also light)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves crushed garlic
3 green onions sliced
1/2 t cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, mix the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, 3/4 cup Parmesan, cream cheese and green chile peppers, garlic, onions and seasoning. Scoop the mixture into a pie pan or medium baking pan. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned. Serve warm.