Jack-Orange-Lantern Fruit Cups

Audra Simpson really impressed us with her offerings! Don't you just love these? I don't know where she finds the time to make these things so darn cute, but I'm glad she does! Again, this isn't really a recipe- more like instructions:


1 navel orange per person
favorite fruits, bite size


Cut the top of the orange in a zig-zagged circle. Use a small spoon to scoop out the orange pulp. Use a small, sharp knife to carve out a face in the orange rind. Fill with your favorite fruits.


You can use other oranges, but navel's are typically larger and have a firmer rind making it easier to carve. Another perk- the citrus of the orange will keep apples from browning, so you don't have to worry about opening the top and finding a bunch of brown triangles!

Halloweenies with Mustard Dip

Besides being super cute mummies, these Lil' Smokies wrapped in crescent rolls would be an awesome appetizer at a Halloween party. Catrina Bowers found this at Pilsbury.com. I'm thinking Halloween lunch...

1 can (8 OZ) refrigerated crescent roll dough
44 cocktail-size smoked link sausage
1/2 C creamy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried oregano leaves


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Roll dough sheet out to one large rectangle, cut vertically to make two 11x7" rectangles. Cut crosswise into total of 44 strips. Pat sausages dry. Wrap 1 strip of dough around each sausage to look like a little mummy; press firmly at each end to secure. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart for even browning. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix mustard and oregano. Dot a small amount of mustard or catsup to make eyes {Trina used a baby medicine dropper for this, which worked out great}. Serve sausages warm with mustard dip.


I had made something similar for lunch a few days earlier with full sized hot dogs. Directions are pretty similar, but it took 1 can crescent dough to make about 6 hot dogs, 8 if you leave space between the wrapping. I made the eyes with a little ball of cheese.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Rolls

Joni Joiner gets a gold star for this one! It was delectable! I wish I had more elaborate words for it, but I'm at a loss! The small serving size made me feel better about having 2 or three or four... Swiss cheese on black forest ham with a 'secret' sauce on a sweet King's Hawaiian roll. I was anxious to get this recipe to recreate it. I think I'm going to try it with a slice of grilled pineapple.

1 pkg Rolls {King's Hawaiian is best}
1 pkg ham {again, black forest is what she used. What I'd recommend}
1 pkg Swiss cheese, thick or deli sliced
1 stick butter, softened
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, grated

Mix butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Slice the rolls in half and spread the sauce on one or both sides of the roll {She had it on one side so it wasn't too strong for us first timers, but I'm excited to try it on both sides.}. Add one piece of ham, folded in quarters. Cover with cheese and replace top of rolls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until cheese is melted.

Grandpa's Cheese Ball

This cheese ball comes from my dearest grandpa. Every year, he'd make this at Christmas time and it became a staple. Now he's passed on and I can't think appetizer without thinking of this, and I can't think of this without thinking fondly of my grandpa. I've decided this cheeseball is an embodiment of all the best things about him. It is a little sweet, soft, a little unexpected, and absolutely nutty! Actually, the nuts are very mild pecans. Grandpa was much nuttier! Anyway, here it is: My favorite appetizer from my favorite grandpa!

2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
2 C pecans, chopped and divided
1/4 C green bell peppers, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp onions, chopped
1 tsp seasoning salt

Stir all ingredients together, reserving 1 C pecans. Chill well. Form into 1 large or 2 small balls; roll in remaining pecans. Wrap tightly and chill until serving.

Lil Smokies

I loved these sausages- so did my daughter who smooshed them all over the place, but refused to let go of one. These have a perfect sweet and savory flavor and serve up great with a couple toothpicks for stabbing and chomping! And at 3 ingredients, does it get any easier?!? Another hit, Joni!

3 pkgs smokies sausages

2 C grape jelly (16 oz jar)

1 C yellow mustard

Heat jelly and mustard in crock pot until dissolved together; add smokies. Cook on low 3-4 hours then serve.

Refreshing Drink

I spaced on this one and didn't get a picture, but just imagine what looks like water with slices of oranges and lemons. It was SOOO good! I'm not typically a fan of flavored drinks. I think they have a tendency to taste too sugary or too rich and I feel like I need a glass of water next to it, but that totally wasn't the case! It was refreshing and tasty without feeling like you drank sugar sludge!

5 qts water
3 C sugar
1 tbsp lemon extract
1 tbsp citric acid (can be found at Wal-Mart pharmacies)
Lemon and Orange slices

Mix all together and serve with lemon and orange slices.

Chipped Beef Cheese Ball

Cheese balls are such a perfect appetizer, so it was no wonder more than one showed up! This had a heartier, saltier flavor than "Grandpa's cheese ball". Joni Joiner made me proud with her FOUR recipes!

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 jar dried beef, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix Worcestershire sauce, cream cheese, chopped onion and all but 1/4 C of the dried beef. Shape into a ball. Coat the outside of the ball in the remaining dried beef.

Throw-together Mini Quiche

Audra Simpson cracked us up with this one. She claims it was just a bunch of leftovers thrown together, but it was so good! With that in mind, the ingredients are all kind of estimates... So, good luck!

ABOUT:
1 C fresh spinach
1/2 C diced tomatoes
1/4 C carmelized, chopped onions
1/2 C mozzerella cheese
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1 can crescent dough

Line mini muffin tin with crescent dough. Mix remaining ingredients. Spoon 1-2 tbsp of mixture into muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Trina Bowers knew exactly what she wanted to bring when she heard that we were doing appetizers! It was a fabulous mix of all those classic buffalo chicken flavors! My husband stopped by for a sample of everything while it was fresh and he said this was his favorite. I could totally see a bunch of guys sitting around watching a football game noshing on this in between plays. It just wasn't very attractive for presentation, so Jayme Welly helped me out!
Aren't you just dying to try it now?!?! ;) Thanks, Jayme!

2 (10 oz) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 C ranch dressing {or to taste}
3/4 C pepper sauce {i.e. Frank's Red Hot. Add more or less to taste}
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Add all ingredients to a crock pot on low until all ingredients are mixed together and warm.

Artichoke Dip

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Kristen, but hadn't tried it out before. I LOVE artichoke dip as an appetizer when we go out to eat, but haven't found a homemade recipe I like. I thought I would give this a shot! It was pretty tasty, but I think next time I'd decrease the amount of miracle whip and maybe up the mozzarella a bit. Thanks for being my hand model, Trina! And don't kill me for this:
hehehe....

2 cans artichokes
1 C mozzarella
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 C Parmesan cheese
1 C mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix and put in a casserole dish, sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with chips, crackers, celery sticks, warm pita bread, or toasted baguettes.

Bagel Pizza Mummy's

Such a cute Halloween idea! Sheree Mowers couldn't just bring a tasty appetizer, she had to go and make it cute and festive! Such a fun snack or lunch idea, and, of course, super easy! Since it's so simple, you can make as much or as little as you want- that's also why there's not a specific ingredient list...

Small bagels, cut in half
Spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese (String cheese works great for the horizontal lines)
Sliced olives

Spread spaghetti sauce over the bagels. Lay the cheese horizontally across the bagels. Position 2 olives as eyes on each bagel. Broil on low for a few minutes until warm and cheese is melted.

Summer Salsa

I got this from a friend of mine when we lived in Utah, but she didn't have a name for it. We started calling it Summer Salsa, then found a similar recipe called Cowboy Caviar. Potato, potaaaato... This is the most excellent chip dip salsa goodness. Matt will literally crave it. It takes a bit of chopping, but it is sooo worth it! In fact, this 2 1/2 qt bowl was pretty much gone by the end of the night- mostly thanks to Hubby and me snuggling up with a movie and a big bag of chips! At least we far surpassed our recommended vegetable servings for the day.... It makes a lot, so it's great to take to barbecues.

2-3 avocados

3 Roma tomatoes

1 red onion {If you aren't as crazy about onions as me, you might want to just do 3/4 an onion}

1 can black eyed peas, drained, but not rinsed

1 can white shoepeg corn{we didn't have this, so I just used a can of regular corn}, with juice

1 packet Italian dressing, prepared

Chop avocados, tomatoes, and onion. Stir together with remaining ingredients. Chill several hours{I think it's actually best the next day, so we'll make it the night before}. Serve with tortilla chips.

Hawaiian Fruit Dip

I jumped at the chance to make this scrumptious fruit dip. It is pudding based but the pineapple and lime give it a sweet, tropical twist. Careful, it makes a lot. Great for a party, but if you make it for dinner, plan on it for a couple of days. Not that that would be a bad thing....

3/4 C milk
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 lg pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 C sweetened flake coconut, toasted and divided
1 lime

Combine milk, sour cream, and pudding mix in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Stir in pineapple with juice and 1/3 cup of the coconut. Zest lime to measure 1 tsp. Juice lime to measure 1 tsp. Stir juice and zest into dip. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with fruit

Mexican Pull Apart Bread

Ohhh, just thinking about this makes my mouth water! You MUST love heat to fully appreciate this delicious side or appetizer!

1 can (16 oz) Refrigerated biscuit dough, cut into quarters

2-4 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 C Mexican shredded cheese blend {Confession, I get a bag of shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese from Costco that I use any time a recipe calls for shredded cheese...}

3/4 C drained, canned, sliced Jalapeno peppers (this makes it suuuper spicy, so if you aren't feeling it that hot, I'd go with a smaller can of diced jalapenos. Pansy.)

3/4 tsp parsley flakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Dip 1/3 of the biscuit pieces in the melted butter and place in the pan. Top with 1/3 EACH of the cheese, peppers, and parsley. Repeat layers. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes then invert onto a plate. Serve warm.