1. Appetizers/Snacks


AVOCADO SALSA - Donna Voye

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen corn
2 cans (2-1/4oz. each) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 T cider or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 medium ripe avocados
Tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine corn, olives, red pepper and onion. In a small bowl, combine garlic, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well. Pour over corn mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving chop avocados and stir into salsa. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: about 7 cups


BLT DIP - Donna Voye

1 pound bacon, fried crisp
1-1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 oz. sour cream
Mix the above together the day before you want to serve (flavors need to mix). Layer on top before serving:
Chopped lettuce
Chopped tomato
Serve with wheat thins


DILLY BEANS - Donna Voye (I have given these beans as gifts many times)

Pint jars – cleaned and sterilized (I sterilize in dishwasher and keep them hot until use)
2# Green Beans (washed and ends snipped)
1 tsp Cayenne pepper (mostly I use fresh red cayenne peppers – something red in color). Remember if you keep the seeds in the bean it will be hotter…less seeds milder)
4 garlic cloves
4 head of dill
2-1/2 cups White Vinegar
2-1/2 cups Water
¼ cup Salt

Place 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1 garlic clove and 1 head of dill in pint jar. Pack with fresh green beans. Mix together 2-1/2 cups water, 2-1/2 cups white vinegar, and 1/4 cup salt -- cook and bring to a boil. Pour over green beans. Process in hot water bath -- 7-10 minutes.


GREEK DIP - Donna Voye

2 – 8oz. cream cheese
1-1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pepper to taste
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Mix the above ingredients together. Put on plate to serve. Top with sliced black olives, chopped cucumbers and chopped tomatoes. Serve with pita bread cut into triangles.


PINECONE DIP - Donna Voye (This recipe is a tradition at Christmas time)
1-1/4 cup whole un-blanched almonds, toasted (300 degrees for 15 minutes – WATCH CLOSELY!)

8 oz cream cheese
½ cup Real Mayonnaise
5 strips crispy-fried bacon, crumbled
1 T onion
1 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Mix cream cheese and Mayo – beat well. Add bacon, green onion, dill weed and pepper. Chill overnight. Right before serving form cheese mixture to resemble a pinecone. Layer almonds on molded cheese. Wrap pine tree spring with foil and garnish the top of pinecone. Serve with wheat thin crackers.


PUPPY CHOW - Donna Voye (Nate & Anna love this – great snack for kids)

Melt together on medium-low heat or in microwave:
½ stick butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
6 oz. chocolate chips
Stir in:
8 cups of Rice Chex or Crispex cereal
3 cups powdered sugar

Pour all into brown paper bag. Sprinkle powdered sugar over cereal mixture and shake. “Chow” down!


REUBEN DIP - Donna Voye

1 – 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. chopped pastrami (use the cheap Buddig brand – tastes great
1 small can sauerkraut
1-1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
½ cup 1000 Island dressing

Put in small crockpot. Stir until melted. Serve with rye crackers or rye bread.


CHILE POPCORN - Erin Winkler/McCue (A great healthy snack I love...)

Yield: Makes about 8 cups
Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min.

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Scant 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
About 8 cups hot plain popcorn

Preparation
Stir together salt and spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle over hot popcorn in a large bowl and toss to coat.


BACON-WRAPPED WATER CHESTNUTS - Jenny Osband
(This probably isn't the official name, but it's what it is. And you can substitute the nuts with scallops. That's super yummy too!)

2 cans whole water chestnuts
2 pkgs. bacon
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chile sauce (whatever's your favorite)

Wrap the nuts with bacon, skewer with a toothpick, dip them in the 'Miracle Brown Chile Sauce' (also not the official title) and then drizzle some over the whole mess while they're in a pan and bake all of that for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This serves about one person, if you're serving me. If you're serving more than me, make a lot. They're good and they go fast.


SPINACH (yuck) AND ARTICHOKE (yuck) DIP - Jenny Osband
(This appetizer is from one of the many - seemingly endless - parties I get invited to. People really like me. Hee again! But, when I get to these parties, invariable the first thing I do is grab some food. If it's good, I grab the recipe too. This one for spinach/artichoke dip must have been really good, because I don't like spinach...or artichokes...at all. Weird eh?)

1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp. garlic
Dash of lemon juice
1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 box chopped spinach (yuck), thawed and dried
1 8 oz. can artichoke (yuck) hearts, crushed and dried

Mix everything together, spread it in a pan, top with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. You can serve this with chips, but I really like it (yuck) spread on french bread or some weighty dark bread.


BRIE CARAMEL DIP – Debbie & Karissa Isaacson

1 round brie cheese
½ cup of dried apricots
½ cup of dried apples
½ cup of dried cranberries
1 tub of caramel
½ cup pecans chopped

Heat caramel so it pours easily. Once heated pour a little over half of the caramel over the brie. Sprinkle apricots, apples and cranberries. Drizzle the remaining caramel over and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Serve with ginger snaps crackers or cookies.


FONDUE CHEESE - Debbie & Karissa Isaacson

1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 package of mozzarella shredded cheese
1 package of cheddar shredded cheese
½ cup of milk

Place all ingredients in a crockpot at high for 25 minutes. Serve with any dipping ingredients.


POKER FACE SANDWICHES – Grandma Loretta Rothe

1 Ring Bologna
1 Green Pepper
3 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 lb. pkg. Velveeta Cheese
1 small Onion
Grind all together. Put on hamburgers buns (open face). Broil at 450 until toasty brown.
(Provided by Kathy Riegg. This was mom’s card club favorite).


GORGONZOLA AND CRANBERRY CHEESE BALL – Sue Lewis

1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese softened
1 cup (4 oz) crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
1 cup dried Cranberries
2 T each – Finely chopped Onion, Celery, Green Pepper and Sweet Hot Pepper
¼ tsp. Hot Pepper Sauce
¾ cup Chopped Pecans
Assorted Crackers

In a small bowl, combine Cheeses. Stir in the Cranberries, Vegetables and Pepper Sauce. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap.

Second step – refrigerate for 1 hr. or until firm. Roll Cheese Ball in Pecans.
Instead of Cranberries, you can use Craisins.

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