Bourbon Glazed Meatball Appetizer

The meatballs in bourbon sauce is my favorite appetizer for parties. It has a scrumptious sweet glaze made with bourbon and brown sugar. They are especially great to serve during the Fall and Winter holidays and of course for Super Bowl or other sports parties. I never have leftovers and in fact, no matter how many I make there doesn't seem to be enough.

Bacon wrapped Pepperoni Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon Wrapped Pepperoni Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

These easy to make pepperoni, cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are a perfect appetizer for your parties, football tailgating and family get together;s. And you know wrapping with bacon you can't go wrong. I used my Traeger Smoker to cook mine, but you can use a oven or grill.

All you need is
6 - Jalapeno
8oz. - Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup - Shredded Cheddar, I used white cheddar
2Tbsp. - Dried Onion Flakes
Pepperoni
6 - Slices of Bacon, cut in half
Place soft cream cheese in bowl and mix with cheddar cheese and onion flakes. Slip on some latex gloves, slice stem off and then slice jalapeno in half. Discard seeds and place jalapeno's on a aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Stuff the jalapeno's with cheese mixture, then top with pepperoni slightly push them into the cheese mixture. Take half of a bacon slice and wrap around the popper. Whoolah done!!!

I smoked mine for a hour and then put the grill at 375 Degrees and cooked for 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.

For Oven baking preheat to 400 degrees and bake 25 - 30 minute

Authored by +Shawna Williams

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Easy Dried Beef Dip for Serving Cold or Hot

This dip is retro but it passes the test of time! It is still one of my favorites. I also love this particular recipe because it has a mild onion flavor and full of dried beef. The bonus is you can serve it cold or hot.

It's A party - Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

Minnie Mouse Cake made with a Wilton cake pan 

My three year old granddaughter wanted Minnie Mouse as her birthday theme so her aunt and I were tasked with bringing the refreshments and balloons. 

This was one of my favorite children's party themes because I love the bright colors and polka dots. Our menu included a Minnie Mouse Cake, cupcakes, candy-coated pretzels, candy-coated marshamallows and molded candy lollipops.

The Minnie Mouse Cake was actually a lot of fun to decorate and the kids loved it. We wanted the bow to stand out so instead of frosting we used red and white fondant.

Sweetheart Mousse Cups & The Best Love Song

Pretty Valentine candy cups filled with a light Chocolate Mouse will put a spark in your Valentine dinner or parties.

Cow in a Blanket

I like easy appetizers, especially when I am so worn out from Christmas.You will love how easy this recipe is and will be great for weekend sports and the up coming Super Bowl. Cow in a Blanket has 5 ingredients, which take about 5 minutes to make and 20 minutes to bake. You can also put your own twist on the sauces, sometimes I use a Hot sauce  or BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese. Busy Just Got Easy!

Smoky Cheddar & Bacon Cheese Ball

Who could possibly resist smoky cheddar cheese and bacon!! This has an incredible taste and is extremely easy to make. Just make sure you allow your self enough time for chilling. 

I served this for a party we hosted on the last Packer game. It is one of those appetizers you just can't quit eating. By the time we got to the homemade pizza, everyone was full from the cheese ball.  I will be making it again for the Super Bowl.

Butter Poached Lobster Tails

One of the many things I love about Florida is the lobster tails. They are easy to grill, boil and tempura. I was watching a food competition show and they had to poach lobster in a butter sauce so I had to give it a try. My daughter was happy that she was home that night and got to be my guinea pig. You start by fixing a sauce, it enhances the flavors at the end. This recipe is for four lobster tails, if you are only cooking two freeze the extra sauce for later.

Hot Mushroom Spread

For New Years I made a super easy appetizer which is full of mushrooms in a warm creamy sauce and topped with cheese. It can be served on crackers or rye bread rounds. However, I chose to serve it on a warm buttery Asiago & Cracked Pepper Baguette. It was phenomenal and a huge hit with friends. And it gets better, you can prepare it ahead of time and just throw it in the oven when guests arrive.

Pomegranate Cranberry Champagne Punch

This is the time of year we love sharing food, drinks and laughs with our friends and family.
At my Christmas Party we all share some of our favorite dishes, but I have to say the hit of the party was my Champagne Punch. The punch bowl station always had a crowd around it and definitely was the talk of the night. 

Three Easy Appetizers for Parties

My son's fiancee had a baby shower this past weekend and for once my role was fairly minimal - which was awesome. I was charged with bringing only the appetizers.

I am rushing this post because many of the attendees wanted my dip recipe before the holidays. The irony is I still have a Minnie Mouse birthday party from August to post. I have a feeling that won't happen until the first of next year.

These appetizers are really easy to pull together and they will be a big hit at your next party!

Holiday Parties, Shopping, Cooking Oh No!

Thanksgiving, holiday parties, shopping, cleaning, baking, cooking, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve; all within about a one-month-period. Wow, it makes you tired just to think about it!  Each and every year I say "I am not doing the winter holidays the same way next year"; and yet, each year I do everything exactly the same!

We all know that the busyness of the holidays can drain our energy, our time, our spirit; and basically, has the possibility of sucking the life right out of you!  So let's not let that happen this year. Why not give yourself the gift of of being organized and having time to really enjoy yourself (maybe even fit in a massage) and your family!

Here is a little present from us to you to help reduce your stress and keep you organized!

Ranch Party Mix

This is just the best Party Mix. A mixture of seven different ingredients tossed in a buttery ranch mixture. Beware - it is truly irresistible and you will find yourself eating a lot more than you anticipated.  My son-in-law's mother brought it to a party we held this summer and it was a huge hit with everyone. She shared her recipe so I am sharing it with you.

Southern Cheesy Grits and Shrimp Sundae

My sister was talking to me about one of her favorite fair foods which is a roast beef sundae. You take a classic Midwestern dish and put it together like a sundae. You can catch her recipe here Roast Beef Sundae.

 I thought it sounded so good and what a great appetizer. With football season here, Finally!,  I decided to take one of my husbands favorite and sundae it up. This Southern Sundae oozes with warm soft cheesy grits, cool sour creme, heat from the jalapeno's topped with marinated grilled shrimp. The marinate that is used on the shrimp is made with fresh citrus and enhances the flavors of the meat. I use this same marinate when doing ceviche.

Roast Beef Sundae with Biscuit Bites

I love the Iowa State Fair which is held every August for 11 days and I usually attend as many days as possible.  This year was no exception and in celebration of my favorite food from the Iowa Beef Producers' fair restaurant, I made my own version of  Roast Beef Sundae with a little twist - biscuit bites. 

It's a Party - Elephant Theme Baby Shower

Sunday was the big baby shower day for my youngest daughter. My oldest daughter and I spent all of last week getting ready for it and by Saturday night I was dragging big time. Our color theme was pink, grey and teal and the main theme was elephants. 

Cognac Glazed Fig Dessert

My husband grew up in Florida, yes you can call him a Cracker, and  he always raved about his Grandmother's Fig Preserves. So we thought why not plant a fig tree. We planted the tree and it started producing right away. Now what? The only thing I know about figs is that they are in  Newtons, but my husband insist they are sweet and make great preserves. Well, I was not in the mood to make a  jam so I came up with this very yummy dessert.

Mango Smoothie or Mango Cocktail

This is one of my favorite drinks; it's crisp, refreshing and just plain good. Ah yes, and for parties or BBQ's add a shot of Rum and a splash of coconut rum to the smoothie and honestly your friends will not only talk about how good this is, but they will request it for your next party. So kick back with your toes in the sand and a drink in your hand and enjoy your friends.

Raspberry Bourbon Glazed Dessert

I have been hankering for a really good dessert, one that screams Eat Me! One that tells my eyes you just can't look away. And last but not least something fresh and easy. Now that I have shown you this delicious dessert, don't you want one too?

Easter Celebration



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