Monday, July 14, 2008
Shower them with finger foods
We are coming upon the season of showers, both for brides and soon-to-be mothers. If you are hosting such an event, try serving a selection of appetizers, vegetables and dip, and cookies or sweets. Finger foods like these lets guests nibble and may encourage them to mingle more.
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Garlic Spinach Balls
2 cups crushed dried seasoned stuffing
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup egg substitute
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine stuffing, onion, egg substitute, egg, Parmesan cheese, butter, broth, garlic, thyme, and pepper. Stir in spinach until blended. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place in a 15x1-inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
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Ham Salad Spread
3 cups ground fully cooked ham
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Assorted crackers
In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Combine mayonnaise and mustard; add to ham mixture and mix well. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers. Makes 24 servings.
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Mini-Cheesecakes
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
12 vanilla wafers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 12 vanilla wafers on the bottom of 12 paper lined muffin cups. Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Pour mixture into muffin cups. Bake until centers are almost set, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Makes 12 servings.
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Party Punch
3 3-ounce packages fruit-flavored gelatin mix
4 cups granulated sugar
13 cups boiling water
2 46-ounce cans pineapple juice
1 16-ounce bottle lemon juice concentrate
2 2-liter bottles ginger ale, chilled
In a large bowl, combine gelatin and sugar. Stir in boiling water until mixture is dissolved. Stir in pineapple juice and lemon juice concentrate. Divide into 2 containers; freeze until solid. To serve, place gelatin mixture in punch bowl, and chop into pieces. Slowly pour in ginger ale. Makes about 40 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
To easily crush dried stuffing, place it in a sealable plastic bag on a flat surface. Use a rolling pin to crush stuffing into a finer crumb.
The Practical Pantry ©2008 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com