when the ladies get together.... of course we need snacks!

Two of my college roommates and I decided to get together in the remote town of Brule, Wisconsin last year for a ladies weekend. Kellie, who lives in Brule, and Helen were all excited because the Packers were playing that weekend and wanted to have snacks and watch football for our second night together. I figured I would just sit there and look pretty since I don't care too much for the sport ;)  However, I ended up devouring snacks Kellie had made, chugging beer (like our ol' college days!) and cheering on the CheeseHeads (after all, I am from Wisconsin, so I might as well join in). After deciding this had to be an annual get together, since it is getting more difficult with husbands and babies (ok, only a puppy for me) to see each other more, we picked another winter weekend for our get together. This year, Helen and I came more prepared so Kellie wasn't left to make all of our favorite grub.

I spent the night before preparing for our appetizer night- as appetizers are the best to create a whole variety of food without a lot of fuss, and you know I like to be able to pick a little from here, a little from there!

The first apptizer is one of my all time favorites. My mom made it for our family a few years ago and I couldn't stop dipping the chips into the creamy goodness. She let me know we had the recipe in the family for years upon years as it was my Grandmothers. She called it "Guacamole Dip" however, I think this just makes it sound like it's regular ol' Guac so for kicks and giggles, we are renaming it something plain and straightforward: "Creamy Avocado Dip". For as much as I do enjoy a yummy guacamole, I think this is a fun twist to the traditional. It starts out with a Mayonnaise and Sour Cream base, followed up with the classic ingredients of Tomatoes, Onion, and Garlic Salt. Throw in a dash of Lemon Juice and mashed Avocado and you have this smooth, refreshing dip that is perfect year round.

Creamy Avocado Dip : Makes 1 1/2 Cups

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1-2 large Tomatoes, chopped and drained
• 1/2 large White Onion, diced
• Garlic Salt, to your liking
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2-3 Avocados, diced
• There are a couple of options here- if you have the patience for your avocados to ripen, I would suggest mashing one of the Avocados and dicing the other for a collection of textures. If, however, you are unpatient like me, I always buy Wholly Guacamole (available in the produce section of the Grocery Sore next to the lettuce) which is all natural mashed Avocado and ready when you want it to be! In this case, I buy one box, and squeeze both bags of the green stuff right into the dip. Perfect!

Mix Mayonnaise and Sour Cream. Stir in Tomatoes and Onion. Sprinke the Garlic Salt followed buy the juice of the Lemon (watch out for those pesty seeds!). Finally, fold in the Avocado, or Wholly Guacamole. Let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Serve with Vegetables or Chips- my preferred favorite: Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips. I don't know why but I love this combination!

I would only make this 1 day in advance

since the longer the Avocado sits,

it oxidizes and will turn a little brown!

Next on the apptizer list is a recipe that I adapted from AllRecipes.com. It is a Hoagie Dip that contains all of the common ingredients found in the bountiful sandwich. Layered with Ham, Salami, Banana Peppers, and Onions, atop Mayonnaise, Sour Cream and Cheddar Cheese creates the sturdy snack that's finished with Vinegar, Oregano, Tomatoes and Lettuce. Two Choices: you want to go to the sandwhich shop for the real thing or do you want to be able to continuously dip your chip for the hoagie that doesn't seem to end?

Traditional Italian Hoagie Dip : Makes 2 Cups

• 1 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 pound cooked Ham, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound Hard Salami, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded American Cheese
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup Banana Peppers, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 tablespoon Red WineVinegar
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Shredded Lettuce
• Toast Crackers for serving

Make your base of Mayonnaise and Sour Cream. Throw in the Ham, Salami and Cheese. Mix well to spread out the meats and cheese. Fold in the Onions and Banana Peppers. Sprinkle the Oregano and Red Wine Vinegar and stir to incorporate all flavors. Let sit in refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Right before serving, top the serving dish with chopped Tomatoes and shredded Lettuce.

This would be fun to serve in a bread bowl with pieces of the bread toasted and served along side the bowl but in a crunch, the Toast Crackers are a good substitute!

The last appetizer to round out the snack-filled night, is a recipe that has been a staple in my mother's kitchen since we were little...with a few modifications! Chicken Enchiladas are both hearty and delicious and can quickly transform from a whole meal into a bite-sized treat. I cut out the step of making my own chicken and used a whole roasted Chicken from the store to save time. After shredding the chicken, add it to the saute pan of onions, green chiles, chicken stock and seasonings and you have the sauce for the Enchiladadas. The rest is just assembling and baking and out comes the spicy, gooey mess of the old family favorite.

 Spicy Chicken Enchiladas : Serves 12

• 3 small Onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 3 tablespoons Flour
• 2 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
• 2-8 ounce cans Chopped Green Chiles
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 2 1/4 cup Shredded Baked Chicken
• 2 cans Enchilada Sauce
• 12 Corn or Flour Tortillas
• 1 1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack Cheese
• For an extra kick, I use grated PepperJack Cheese instead!
• 1 1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese

Saute Onion in melted Butter. Stir in Flour and Chicken Broth. Add Chiles, minced Garlic, Cumin and Salt (to taste). Simmer 15 minutes. Set Aside and add cooked Chicken.

Dip Tortillas in Enchilada Sauce. Put some Chicken Sauce on each Tortilla. Top with 2-3 tablespoons of Cheeses. Roll up and put on greased  9" x 13" baking dish, seam side down. Pour remaining Enchilada Sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining Cheeses.

• This would be an excellent time to freeze the enchiladas if you do not wish to bake them at this time! They are a perfect option to freeze now and have a speedy dinner later! Just let them come to room temperature before placing in oven- may require a few extra minutes!

Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with Sour Cream, shredded Lettuce, and chopped Tomatoes, if desired. And, if you have it made, the Creamy Avocado Dip would be an excellent addition!

To make these into tasty appetizer treats, I

just cut the tortillas in half so they were

more bite sized! They went over perfectly!

isn't everything better when it's smaller?

Isn't that the saying? No? Oh, well in this case it is! Marguerite Marceau Henderson compiles recipes that fit this mold- Small Plates: Appetizers as Meals. This is one timeless cookbook in which I thoroughly enjoying perusing the beautiful photography that grace its pages; it's a bonus that the meals she delivers are delicious too! Ms. Henderson provides us with the perfect portions to serve up for an initmate gathering of two or a cocktail party for 12.

At a get together, don't you often discover yourself gathered around the kitchen just munching on snacks, finding to be full when the actual meal is served? For all of you who know me, know that I don't disappoint on the amount of appetizers I like to serve, so this book is a perfect addition to my collection and I believe to any person who fancies a party.

Recipes include the classic pariring of Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Bundles (perfect for the Spring Fling), the smoky Asian Grilled Steak on Sesame Slaw (using a tri-trip steak in this recipe is a reason to celebrate seeing as it is a cost-effective choice of meat, can be low in fat if trimmed, and remains tender when marinated and cooked) and Free Form Ravioli with Crabmeat and Shrimp (major bonus points for host with the artful presentation of this!)

Ms. Henderson breaks it down into Breadstuffs, Meats and Poultry, Pastas and Grains, Sauces and Salsas, Salads, Seafood, Soups and Stews, and Vegetables. I do not doubt there is a guaranteed recipe you will want to serve at your next hosting gig and if not, well then, I will introduce you to full sized meals to be served after the small plates!

Amazon Books
Barnes and Noble

where to start?

What's a Cook to Do? by James Peterson is an essential for every cook- from those just starting out to the seasoned pro. This book has quickly become one that I frequently turn to to refresh my skills, or lack thereof! It covers the basics from how to chop, dice, and julienne a carrot to how to make fresh home-made pasta (we will come back to this lesson!) to how to carve a turkey. What's a Cook to Do provides 484 detailed instructions, with photographs, so anyone can follow the toughest of culinary duties. What kind of pan should I purchase? How do I wash leeks? And what do I do to rescue flavorless fruits? I now hold the knowledge to the answers of these questions! What's a cook to do? Um, they should go and buy this book!

Amazon Books
Barnes and Noble