Appetizers & Dips

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Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stacks The Eagles are going to the Super Bowl!!  That was a fantastic game!  There were so many moments last night, where my husband and I would look at each other in disbelief of what we were witnessing.    What made the game even sweeter were these sushi stacks!  Don't let the picture fool you; these babies are a lot bigger than your average piece of sushi.  The ingredients...

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps Hands down, my favorite part about the super bowl is the naughty food.  Well, unless the Eagles are playing - then it's a whole other story!  Last year, my little sous chef discovered the puppy bowl, which was thee perfect distraction for her while we were watching the big game.  This year, it's the kitten bowl that she's amped up about.  I have to admit - my inner creepy cat lady will claw its way out, and I know...

Lobster & Corn Salad Lettuce Wraps with Tarragon Mayonnaise Exactly one week ago, on August 6th, I celebrated my 33rd fifth 29th birthday.  My husband and I called off work, and he had the entire day planned out, babysitting and all.  How exciting!  We started the day off at the Parc Bistro for brunch, where I enjoyed some...

Strawberry & Peach Salsa This summery fruit salsa makes for an attractive and delicious garnish to grilled chicken, pork, and fish.  It's also good as a dip for tortilla chips.  Light, fresh, healthy, and easy to throw together - perfect for your summer festivities!

Our Favorite Guacamole The first time I introduced my husband to guacamole, he was not a fan of it.  At.  All.  I, on the other hand, am a self-proclaimed guacamoholic.  It's very healthy, but I try hard not to overindulge because of the high calorie count.  A few years back, we fell in love with these beautiful salads at a local Mexican restaurant that included a little side of guacamole.  I don't know if it was because...

Vegetarian Mexican-Style Stuffed Mini Peppers Give your taste buds a fun ride with these vegetarian stuffed mini sweet peppers!  They are given a Mexican spin using cilantro, lime, black beans, rice, corn, tomatoes, onions, and even a little splash of tequila.  The sweetness of the peppers are beautifully...

Roasted Broccoli & Rosemary Tart with Smoked Gouda Well, we've made it through the first full week of March without any snow.  Hallelujah!  With Spring being less than 2 weeks away, Daylight Savings being this weekend (don't forget!), and today being Friday, I'm feeling very positive.  I can't wait to see fresh, green grass...

Tequila Nachos Supreme with Ground Beef Whether it's for a large party or a fun family night in, these nachos are easy to make and will be a hit!  Crispy nachos covered in seasoned ground beef are topped in a delicious tomato and bean mixture that is soaked in tequila.

Buffalo Chicken Dippin' Balls with Spicy Cheddar Cheese Sauce My little 9-year-old sous chef told me that she is really excited to watch the Super Bowl with us.  Her reasoning?  "We get to eat really good food ...in the living room while we watch TV!"  If you...

Crab Rangoon Dip & Homemade Wonton Chips Last night was a big night for us.  Eagles versus Cowboys for a chance to go to the playoffs.  I was cautiously optimistic, but if history is a good predictor of the future, at the very least, I was going to have something good to snack on!  I had made our favorite crab cakes...

Deep-Fried Green Pepper Rings Move over, onions... bell peppers are taking over!  These fried pepper rings are so easy to make and they can be done in under 15 minutes.  Try them - you won't be disappointed!  Bet you can't just eat one!  Of course, you can use any color bell pepper you prefer...

Easy Beer-Basted Baby Back Ribs Happy Friday!  Any football fans out there?  How about that Peyton Manning last night?!  I had him starting in my fantasy football team and I am loving life today!  To kick off football season...

Bacon-Wrapped StrawberriesYou know how you cover your face with both hands while anticipating a scary part of a movie but leave justenough room for one eye to peek through your fingers?  That's totally me right now.  I cringe to think about the first reaction one might experience in response to a recipe like this... and I get it...

Quick & Easy Queso We love our queso!  This recipe may not be "authentic" but it's quick, easy and oh, so tasty!

Buffalo Deviled Eggs Did you know that it's currently National Egg Salad week?  Take a guess why... all of those leftover hard-boiled eggs from Easter.  I wanted to try something new and came up with these yummy Buffalo Deviled Eggs.  They are so good and can easily be adjusted...

Baked Buffalo Broccoli Bites Opt for a healthier choice for your Super Bowl festivities this year without sacrificing flavor!  I came up with these buffalo broccoli bites after feeling guilty about my lack of healthy snacks.  These bites are breaded in Panko crumbs, baked in the oven and...

Black Bean Pico de Gallo Fresh, tangy, slightly sweet, spicy, crunchy, healthy, low in calories... the perfect condiment to dip your tortilla chips into or top your tacos with!  Pico de Gallo is an uncooked Mexican condiment that contains much less liquid than salsa, so it...

Braised Steak & Vegetable Rolls in Red Wine A lot has happened since my last post.  Hurricane Sandy ripped through the East Coast and caused immense damage to so many.  With the strong steady wind, intense wind gusts, downed trees all around,  and transformers exploding down...

Shrimp & Mango Salad in Crispy Parmesan Bowls The school year is winding down and summer break is upon us.  My daughter has one full week left of 1st grade and I have been busy working on our summer schedule and planning activities.  With the unseasonably warm weather we have...

Pork Pot Stickers My husband has been asking me to make pot stickers for the last month and it wasn't until this past weekend that I was able to finally make them.  These pot stickers are so tasty and well-worth the time and effort...

Reuben Potato Skins This isn't a recipe as much as it is an idea for your leftover corned beef.  My husband and I made these Reuben potato skins last night and they were delicious!  Have a happy and safe Saint Patrick's Day!

Quick & Easy Homemade Onion Rings If you go back to some of my first posts, you will see that the quality of some of those photos is very poor (example here).  I have been tempted, on occasion, to delete some of the older posts that contained these poor-quality images but have always held off from doing so.  Why?  Mainly because I think it's important to be reminded of where I got...

Tomato Bruschetta with Chipotle-Aioli Sauce We had cod with chipotle-aioli sauce one night this week for dinner and I wanted to use up the remaining sauce before it went bad.  I decided to use it to make bruschetta (being the bruschettoholic that I am) and it turned out fabulous...

Creamy Artichoke, Spinach & Crab Dip  Super Bowl Sunday is quickly approaching.  Do you have any special appetizers or meals planned?  This artichoke spinach & crab dip is so creamy and delicious and would be a perfect compliment to your Super Bowl festivities...

Crab-Stuffed Cucumber Cups This is another perfect appetizer for the super bowl.  Before I go on about the recipe, I have a question:  Who here is addicted to Pinterest?!  *Raises hand with a big, nerdy grin on her face*  Me!  Me!  I find myself constantly inspired...

Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread Yesterday began with a hearty brunch of eggs, bacon, home fries and toast.  It was a cold Saturday with 4 inches of snow on the ground and I wasn't about to go anywhere.  Then something happened -- the baking bug bit.  It started with delectable red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...

New Year's Black Eyed Pea, Sausage & Kale Dip How do you celebrate the New Year?  We enjoy pork and sauerkraut for dinner every year.  This year, I decided to also serve a New Year's dip with ingredients considered to be "lucky".  Black-eyed peas symbolize coins and kale symbolizes folded money, which means wealth...

Crispy Chicken Wings Autumn is my favorite season for so many reasons.  The colors, the food, the gorgeous weather... and football!  We sure love our Philadelphia Eagles and if you happen to pass by our house during a game, you will be sure to hear our obnoxiously loud shouting team spirit through the windows...

Steamed Clams We decided to run to Wegman's to get sushi and a few grocery items a few nights ago.  Is it me or is it impossible to leave that place without a cart full of stuff that you didn't need in the first place?!  We walked in with one cart and intended to spend about $40 but walked out with two carts and had a $150 bill.  Clams were not on my grocery list...

Rainbow Fruit Kabobs I spent all day Saturday preparing food from homemade ice cream to potato salad for two picnics.  Fruit kabobs are a perfect side because they are naturally delicious, healthy, colorful and very fun for the kids.  Be sure to clip off the sharp ends of the wooden skewers for the younger ones!

Southwestern Bruschetta It was between lunch and dinner and I found myself craving a snack, particularly something Mexican.  I had made some guacamole and had French baguette that I needed to use up, so I decided to make southwestern bruschetta.  Simple and delicious...

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus It was a beautiful, sunny day to grill out and I had some asparagus that I needed to use up.  I wrapped them in thin slices of prosciutto and they made a wonderfully tasty and easy side dish...

Creamy Ranch and Rosted Red Pepper Crostini One of my favorite things about being a food blogger is getting free food and ingredients in the mail.  As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received Tostitos' and Lay's new Dip Creations.  Two packages of three different flavors were sent to me:  Country Ranch, Garden Onion and Freshly Made Guacamole.  For the Garden Onion and...

Vegetable & Cheese Pierogi My family loves pierogi.  They are salty and crunchy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside.  You can stuff them with anything you want, which makes them a perfect meal to pull out leftovers for.  This dough is extremely simple, easy to work...

Bacon, Shrimp & Cheddar Potato Skins We had twice-baked potatoes and haddock one night for dinner this week.  Whenever I make twice-baked potatoes, I save the skins (no wasting food here!) so I can make baked potato skins as a snack.  Baked potato skins are a great snack because you really...

Peanut Butter S'more Cups I find myself daydreaming a lot about camping under the stars with my family.  There's something magical about sitting by a warm fire while it crackles away in the night, watching the embers glow and sharing stories with those you care about as the shadows dance around you.  Even long after the fire is put out, the smell of it remains with you...

Homemade Baked French Fries Homemade baked french fries are perfect for your super bowl festivities.  They are soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Parmesan-Thyme Garlic Knots First of all, I would like to say big thank you for your thoughts, well wishes and prayers for my daughter. We are still awaiting a pediatric neurologist appointment. In the meantime, I have been giving her extra kisses and snuggles and she...

Deep-Fried Seasoned French Fries Potatoes were on sale for $0.99/5 pound bag last week, so what did I do?  I bought enough to feed an army.  So far, I have used them to make potato salad, home fries for breakfast, and baked bacon, shrimp and cheddar potato skins.  My husband happened...

Buffalo Chicken Dip The Philadelphia Eagles are in the playoffs today at 4:30 PM against the Green Bay Packers. Playoffs in my house = not-so-healthy snack food. My husband was looking forward to me making buffalo chicken dip. If you like a lot of spice, this packs in a lot of it...

Meatball Sub Pierogi My husband has been craving pierogi for the past several days and we found ourselves with some extra time Sunday night to make them.  It turned out to be a very special day because my little sous chef was able to stuff, seal and boil the pierogi all by...

Homemade Potato Chips It has been raining and raining for a long time now. There is water everywhere. Today, I am thankful for the fact that I do not have a basement. The flooding on the roads are so bad that the entire school district is closed for the day...

Three-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms These are wonderful little appetizers. Eat with caution! You'll find yourself popping one in your mouth here and there until they magically disappear! Be careful taking them out of the oven, so none of them topple over.

Italian Pinwheels with Turkey, Green Pepper & Sun-dried Tomatoes Cooking and baking have definitely been good medicine for me recently. I had a little spare time today before my husband came home from work and I thought that it would be the perfect time for me to try out this cute appetizer I found over at My Kind of Cooking...

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta This week is Kids' Camp at our church and I have been so busy with it that I have had very little time for some relaxing cooking. Dinners have been a rush and I finally had some breathing time tonight. When my husband I were dating, he introduced me to bruschetta...

Pepperoni & Mozzarella Pizza Bites I was browsing through some of my favorite cooking blogs the other day and came across a recipe for pizza bites that gave me inspiration for this recipe. Oh my goodness gracious are these good! You can stuff these with anything. I think...

Chicken Quesadillas I had leftover roasted chicken from last night that I wanted to use. It has been quite some time since we have had chicken quesadillas and I have been craving them since seeing them recently online. These are very yummy! You can...

Blooming Pizza Bread Remember the Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread that hit the front page of AOL.com back in February?  Well, I decided to go along with a pizza theme this time.  The results?  Amazing!  I really need to reserve making these for when I have company...