Fun Summer Food: Sliders Recipes

I love sliders in the summer because they can feed a crowd and keep everyone happy. These small burgers can be enhanced with all sorts of toppings, from the traditional to the exotic. Consider creating a slider bar for your next party. You supply the sliders, the buns and the toppings, and let your guests pick and choose their combinations. Alternatively, have a few of the best selections already assembled and available. Some ideas for your slider bar might include: fried onions, cheddar, american, provolone and goat cheese, condiments, pickles, sun dried tomatoes, homemade sauces and more. Here are some … Continue reading

How to Make Your Own Edible Arrangement

Edible arrangements are wonderful thing. You can give them to friends, bring them to a party, reward someone at work, or just have them at home for your own gathering. The only real problem with edible food arrangements is the cost. You can spend $50 for the barest ones. That is, unless you make them yourself. Edible arrangements are not hard to make, and the ingredients that you use for them are usually inexpensive, especially if you take advantage of seasonal items and sales. The first thing you will need to know to craft your own version is to figure … Continue reading

Italian Potluck

Tis the season for potlucks. The end of April to the beginning of June is prime potluck time. Families are gathering for First Communion, Mother’s Day and graduation… and smack in the middle of all the festivities is—food! My family has been invited to no less than four potlucks in May. Honestly, I’m not sure how we’re going to pull it off. And by “we” I mean me. I’m responsible for preparing two desserts, one main course and one salad for the aforementioned parties. If you too are knee-deep in potluck invitations and are looking for a phenomenally good dish … Continue reading

Easter Sunday Sides

Easter is traditionally a time when families (immediate and extended) come together to celebrate the season and share a large meal. After all, you can’t have a family gathering without food, right? If you are planning to attend an Easter potluck or you are simply helping your Easter party hostess by preparing a couple of side dishes to supplement the holiday ham or lamb, then consider these easy crowd-pleasing casseroles that are a cinch to make and are loaded with flavor. BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE Ingredients: 1 (2-pound) bag frozen country style hash browns potatoes, thawed slightly 1 (16-ounce) container of … Continue reading

Easy Potluck Party Recipes

My family will be attending a retirement party potluck later this week. My young daughter is hoping that there will be plenty of desserts there since we were selected to bring an appetizer. I assured her that there would be more dessert options at the party than her little stomach could possibly hold. She was thrilled. That’s the beauty of potlucks—-variety. Still, I always get nervous preparing dishes to pass because I’m afraid that someone might not like what I’ve made… save for the two recipes I’ve listed below. The Sunburst Taco Dip and Easy Pasta Bake are two of … Continue reading

Two Quick Tips and an Apology

I owe everyone here on the food blog a huge apology. Not long after I started on the food blog, I posted my recipe for Middle Eastern Chicken Aussie Style. This weekend as I went to make it, when we were having guests for dinner, I found out there is a critical ingredient missing in the recipe I gave you. Fortunately I noticed that as I went to make it rather than afterwards Rather than hunt through all the myriad and books and files in which recipes are written I thought I’d just take it off my blog. That’s when … Continue reading

Recipes for Your Super Bowl Buffet

We’re just days away from the NFL’s biggest game of the year. On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Besides the action taking place on the field, there’s sure to be a ton of excitement surrounding the game day buffet table. After all, no Super Bowl viewing party is complete without a monster buffet. The following dishes make great additions to any party. The Italian Sausage Sandwiches couldn’t be easier to make, thanks to the use of a crock pot. Meanwhile, the Steak Pasta Salad offers a new twist on an old … Continue reading

Easy Game Day Grub

Whether you are tailgating at today’s Pro Bowl or you’re looking for tasty game day grub for next week’s Super Bowl, these simple recipes will come in very handy. The Chicken Enchiladas are a cinch to make and are a great way to feed the masses. In addition, the Stuffed Jalapenos make for great party finger food. Both dishes will help fire up guests for the big game, and the best part is that since the recipes are so easy to make, you won’t miss any of the action because you are stuck in the kitchen. CHICKEN ENCHILADAS Ingredients: 10 … Continue reading

Simple Game Day Party Recipes

I just got an email from Noodles & Company offering me a free bowl of my favorite noodles if I show up to the restaurant decked out in Green Bay Packers paraphernalia. Nice… except I don’t own any Packers gear. Noodles & Company’s special NFL playoff promotion is clever, but since I don’t have any green and gold outfits, I guess I be making my own party dishes for the big weekend wild-card games, such as: VEGETARIAN STUFFED MUSHROOMS Ingredients: 1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 2 … Continue reading

Bowl Game Bites

College football bowl games are in full swing, and so are the parties that celebrate the championship madness. And what’s a party without great eats? When you are cheering on your favorite team you need a mix of hearty dishes and some great finger foods, like these: MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Salt and pepper 8 cups baby spinach 1 teaspoon lemon zest Rolled out pizza dough or pre-baked pizza crust 1/2 cup pesto sauce 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped 1 cup chopped … Continue reading