Easy Appetizers

These are easy to make and even easier to eat. Great for parties! Just had to share this with you! Make them for your 4th of July party or any kind of gathering…

For more easy appetizer recipes check out our Holiday Appetizers page.

That day of Independence that means just a little bit more than just BBQs and picnics is in a couple of days. I love 4th of July. I love the sunny days and the sparkly fireworks and the great food. But this year, I’m giving a little more thought to what it means.

We live in a FREE country. Most of the time, we don’t give that a second thought. But, when you stop to think about all the things we take for granted that some countries aren’t allowed to do. Like vote. Like speak our minds freely. Like having as many or as few children as we choose. Wow. Can you imagine any of those things taken away from you? I can’t.

When I watch the fireworks on July 4th, I’m going to be celebrating the freedoms we have. Thank you Founding Fathers. Thank you for your courage and your foresight. Let us always remember that freedom is a right, but it’s also a priviledge.

Happy July 4th. Happy Independence Day. And have some delicous simple appetizers to help celebrate! Visit our July 4th Appetizers page.

For more great easy appetizer recipes, check out our Holiday Appetizers page.

Those cute little stuffed cherry tomatoes are so cheerful looking. But best of all, they are delicious, adding a nice touch to your repertoire of simple appetizers. Even if you think you don’t like tomatoes, I bet you’ll change your mind just a little if you tried this easy recipe. These cherry tomatoes are tiny, and stuffed with great flavor. Basically, the tomato acts like a little holder or a cup. And, they present nicely. Try it, you tomato-haters might change your mind!

What you’ll need:
- 48 cherry tomatoes
- Salt
- 1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp cognac or other good brandy
- 2 oz. pimiento stuffed green olives(chopped)
- Tobasco sauce
- 1/2 cup parsley (minced)

What to do:
First, cut a thin slice from the stem end of each tomato and scoop out center pulp. Yes, it’s a bit labor-intensive and you are wondering where is the “easy” part of this appetizer recipe? Well, what’s easy about it, is the eating part. REAL easy.

Next, sprinkle inside with salt and invert the tomatoes on a paper towel for 10 or 15 minutes. Combine the cheeses and cognac. Blend until smooth and then add olives and 2 or 3 dashes of Tobasco sauce. Fill the drained tomatoes with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with parsley and serve it up!

Serve this easy appetizer on your favorite party platter. Enjoy!

With summer just starting and the weather getting hotter every day, grilling your food outdoors is a lot more pleasant that slaving over a hot stove inside. I was reading Fitness magazine the other day and came across these fun grilling facts. Take a look:

- 76 percentage of women who like to grill
- 150 millions of hot dogs Americans eat over Memorial Day weekend
- 100 calories in a turkey dog
- 148 calories in a regular dog
- 49 percentage of grillers who think it’s acceptable to bring their own sauce to a barbecue
- 121 calories you save by grilling  a chicken breast instead of frying it

Now that you know all about the facts of grilling, here’s a really easy appetizer to grill while you are sipping cocktails on the patio.

Mushroom Bacon Bites

What you need:
- 24 medium fresh mushrooms
- 12 bacon strips, halved
- 1 cup of you favorite barbecue sauce

What to Do
1. Wrap each mushroom with a piece of bacon; secure with a toothpick.
2. Thread onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers; brush with barbecue sauce.
3. Grill, uncovered, over indirect medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the mushrooms are tender, turning and basting occasionally with remaining barbecue sauce.

This easy appetizer recipe makes 2 dozen. For more wonderful grilled appetizer recipes, visit our Simple Appetizer Recipes page.

I was “digging” at Digg.com for some great ideas to share and came across this article about salsa… Nothing better than freshly made salsa with your favorite tortilla chips and this article tells you how to do it.

From eHOW.com
The best homemade salsa is made with fresh vegetables right out of your garden. This is a recipe I have made for years during the summer when I have fresh tomatoes. It’s quick and easy to make and delicious.

read more | digg story

I really, really love chips. Potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, you name it. Recently at a party, my hostess large warm potato chips. They were the best chips I had ever eaten. So, I asked her who made them and where did she get them. She told me she made them herself. Well. I had to try her recipe.

And that led me to making all kinds of different chips. The flavors or so good and serving them fresh from baking or frying them is the best! Below are some of my favorite chip recipes… Enjoy making them and eating them up!

Homemade Potato Chips – Are you the creative type? How about making your chips of the mixed variety? Make them not just with Russet potatoes – even though they are available all year. But, try making some of your chips from Finnish yellow or Peruvian purple potatoes.

Italian Bagel Chips – takes plain bagels and making them into something special. Add some wonderful seasoning and what seemed old and boring before has a whole new lift to it. Use these chips with a variety of dips and you’ll please even the pickiest of eaters.

Lemon Thyme Pita Chips – are a wonderful change from the same old chips everyone usually serves. This easy appetizer recipe will be the hit of the party. Your friends and guests will beg you for this chip dip recipe!

Corn Tortilla Chips – Fresh. Crunchy. And the flavor! You can’t eat just one. Plus, you’ll enjoy making these wonderfully flavored tortilla chips yourself.

Parmesan Cheese Crisps – This is one of my favorite easy appetizer recipes because of it’s crispy lightness and they way they melt in your mouth.

Enjoy with some wonderfully creative dips. Perfect  for Memorial Day, Labor Day, or any fun party you are planning.

Memorial Day weekend is here and besides spending a few quiet moments to remember the brave men and women who died for our country in the line of duty, there will be picnics, BBQs and parties to get ready for.

Here’s a little help in that area… I’m listing 5 of my favorite Chicken Wings Recipes for you to try out. Chicken Wings – when done right, are a wonderful simple appetizer that everyone loves. Watch. You’ll see. They will disappear before your eyes!

#1. THE Original Buffalo Chicken Wings – Take a peak at the first recipe that started the popularity of chicken wings. Simple and easy appetizer to make.

#2. Apricot Onion Chicken Wings - I like this one because it blends the sweet with the tart and the combination will make this a real party pleaser.

#3. Coffee Chicken Wings – Ooo la la! This recipe is exotic, but oh-so-delicous!  You’ll love the smokiness the coffee flavor adds to the wings.

#4. Dragon Breath Chicken Wings – These wings you grill and they will spice up any party you might throw. The nice thing about this recipe is that they are as delicious served cold as they are straight from your grill.

#5. Diablo Canyon Chicken Wings – This is a wonderful simple appetizer recipe for the spicy-shy adult and kid. The flavor is a nice mixture of sweet and salty.

Enjoy your holiday and remember to be SAFE!

Loved by many, this easy appetizer recipe is perfect for the summer… watch how easy it is to make it. Enjoy it!

Don’t forget to visit Easy Appetizer Recipes for more great ideas for  your parties, gatherings and get-togethers.

Wow. Here is a beautiful easy appetizer recipe that will give your party table some extra ‘zazz. These shrimp puffs are easier to make than they look. A lovely appetizer recipe for either a friendly get together or works well as a fancy hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail party. Enjoy!

My friend, Cindy, is an awesome cook, baker, friend, wife, mother (did I say friend?) In fact, she and 4 other of our friends and I are all very close. Each of these incredible women adds a unique and wonderful perspective to my life.

The six of us have been getting together at least once a month for the last 10-12 years. I honestly don’t remember exactly how long it’s been. But within those years and those visits, we have formed a bond that I know will go on even past this life…Their friendships have carried me through tough times and each one of them has given me the gift of trust. A place that I can unburden myself and know that they support me. I sincerely do not know what I would do without them.

We’ve shared tons of laughter, some tears, weathered our children’s growing up days, the antics of our husbands, divorces, rekindled romances with past loves, more laughter, and of course FOOD! Our get-togethers are always about great food. If we don’t go out to some new restaurant, we meet at one of our homes and bring food that always amounts to an unbelievable meal. Cindy is a great cook, but so are Louise, Joan, Janet and Annie.

In this post, I wanted to share with you Cindy’s fabulous Texas Caviar Dip. This easy appetizer recipe is Heaven in a bowl. Since Memorial Day is just around the corner, this could work perfectly for a picnic or party. I added a couple of ingredients. Try it! You’ll like it! And tell the ones you are closest to how much you love them.

What you’ll need:
- 1 can of white corn, rinsed (or if you are really ambitious, cook your own corn and scrape off 16 ounces worth of corn kernals.)
- 1 can of black-eyed peas, rinsed
- green onion, chopped (to taste)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- red onion, minced (to taste)
- 2 ripe avocados (not too ripe!)
- tomatoes, chopped (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
- black pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
- chopped cilantro (to taste)
- fresh lime juice

Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate or serve immediately. Serve with baked tortilla chips or corn tortilla chips. DEEEELish!