The sizzle of summer has arrived in a flash. All the activities that accompany summer fun have arrived too. It seems each year once school is out the summer takes off in jet propelled fashion and before you know it we are attending Back to School night.

We entertain more as it is so easy to fire up the grill and enjoy good friends. Recently we got together for a bittersweet dinner party. While the evening was great fun and filled with laughs, it was marking the occasion of some dear friends and neighbors who will be moving away to another state. We shared carpool trips to and from elementary school, spent many fun days at the swimming pool and shared more “play dates” than I can count. Our entire family is going to miss these great friends!

I wanted our time together to be fun and a time to catch up one last time before they pack up and move. The kitchen tasks and  food needed to be simple.

To kick off the evening, we served a baked cheese appetizer. This fantastic appetizer was served at last month’s culinary book club. Kathy Smith shared her secret to this dish and we enjoyed it–really devoured it– along with a glass of wine. You can keep the ingredients on hand and it goes together in no time. Our daughter even loves this one so it will be served quite a lot this summer. Well let me restate that, it was going to be served quite a lot until we learned she is allergic to milk and all milk products. More on that I am sure in future blogs.

Anyway, keep it simple and try this appetizer.  It would even count as dinner at our house on certain crazed summer evenings.

 

*Kathy Smith introduced me to this product from Trader Joe’s. I love it and have found so many great uses for this marinated cheese in many of my recipes.

If you’ve been reading our blog very long or if you know me very well, you have probably figured out that I love all things Southern. I mean Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia and Texas. Since I was born and raised in Missouri, I like to think I am a Southerner…..oh, well sort of.

That said, a tradition that our family has shared for many, many years is eating black eyed pea dip on New Year’s Day. This ritual is said to bring prosperity and much “good luck” to all who partake. We take a moment to reflect on all the blessings of the past year and say a prayer of gratitude. Some years this has been easier to do than in others, but each and every year is sprinkled full of so much to be thankful for that this is an important time for each of us. After we have reflected on the past year, we turn our thoughts to the New Year and share our hopes and dreams for all that the New Year holds. It is always a bit magical to enjoy this dip and have fun with our plans for the future.

Kathy and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our blog this past year. We never imagined that 2011 would hold so much for us and that we would complete not one, but two cookbook manuscripts! Wow! A lot can happen in 12 months.

We have some special announcements to make in 2012, so please come back, pull up a chair, savor recipes and stories with us. We would love to hear from you.

Happy New Year!

 

 

I have to get ready. Halloween on through New Year’s is a fun, wonderful, magical time of year—and I love every part of it. The season means food and friends, music and wonderment, parties and gifts, laughter and love. It is also the season of appetizers.

I love to bake and I will take just about any excuse to make a batch of Babycakes Cupcake Maker cupcakes, cookies, pies or whatever. But this time of year, it seems I become appetizer challenged. Do you ever have that problem? Why is it hard to think of a new appetizer or snack to serve?

This year, I planned to create several new appetizers. Recipes ready, it would be a cinch to quickly make a batch of something new. Suddenly, I am already behind.

Roxanne and I had great Saturday at Pryde’s, signing copies of our new cookbook. Pryde’s is a wonderful kitchen shop in the Old Westport area of Kansas City. It was fun to meet so many people and sign copies of our book. (Visit our Facebook page to see a photo.) It was also great fun to watch the shoppers. The store was so busy and people were shopping for the holidays. We actually saw gift-wrapped holiday packages leaving the shop. Wow, I thought, those folks know how to get a jump on the holidays—and then suddenly I realized—the holidays are – eek—here.

Back to the appetizers. This year, I knew it would be a cinch since I was counting on appetizers from the Babycakes Cupcake Maker. I love to use it for appetizers and quiche. So, if you have every thought of yourself as appetizer challenged, never fear—this wonderful empanada could become one of your favorite recipes, too. Empanadas are just bite-size turnovers and they can be filled with so many different meat and veggie combinations. This time, I chose goat cheese and mushrooms. I also made a new crust recipe—a little more classic for empanadas as it is not quite as flaky as a pie crust. Yet, in a pinch, I know they would be just as good if I made a classic pie crust or even used a refrigerated crust. Warm melted cheese, mushrooms, and a hint of seasonings. Perfect for any holiday party I know. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy the days ahead.

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