Game Day Appetizers Score Extra Points! Crab is KING!

It seems that it's time again to post some appetizer recipes.  Thursday is the day I've  scheduled to pass along some great recipes.This week is Yummy! (Good thing we don't have a calorie count! Whipping cream & half & half are delicious!)This is a re-write of a post from my original blog, but definitely worth taking a look at again in honor of Super Bowl Weekend.

I have to say that I LOVE appetizers. In fact sometimes, I would rather eat appetizers than a real meal. I have come to the realization that it is because you can just get so creative with them. Several types are usually required when entertaining. The ingredients are never boring, and spices are fun and well,"Sparky" and SPICY!!! It can be inspiring to create and design an appetizer platter. Food can be a fabulous part of the edible and memorable "decorations" for a party as well.

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday- I thought I would share a couple of Appetizer recipes that I have collected over the years. My Mom Sharon called me over the holidays and asked me to give her that Yummy Hot crab appetizer recipe that I made last year for them. I had to pause for a moment because I actually could not remember which one that she was talking about. But this gave me the chance to go through some of the great recipes and so when I made a copy of them for her, I thought that I would share them with you too. If you can't make them all for the game, then try to make at least one over the weekend. ENJOY!

NEW!

Instead of a Chili Recipe, I am posting my friend Claudia's Cream of Crab Bisque-Recipe. Now, if you decide to make this recipe for this weekend, make sure that you do not waste this golden "melt in your mouth" gourmet recipe serving this soup to those who do not appreciate seafood delicacies. It's way better than Campbell's but it's a bit pricey- just make sure to enjoy every drop!

Claudia's Cream of Crab Soup

2 Lbs Jumbo Lump Crabmeat (only break apart some of the meat)
1 Sweet Onion (chopped finely)
1 stick butter (butter only)
1 bottle Clam Juice
1 can (15oz) Chicken Stock
2 qts Half and Half
1 1/2 quart Heavy whipping cream
4 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 Tablespoons Cooking Sherry
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley
Flour
Milk

In a large pot melt 1/2 of stick of butter, add chopped onion, saute until translucent, salt and pepper to taste. Add clam juice and chicken stock to sauted onion, stir to get all of the browned butter mixed in with the clam juice and chicken stock. Turn heat to medium, add Half and Half, Heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil, make sure to cook this slow and stir constantly. While waiting for mixture to boil, make a thickening paste with flour and milk, "you are going to have to judge this according to how thick you want your soup to be" the thicker the better. Once at a boil, add Crabmeat, 1/2 stick butter, Old Bay seasoning, Sherry and Fresh Parsley. Stir in Flour and Milk mixture to thicken, make sure to stir constantly. This soup is best to make ahead of time so the Old Bay can work it's magic and it will thicken as it cools. You can add more or less Old Bay or Sherry, it's up to your taste buds!

Serve with crackers!

PS -Claudia's Tip: Your have to go to Costc to purchase Phillips Jumbo Lump, it has the best flavor and makes the best soup, it's worth every penny and makes a big pot of soup that will go fast! Great for a party esp. Super Bowl!!

The next two recipes below are from one of my favorite little mini books printed by Oxmoor House for Southern Living called "Ultimate Book of Appetizers" The last one is a crab dip that you serve cold that was published first in Southern Living Magazine in April of 2004.

Crab Dip Recipes1-11

Crab Cakes & Lime Garlic Shrimp & Mango Salsa Recipe1-11

P.S. Our Willow House Food Mixes are perfect to keep handy for last minute guests! 

We carry 3 different kinds of Specialty Dip Mixes:

Tuscan Roasted Garlic Dip Mix 

Santa Fe Dip Mix

Parmesan Peppercorn Herb Dip Mixes.

Plus we offer these specialty drink mixes: 

White Sangria Mix 

Sangria Mix

Margarita Mixes 

We also offer these Bread Mixes:

Lemon Blueberry Bread Mix and Rosemary Olive Bread Mix.

These are our Specialty Desserts: 

Tiramisu Mix 

Pound Cake Mix and 

Cappuccino Mousse Mix.

Check them out on my web site in the Shop/Order section: http://Pamlau1.willowhouse.com  Everything ships within 48 hours of our order.

Enjoy!

Planning for a Successful Party

December through February are Party Months. You will get invited to or decide to host a party more during these months than any other season, except Summer. Having a party helps most of us keep our spirits up during the long cold winter, especially after Christmas. ( Even those of you who live in Florida! ) Why do you think they have the Super Bowl when they do?! Think about it and you know I'm right! LOL. So, Let's think about putting one together...

First things first, for a Successful Party, you have to come up with a good plan and make a list. That's essential for not only keeping you organized, but also on budget and for time management. Trust me, I've learned most things the hard way.

     PARTY PLAN

       List for a Successful Party

• THEME
• INVITATIONS
• GUEST LIST
• BUDGET
• MENU
• EVENT PLACE
• DATE AND TIME
• REMINDER CALLS

First: Come up with a Theme. Usually it is the reason you are having the party. Then get creative. Here's an example:  It's Chris' Birthday and since it's January I'm going to make Snowflakes the theme- (I usually like to embrace the negative and turn it into a positive!)

Second: Make an invitation list and make or buy the actual invites. Remember to invite those people who would enjoy each other's company. They don't have to know each other but they do need to be able to find some common ground with others, so make sure you have at least 2 other invitees that your guest can feel comfortable with, because the host will have time to mingle, but not always have time to hang around and have in depth conversations with all of the guests. This is a section that I could post a whole weeks worth of ideas for this on Create and Decorate, so that being said, this is a whole other topic to write about in the near future.

Third: Know your budget. You may not know exactly how much money you have to spend, but you probably know how much you cannot go over budget with. This is another great idea to blog about, getting creative with little money. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a successful and fun party. But remember, you can't serve shrimp when you can only afford cheese! So keep this in mind when you are planning the next item of business.

Fourth: Make a menu. Remember, not every party needs to have an extensive list of food, but taking the time to put a little bit of thought into your menu will go a long way toward making it a memorable party. Good food = Good party. Try to look at the theme, budget and the people you invited and it will make it easier when making food selections.

Last, but not least: Come up with a date and time. This is the last thing to do on your list  and it will be a whole lot easier to decide when you look at all of the variables above. When you think of who you invited, you know if it's better to make it a week-day, week -night or week-end. For example, if it's a Birthday party, the time length would be different for other children to come, than say for family and adult guests. If it's a football party, you obviously would have it during the game. 

You also want to give your guests some time to put the event on their calendars. If you wait and only give them a few days notice, your turnout will not be a good as if you gave them 10- 14 days notice. Just a helpful hint too, not only send them something in the mail or e-mail, but follow it up with a phone call to make sure they received it. Don't leave a message as you cannot guarantee they will listen in a timely manner, connect with them in person.

My Final Tip for the Day is to make a reminder call the day before. Life gets busy and your friends will appreciate the call.

Blessings, Pam