Fancy Hors D’Oeuvres: Stuffed Celery

 

celery stuffed with cream cheese and olives in a fancy orange dish

My grandmother would invite us over for “cocktails and hors d’oeuvres” and sometimes dinner would follow.  She never said the word, “appetizers”.  How boring.  Although the hors d’oeuvres were often stale Triscuits and a can of Cheez-Whiz or or a tub of WisPride port wine cheddar, not exactly fancy stuff.  The cocktails were a base of vodka, whiskey or rum (your choice) and an array of mixers: cranberry juice,  ginger ale, Coke and 7-Up.  But sometimes, if it was a holiday or the night after a big party, there were other treats on the table. Continue reading

Crab Puff

TriscuitcrackersHellmansRealMayonnaisePhiladelphiaCreamCheeseBumbleBeeCrabmeatforcrabpuffIt’s really nothing to look at but delicious to eat.  A perfectly easy hot hors d’eouvre to serve with crackers or even Cape Cod Potato Chips.  I found the recipe in my grandmother’s recipe file.  While she wasn’t known for her cooking,  she certainly loved to entertain.  Her old file is filled with no shortage of quick and easy recipes mainly magazine and newspaper clippings affixed to recipe index cards with Scotch tape that is slowly disintegrating.  From recipes with Campbell’s soup as its base to more intricate ones like Swedish Meatballs and even one made with green jello, canned pineapple and cottage cheese, there is something for everyone…that is if you having a “Mad Men” themed party. Continue reading

My New Book: Notes From Val’s Kitchen: Stories, Food and Life on Cape Cod

  So, I wrote a book. Well, actually, I put together a collection of my favorite blog posts from 2008-2016.  Can you believe I have been writing this blog for that long?  I definitely cannot.  The posts are organized by subject instead of dates which makes for an interesting analysis of my thoughts on my childhood, motherhood, my family and, of course, my friends.  It’s all wrapped up in a paperback that you can snuggle up with in bed or throw in your beach bag.  The reading is light enough that you don’t need to think much about it and most of my musings include recipes, too.  So you can make a snack or a cocktail or both if you want something to go with the entertainment. Continue reading