Picnics Caprese Appetizers

Like all things caprese? Just grab a glass and make these great 'shooters.'  Mozzarella, tomato, some basil, and Caesar or Asiago cheese croutons with red wine vinaigrette.  A great marriage of flavors.  What better thing to serve at a wedding?  Cool, tasty, and easy to serve (and consume!)

If you're doing this outdoors consider using tiny plastic 'glasses' I used some tiny glasses I had at home but plastic is certainly doable. 

These are easy for your caterer (or Aunt Mary) to set up quickly, and don't have to be served but can be displayed on a picnic table with some crisp white napery showing off the colors and textures.

S'More Cups

Photo and recipe from Cookie Sheets and Cake Pans

OK, I don't know anyone who doesn't absolutely love the taste of S'Mores--do you?  So what could be more perfect for a sweet table at your wedding than these easy to make S'More Cups for Cookie Sheets and Cake Pans?  Previously posted from Pinterest and Texas Cottage believed to originally be from Pampered Chef's Recipes.

Photo from Pampered Chef Recipe Link

S'More Cups Recipe

7 whole graham crackers (1 cup finely crushed)

1/4 c powdered sugar

6 TBSP butter, melted

3 (1.55 oz) Hershey bars

12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°. Crush graham crackers in plastic bag, and mix with powdered sugar and melted butter in small bowl.

Place 1 TBSP of crumb mixture into the bottom of mini muffin pans (makes enough for 24). Press crumbs down with back of measuring spoon to create a shallow cup. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling.

In the meantime, break 2 of the Hershey bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven and place one rectangle into each cup.

Cut large marshmallows in half crosswise using kitchen shears and dipping them in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven for 1-2 minutes, or until marshmallows start to puff up.

Remove from oven to cooling rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then remove s'more cups from pan. Cool completely for 40-60 minutes.

Melt remaining Hershey bar in microwavable bowl (melt for about 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds). Dip tops of s'more cups in chocolate and allow to cool.

Makes 24.

Comments from the cook: It was less expensive to buy one jumbo Hershey bar, so that's what I used. I cut each rectangle in half, and used small squares in each s'more cup...and they didn't seem short on chocolate at all :) I also chose to flick the chocolate across the top instead of dipping them.

These were amazing right after baking/cooling, and were also pretty good the next day (after being rewarmed in the oven for a few minutes).



If you use the Pampered Chef Link it will take you to all the products necessary to make these bites of heaven if you can't find them at home or at your local store.

Wine At Your Wedding They'll Remember!

Photo courtesy of Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife

Photos of PSMM  Cyber Monday Party

Looking for a great way to serve wine at your picnic wedding?  Try PDX Vineyards  vineyards.  They package 5 wines in a 'paint can' complete with a push button pour spout.  Paradox is run by physicians who've moved into the world of wine. 

Located in Chester County PA Paradocx presents wines without pretense to be enjoyed by everyone.  No corks to uncork, no fancy bottles and labels, just a simple paint can and a push button spout to prevent spillage.  Paradocx wines aren't your Boone's Farm level wine, rather it's premium wine (about 4.5 bottles of 3.5 liters in each paint can) in an easy serve container. 

For more information about Paradocx Vineyard, directions and operating hours, please visit their web site or call 610-255-5684.

Paradox was nice enough to provide some 'cans' of wine for the PSMM Cyber Monday party at Dave & Buster's last week that I attended. The Philly Social Media Moms, a.k.a. PSMM, are a highly influential group of women in the tri-state Philadelphia area who write blogs or have resource websites and who are active in a variety of forms of social media on both local and national levels. If you're looking for a way to promote your products these ladies have mastered the art of getting the word out.  These are women with power on the net!

Refreshing Salad for Summer Weddings

This fresh tasting salad is based on a recipe from Mark Bitterman's 101 Days of Summer.  He suggests making a peach and tomato salad with slivers of red onion, chile flakes and cilantro tossed in a lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette, I picked up this recipe from Cupcakes and Cashmere she suggests adding avocado for a creamy texture.  The final result? A light and refreshing salad bursting with flavor and tremendous depth perfect for a summer outdoor wedding-picnic style! (Photos courtesy of Cupcakes and Cashmere). 

Beet Citrus Salad - The Wow First Course

 

This Beet-Citrus salad from Martha Stewart Weddings will wow your guests as you serve it for your first course. The salad consists of thinly slice bright and beautiful beets, sliced orange, ricotta, arugula, and black walnuts.  Perfect to serve at a picnic wedding if you allow guests to self serve themselves from a large bowl or served on classic china at a black tie affair.  The flavors and the presentation will make your guests sit up and take notice whenever and wherever you serve it.

Grilled Warm Fig, Apple and Gorgonzola Flat Bread

Grilling at your picnic wedding?  This is the perfect appetizer to make on your grill.  The recipe for Grilled Warm Fig and Gorgonzola Flat Bread is from Steamy Kitchen and I guarantee you'll fall in love with this treat.  It's the perfect appetizer to serve at a picnic wedding.  Just cut in bite size pieces after grilling and serve. (Be sure to have lots of napkins, it can get a little sticky!)

There are some shortcuts to this recipe, one of which is to buy pre-made dough, so much easier than making your own! Why go to the bother of messing up your kitchen with all the flour when most grocery stores sell great dough?

Another shortcut for those of you who aren't into huge chunks of figs--buy some fig jam and spead it on the flat bread. (Imagine the filling in Fig Newton's).  You can buy this in Whole Foods Markets but if you have a Home Goods or similar store they often have the jam at a great price and in larger jars.  You can also purchase you honey at Home Goods or try your favorite wholesale club. 

Warm Fig, Apple and Gorgonzola Flatbread Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 8-inch round flatbreads
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 apple, cored and sliced very thinly
8 ripe figs, cut into 6 wedges each
2 ounces parmesan cheese (Parmegiano-Reggiano), shaved with vegetable peeler
2 tablespoons honey
Preheat your grill, half direct heat. Brush olive oil on top of each flatbread, especially the edges. Assemble flatbreads with gorgonzola, apples and figs.
Grill flatbreads over direct heat for 3 minutes, until the bottoms are toasted and browned. Then move to indirect heat and close cover for 3 minutes to finish melting the cheese and warming the fruit.
If broiling, set your rack to upper 1/3 position. Grill flatbreads without the toppings for 2 minutes to just get them nice and toasty. Then layer on the olive oil, gorgonzola, apples and figs and return to oven for 4 to 6 minutes until cheese has melted and fruit is warmed through.
Sprinkle shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano and drizzle honey on top.
Serves 4 to 6 as appetizer or dessert.

Let me know how you like this appetizer.  It's one of our favorites for any kind of entertaining.

Finger Foods For A Crowd

Planning finger foods for a crowd is always tricky, especially if you want something different than your usual plain crudites.  These fancy finger foods for a crowd ideas are courtesy of the great site, Everybody Loves Sandwiches.  They have the full recipe for you and I love reading the comments of how other cooks have adapted each recipe. 

Up close and personal looks at these pretty finger foods are making me hungry even though it's the middle of the night as I write this and closer to breakfast foods than midday or later when you'd normally eat these beauties. 

These recipes are basically green beans or fresh baby asparagus wrapped in westfalian ham or prosciutto.  Shop Costco or other warehouse store for the best prices on the ham. Be sure to make the reduction sauce that goes over the top of these great veggie treats.

Last on the list of fun finger foods are these goat cheese stuffed dates! Oh WOW! Don't taste test these while you're making them... they're like those chips, 'bet you can't eat just one!' 

If you're looking for some great nuts to add to this recipe, Sante Specialty Foods makes some incredible candied walnuts that will send this recipe over the top.  As if the goat cheese and date combo wasn't enough to turn you into a finger food addict, the addition of Sante's nuts take any recipe from pedestrian to uber gourmet.  (Please note, several months ago Sante sent me samples of their nuts to try, they asked me to review their product.  Although the samples were free and given in exchange for my reviewing them, my opinions about products I review is my own and not swayed by their providing the free product.)

You can also add Sante nuts to your table of finger foods (try the Wasabi Almonds) for some crunchy snacks that will wow your guests. This is the link to their site.