Saturday, April 6, 2013

Quick Party Faves!

This is NOT a lame post.

This is important.

Because every now and again I get invited someplace by an unsuspecting person who doesn't realize I might be the LAST PERSON THEY WANT AT THEIR PARTY...

So to curb the certain-to-ensue anxiety, I bring something delicious.

Now I don't always have time to bake a fancy-schmancy cake like this:

Oops, this wasn't supposed to be Jeter!!! It was supposed to be a pretty basket of flowers cake I made for a baby shower...

But I'm not one to argue with Jeter if he hops into my blog!!!! So he gets to stay.

Cupcakes like this are adorable, right? You just take a dotted "grass" frosting tube, fill the top with frosting "grass" and plunk a chick peep into the middle... then add some strategically placed jelly beans for eggs. EASY and impressive!


Shrimp is a big favorite of mine. No one can hate the woman with a shrimp tray:


And chocolate dipped strawberries are an easy crowd-pleaser for all ages and occasions!

Take fresh, ripe berries:

Melt 12 oz (or so) milk or dark chocolate... or white chocolate... and add about a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil to the melting chocolate:


Dip berries into chocolate using their stems to hold berries in place.... Then lay them onto foil-covered cookie sheets:


Chill... put on pretty plate and serve!


Those were a crowd-pleasing favorite at our Easter brunch!

And remember, if the budget is tight, chicken salad and crackers is a wonderful munch that most people won't think of... and fresh chicken salad is a wonderful thing!


9 comments:

  1. Ruthy, you can come to my parties any time. Bring snacks.

    You can even bring Jeter :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeter and me: CHECK!!!! I'd love to come, Jan!!!! When's the next one?

      Delete
  2. YUMMY!! I've never had a single person bring shrimp to my house. Why is that?

    But we do make chocolate covered strawberries for special days like birthdays!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A.: Your friends don't know about shrimp because of your locale. Unless you eat river shrimp. If there is such a thing, don't do it.

      B.: Because chocolate-dipped strawberries ROCK!!!!

      And we have had lean years where chicken salad was food of the Gods... and comfortable years where chicken salad is food of the Gods....

      Good food is good food regardless of price, right?

      :)

      Delete
  3. I'm even easier- you don't even have to decorate cupcakes for me - I'll eat them however :-) and you probably couldn't dip enough strawberries for me - I think I could scarf down that entire plate (maybe that's why I never seem to get invited to parties...)
    I think my faves have been the ones who bring the cream cheese and pour that spicy jelly stuff over the top and serve with fancy crackers...and of course the cream cheese stuffed bacon wrapped jalapenos..hmm must be craving cream cheese or something right now!
    ok back to cleaning - yes dont' faint anyone but cleaning is like eating fish - if the urge strikes I try to act on it since it's rare for either of these moods to strike my fancy...
    Susanna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susanna, please come here and clean. That urge hasn't struck me in a long while.

      :)

      But I do love a cleaning surge! And every time, every single stinkin' time, I vow that it will never go hungry again...

      Wait.

      That's Scarlett O'Hara, the wench....

      Oh, I vow that I will never let it get THAT BAD again.

      And then I do.

      Because I'd rather write!!!! :)

      Delete
    2. unfortunately for my house the urge passed quickly - but I can see a bit of a difference in the areas I DID hit! mine because I'd rather read! :-)
      Susanna

      Delete
  4. Mmmmm -- I LOVR chocolate strawberries. And they're pretty easy to make. I made them for a volunteer brunch at one of my schools a couple of years ago and everyone ooohhhhed and ahhhhed as if I'd made the most complicated layer cake. Too funny!

    Your Easter cupcakes are impressive...'ceptin' I don't like peeps. I know -- I'm going to banned from the cafe now! But the sure look purty!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't eat the peeps either, but they LOOK SO STINKIN' cute that I'll offer up the peeps life (in other words it becomes a war casualty) and just eat the cupcake.

    When it comes to that, it's all about presentation. ;)

    ReplyDelete