Category: Appetizers (Page 1 of 5)
Jalapeno Popper Dip
Great Game Day Dip! Super fast to put together. Make it spreadable for crackers or add a little mayonnaise or sour cream for a creamier textured dip. If you’re in charge of Super Bowl Sunday snacks you’ll appreciate the simplicity. And believe me it will go fast. Just the right amount of heat … a happy medium for everyone. Slice and serve extra jalapeño on-the-side for those who must have hot.
Texas Caviar
A Good Luck Dish for the New Year!
It’s not too late! Goes together in minutes. And it’s darn good! Yep, having this again this year. I love it!!
This is great just as a side salad with burgers too.
Cheesy Mushroom Sliders
Add this to your Super Bowl spread for a bit of variety. Not much can go wrong here except you might run out! Amazingly simple with few ingredients. Add Italian Hot Sausage bits for the meat lovers.
Cheese Dip Velveeta or Not
It’s really about Cheese Dip … not the meal I turned it into! Cheese Dip just sounded a perfect addition to Super Bowl Sunday. To use Velveeta or not? I went with the tradition but after tasting a slice I realized this isn’t the Velveeta of my youth. Now What? All this Velvetta! Here’s what I did.
Cooking Secrets from Stresa
Beautiful Day in Stresa Italy with my oldest!
And look what I brought back. Wine has just arrived too!

You too can have these items from Italy. Information to follow but first I’m going to tell you how easy it is to prepare an easy feast on a hot day with my selection of goodies above.
-Add the Bruschetta spices (above) to bread for sandwiches, sprinkle on roasted or mashed potatoes, on meat or fish and of course, on your pasta sauce. This combination of spices is wonderfully fresh. Place a jar on your table for sprinkling on just about everything. To preserve properly add a handful of black peppercorns to the mix.
-The dried mushrooms can be whirled in your food processor until they form a powder to be used as a condiment on just about anything you are cooking.
-The balsamic vinegar here (one is 10 years old and the other 30 years). Use your 10 year balsamic for this recipe below.
Balsamic Pate
1 T cream
8 Ounces cream cheese-room temperature (start with 4 ounces and add to taste)
2 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t Spices (above) optional
Mix and let set for an hour or so.
Serve on toasted bread or crackers.
-What can I say about the Truffle Sauce. 2 T of truffle sauce to a bit of cream in a skillet. Heat through. Add freshly cooked drained pasta to the skillet and sauté. So delicious! Or simply add a bit of truffle sauce to freshly cooked eggs for an extra special breakfast.
All these recipes and products are thanks to this little shop in Stresa Italy. Amazing products and super amazing Italian wines. All is shipped at a reasonable price.
La Cambusa – enoteca Wine shop Stresa
We miss you!
A Repost, It’s That Good!

For Winter Solstice our family will celebrate with Mexican Cuisine. We pretty much do this every year. I usually order out for the appetizers and stick to cooking the main dishes. When these are so easy, why? After making my Shredded Beef these Taquitos were a cinch! And I cheated a little with the Guacamole. It’s my son’s, Ian, and his wife’s recipe. Thank you Ann. Ann received her inspiration for their Guacamole from the California Avocado Commission. Check out this site for great avocado recipes of all kinds.
Easy Refried Beans
Yep, we use this easy recipe to add to our tostadas, burritos, layered dip, and all by itself. Give it a try! Use your left over pintos or if in a hurry, use canned. I used Goya pink beans for this recipe.
Cheesy Biscuits
Whips up easily! Few ingredients … you have in your pantry. I woke up this morning craving homemade biscuits but wanted to try something that could be a standalone breakfast. Not that this biscuit in smaller form isn’t the perfect appetizer. I love the cheese and green chilies combination, but I found this quick recipe by Sargento that combines cheese and butter. Oh, and black pepper too. Rich, flakey and delicious!


















