Cocktail Par-tay suggestions needed!

And speaking of toothpicks- Mermaid looks like the chick in her avatar. Very much the hottie.

man you are dense lately!:blink: :floor:

she's calling you a toothpick!!

Somebody better call me a toothpick soon or it's back on the cocktails!!

Uh, I think you better reread the post, darling:

Peapod! I thought you'd like being so instantly slim. :razz:
Sounds more like a weight loss suggestion to me! 😱

OK, this is probably so simple and obvious it is tacky but I just love parmesan-artichoke dip. It always goes fast when I make it. 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and well chopped, mixed in with 1 cup mayo and 1 cup Parmesan. Put in an ovensafe dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly brown on top. I like it with tortilla chips but you can do pretty much anything.

I have also done bruschetta, and what has worked for me is ideally mixing it all up the night before so the flavors have time to blend. Yum!

Please post pics of the big night!

Your artichoke dip recipe plus one small can of green chiles mixed in too.

Triscuits are my favorite means of conveyance from bowl to mouth.

Thanks so much--I knew you'd all have suggestions for me. Okay, here's the table thus far:

cheese (probably blue and brie) and crackers
bruschetta (thanks BR; my brother does the same and everyone always raves)
Peapod on a toothpick
fruit such as grapes and strawberries

I have some sundried tomatoes (the oil packed kind). I usually serve them on a cracker with cream cheese but does anyone know something more interesting to do them?

I will definitely check out johnrudy's links and shakennotstirred, do you have a recipe that will compliment my meagre offerings thus far?

Hi Mermaid! You could also do some fruit dip to go with the fruit. Maybe hollow out a pineapple to put it in, super cute!

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese softened
1 small jar marshmallow creme
1/2 crushed pineapple

Blend w/ mixer.

Easy and beautiful-- an aioli platter. Roasted or grilled veggies with either purchased or homemade aioli. Mermaid, your artistic flare should put this one over the top! And it's a little different from the raw veggies.

I roast new potatoes, red and yellow peppers, chunks of zucchini and squash, green beans, asparagus, and green onions (if they are fat ones). Classic platters have artichokes, meats and cod, hard boiled eggs, and a few other things that I can't remember...

Franny, how do you mean? Like mix chopped sundried tomatoes with olives and blue cheese and serve on top of crackers? I totally forgot about having a nice assortment of olives; I'll have to lay some of those out.

I think I could 'cater' from Costco since I have to go there this week anyway. They make nice sushi trays. Or do you think sushi with all the Italian-y food on the table would be a litle off-putting? :idontno:

Sorry for the delay..have not posted lately. The sundried tomatoes are left whole and marinated with the olives, blue cheese, or feta cheese etc in oil. Heck I'm making this this weekend!!

Mermaid, there is a savory cheesecake with sundried tomatoes in it that is wonderful. You can make it well in advance of the party and serve with a selection of crackers or breads. We prefer thin slices of dark country breads (like olive or walnut) over crackers these days. Cheese straws are also a favorite of everyone. I like to make the dough and then cut out star-shaped shapes, place a pecan half in the middle of each. We stack them into a little pyramid, something like a cookie tree at Christmas.

Costco does have some good selections, including the shrimp platters and baked bite-size hors d'ouvres. While they have become a huge cliche, those little bite-sized quiche hors d'ouvres disappear instantly at our parties or we can use the leftovers for breakfast the next day.

I agree with BeachRunner about the catering of parties. Unless you really enjoy the cooking and have the energy for both party and partying, the caterer is the way go to. We hire a personal chef from one of the local college programs or wineries, who charges a very reasonable rate and brings a pal along if he needs prep or serving assistance.

Also, I have stopped keeping cookbooks at the beach house. One can find a dozen or more recipes for virtually any dish or category of food imagineable on the Internet. I just boot up the laptop and do a search keyed from "Recipes." I would say the best I've found is the one called "Epicurean, etc." These recipes also include ratings and comments from those who have tried them.

Good luck with your party and Congrats! on your daughter's graduation, Mermaid. :clap_1: