Tasty, Economical Appetizers for the Game, Potluck or Party

Great Appetizers for the game or party

Recipes for tasty, easy, economical appetizers are tough to find. Be it a party or game day, the last thing you want to do is spend the entire day preparing food and cooking. And if it is cheap, all the better. The following are tried and true recipes my family has been serving for years. If you are health conscious, please substitute non-fat or light ingredients for those shown. Enjoy!

BEEF AND CHEDDAR DIP

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese – room temperature

16 oz sour cream

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 5 oz jar dried beef – chopped

1 loaf round Hawaiian bread

Method

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add cheddar cheese, Worcestershire, and dried beef. Mix well. Cut a lid out of the bread and remove the inside bread creating a bowl. Spoon mixture into bread and place lid on top. Wrap bread with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Serve with leftover toasted bread and Fritos.

SPICY BACON JALAPENO POPPERS

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tablespoon cajun spices

2 teaspoon garlic powder

16 jalapeno pepper

16 slices bacon, cut in half

toothpicks

Method

Preheat grill to medium. Mix first three ingredients. Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Fill each half with cheese mixture. Wrap each with a piece of bacon and stick a toothpick through it. Place on grill and cook until bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes.

CRAB DIP

Ingredients

2 6 oz cans fancy crab-meat

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon parsley

2 teaspoon dry sherry

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Method

Mix all ingredients. Chill 2 hours or more. Serve with bread or crackers.

SPINACH BALLS

Ingredients

1 cube butter (or 4 oz margarine)

3 10 oz boxes frozen spinach, drained

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

prepared stuffing

flour

Method

Melt butter and saute onions and garlic. Add spinach and saute for 30 minutes. Add 1/2 box stuffing. Season with salt and pepper. Make balls and roll in flour. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes.

SWISS CHEESE FONDUE

Ingredients

3/4 lb Gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon cognac

Method

Toss together first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Heat wine in chafing dish on med-low heat. When hot, add cheese mixture slowly and stir constantly. When smooth, add cognac. Serve warm in fondue pot with crusty french bread.

SHRIMP PASTA SALAD WITH PEAS

Ingredients

1/4 lb bay shrimp, cleaned

1 cup spaghetti, cooked

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

3 tablespoon mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.

TSATSIKI

Ingredients

1 lb cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoon sour cream

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

2 cucumbers, seeded and cut up

Method

Mix ingredients in food processor and chill. Serve with bread or crackers.

Splenda and Sucralose: Friend or Foe

Splenda

Many people have embraced Splenda as a new miracle sugar. What some people may not realize, however, is that Splenda can cause rashes and other negative reactions in a small percentage of people. It is a very difficult thing to diagnose, but once it has been, it is easy to track .

Splenda is a no calorie sweetener that can be used much like sugar. It is actually a modified sugar that is called sucralose. The process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with chlorine atoms. This changes the sucrose to sucralose, which is supposedly inert. It passes through the body without it being recognized as a carbohydrate.

Although they label it as being safe, it is known to cause negative reactions in a small subset of the population.

My Story

In November 2006 I bought a pumpkin pie and did not realize it was made with Splenda until I got it home. Even then, I did not really mind since it would supposedly be healthier than one made with normal sugar. Each day we had a piece of pie after dinner until it was gone. I had severe intestinal discomfort and gas very soon after eating the pie. By the end of the week, I had a horrible rash on my right ear and could not sleep because of the itch. It was very swollen, red and painful. Finally, I went to the doctor and they said it was an allergic reaction to something. They asked if I had been into anything new. I thought back and decided the only thing to change was the Splenda. When I returned home, I looked it up online and found many websites to confirm my suspicion.

Some Possible Symptoms

Some symptoms include rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, gas, difficulty breathing, swollen eyes, red face, cramps, bladder pain, numbness in arms and legs and depression. Other symptoms probably exist.

My Purpose

I am not attempting to tell anyone not to buy Splenda. I merely want to let people know that this happened to me and it has happened to others. If you get a rash or other symptom, please consider if Splenda or sucralose has been ingested in the near past. It is easy to treat: just stop eating or drinking it and you will improve. In severe cases hydrocortisone cream worked for me, but others had to visit the emergency room to get medical care.