Muenster Eyes

These creepy appetizers are sure to be a hit at your next gathering!  You can easily make this at any time of the year - not just for Halloween.  I use the hot pork sausage in the frozen section, not hot Italian sausage as not everyone likes fennel seeds.  Muenster blocks are sold usually in 8 oz. blocks, you will use half this and then shred it.

1 1/2 cups baking mix
1 lb. hot pork sausage
4 oz. Muenster cheese block, shredded
8 large, garlic stuffed olives from deli

In a bowl, mix together the baking mix, sausage and shredded cheese by hand forming it into a thick log.  Cut the log in half, then half again - finally cutting each slice into quarters.  Form each section into a rough, thick disk and set aside.

Half each of the stuffed olives to form the 'eyes' and press firmly in the middle of each sausage/cheese disk.  You can either place into a covered container in the refrigerator until ready or bake them off immediately on a Silpat-lined baking sheet for 15-18 minutes in a 400-degree oven.  Let rest for five minutes before serving.

Faux Bois Dinnerware Cake - Wedding Cake

What with Spring here and weddings in full bloom, I thought about this wonderful gift idea for the Bride and Groom.  A service for eight of my Faux Bois Dinnerware gifted to them as a tiered-wedding cake.  Eight Dinner plates, Salad plates, Cups and saucers.  Several other pieces are available, but this is a nice set to get them started with an heirloom that they can hand down to their generations to come.  Check out the Faux Bois Dinneware Collection here.

Buy the Complete Faux Bois Wedding Cake

Planning your party cocktail food

Whenever I am doing a cocktail party with hors d'œuvres, I use a general matrix to determine how many I will need to make. I always assume the party will last 3 hours, and guests generally eat more in the first hour than they do in the remaining hours to follow so it is best to make sure you have half of them done when you begin. Say you are expecting a dozen people, this works good for a little less or a little more and you can easily double or 1.5 these portions to suit your needs.

Wine or Champagne - 8 bottles

& Beer - 36 bottles

One liquor - 3 bottles

Glasses - 36 glasses

Napkins - 60

Hors d'œuvres - 150

Setting the table

For me, half of the event is all in the table and how it is set. I am a fan of mixing everything - I do not believe that there are many rules aside from where items should be placed in an individual setting - go with abandon. You can put crystal with glass and porcelain with pottery - it really is okay. I've used white wine glasses for red, water glasses for white, saucer champagnes for compotes, dish towels for napkins or dinner plates for platters. The point is to make it convey your point of view. Considering the preferences of your guests is important - I would not use red dinnerware if I knew someone hated red. I believe that setting the table helps to keep people at the table, makes them wonder what each vessel is going to be filled with, begging conversation and allowing you to tantelize them with what you have prepared for them. Your guests will appreciate the fact that you took the time for them and that is really what matters - the time with the people you care about, life is too short to worry about rules that do not really matter.