Chicken Mushroom Pockets

This was hors D'oeuvres weekend, for so many reasons. My good friend Carol was having a graduation party for her oldest son and I made several of the ones on our menu for her party. Also Mike is making appetizers for his parent's 50th wedding anniversary next weekend and he is going to make some of these as well. These were a great hit even with all the teenagers! These were very good, one of the favorites from everyone and would be good for any party and any occasion! The dough was crescent dough and the filling was sauteed fresh mushrooms, onion and garlic, with cream cheese and cooked diced chicken, a great flavor! They take a little time to prepare so allow yourself plenty of prep time! The crawfish pies and chicken mushroom pocket are both on this platter. Thanks Paula! Enjoy!

Mini Crawfish Pies

These were delicious! They were supposed to be made with crawfish meat, but the grocery store I usually go to did not have it, so I substituted with crab meat, not sure if there would have been much of a difference, as craw fish meat would be very similar to crab meat. Very easy to make and they only take about 12 minutes in the oven. This would be a good appetizer for any occasion. The mini crawfish pies and chicken mushroom pocket are on this same platter. Thanks Paula. Enjoy!

Onion Cheese Bread

A tasty bread from a mix. Except for the onion chopping easy to fix. Just a suggestion do not turn on the wrong burner on the stove. Especially with the skillet you just sauted the onions in on that burner. I turned around and it was smoking badly which of course caused the smoke alarm to go off. Had to stop cooking to check in with the alarm company. Bake a little longer than it states because my middle was not completely baked. The cheese on top gives good flavor. Thanks Paula!

Orange, Strawberry and Date Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

A healthy salad we all enjoyed. The surprise of the salads the dates. for me wa I do not like dates but in the salad they were great. I did use chopped dates so they had been covered in sugar. Sugar can do wonders, especially if it can make me like dates. The dressing was good on the salad. On its own I felt it was rather bland but on the salad it compliments the fruits beautifully. I had planned on using our favorite lambs lettuce but Trader Joe was out. Know that would have added to the overall taste but it was good with a mix of spinach and spring mix. I am sure you all heard Paula had to have her maid arrested for theft. Can't imagine a better person to work for than Paula. Hopefully she and Michael will get all that was taken returned.Wishing you the very best Paula you deserve it. Thanks Paula!

Grilled Southern Panzanella Salad

What a surprisingly great mix of flavors! The vegetables in this dish were bell pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, onion, garlic and tomatoes and the onion, peppers, squash and zucchini were supposed to be grilled, however it looked like it could rain and so I decided to saute them instead of standing at the grill in the rain holding an umbrella and you know it turned out remarkably well. The croutons were a cornbread mix that was cooked, cooled and then cut up into pieces and drizzled with butter and baked again for about 10 minutes and they were delicious! All this was mixed with the lemon vinaigrette dressing and it was wonderful! You'll enjoy this one! Thanks Paula! Enjoy!

Pina Colada Smoothies

Cool, refreshing, and healthy fresh fruit. I used organic bananas and honey. The flavors blend well and you can taste each ingredient with every sip.The honey adds sweetness but does not over power the drink. Other fruits could be added to give a different taste. Coconut is a favorite of mine and the coconut milk does not disappoint. Easy and quick to prepare. This could be breakfast, a snack, or the drink to compliment your meal. Thanks Paula!

Shrimp and Grits with Sweet Tomato Relish

We were simply not sure about "grits" but I have to tell you they were really good. Mixing in the Parmesan cheese and a little salt with them gave them a great flavor and it was really good with the shrimp cake on top. The sweet tomato relish was very good and could be used for dipping chips in or anything else for that matter, it was a great compliment for on the grits and shrimp cakes! This would be a good dish for any occasion. Thanks Paula for introducing the "grits" thing to those of us who didn't grow up eating them. Enjoy!