BLT BITES

16-20 cherry tomatoes
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing 1/3 cup chopped green onions
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Cut a thin slice off of each tomato top. Scoop out and discard pulp. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain. In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon into tomatoes. Refrigerate for several hours. Yield: 16-20 appetizer servings.

SPICED NUT MIX
Recipe courtesy of The Television Food Network

3 tablespoons peanut oil
2/3 cups whole blanched almonds
2/3 cups whole shelled pecans
2/3 cups whole shelled walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon 5-spice mix
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Heat 3 tablespoons peanut oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Add 2/3 cup each, whole
blanched almonds, whole shelled pecans, and whole shelled walnuts. Toss well to coat with the oil.
Add 1/2 cup sugar to the nuts and stir constantly until the sugar caramelizes and the nuts are golden about 3 minutes.
Remove the nuts from the pan and transfer to a large bowl. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin,
1/2 teaspoon 5-spice mix, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Toss until all the nuts are
well coated with the seasoning.
Serve warm or store in an airtight container.

DIABLO DIP
Courtesy of Dorothy Harrington

1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup sour cream
2 avocados mashed with a pinch of salt and lemon juice, or 1 container guacamole dip
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup scallion, green part only, sliced or snipped with scissors
2 cups chopped black olives
2 bags tortilla chips

Blend taco mix into sour cream and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to several hours. On an
oversized platter layer the avocado on the bottom, bringing it almost to the platter rim. Top with the sour
cream mixture, making a smaller ring. Sprinkle on the Monterey Jack cheese, then the cheddar cheese.
Next layer the olives, followed by the tomatoes and top with the scallions. Serve with chips to scoop.

Crab 'n Stuff

8-oz. imitation or real crab meat
8-oz. cream cheese
Seafood or cocktail sauce

Combine cream cheese and crab. Shape in a ball. Pour seafood sauce over crab ball. Serve with wheat crackers.

SPINACH ROLL-UPS

2 boxes frozen spinach, defrost and squeeze out the liquid
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Baco Bits
1/2 pkg Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Flour tortillas

Mix together first 5 ingredients. Spread on flour tortillas and roll up.
Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate overnight. Slice and serve.

STRAWBERRY-CHEESE BALL

1 cup mayo
1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 green onions, chopped

Mix in ball and refrigerate over night. Pour 5 oz. strawberry preserves over
ball just before serving. This is good with Ritz crackers.