Where did the time go? Don’t we say this more often now than ever before?

Time just seems to fly by, as 2010 is almost gone, and 2011 is  ready to begin.

New Year, new beginning, new resolutions, and the same good old great parties to give it all a great jump start.

Last year I posted a summary of party foods for your convenience, but if you missed it have no worries,  just click here, and start planning your party.

Here are a few new ones for your consideration:

• Homemade Tzatziki Dip - quick, easy, and awesome
• Rye Bread Dip – making a huge comeback
• Lemon Basil Hummus – your vegetarian friends will love you for it
• Chick Peas Vinaigrette - another vegetarian favorite
• Veggie Platter - healthy and crunchy snack for everyone
• Ham Canape - hearty party food, and beautiful combination of color
• Non-alcoholic punch – perfect for the designated drivers

Try one, or try them all, and please come back with comments.

Enjoy your party!

HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2011

Here we are again, planning another Super Bowl party, and searching for party food ideas.

Well, since you are reading this post, you’re already in the right place.  There is no better place than grandma’s kitchen, Suburbangrandma, that is!

All the recipes I post are either prepared by me personally, or I have sampled them elsewhere, loved them, and posted them for you to enjoy.

This time I decided to post a very simple recipe, but quite presentable, and very well liked by my family, for years .

These are open face sandwiches, canapes, also know to my family as “kanapky”.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbs butter, softened
• 1 Tbs Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
• 2 large loves of rye bread (40 slices)
• 3 tomatoes,  sliced thin
• 4 pickles, sliced thin
• 6 eggs, boiled and sliced thin (use an egg slicer, for best results)
• 1 Lbs of ham, cooked, smoked, or your your choice – sliced on a thinner side as well
• 20 slices of American cheese, white or yellow
• Chives or scallions, chopped (to sprinkle on top for a fresh look, and to enhance the aroma)

Directions:

1. Mix the cream cheese, butter and salad dressing mix.
2. Set aside.
3. Remove the smaller end from the loaf of bread, if you are using bakery loaf.  If you are using a prepackaged bread without the ends, then you are all set.
4. Cut the cheese slices in half diagonally (forming triangles)
5. Fold each slice of ham in half, or cut in half it you plan to use only that much on each sandwich.
6. Get ready all the sliced ingredients: eggs, tomatoes, pickles.
7. Spread the cheese/butter mixture on each piece of rye bread (rather sparingly)
8. Place a piece of ham on top of the spread
9. Place a piece of cheese on top of ham
10. Arrange nicely a slice of pickle, slice of an egg, and slice of a tomato on top of the cheese slice.
11. Sprinkle lightly with chopped chives or scallions.

If you are looking for additional ideas, and recipes, you may check these out:

• Jalapeño Corn Dip
  

• Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

• 7 Layer Guacamole Dip

• Swedish Meatballs

• Texas Caviar

• Mrs. Z’s Deviled Eggs

• Caramel Apple Dip

• Honey-Apple Brie Bites

• Turkey Taco Ring
  

Tip: The canapes in this top photo (close up view) were made for a tea party, thus very dainty, and I used only  1/3 of a slice of bread per each, so I used a grape tomato slices, 1/2  of an egg slice, and 1/4 of a slice of cheese.

If you plan to make these for an adult party, I would suggest to use a whole slice of bread for each canape,  plus the toppings listed in the recipe above.

If you are planning a New Year get-together with your friends, but still searching around for some party food recipes, I am here to help out.

To make this party planning a little less stressful for you, I am posting the links to some of the party foods recipes I have posted so far this year (there will be more by the end of the New Year…thanks for being a friend).

• Jalapeño Corn Dip
  

• Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

• 7 Layer Guacamole Dip

• Swedish Meatballs

• Texas Caviar

• Mrs. Z’s Deviled Eggs

• Caramel Apple Dip

• Honey-Apple Brie Bites

• Turkey Taco Ring

Preparing these will keep you busy, but you will be basking in glory of compliments from your friends, as these are very popular and delicious party foods, which I personally tasted and used at my parties.

You can also include:

• Vegetable tray with dip -  (selection of baby carrots, grape tomatoes, red, green and yellow peppers, cut up celery sticks , sliced cucumbers, with your favorite dip).

• Cheese and crackers – arrange different cheeses cut up to bite size pieces with your favorite crackers.

• Kobasa  with party bread, or rye bread – Ukrainian or Polish smoked sausage, sliced up cold, or boiled for 20 minutes, cooled slightly, then sliced up.

• Canapés – If you still have some spare time, you can make small canapés with a bite size chunk of bread, dab of mustard (Kosciusko Mustard is really good), slice of kobasa, and top it off with a slice of pickle, spear it all with a fancy toothpick, and arrange these in a single layer on a serving dish.  Looks great and tastes even better.

• Chips and dip

• Pretzels with dip

• Pepperoni slices with cheese and crackers

• Tray of fresh fruit

• Pizza

• Chicken Wings

I am sure these will help you out for this party, or any other future parties you may host, since Super Bowl is coming up very soon.

As for the rest of the party planning, let your imagination run wild.

Have a super party

and

HAPPY NEW  YEAR!!