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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 10:55 am
Any suggestions? I am so not a cook. We are hosting a reunion party this Saturday. We are planning to just order pizza and have people bring something to pass. Do you have any easy ideas for me? For either appetizers or desserts. Or even anything that would be easy to replace the delivery pizza with? TIA!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 11:22 am
Veggie trays. If you don't wanna cut up the veggies, you can buy a tray. Hot wings and dip is good to tide people over too and like the veggie trays, you can buy those if you want (heck, the grocery store even has the bags already done and all you have to do is heat them up.) Or a nice big salad.
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Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 11:38 am
puppy chow is good on the tables
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Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 11:45 am
how about one of those mile long subway sandwiches? but, pizza would probably be less expensive?
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 11:51 am
I have tons of easy appetizer recipes. What are you looking for?
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 2:00 pm
pigs in a blanket is about as easy as it gets. Crescent rolls and little wienies. Also big bowls of chips and dip. Chex mix. Mix peanuts and M&Ms in a bowl. We were just at a party that had that and it went real quick so have lots of it.
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Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 3:31 pm
I went to one party/gathering where the hostess just plopped a bunch of those pre-made meatballs in a crockpot full of spaghetti sauce from a jar. It was actually pretty tasty!
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Tera
Member
08-10-2000
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 3:45 pm
Can't go wrong with some good queso (Velveeta & salsa or rotel) and tortilla chips. Keep it warm in your crock-pot.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 3:51 pm
along those same lines as Who's suggestion. Take a bag of frozen meatballs, dump in crockpot. Add in one whole bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce and one can of whole cranberry sauce. To make a veggie tray look more festive, hollow out a red pepper and put the dip in that. pile all the veggies around it. Tortilla roll ups are really easy too. Just mix cream cheese, grated cheddar, chopped jalepeno's (or diced green chilis if you don't like it spicy) and butter the tortilla with it. then roll up and cut into bite sized pieces. serve with salsa. Here are some others that are really good and easy too. btw, i firmly believe if you can read, you can cook! http://www.recipezaar.com/41211 HILL COUNTRY RANCH DIP Ingredients 2 - z Cream Cheese 1 - z Sour Cream 4 TBS Milk 2 jars Chipped beef 1 tsp garlic 1 tsp black pepper ½ Cup chopped Green Pepper 2-3 Jalepenos diced 1 –1 ½ cups chopped pecans butter Directions Mix all ingredients together except for pecans & butter. Put into an over proof dish. Saute pecans in butter and spread on top of dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes unitl bubbly. Serve with chips Basic Hot cheese dip 8 oz EACH of sour cream, cream cheese, velveeta, sharp cheddar cheese, colby, & monterrray jack one small can chopped black olives one small can Rotel tomatoes, drained. Mix all this together, put into an oven proof dish. cover with foil. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Stir and serve with chips. To that recipe you can add a can of chili with no beans or crab...for two completely different tastes http://www.recipezaar.com/79312 http://www.recipezaar.com/98756 a far as replacement for pizza..a taco bar is always fun, but that might be more work than you want.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 5:36 pm
Thanks all!! Annie, especially thanks for your recipes and links.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 5:38 pm
Now, do you all think delivery pizza is "good enough" or should I try something else (like Annie's Taco Bar or maybe sloppy joes or beef sandwiches--with meat in a crockpot...)
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Halfunit
Moderator
09-02-2001
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 5:53 pm
Quickie Quackers 2 bags oyster crackers 1 bottle Orville Redenbacher's Buttery Popcorn Oil 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch powder dressing (large) Put crackers in large bowl. Pour oil over crackers. Add ranch powder. Stir. Let set for at least 6 hours - the longer it sets, the better it is.
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Hermione69
Member
07-24-2002
| Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 5:56 pm
Spinach dip- Buy a package of Knorr dry vegetable soup and the recipe is on the back. Very easy and everyone loves it. It has-- sour cream mayo spinach green onions (optional) water chestnuts and the soup mix Get a big, round loaf of bread and cut out the center like a bowl. Serve the dip in that and use the extra bread pieces to scoop the dip. I usually get an extra loaf of bread and cut that up as well for dipping.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 6:15 am
hmmm...were did my post go? yes, pizza is certainly good enough! as much as I love cooking and really get into it, it's the people AT the party that make it special, not the food. you could do a taco bar using crockpots (for both ground beef and chicken, i have easy recipes if you want), barbecue in the crockpot would be great too. lots of easy sides for both.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 8:23 am
You guys ROCK!!! Thank you so much!! Annie, lemme talk to dh, I might be wanting those recipes... For the bbq, is it meat in the crockpot and you just need buns? Maybe that one!
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 9:19 am
Pretty much. Any cut of meat with barbecue sauce would work. I am partial to brisket myself. If you can find this rub, there is an almost fool proof recipe on the back. You just put it in the oven for 6 hours at 225. Slice and serve with barbecue sauce on the side. 
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 10:30 am
How do you serve it? In a crockpot? Or on a plate?
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 11:24 am
When I have a casual party, I usually do the following: 1. Veggie tray with dip (mix onion dip with a Mexical dip, to heat things up... folks will love it). 2. Fruit and cheese platter (three different soft cheeses such as brie and three different hard cheeses, with grapes, apples, and berries). Include a mixture of interesting crackers. 3. Lahvosh roll-ups. Buy lahvosh bread (flat bread, way better than cold tortillas!). Spread with softened cream cheese. Add fillings (both vegetarian and not), then roll up tightly. Wrap in wax paper then plastic wrap and let chill for at least two hours. Cut into 1" pieces. If you lay out the filling ingredients in a decorative manner, the cut pieces look really festive. I usually do variations with cheese, thinly sliced carrots and radishes, avocado, tomato, lettuce, and different meats such as turkey and crumbled bacon.) 4. Something hot, such as mini quiches or hot wings or lemon pepper wings. Most of these you can pick up in the freezer section of your grocery store or box store. 5. Some sort of chips and dip, either tortilla chips (buy from a restaurant, don't use bagged crap) and homemade salsa, or pita chips with a hot dip such as artichoke or crab dip. 6. Something sweet and bite size. Brownies cut into 1" pieces, pound cake, chocolate truffles, that sort of thing. Frozen cheesecake pops, dipped in chocolate. Easy to snag and eat with fingers. Then, depending on how many people expected, I'll add extras. Tail-on shrimps with spicy cocktail sauce. Spiced cranberry sauce over a brick of cream cheese. Fixin's for mini sandwiches (cocktail bread, condiments, deli platter). A cheese ball. Another hot dish, such as a casserole of some sort. For a Xmas get-together I had sandwich fixin's (two meats, three cheeses, four different breads, condiments, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado), chips, fruit, southwestern pasta salad, relish tray with olives, pickles, carrots and celery, deviled eggs, and frozen cheesecake pops. Almost picnic fare, but easy to prepare most in advance. Note, too, that I tend to serve things that are mostly healthy, and to be sure to include a variety for both vegetarians and meat eaters. And I try to be careful with what I serve, so that it's easy to eat (a paperplate full of food that requires you to sit and eat with both hands can be a problem in a full house).
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 11:33 am
Julie, you could put it in the crockpot to keep it warm after you either slice it or chop it up or on a platter, either way. I agree with Costacat, lahvosh roll ups are great and there are so many ways to do them!
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Halfunit
Moderator
09-02-2001
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 11:39 am
Julieboo, I suggest you fly Costa and Texannie to Chicago. 
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 11:54 am
Half, I like your idea!!! Any chance that you two (Annie & Costa) can make it here by tomorrow morning? I'll pick you up at either O'Hare or Midway. Oh, and you can spend the night!
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 12:52 pm
A fantastic EASY salsa is pico de gallo. Chop up: 6-8 seeded, Roma tomatoes 1 med. sweet red onion 1-2 seeded jalapenos 1 bunch fresh cilantro (de-stemmed). Add a dash of salt, a bit of minced garlic, and a bit of olive oil. Pop in the fridge overnight. W/fresh jalapenos this is not too spicy at all. If you use canned jalapenos, it's MUCH spicier. It's pretty (red, purple, green), it's delicious AND it goes w/veggies, chips, flat bread, pita chips, or as a topping for salad.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 3:16 pm
would love to Julie, but I would need to be back by Sunday am so I can cook for my party! fresh pico is heaven! taking out the seeds makes it less hot.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 7:36 pm
LOL Julie, but I think I'll pass. It's gonna be in the mid-70's this weekend, so I think I'll stay where the weather is "normal"! <grin> Plus I have a hot date on Sunday night, so... you're on your own, girl! Teach's salsa is much like what I make. Remove the seeds AND membranes if you wanna remove the heat from the jalapenos. I use serano chiles though, as I prefer them (a bit hotter, but it's a different heat, and better flavor). Seriously, a party is easy. Do as much as you can up front (or buy things already prepared, like shredded carrots for the rollups or veggies/cheese already cut). Provide a variety of different things, and lots of it, and you'll have a great party!
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Sherbabe
Member
07-28-2002
| Friday, December 29, 2006 - 11:12 pm
Round pretzels.....kisses, chocolate candy. \ place kiss in center of pretzel. bake in oven till slightly melted. can add 1 m & m, or leave alone. serve. chocolate and salt. yum
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