Quick and Easy Appetizers

Here's an eclectic mix of party appetizers for New Years, but are delicious anytime of year. Quick and easy to prepare, they are great for drop in guests or a quick snack tray for home or work.

1. STUFFED DILL PICKLES: This recipe was one of the standards at our house as I was growing up. My mother would fix a mountain of these and as kids, we'd eat the end pieces. You will need large dill pickles, whichever is your favorite brand, and an 8 oz. package of room temperature cream cheese. Cut the top rounded end off the dill pickle. Take the center out of the pickle. You can use a potato peeler, or a long knife. Leave the sides about 1/2 inch thick . If the pickle is juicy, dab some of the extra moisture out with a paper towel. Fill the pickle with the cream cheese. Wrap each pickle in a little plastic wrap or wax paper. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. To serve, unwrap each pickle and slice in thick slices, around 1 inch. Place on a serving tray. Feel free to eat the not perfect ones.

2. CHEESE STICKS: Another quick, pop them in the oven appetizer. You will need 2 cans of your favorite brand of refrigerated crescent roll biscuits and around 1 cup of shredded cheese. Use your favorite flavor, cheddar, parmessan, or pepper jack. Roll out the first can of biscuits and press seams together. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the dough. Judge how much cheese, if it is too thick the cheese will ooze out and burn. Roll out the second can of biscuits and lay on top of the cheese layer. Press all three layers together firmly. Next, cut the layers into 1 inch wide strips across the width of the rectangle and transfer to a baking sheet. You can lay the sticks out straight or give one end several turns to make a twisted stick. Bake following the directions on the package. Remove from the oven and when cool set them in a basket or standing up in a large glass mug. You can get between 8 -12 sticks depending on how wide you cut the strips. You can sprinkle the hot sticks with some coarse salt if you wish.

3. "LIVER PATE' " This is really a mock pate' as the real stuff is expensive. This makes a good Scandinavian spread for crackers or even a sandwich topped with pickled herring. All, right maybe that's an acquired taste. To make this faux pate', you will need 1 chub of braunsweiger. I usually buy the kind with the yellow wrapper. Chub is the only way to describe it, you will need one that weighs around 8 oz. In addition you will need 4 oz of cream cheese for each 8 oz of braunsweiger. To make the pate' have both ingredients at room temperature. In a food processor, mix them together until well blended. Scrape the mixture out of the processor and form into a ball as best you can. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate until an hour before serving. Before serving take the ball out of the refrigerator and now while still wrapped you can perfect the ball shape if you need to. Unwrap the ball and set on a serving plate surrounded by crackers, or toasts. Before serving you can also roll the pate' ball in chopped parsley, chives or nuts.

4. CREAM CHEESE TOPPINGS: Who needs an excuse to eat cream cheese? For some ultra-fast dips try these toppings, that are simply poured over a nicely plated package of cream cheese. Not exactly dips, but at room temperature they are soft enough to scoop with crackers.

Shrimp Dip: Mix either a can of tiny shrimp or chopped cooked shrimp with some cocktail sauce. Use as much sauce as you like, but don't use so much your shrimp think they are back at sea! Pour the shrimp and sauce over the cream cheese. No cocktail sauce? Make your own. In fact this is tastier than some. To 1/2 cup of ketchup/catsup, add 1 Tablespoon of Worcestire sauce and 1 teaspoon of horseradish. That's it! Add more horseradish if you want a spicier sauce.

Hot and Sweet Dip: Gently heat a jar of Apple Jelly. When melted stir in 1/2 cup of Picante' sauce. Let the mixture cool and just before serving pour the jelly over the plated cream cheese. If you can find Jalepeno jelly that works well also.

Taco Dip: You will need a package of taco seasoning for this dip. To a softened 8 oz package of cream cheese mix in 1 package of taco seasoning, stirring well. Put in a serving bowl, or rechill and shape into a log, or a ball. Top this cream cheese with either the hot and sweet or plain picante' sauce.

5. QUICK CHEESE BALLS: These are so fast to make and so delicious, I make many kinds over the holidays. They can be served plain or let your imagination go! Unfortunately they do not freeze well, but will keep for several weeks if tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. For each ball you will need 16 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese and 1- 8 oz package of cream cheese. Put both cheeses in a mixing bowl and stir together will. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. That's the basic recipe now the fun begins.

SMOKY PINECONE: A sensation at any party. Use a smoked cheddar or smoked gouda for this one. When finished form the cheese mixture into a teardrop shape. Push smoked almonds, rounded end in, all over the teardrop, overlapping each row, just a little so it looks like the scales of a pine cone. Wrap some plastic wrap around a bit of real pine, or an artificial pine pick. Poke the wrapped pine into the rounded end of your pine cone.

CRAB DELIGHT: To any flavor of cheeseball add 8 oz of crab meat or 8 oz of chopped surimi or crab flakes. Add a little horseradish and and a tablespoon of worcestire sauce.

TASTY ADDITIONS: These add ins go with nearly any flavor of basic cheese ball, but here are a few suggestions.

Swiss cheese: Add ground ham or bacon

Smoked cheese: Bacon bits, smoked almonds, flaked smoked fish

Cheddar cheese: Chives, bacon, dried fruits, nuts, hot sauce, crab

FINISHING TOUCHES: After unwrapping a cheese ball roll the ball in any one of these. If you match the toppings to an ingredient in the cheese ball, your guests will have a hint at what each flavor is.

Crushed walnuts, almonds pecans, filberts, smoked nuts, bacon bits, chives, parsley

paprika, dried fruits, cracker crumbs, crushed pepper corns or other spices.

Enjoy these quick and easy recipes. Have lots of fun coming up with your own versions!