Fromage Fort is done - I can honestly say I love that I had the rosemary crusted Manchego to include, it lends a wonderful herby flavor to it. And I went with 1 clove of garlic, otherwise it gets really strong sitting in the fridge for a day or so. The Moody Blue will probably go on pizzette with caramelized onions tomorrow. I am having a few friends over (they were supposed to come last night, life got in the way) and I am making Ruthannas olive and anchovy bites too. OMG we will all be stinking to high Heaven with all the garlic, olives, cheese, anchovies, etc but we will be in good company so I guess it is okay. Thank you again for all the inspiration, I now have a trove of ideas what to do with left over cheeses! Alexa

The mayo would be my hesitation to freeze. Some recipes would freeze better than others me thinks. I would probably prep some of the parts ahead in kit form. Maybe grate the cheese now and portion in 1 lb zip lock getting all the air out. You could even add the spice and pepper. Chives and/or another herb would add nice color and flavor. Assemble the night before the first event and fridge them. (i think you have three balls to make?) The no-freeze lists are fine, even the first one posted if you read the copy. It was mentioned to not expect fresh when thawed, but perfectly edible to cook with. I recently roasted a half dozen red peppers and a few dozen halapenos, chopped/sliced, then froze in small useful portions. A bag of limes i juiced and froze in ice cube trays. Meyer lemons i freeze whole and grate a bit as needed... Many things freeze fine if used in cooking or cubed fruit going straight into a smoothy. Saran is a nice tight way to seal something like a cheese ball to keep its shape and get all the air out but it should be further sealed in something heavier like a freezer thick zip-lock. Or foil. Or freezer wrap, parchment. I use to make something i called an AntHill. Lined a small half dome soup bowl with saran, then line it with paper thin provolone from my deli. Lay in some nice herb leaves, chives, basil, parsley, thin slivers of sundried tomatoes...then another layer of thin prov...a layer of nutty pesto, then my cheese ball filling...usually white cheddar, cream cheese and some spice. Fold over the excess saran and chill overnight. Flipped over and un-molded it had a nice see-through design of herbs. Sprinkled with a trail of toasted black sesame seeds for the ants. It was my holiday go-to dish for a few years. Easy to travel to parties. Something like that, kept cold in a ceramic bowl in a chilly part of the fridge, i would be fine making it 4-5 days in advance. I would not freeze it for NewYears if i made it today. But i would shop for the ingredients and have them ready to make a day or two in advance. Cheese grated, herbs washed, and ready for assembly the night before.

glenda,actually I just looked at what I had saved and it is a little bit different but it got rave reviews. Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball 1- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 stick butter, softened 1/2 cup chopped pecans, finely chopped 2 tbls. light brown sugar 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips Combine all ingredients (except choc. chips) in a bowl, much like you would a cookie dough. Refrigerate for at least half an hour. Take out mixture, form into a ball, then roll it in the choc. chips. Refrigerate again until ready to serve. Serve with graham crackers, or shortbread cookies. alterations: marscapone in lieu of butter add toffee bits serve with gingersnaps

This one's better if made the day before & you can freeze it: FANTASTIC CHEESE BALL 1 oz Roquefort or Bleu cheese, softened 4 oz Cheddar, grated 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 medium onion, minced Dash of Tabasco or Worcestershire 1/2 cup chopped pecans Paprika In a medium bowl, combine cheeses, garlic onion & Tabasco; mix well. Form into a ball, roll in pecans & sprinkle w/paprika. Serve w/crackers.~~ HAM CHEESE BALL Two 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened 1 cup ground smoked ham 1 TBL grated onion 2 tsp dried parsley flakes 1/2 tsp seasoned pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans Combine all except pecans in a medium mixing bowl. Cover & chill 30 minutes to 1 hour. Shape mixture into a large ball & coat with chopped nuts. Wrap with plastic wrap & refrigerate. Serve chilled w/crackers.~~ GREEK STYLE CHEESE BALL 4 oz dry packed feta cheese 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup ripe olives, chopped & divided 2 TBL thinly sliced green onions, divided 1 TBL chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried Cut both cheeses into chunks. Process in a processor until smooth. Reserve 1 TBL olives & 1 TBL thinly sliced green onions. Stir in remaining olives & green onions & shape mixture into a ball. Cover & chill. Sprinkle w/basil & reserved olives & green onions. Serve with toasted pitac wedges, crackers or thinly sliced French bread.~~ Food for Thought