BeachBum, congrats on the new home! I see you have 3 dip type nibblies, all of which sound yummie, so anything else you choose should probably be non dippy!!! The crab cakes are a great choice. I'm assuming you both work so we need to help you with low prep ideas. A cheese and crackers plate, as Linda mentioned, is always a hit. Add a pate or two to make it special! Another idea might be an antipasto plate, roasted red peppers, a selection of olives, artichokes, marinated tuna, You can buy most of the offerings, ready made, at any good deli or grocery store.

This is my current favorite dressing for spinach salad. I've been putting it over plain spinach, but you could certainly add a few strawberries to the salad, and or pine nuts, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds. Good luck - the rest of the meal sounds wonderful! ****************************************************** Strawberry Balsamic Dressing 1 cup of fresh hulled strawberries 3 tablespoon of canola oil (or other flavor neutral oil) 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar (to taste) 1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste depending on the sweetness of the strawberries) Cracked black pepper Salt Cut the strawberries into chunks and mix with the sugar. Let sit for about 15 minutes until they are very juicy. Put the macerated strawberries into a blender with the balsamic. Blend until smooth. Add the oil and blend for a few seconds until completely emulsified. Add cracked black pepper and salt to taste. ************************************************************* I also have been making the following for an appetizer for every get together for the last couple of weeks: Asparagus Wrapped in Crisp Prosciutto with Balsamic glaze Ingredients: ½ cup balsamic 1 tbsp honey 1 tablespoon olive oil 16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed 16 slices prosciutto Coarse salt and cracked pepper Directions: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil. Put balsamic in small non-reactive sauce pan. Add honey and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 min or so until reduced by about half and it is thick and syrupy. Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the spears and serve immediately

OK, so kids need to like it? How about those roll us things, with cream cheese and salsa, whatever you like rolled up inside a tortilla and then sliced. My girls loved a spear of steamed asparagus, wrapped in a slice of turkey which had been spread with herbed mayonnaise and I've made these rye puffs, like a little cream puff that's Reuben flavored: Rye Party Puffs Dough 1 cup water 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup rye flour 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 eggs Caraway seeds Corned Beef Filling 16 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 (2 1/2 ounce) packages thinly sliced cooked corned beef, chopped 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons minced chives 2 tablespoons diced onion 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 10 small stuffed olives, chopped In a saucepan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flours, parsley, garlic powder and salt all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at time. Beat until smooth. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons 2-in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with caraway. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks. Immediately cut a slit in each puff to allow steam to escape; cool. In a mixing bowl, combine the first eight filling ingredients; mix well. Stir in olives. Split puffs; add filling. Refrigerate. Yield: 4 1/2 dozen. NOTE:The corned beef filling makes enough to fill two batches of the dough. You could make the 7 layer mexican dip, just get all the ingredients together and take them in plastic bags, then quickly assemble when you arrive, it takes 2 minutes or less, and serve with chips. Kids love it and can pick off the olives. I'd make it pretty mild for the kids... Seven Layer Bean Dip 1 (16 oz) can refried beans Hot sauce (dash or two to taste) Worcestershire sauce (dash or two to taste) 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1-2 tablespoons powdered taco seasoning (blend to taste) 2 fresh green roasted Anaheim or New Mexico green chiles, seeded and chopped 1 1/2 cups guacamole 2 cups Tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 cup red onion, chopped Salt Pepper 1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese Combine the sour cream, taco seasoning and chopped green chiles in a small bowl and set aside. Peel and chop the tomatoes, chop red onions, chop cilantro and stir together. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Blend into the refried beans a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Spread the bean mixture into the bottom of an 11 by 7 inch glass baking dish. Now began to layer the beans with the avocado guacamole, cover with the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle on the chopped black olives. Spoon on the tomato, red onion and cilantro mixture. Top with grated Monterey Jack Cheese and the green onions. Refrigerate for one to four hours. Serve with fresh tortillas, tortilla chips and strips. Buschetta is always good, and it's tomato season right now: Bruschetta 4 Vine Ripe tomatoes (seeded and chopped) 1 clove Garlic crushed 8 Basil leaves chopped 1/8 sp salt 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper 1 tablespoon Fresh choped Italian Parsley 1/4 cup Olive Oil 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar 1/4 cup of a GOOD Parmesean broken into small chunks Mix all ingredients (except cheese) in a glass bowl, place chunks of cheese on top, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve mix all ingredients, including cheese. Serve with sliced bread, either toasted rounds or garlic bread. I love hummus and pita chips, and here's a similar bean dip from Lori. You could buy pita chips and use them, and I plead guilty to leaving the lemon juice out of this by accident and I actually liked it that way too. White Bean Dip with Pita Chips (Lori) 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons 1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves Salt Freshly ground black pepper 6 pitas 1 teaspoon dried oregano Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl. (Note: The dip will turn green in a relatively short time due to the fresh parsley.) Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color. Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree. Have fun! Annie

Deviled eggs Pinwheels (either tortilla or puff pastry) Hummus and pita chips artichoke and red pepper squares (recipe below) Crispy bread with bruschetta Crispy bread with a smear of goat cheese, a few toasted walnuts, fresh thyme leaves and a drizzle of honey Tapenade on crackers, bread, pita, etc Artichoke Heart and Red Pepper Bites 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts in oil 6 ounces roasted bell peppers 1 small chopped onion 2 minced cloves garlic 4 eggs 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Dash hot pepper sauce Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch baking dish. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil. Drain the roasted peppers and discard the liquid. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and peppers and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the remaining ingredients along with the artichoke hearts, peppers, and onion mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into one inch squares. Tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. Serve cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Makes @60 1” bites. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Cooling Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour