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

Thanks Rob. I did what you suggested but did add some chopped green olives. I didn't add onion because the ones I have are cooking onions and too strong to eat raw. I ended up with cream cheese, garlic powder, paprika, ranch dressing to thin cream cheese and slivered dried beef. Tasted good and hopefully will be better after chilling for a couple of hours. Thanks for your input. Satine

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