Annie, how is the search for appatizers for the wedding going? Here's a couple more suggestions for you. How about tiny meatloaves made in mini muffin pans? Or Sauerkraut balls. This was my MIL's recipe for them. Sauerkraut Balls 8 slices b acon 1/2 c. fineluy chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced (not in my house with my allergies!) 1 can (16-oz.) sauerkraut, drained (I use bagged) 1/2 c. mashed potatoes 1 T parsley 1 1/2 c finely crushed corn flakes 2 eggs beaten Oil Fry bacon in large skillet crisp, drain & crumble. Pour off all but 2 T. fat. Add onions & garlic to fat in skillet. Cook & stir until onion is tender. Remove from heat, stir in bacon, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes & parsley. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto waxed paper lined baking sheet. Gently form ball shapes. Cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap, refrigerate until firm or overnite. Dip sauerkraut balls in eggs. Roll in cereal. Heat oil to 375° F., fry until golden brown about 1/2 min. Drain on paper toweling. Serve hot. Can be fried 24 hours in advance and reheat in 400°F. oven about 10 minutes. We make a bunch and freeze them after they are fried. Just thaw and heat in an electric roaster. Don't ask how many the recipe makes! I have no idea! Tami

Crab Wontons Makes about 20 wontons 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 green onions, minced 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, optional 1/4 pound lump dungeness crab meat kosher salt to taste approximately 20 wonton wrappers about 2 cups canola oil for frying In a bowl mix together cream cheese, onions, fresh ginger, crab meat and salt. To make the wontons, place a teaspoonful of the crab mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper, then brush water around the edge of the wonton. Fold bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling and press all edges to close the wrapper to create a triangle. Heat 2 inches of oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, fry wontons until golden brown and crispy. I found this step to take only a 5 - 10 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, sprinkle with kosher salt. Serve them with sweet-chili sauce, plum sauce, or as is. To freeze, lay the filled, uncooked wontons in a single layer on baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place in resealable plastic bag. To cook, defrost and fry as directed above. Lori Here is a link that might be useful: All That Splatters

Did someone say wonton? My secret addiction. Did you know you can put ANYTHING in a wonton and fry it and it is just wonderful? These are tried and true. The pork/shrimp filling can be boiled for soup, or fried. Either way is great. I suggest you fry a small amount of the mixture in a pan to taste test first to adjust seasoning. I was lucky enough to have a brother marry a Korean and a sister marry someone from Viet Nam. Wonton Soup/Fried Wontons (follow part one only) PART ONE: (one pound ground turkey can be substituted) one pound each shrimp and ground pork 6 tablespoons oyster sauce 3 tablespoons sesame oil 1 cup each finely chopped onion and mushrooms PART TWO: (put this in the bottom of each soup bowl) fresh cilantro chopped (one pinch) fresh scallions finely chopped (one pinch) sesame oil (2-3 drops) pepper to taste Mix part one together and put one teaspoon size into a very thin wonton wrapper until all meat is wrapped. You can fry these in oil and serve as fried wontons. For soup put part two into the bottom of soup bowls. Bring chicken stock to a boil in one pot. Boil the wontons in water in a second pot. Ladle out wontons into bowl after you drain them, ladle chicken stock over them. (if you boil the wontons in the soup stock, the soup stock turns cloudy) Enjoy. Dipping Sauces: Vietnamese Sauce 1/2 cup fish oil 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup white vinegar Shaved carrots Soy Sauce 1/2 cup soy sauce Chopped cilantro Chopped green onion Canola oil, for frying 8 tablespoons cream cheese 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar (1 1/2 for mix, 1 tablespoon for garnish) 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 10 thick egg roll skins 1 cup raspberries, fresh preferred 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon Heat 1-inch of canola oil in large saute pan, to 325 degrees. In a bowl mix the cream cheese, ricotta, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar with a whip, until thoroughly blended. Beat egg and milk together. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese mix in center back of egg roll skin and place 4 to 6 raspberries in the center of cheese mixture. Brush egg wash around edges of skin, fold left and right sides of skin in 1/2-inch, and then roll from back to front, insuring that the roll is sealed. Place in oil and cook both sides until golden brown. Let drain on paper towels for 2 to 3 minutes. Dust with cinnamon and sugar. Serve with whipped cream and raspberries, if desired. Makes 5 servings

oh Mary sounds like fun! When is the season opener? I've only seen the show a couple of times but have enjoyed it. I like that you will get together to watch it. :-) Here are a couple of my favorites for simple. Stacy White Bean Dip with Pita Chips -Lorijean 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. ___________________________________________________________ Stacked Pizza - Sharon (Chase) 7 sheets phyllo pastry 1/2 cup butter melted 7 TBSP freshly grated parmesan 1 1/2 cups grated mozarella 1 sweet onion sliced thinly 5-6 roma tomatoes, sliced 1 tsp oregano salt and pepper to taste ( I don't use any I find the parm salty enough and I forget about the pepper!!!) fresh herbs sprigs thyme, oregano or rosemary Preheat oven to 375. Follow package instructions to thaw phyllo. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on baking sheet, brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 TBSP of the parmesan cheese. Repeat until all layers are used. Press down firmly so layers stick together. Sprinkle top sheet with mozerella. Place onions on top then place tomatoes on top. Season with oregano. Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden, and the bottom is cooked. Decorate with fresh herbs and cut into squares (squares can be cut in half to make two bite trinagles) Notes: I slice the onions and then cut the circles in half to arrange on top. I also try and line the tomatoes up in a diagonal pattern, I don't place them randomly, and then when I cut it I cut the squares so each piece has 1 roma slice. I also don't measure anything anymore I just sprinkle the cheese. I use rosemary but I cut the leaves off the stems. I've often cooked it with the rosemary on it. I also line my baking sheet with parchment paper. ___________________________________________________________ Sausage Flowers Wonton cups are filled with a flavorful cheese and sausage mixture, then baked. Topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of green onions, these lovely appetizers will be the first to disappear! Impressive, yet easy to make! Prep Time: approx. 25 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 10 Minutes. Ready in: approx. 35 Minutes. Makes 24 canapes (24 servings). Printed from Allrecipes, Submitted by Teresa -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 pound ground Italian sausage 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese 1 cup salsa 24 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers 3/4 (16 ounce) container sour cream 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a miniature muffin pan. 2 Place ground Italian sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and remove from heat. 3 Stir Monterey Jack cheese and Colby cheese into the warm sausage to melt. Stir in salsa. 4 Gently press wonton wrappers into the prepared miniature muffin pan so that the edges are extending. Place a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each wonton wrapper. 5 Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until wonton edges begin to brown. 6 Transfer baked filled wontons to a serving platter. Dollop each with approximately 1 tablespoon sour cream. Sprinkle with green onions. __________________________________________________________ PESTO CHEESECAKE CRUST 1 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese 1/2 cup melted butter Mix all together and press into 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. FILLING 4 (8 oz packages) cream cheese 4 eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 cups pesto (from the refrigerator section of your grocer) Beat with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350* for 1 hour. Chill several hours or overnight. Remove from pan and decorate with a little chopped tomato or chopped sundried tomatoes. Slice into very thin slices and serve on small individual plates - or Cut into thirds and place 1/3 on serving plate and use to spread on crackers or baguettes. Be sure to decorate with a little chopped "red" tomato accent and maybe some green basil too. Looks beautiful! (If you cut into thirds, you can serve 1/3 and freeze the remaining for another time.) Posted by: KatieC (My Page) on Mon, Dec 9, 02 at 17:24