No Corned Beef Appetizers, 'Cause I Ate the Whole Thing!

Just a quick post to apologize for not getting a recipe for appetizers using my left over corned beef. You see, my first attempt to make corned beef turned out so good we ate it all!

Now, before I can try out some recipes for appetizers I'll have to buy another brisket and save it just to make some appetizers - and it's not on sale anymore, lol.

So, mea culpa, my bad, no corned beef tidbits to post - BUT here's a couple of little tricks I use when I have someone stop by unannounced and I don't have time to prepare any tiny food noshes:

• I always take the pieces of leftover take-out pizza, cut them into bite size servings and freeze them in aluminum foil and a nice freezer bag. I label them (so I know what is what) and, voila, out comes the packet ready to pop in the toaster oven and warm up as I prepare a batch of martinis from my Martini Diva blog.
• I also freeze a lot of my own recipes here. I just make extras and pop them in freezer bags for surprise visitors. Many of these recipes are freezable and I try to mention that when I post them.
• I always keep cream cheese and sour cream on hand. Cream cheese is a necessity for an appetizer foodie - you just plop some on a plate and pour over a chipotle sauce, some leftover chili, even fruit jellies and add some crackers. Sour cream, of course, needs only a few herbs, flavored salts and you've got a dip.
• I've often taken some bread, brushed it with butter and garlic and then heated up some leftover meat to place on the quick "rustic" bruschetta, top it off with a complementary cheese, sprinkle on a few herbs and heat under the toaster oven. You'd be surprised how good these can be!
• I always keep wonton wrappers in the freezer. You can stuff anything in a wonton wrapper that heats up well and you've got hot Tiny Foods. I just tried some cream cheese with a little raspberry chipotle sauce mixed in, added some green onion tops, wet the wrapper and sealed it and fried them up. Yum.

BTW- you can always have green onion tops for "chives" - cut the onion tops off and plant the bulb!!! You cut off the new tops and the bulb grows more - everlasting "chive"! Mine even made it through an Arizona winter - I had green "chives" for my baked potatoes all during the cold months!

Okay, I've been busy with my art and my Pop Culture Blog and my new The BRAT in the HAT rant blog, but I'll be making up some new recipe cards this week and you'll be getting some new appetizer ideas soon!

Ciao for now, bella!