Freebie December Printable

December

Holiday Cocktail Party Ideas

Holiday Cocktail Party Ideas

I love this time of year, everything is sparkly, twinkling and festive. It is the perfect time to have a cocktail party and invite some friends over. It doesn't have to be stressful or over the top. The only things required are friends, food and drinks and let the laughter begin. Here are a few tips and ideas to help you out.

I like things to appear like they are very detailed and planned out. I want my guests to ooh and ahh. But I don't want to spend alot of time preparing food and drinks. I love specialty drinks, but I don't want to spend my night mixing drinks, I want to spend it enjoying my company. So I serve drinks already mixed. This year I will serve Appetizers and Cranberry Vodka Punch.

Cranberry Vodka Punch
from modified from bestbartenderever
Prepare the night before: mix 1/2 cranberry juice, 1/2 water into ice cube trays, place a couple cranberries in the squares and freeze.

2 qts chilled Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1 bottle (750ml) Vodka
2 cups chilled Ginger Ale
2 cups chilled Club Soda

In a large punch bowl, combine Cranberry Juice Cocktail and Vodka. Stir. Add prepared ice cubes. Pour in the Ginger Ale and the Club Soda. Garnish with slices of fresh fruit.

I love to serve appetizers. Something about bite sized food gets me at hello. Here is what I'll be serving this year.

Source

Mini Sausage Wreath
From Oriental Trading
Ingredients
Mini Sausages
Refrigerated Crescent Dough Rolls
Red Bell Pepper
Diced Rosemary
1/3 cup Butter
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to the temperature specified on the package of Refrigerated Crescent Dough
Rolls. Drain the liquid off of the mini sausages.
2. Unroll the crescent dough and separate at the perforations to create 4 rectangles. Press together
the remaining perforation in each rectangle. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 8 strips making a total of 32 strips.
3. Wrap one strip of dough around each mini sausage. Lay out the crescent-wrapped sausages with
their sides touching on an ungreased cookie sheet in a circle forming a wreath shape.
4. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown. Melt 1/3 cup of butter and brush the butter on top of
the crescent-wrapped sausages. Sprinkle the rosemary on top of the butter.
5. Cut a red bell pepper into a bow shape for garnish. Combine the BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce
in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until heated through. Serve with wreath for dipping.

Tortellini Skewers

Source

From Caramel Potatoes
Ingredients:
Frozen or Fresh Cheese Tortellini, prepared according to package directions
Italian Salad Dressing
Cherry Tomatoes
Olives
Cheese Cubes
Skewers (6″ is a good size)

Prepare tortellini as directed, pour on salad dressing until it is generously coated and refrigerate overnight. You’ll need to add more dressing the next day because the pasta will soak it all up. Thread the tortellini on the skewers and mix in tomatoes, olives, or cheese cubes. You can use any type of olives or cheese that you like, but make plenty, they’ll go fast!

I'll be rounding this out with variety of nuts and candies, veggie tray, cheese ball, crackers and mini blueberry pies (new recipe I'm playing with - I'll post it after I create it).

Chili

WEIGHT WATCHERS CHILI
From Cooks.com

1 lb. ground turkey, browned
1 can low fat/cal tomato soup
1 can pinto beans
1 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
1/2 tsp. paprika
Chili powder and spices to taste
Combine all ingredients and let cook on medium for one hour then allow to simmer until ready to serve. Simmer at least one hour.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope you are enjoying it with family and friends.

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole
adapted from Recipezaar.com & plainchicken.com

2 (8 ounce) cans Reduced Fat Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or swiss cheese (or any cheese of choice)
1/2 cup milk

Filling
4 ounces cream cheese (very soft) * I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese*
2 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion flakes
2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (or use about 2 cups, can use cooked turkey)
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 Tbsp. milk
1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

Set oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Mix together milk, 3/4 cup cheese and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).

For the filling --- (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined. Add in 2 tablespoons milk; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry). Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste. Unroll the crescent rolls. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish. Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don't have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Have you been pinning?

I've been spending some time over at Pinterest! If you haven't checked it out, I will warn you, I went into it saying "I don't need another tool" and OMG was I wrong. LOVE IT! So what are you waiting for? Click below to be taken to my foodies folder where I've been bookmarking recipes and ideas.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Source

Mexican Stuffed ShellsFrom The way to his heart

 Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.