Marinated Goat Cheese Rounds

Now THIS is what I'm talkin' bout! This $hit is sooo delicious. And I'm telling myself healthy. If you believe, dreams really do come true.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): FINALLY A 10!
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): marinating takes 2 hours to a couple days

Marinated Goat Cheese Rounds
6 ounces fresh, soft goat cheese
3 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp cracked black pepper
10 cured black or green (or combo) olives, pitted, and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil

Roll the cheese into a 4-inch log. Slice into 1 inch thick rounds and place in shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, thyme, pepper, olives and olive oil until well blended. Pour over the goat cheese and marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours up to 1 week. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to warm. 

Shrimp Cocktail

I just asked my husband, James, if he had taken a picture of the shrimp cocktail when I made it the other night. He told me that he didn't, but why did I want it. I explained that I was going to put the recipe on the blog and he said, "There's a recipe for shrimp cocktail???".....

I actually didn't realize that there was a "recipe" for shrimp cocktail either, until I wanted to make it the other night and I thought maybe I could find some spices and special things to put in the boiling water. And, boy, was I right! It makes all the difference in the world!

This recipe is from an amazing restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan called The Chop House (part of Main Street Ventures). It's so good. They make their own cocktail sauce, but I recommend buying the already made McCormick version of the HOT cocktail sauce.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 2
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 1

Shrimp Cocktail
(Serves 4)
1.5 lbs shrimp, jumbo preferred (shell on, but cleaned and deveined if possible) 
1 cup cocktail sauce
2 lemons (1 whole, 1 cut into wedges)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 cup onions, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs peppercorn
2 bay leaves
Water

In a large pot, add water (enough to boil shrimp in), salt, onion, celery, peppercorn, and bay leaves. Cut one lemon in half and squeeze juice into pot. Bring to boil. While water is heating up, peel shrimp (if not done so already), leaving tail on. Drop shrimp into rapidly boiling water and stir. Cook shrimp for about 4 minutes. Drain and add shrimp into ice water immediately to stop the cooking process. If necessary, replace water with new ice water until shrimp are chilled. Serve on ice (optional) with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

Cocktail Sauce
3/4 cup tomato ketchup
3/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Juice from one small lemon
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Refrigerate in tightly covered container.

Party Pinwheels

My nana and papa have a Christmas Eve party for my dad's side of the family every year. And every year, my nana makes these things she calls "pinwheels" and they are, basically, little wraps full of cream cheese and diced veggies. They may not sound that exciting, but they are. Trust me.

I probably should have posted this recipe before the 4th of July, in case some of you needed an idea for an appetizer or dish-to-pass for your 4th of July BBQs and parties. Oops. But I would definitely take them to your next party or barbeque and I promise all guests will be thanking you.

Although, you should know that you guests will also hate you because it is impossible to stop eating them. And since they are mostly cream cheese, you're bound to be angry at yourself after you finish the batch.


Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 9
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 4

Party Pinwheels
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 green onions
4 12" flour tortillas
1/2 cup diced red peppers
1/2 cup diced celery
1 small can black olives, drained and diced

Mix all ingredients, spread on tortilla, roll and wrap tightly. Repeat with other 3 tortillas. Put on plate in fridge and chill. Right before serving, slice into 1/2 inch pieces.


So good. So so good.