Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook: Appetizers

I have decided that the first book for this adventure will be the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. This is a binder-style cookbook, and my copy was printed in 1981.


I've gotten many good recipes from this book, notably spaghetti carbonara, banana bread, and grasshopper pie. One of the reasons I'm using the book is that it is organized really well by meal category, and one of the other reasons is that the first page makes a reference to this blog title: "Try an icy-cold fruit juice garnished with fresh fruit or a mint sprig." See! It's fate.

The first chapter is Appetizers & Snacks. Here is a list of the appetizers I will be making over the next few weeks from this chapter:

• Swedish Meatballs
• Cocktail Meatballs
• Appetizer Fruit Combo
• Pineapple-Orange Ice
• Cheese Ball
• Cheese-Wine Log
• Baked Ham-Stuffed Mushrooms
• Smoky Cheese Ball
• Cheese-Ham Ball
• Egg Salad Triangles
• Party Ham Sandwiches
• Chicken and Crab Wontons
• Italian Appetizer Artichokes
• Broiled Grapefruit halves
• Crunch Party Mix
• Beer-Cheese Fondue
• Hot Broccoli Dip
• Creamy Dill Dip
• Creamy Onion Dip
• Guacamole
• Chili Con Queso
  

Here are the ones that did not make my cut:

• Oysters Rockefeller
• Appetizer Clam Shells
• Fruit-Crab Cocktail
• Salmon Mousse
• Shrimp-Cucumber Appetizer Salad
• Shrimp Cocktail
• Chicken Liver Pate
  

Obviously, I am not going to make shrimp because I am allergic to it. Also, some of these things just sound gross. For example, salmon should be in a form where you can tell it was a fish; I do not truck with recipes that require you to use a fish-shaped mold to create a horrifying fish-like dish.

Anyhow, these are the recipes that are coming your way - get ready for the next post, Battle of the Meatballs!