Peach flatbread pizza appetizer

Don't lick your screen. Don't you do it! I know it's tempting... but it's really better if you don't. The story behind this flatbread is that I had purchased a bunch of peaches from a farm stand. I had some girl friends coming over and was trying to think of an easy appetizer where I could incorporate the peaches. So I came up with this plan, melty mozzarella cheese, slices of perfectly juicy peaches, served on a crispy flatbread with a sprinkle of fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic. And there you have it, the Peachy Flatbread. Truth is, I never ended up serving it to my friends because we ate our weight in cheese and funfetti dip (yes, that's an actual thing.) So, I got to enjoy this yummy pizza all by myself! It's so easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients; it's a winner in my book! Get the full recipe below. 

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts

This appetizer is everything. It has been a staple at family parties for as long as I can remember, in fact, it's always a challenge to try and get your hands on a few before they are all gone. I've continued that tradition and have brought them to a few parties with friends and I instantly become the most popular guest at the soiree. Bacon wrapped water chestnuts are essentially the cheap version of the bacon wrapped scallop but BETTER because there's an awesome crunch in the middle of your bacon instead of a mushy scallop. If you're not serving these in your home you can precook them in the oven then just bring them to your destination in something microwavable and give them a quick 30 second zap in the micro before you put them out. Make sure you grab one or two for yourself before you leave the kitchen because otherwise, you'll blink and they will disappear. 

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Makes approximately 50 appetizer bites

Ingredients
2 lbs bacon
3 cans whole water chestnuts (8 oz. cans)- usually found in the Asian section of the supermarket
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons (approximately) soy sauce 
2 tablespoons (approximately) Worchestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Take a water chestnut (or cut them in half if they are big) and roll them in half of a piece of raw bacon. Stick the roll with a toothpick
3. Line up your bacon rolls in a casserole dish with the toothpicks pointing up
4. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar
5. Shake soy sauce and Worchestershire sauce over the top of the bundles. (Give a quick sprinkle over the top making sure that each little roll gets hit with a dash of soy and Worchestershire)
6. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until browned and cooked through (this might take a little longer if you use thick cut bacon)

Cinnamon Roll Popcorn

What do you do when you have a serious sweet tooth but you don't have any sweets in your house? Work with what you've got people! I got a little creative with a bag of popcorn and whipped up this creation that I've been thinking about ever since. You can eat it for breakfast (since it's inspired by a popular breakfast pastry) or dessert, or both -- live life on the edge people! Get the recipe below and make this fancy popcorn for a special treat or gift. 

For the love of olive oil

If my first love is butter, my second love is olive oil. Nothing beats a good quality olive oil -- you can dip bread in it, drizzle it on your cream soups, use it to dress your favorite salad, cook with it and even bake with it. And outside of the kitchen, sometimes I even use it on my chapped lips or dry hair. The key to a good experience with olive oil is investing in a quality product. I know, I know, it's expensive! But I recently learned of a reasonably priced olive oil that tastes like a million bucks. So today, I've got two recipes that showcase this most special of ingredients.

Summer Appetizers: No Cooking Required

With MDW (that's memorial day weekend) just three weeks away, I started thinking about the loads of summer parties and picnics we would be attending in the next few months. I love experimenting with new appetizers, but sometimes in the heat of the summer, the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven and make bacon wrapped water chestnuts or even boil water for an easy pasta salad. Here are six appetizers that require zero cooking and are super easy to make.

Do you have any other delicious, no-heat appetizers that you make during the summer? Tell me about them in the comments!

Baked Chili and Lime Drumsticks

Okay, so the sauce on these bad boys is pretty good and super simple, but what really makes the wings great is how crispy and moist they are. And they're not fried! The inspiration for these wings came from our favorite restaurant in Puerto Rico, Jose Enrique. We ordered the wings there and were practically licking the dish, the sauce was so good. When our waiter returned to find us face-first in a plate of chicken wing sauce, we asked how they were made, and he let us in on the secret. Get the full recipe and more photos below.

Sausage, Bacon, and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

I'm always on the hunt for an easy appetizer to bring to parties or serve when I'm entertaining. Sometimes, I get in a rut and just make boat loads of bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Don't get me wrong, they're always a hit and quite yummy, but sometimes you just feel like making something new. I totally forgot about stuffed mushrooms... I used to make them a lot when I lived back in New York, and in high school I was obsessed with the stuffed mushrooms at Houlihan's. Does that place even exist anymore!? So I thought it was time to bring the stuffed mushroom back. I brought them over to a friend's house for a little NCAA basketball tournament watching party (surprise, surprise, I didn't watch any basketball, I was too busy playing drinking games.) But they were a hit and therefore will be included in the regular appetizer rotation -- you've been warned friends. Get the full recipe below.

Roasted red pepper, leek and potato soup

This recipe is one I've been dreaming about for years. My dad made this soup for Christmas Eve years ago (soup on Christmas Eve is our tradition) and it was so yummy I've thought about it ever since. So, I scoured the interwebs and finally found a recipe that was similar, if not identical, and whipped up a batch for a holiday party we were attending. The soup received lots of positive feedback and will definitely be put on my regular dinner rotation. This year, pops is making a corn and crab chowda! I'll let you know how it turns out. 

Full recipe and additional photos can be found below. 

Sweet chili baked chicken wings

I found a family-size package of chicken drumstick in my freezer, and decided to cook them up as a little appetizer before we headed to the Yeezus concert. I threw together a quick Asian-inspired marinade and then let the chicken soak in that for a while. After baking these wings in the oven and slathering them with a reduction of the marinade, they came out sticky, sweet and spicy! S-cubed perfection! You can find the recipe below.

Baked and broiled crab cakes

I'm such a sucker for a good crab cake. I had never really tried to make them myself, but my mother in law bought us some jumbo lump crab meat so I decided to put it to good use. BryGuy and I prefer a crab cake with not much filler (breadcrumbs) and a nice crispy outside and a nice soft and flavorful inside. However, I was trying to be a little bit healthier with this recipe so I decided to bake the crab cakes and then crank up the broiler for a few minutes at the end to really get the outside nice and golden. They were so delicious and I served them with a horseradish remoulade and a lemon wedge.  

Sweet and spicy roasted almonds

(To the tune of Scotch, Scotch, Scotch by Ron Burgundy) Nuts, nuts, nuts. They are delicious. In my mouth. Yum yum yummmmm. okay...and scene.

Maybe you're thinking spiced nuts are a more appropriate winter time snack, and to that I say, blasphemy! Spiced nuts are delicious all year long. They are high in protein, crunchy, full of good fats, and packed with flavor -- especially when sprinkled with lots of exotic (ooh la laa) spices from your spice cabinet. Honestly, I'll give you my recipe, but it's going to be a total crock of bologna, because when I make spiced almonds it's basically like a little of this, a little of that, a dash of this one, and voila! Spiced nutty goodness. But since you're insisting on the recipe, and I hear you mumbling, "just shut up already Marissa and give me the damn recipe".... here you go.

Homemade ricotta cheese - it's so easy!

You know when you pin some recipe on Pinterest and you think it's really cool, but in the back of your mind you know you're probably never gonna make it? Well, this was one of those things. I liked the idea of making ricotta cheese at home, but I didn't actually think I'd ever do it. Honestly, I probably don't even buy ricotta cheese more than once or twice a year, but something came over me and I just had the incredible urge to make cheese! 

I looked at the recipe I had saved on pinterest and realized I didn't have the ingredients needed. So, I did a little googling (yep, that's totally a verb) and found that the patron saint of cheese-making had a recipe I could get down with: Martha Stewart's Homemade Ricotta 

A Tuesday night picnic

You may have seen a photo I posted on Instagram last night that blew the surprise about what activity we checked off of our bucket list yesterday. It turns out, The Philadelphia Orchestra does a number of concerts each summer at The Mann Center and they are picnic-style, which means you can bring in food and booze. Now, that's my kind of concert! I stopped by Di Bruno Bros. during my lunch break yesterday and snatched up some tapas style goodies for our picnic. 

The Orchestra performed the music that accompanied Fantasia, while footage from the film was shown on the big screen. It really brought me back to my childhood, especially that scene with Mickey Mouse and the brooms -- that was my favorite! 

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Makes approximately 50 appetizer bites

Ingredients
2 lbs bacon
3 cans whole water chestnuts (8 oz. cans)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons (approximately) soy sauce 
2 tablespoons (approximately) Worchestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Take a water chestnut (or cut them in half if they are big) and roll them in half of a piece of raw bacon. Stick the roll with a toothpick
3. Line up your bacon rolls in a casserole dish with the toothpicks pointing up
4. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar
5. Shake soy sauce and Worchestershire sauce over the top of the bundles. (Give a quick sprinkle over the top making sure that each little roll gets hit with a dash of soy and Worchestershire)
6. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until browned and cooked through (this might take a little longer if you use thick cut bacon)