One of my favourite summer drinks is Sangria. You don't have to use an expensive bottle of wine, but you need to use one that you would drink even if you weren't making Sangria.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Spanish Sangria
===============
Source: Barbara Hansen's Mexican Cookery (1981)

1 bottle, dry full bodied red wine
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
1/3 cup of simple syrup
1 lime thinly sliced
1 orange thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced
Juice of one orange
1 cup club soda

Combined wine, syrup, brandy and orange juice and stir. Add sliced fruit and just before serving add the soda water.

Do not let the fruit slices sit in the Sangria for more than one hour before serving as the peels can cause the drink to be bitter.

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Bring water and sugar to a boil and simmer until liquid is clear and the sugar has dissolved. Pour in to jar and refrigerate. Keep for 3 weeks.

NOTE: I pour the Sangria into glasses and then top each with soda water.

One of my favorite appetizers has to be brucshetta on toast points. Perfect for making ahead and very summery. In that same vein would be sliced mozzarella with lightly oiled tomatoes and bread. Okay now I'm getting hungry.

Hope this helps. Sorry I can't help on the drink suggestion since I don't do alcohol. Unless you feel like making iced blended coffee drinks:)

Kate

Hmmmm. I have a case and a half of wine left, mixed "flavors", maybe I'll make Sangria. I actually kind of like it, so does Ashley and Amanda. My mother does not, she likes dry red. Elery does not, he doesn't like sweet. David does not, he drinks Jack Daniels, LOL. It might be pretty much all mine. (grin)

OK, appetizers. I'd rather have them than the meal, or I could have them in place of the meal. I love shrimp and my favorite is just cold boiled shrimp for shrimp cocktail. I often make the habanaro gold cheesecake for a spread with crackers or the cheese thumbprints filled with hot pepper jelly. It's a Rick Rodgers recipe, Carol (Readinglady) gave it to me:

Savory Cheddar and Jalape�o Jelly Cookies
Makes about 4 1/2 dozen

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup jalapeno jelly, apple butter or chutney

Place cheese and butter in a food processor (could be creamed by hand or mixer); add flour and process until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather up the dough and divide into two flat disks. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until chilled, about 45 minutes.

Position two racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 400�. Line two baking sheets with parchment or use nonstick sheets.

Using 1 teaspoon dough for each, roll the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or 1/2-inch-thick dowel, poke an indentation in each cookie. Place the jelly in a small plastic bag and force it down into one corner. Snip off the corner of the bag to make a small hole. Pipe the jelly into the indentations.

Return to the oven and bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the tops are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.) Transfer to racks and cool completely.

Can be baked up to two days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and separate layers with wax paper.

I really like that Mexican 7 layer dip and it feeds a lot, goes together quickly and can be made ahead.

I like hummus with pita bread or chips, but I like it best with celery sticks. I like this Ajvar with nearly anything:

Ajvar (Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Dip)

2 large eggplants
6 large red sweet peppers
salt
pepper
1 garlic clove -- minced
1 lemon -- juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
Parsley -- minced

Bake eggplants and sweet peppers at 350 F until tender when pierced with a fork. Peel skin from hot vegetables and chop or mince the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the garlic and lemon juice. Gradually stir in as much of the oil as the vegetables will absorb. Mix well. Pile into a glass dish and sprinkle with parsley.

From "Jane Rinear "Our Favorite Recipes" St. Anthony Croatian Catholic Church

I'm not much help with drink recipes, since I haven't really found an alcohol that I like much at all, but I have these, just in case I decide to throw a wild drinking party!

MARTINIS

Lemon Drop Martini

3 tbls fresh lemon juice
2 tsp simple syrup (2 parts water and 1 part sugar, cooked until sugar dissolves, then boiled one minute)
1/3 cup lemon flavored vodka
2tbls triple sec
Superfine sugar
Lemon "wheels"

Mix first four ingredients (shaken or stirred, your choice), strain into a chilled, sugar rimmed martini glass, Garnish with lemon wheel.

Red Apple Martini

1/4 cup Grey Goose vodka
1/4 cup sour apple liquer
1/4 cup cranberry juice
apple slices
cinnamon sugar

Mix first three ingredients, shake or stir. Pour into glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar and garnished with an apple slice

Espresso Martini with a Twist

3 tbls Grey Goose vodka
3 tbls Kahlua
2 tbls white Creme De Cacao
2 tbls double strength espresso, chilled
3 chocolate covered coffee beans
lemon twist

Mix first three ingredients, shake or stir. Pour over coffee beans in chilled martini glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Have fun!

Annie

I think my favorite appetizers are the simpelest, cheese and crackers, crudites with a dipping sauce, hummous with home made pita chips, bruschetta, shrimp cocktail, meatballs and good old chips and salsa.
Favorite cocktails is even simpler....just the old classics, martinis ( the old kind with quality gin or vodka and a good dry vermouth) beer, a couple of kinds of wine and Scotch, bourbon, a blended whiskey and gin and vodka with appropriate mixers.
For non alcoholic I like something less sweet like a cran raspberry juice with club soda and lime slices, or strawberry kiwi juice, club soda and chunks of pineapple on picks.
Good luck!
Linda C

You want
- Make-ahead,
- Easy to serve, ideally just set it out
- Not too filling, so they still want your grill product
- Liked by kids and adults
- Appropriate for a nice outdoor grill day (I'm assuming)

I guess I'd do
- Cheese and antipasti platter
- Fruit salad, but nothing that oxidizes fast like sliced apples
- Bread or toast, with toppings like the bruschetta mentioned already, or pate
- Crunchy thin breadsticks, kids love them
- The trusty standby, raw veg or chips, plus dip or salsa.

For more interesting but maybe less kid-friendly fare
- Carpaccio, prepare then brush with olive oil and place in single layer between plastic wrap, squeezing out the air, refrigerate, should be okay for a couple hours without turning brown
- Light pasta salad with a lot of herb/greenry, like a pesto trapanese
- Sushi rolls, made or bought ahead, they refrigerate well and the simpler ones are easy to make, try a spicy tuna roll or a California roll
- Steamed and salted edamame in the shells, served cold
- Various dim sum bites like shao mai or spring rolls, you can get these frozen, just bake or steam as per package, and pop onto a platter when folks arrive, the key is a yummy tangy dipping sauce which you can get bottled too, or set out a few different sauces (plum, chili, hoisin, mustard, etc)
- Buffalo wings, these are easy to time, have them steamed and arranged in the baking tray, salted and spiced, with the oven pre-heated, then pop them in 30 min before desired serving, finish with 5 min broiling and a toss with melted butter, salt, a bit of hot sauce.
- A refreshing cold soup, like a gazpacho or a cucumber soup, also a make-ahead
- Ceviche, have it ready in the fridge with your toppings already diced/sliced, when guests are ready just ladle into bowls/short glasses/stemware and set out the toppings
- Shrimp cocktail, similar idea
- Oysters on the half-shell, shuck and arrange on platter on top of shredded lettuce (to keep the shells level), cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate very cold, I'm okay with keeping it this way for a couple hours
- Cracked crab, same idea

I realize that some of these are getting kind of, err, substantial - but you can serve them in small quantities so that no-one gets filled up, and the seafood choices might make a nice surf then turf thing.

Here are a couple of easy appys that can be made ahead.

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

1 lb package little smokies
1 lb bacon
3/4 c brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Wrap each little smokie in 1/2 strip of bacon and secure with toothpicks.
Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake until bacon is crisp and sugar is melted, 30-45 minutes.

BLOODY MARY SHRIMP

Servings: Makes about 50 hors d'oeuvres

For shrimp
1 pound medium shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery (3 to 4 ribs)
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 6)

For sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vodka (preferably Absolut Peppar)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons bottled horseradish (not drained), or to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco

Prepare shrimp:
Bring a large saucepan of salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 2 quarts water) to a boil. Add shrimp, then remove from heat and let stand in water until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cut shrimp into thirds and transfer to a large bowl with celery and scallions.

Make sauce:
Whisk together all sauce ingredients, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste.
Just before serving, stir sauce into shrimp mixture. Spoon 2 shrimp pieces with vegetables and sauce into individual Chinese soup spoons and arrange spoons on a platter.

Cooks' notes:
� Shrimp can be cooked and tossed with vegetables 4 hours ahead, then chilled in a sealed bag. Bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before tossing with sauce.
� Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Caesar Dip with Parmesan and Anchovies
Originally Posted by Craftyrn

Source: Cooks Illustrated
Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese , (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
2 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 anchovy fillets , minced to paste (about 1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Transfer dip to serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until flavors are blended, at least 1 hour; serve cold with crudit�s. (Can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days.)

For cocktails I like Sangria in summer also.

Red Apple Sangria
My version of a drink served at Applebee's

3 parts Full bodied dry red wine (Shiraz, Cabernet, Zinfandel�.)
1 part Sweet-n-sour mix
1 part Apple Liquor ( I used 99 Apples brand)
1 part Pineapple Juice
1 part Cranberry Juice

Garnish with Chopped apples, orange slices and fresh cranberries.

Sangria Blanca
Posted 6/07 by Sands99

3 1/2 C dry white wine, chilled (1 bottle)
I like a pinot grigio
1/2 C Triple Sec
1/4 C sugar
ice cubes
1 10 oz. bottle club soda, chilled
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges

Combine wine, Triple Sec and sugar until well
blended in a glass pitcher. When ready to
serve, stir in ice and club soda. Add fruit
and serve.

I like to throw in nectarines and white peaches instead of oranges they have great flavor and they look beautiful.

Linda

Ha, I've been playing with my new iPad too much. I saw apps and my first thought was "how do you eat an app?"lol

Anyways, in my experience, everyone loves some type of chip/dip combo for appetizers. Mexican layer dip, buffalo chicken dip, hummus and pita chips, Skyline chili dip, baked spinach artichoke dip, and plain old Lipton California dip. Good luck!

Tracey

I know the little smokies are old-hat, but still a favorite. The below recipes for smokies are a bit different. The above listed recipes for sangria sound wonderful and are, IMO, perfect to make ahead for the adults. I have included a recipe that I believe I have posted before, but we love it and it would be perfect for adults and kids.

Cocktail Wieners with Onion and Apple

Makes 12 to 15 appetizer servings

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium apple, diced
2 tablespoons water
2 packages (1 pound each) bite-size smoked sausages

Place brown sugar, onion and apple in slow cooker. Add water. Stir until blended. Add sausages. Simmer on low setting 5 or 6 hours.

Kids seem to like little smokies with kikkoman teriyaki glaze and canned chunk pineapple cooked in crockpot for a couple of hours.

Barefoot Contessa's Herbal Iced Tea

We love this herbal tea mixture. It is so cooling and refreshing.

4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
4 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags
4 cups boiling water
4 cups pure apple juice

Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Combine the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice.

Bloody Mater Bites are always fun and well received

1 pint cherry tomatoes
tobasco sauce optional and to taste
1 cup vodka
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons celery salt
Directions
1.Remove the stems from the tomatoes, and place them in a shallow bowl. Pour vodka over them so that they are covered. Stir in the hot pepper sauce. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2.To serve, mix together the lemon pepper and celery salt in a small dish. Serve tomatoes floating in vodka. Provide toothpicks so that your guests may pick up the tomatoes and dip them in the seasoning before eating.

How about this one for easy, attractive and good?
Take Zucchini rounds sliced in 1/2" slices topped with a bit of pesto and a slice of pimento or 1/2 of a cherry tomato? Low carb and pretty!

Loves 2:
How about Scallops wrapped with bacon, or

Panini made in a Waffle iron, cut in 4 triangles or

Small Pizzas, cut in small sizes. Can be heated
in a Toaster oven.
Or
Biscotti and Pizzelles, or

Calzone, cut in Double bite size pieces, or

A tray of pieces of Sharp Provolone, Pepperoni, Ham and Crackers ( or whatever you like ) or

Baked, Stuffed Calamari in tomatoe sauce, or
fruit filled cookies ( cakes ) or

Lou-s Fluffy Cheesecake with Coffee or

Bagles, Cream Cheese, Lox, onions.

Chicken Wedding Soup,

That is it , I quit.

Lou

I usually do shrimp cocktail with lemon wedges and stuffed mushrooms.

For drinks, margaritas, mojitos or just wine!

Here are a few of my favourite appetizers:

These little cocktail toasts with goat cheese and toasted walnuts are easy and very tasty.

Just put a dollop of warm goat cheese on a cocktail toast, top with a toasted walnut and drizzle with olive oil.

This tuna pate is addictive.

Tuna Pate
=========
Although this is a very easy appetizer that can be made earlier in the day, it is also a very rich because of all of the butter. One of my favourites.

2 (6 ounces) cans white tuna drained
1 cup butter
2 Tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper (Homemade or bottled pimentos)
1 to 2 teaspoons capers
fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 drops tabasco
salt and pepper

Puree tuna and butter in processor

Add chopped red pepper, capers, lemon juice, salt, pepper and tabasco.

Process on pulse until the capers and red peppers are finely minced.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pack into decorate serving bowl and cover and refrigerate.

When ready to serve remove a bit early from fridge so that the pate
has a change to soften just slightly.

Serve with toasted pita triangles

Cut Plain or whole wheat pitas into triangles. Separate each triangle
and place on cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Bake
at 350�F until crisp and golden. Be careful not to burn.
Remove and let cool.

Serve triangles surrounding tuna pate

OR
a big batch of these Firecracker Shrimps?

Firecracker Shrimp
==================
Source: Week of Menus Blog

2 lbs of jumbo shrimp, legs removed,
de-veined and butterflied (see step by step photos below)
1/4 cup of butter, softened (softer the better)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
(red bell pepper is fine, but if you like SPICE, use a red chili pepper)
3 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
Sea salt and cayenne pepper(optional) for sprinkling

Arrange oven rack so that it is closest to the heating element. Preheat oven to broil. Line sheet pan with foil. Place prepared shrimp evenly so that there is only a single layer and every shrimp will get maximum heat.

These always seem to go over well. They are light, fresh and can be prepared ahead. I usually make a few without the chicken, shrimp or scallops for the vegetarians.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Rolls:
1 lb cooked shrimp, chicken, or scallops, diced 1/8"
1 cup lettuce shredded then chopped fine
1 cup of bean sprouts, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced fine
1 cup cooked rice noodles, chopped
1 cup carrots shredded then chopped fine
1/4 cup scallions green and white part, minced fine
30 8" rice paper wrappers (Do not use egg roll/wonton wrappers)
Large bowl of hot water for softening rice papers.
Note: Depending on how fast you work, the water may need to be changed several times to maintain temperature.

Mix first 7 ingredients together for filling. Prepare work surface for rolling spring rolls. I cover the counter with 2 layers of paper towels. Place one rice paper in the hot water. Keep remaining papers in plastic bag or they will stick together. As soon as the rice paper is soft about 30 seconds, remove from water and lay flat on paper towels. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of the rice papers. Fold end of rice paper over filling and pull tight to form log, roll slightly to hold then fold in sides and finish rolling tight. Place rolls seam side down on serving platter. Repeat. Makes 30.

Sauce:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup hot water
2 tbs. pickled ginger, minced fine
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1 tbs. wasabi paste
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic minced very fine

Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and hot water until smooth. Stir in ginger, wasabi paste and garlic and mix well. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving for flavors to blend. Stir well before serving.

Monique's crab salad phyllo cups comes to mind. But it could be just my mood. I keep thinking one bite things. Finger foods. Hm. I've done John's breadsticks, but added pepperoni. Kids do love sticks. Which also brings to mind mini corn dogs. Have fun! You have lots of great ideas going on here.

Thai Crab Salad Phyllo Cups--Monique
A Canadian Living Recipe
The salad filling's taste and colour lend an exotic glamour to your appetizer platter. Spoon the filling into the phyllo cups right before serving.

48 Flaky Phyllo Cups 48
Filling:
3 tbsp Vegetable oil 50 mL
3 tbsp Lime or lemon juice 50 mL
2 tbsp Granulated sugar 25 mL
4 tsp Fish or soy sauce 20 mL
1-1/2 tsp Peanut butter 7 mL
1 Clove garlic, minced 1
Dash Hot pepper sauce Dash
8 oz Crabmeat (fresh thawed) 250 g
2/3 cup Each finely chopped English cucumber and sweet red pepper 150 mL
3 tbsp Each finely chopped green onion and fresh basil or mint 50 mL
2 tbsp Finely chopped peanuts 25 mL

FILLING: In large bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, peanut butter,
garlic and hot pepper sauce until sugar is dissolved.
Gently squeeze any excess liquid from crab. Add crab to bowl along with cucumber, red pepper, onion and basil; toss to combine. Spoon into phyllo cups. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Makes 48 pieces.
Per piece: about 38 cal, 2 g pro, 2 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 3 g carb, trace fibre, 6 mg
chol, 107 mg sodium. % RDI: 1% iron, 2% vit A, 5% vit C, 2% folate.
Tip: If desired, you can substitute salad shrimp for the crabmeat.

Ha hA, I thought "eat an app?", too.

Some great ideas here.

Bacon wrapped anything but bacon wrapped parmesan Club Crackers and bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Bacon wrapped breadsticks, stuffed or not.

Cocktail meatballs are still a favorite, as are the bacon wrapped cocktail franks (or any sausage) but skip the sugar.

Mini pizza appetizers. Use a favorite cracker, Ritz, Wheat Thins, Triscut, Cheez Its or whatever you like, a dab of tomato paste, some pizza seasonings, some pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms or whatever you like topped with mozzarella. Make a variety on one platter.

Beer, screwdriver (occasionally with a splash of grapefruit juice), fresh tart (low sugar) lemonade, fruit punch and unsweetened iced tea with a lot of lemon or lime (or orange). And I don't care what anyone says, I'm still a fan of the much maligned water.