Chocolate punch
Title: CHOCOLATE PUNCH
Yield: 12 servings
4 1-oz sq semisweet chocolate
1/2 c Sugar
2 c Hot water
2 qt Milk
1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
1 qt Vanilla ice cream
1 qt Club soda
1/2 pt Heavy cream; whipped
Ground cinnamon
Recipe by: Spoonbread & Strawberry Wine - ISBN 0-385-47270-6 In a
large saucepan combine the chocolate and sugar with the hot water.
Bring to a boil, stirring for 2 mins. Add milk, and continue heating.
When hot, beat in vanilla with a rotary egg beater or whisk. Remove
from heat. Chill, then pour into a punch bowl over ice cream. For
sparkle, add club soda. Top with whipped cream and dust with
cinnamon. Yield: 12 servings.

When will the shower happen? This looks really pretty on a tray if you can get those big strawberries. Did you want finger food or more of a punch/cake type of thing?
Here's an assortment:

CREAM CHEESE-FILLED STRAWBERRIES (makes 16)
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
2 TBL sugar
1 TBL vanilla
16 large strawberries, trimmed & cored
slivered almonds & fresh mint leaves to garnish

Combine the cheese, sugar & vanilla in a small bowl; beat well. Spoon themixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe into the strawberries. Garnish w/almond slivers & fresh mint leaves.~~Austin Entertains

CHEESE STRAWS (7-8 dozen)
1 stick butter, softened
1 lb Cheddar cheese, gratred
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 clove garlic, crushed

Preheat oven to 250°. Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, black pepper & garlic; knead until smooth.
Brush a cookie press tube w/additional flour. Fill the tube w/the dough. Pipe in 2" long strips onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minute or until light brown. NOTE: You can also shape the pastry into 1" balls & flatten with a fork. Top each with a pecan half. Bake as above.~~Seaboard to Sideboard

TOMATO COMPANY CUPS (serves 12)
9 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dried basil
10 oz can refrigerated flaky biscuit dough

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine all the ingredients except the biscuit dough. Separate each biscuit into 2-3 thinner ones. Press biscuit pieces into mini muffin pan cups. Fill biscuit shells evenly with tomato mixture. Bake 10-12 minutes or until fillis bubbly.~~What Can I Bring.

You can also make mini cream puff shells (easy to do) & stuff with chicken salad. Or get mini croissants & fill with chicken or shrimp salad.

FESTIVE PUNCH (serves 10)
18 oz frozen lemonade, prepared
10 oz pkg frozen strawberries, thawed
1 qt chilled ginger ale
Ice or ice ring
1 pint raspberry sherbet
Fresh whole raspberries

Pour lemonade into the punch bowl & stir in strawberries. Just before serving, add ginger ale & ice, then stir in sherbet. Place a raspberry in each cup & serve.~~

Cold

Fresh fruit arrangement
Assortment of cheeses
Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries
Endive leave stuffed with deviled crab
Cherry tomato and Marinated Mozarella Kabobs
Asparagus spears wrapped in proscuitto
Assortment of olives

Hot

Lemon Chicken Lollipops with Mango dipping sauce
Chile Lime Grilled shrimp
Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Note: all of these will be served as individual pieces on small skewers

Sandwich tray

Mini bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon
Mini croissants filled with egg salad and salmon salad
Deviled ham stuffed baguette

So far dessert is a cake courtesy of the Brides Mom...I'm not much of a baker!

Your menu sounds absolutely delicious!

We did this as place settings for the tables, and everyone thought it was cute. We used tinted parchment paper, rolled scroll style, and tied with pretty ribbon with the guest name in the middle. CONGRATS on your new grandchild!

FROM BABY
I'm almost here
I'm on my way
I'm the reason you celebrate today
You've planned and prepared
For me to arrive
Love is the reason I'm alive
So I thank you all from
The bottom of my heart
for helping my mom and dad
Give me a great start

~baby's name here~

Savory Cheddar and Jalapeño Jelly Cookies from Rick Rodgers

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, or sub 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.

If you get this too cold in the freezer it's hard to handle, but becomes more pliable if you let it set a minute. They are so yummy they are addictive and everyone wants me to make these now.

Annie

I recently found a recipe website that I like a lot and they happen to have a baby shower feature that you might find interesting.

I'm not exactly certain what types of foods you might want, but here are some sandwich ideas I might choose for an afternoon baby shower. I love appetizer type foods and think they're always nice to have a large assortment at a party so I've posted some favorite recipes.

Wizardnm/Nancy's Cream cheese filling for wraps
8 oz pkg. cream cheese
2 green onions (white part and about 1 inch of the green part)
2 tbsp. dry ranch dressing mix
2 to 3 tbsp white wine (optional)

Combine all in a food processor and process until smooth. Spread a couple tbsp of mixture on each tortilla.
Fill using leaf lettuce, sliced deli meat of choice.

A great cocktail pinwheel can also be made using the above mixture and the following.
Olive and Green Chili Blend
¾ C chopped green olives
¾ C chopped black olives
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chili's
Combine the olives and green chili's.
Spread a tortilla with the cream cheese mixture then spread with olive mixture.
Roll up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hrs or longer.
Unwrap and slice into pinwheels about 1 inch thick.
During the holidays I like to combine cream cheese with a bit of cranberry relish, spread on a tortilla and place deli thin sliced smoked turkey on it. Roll up and refrigerate as above. Yummy! (Nancy)
CREAM CHEESE SANDWICHES
Posted by: Lindac (My Page) on Fri, Aug 16, 02 at 12:35

8 oz cream cheese, softened, add 2 oz blue cheese,2 tsp w'shire, a rounded teaspoon chopped parsley, fresh if possible,2 T sherry ( dry or cream) and 1/4 cup chopped pecans. 8 oz cream cheese, 2 tsp grated lemon rind, 2 tsp rosemary, chopped fine and a couple of squeezes lemon juice to make it spreadable. Cream cheese with a can of tiny shrimp, drained and seasoned with grated lemon rind and horse radish. Date nut bread spread with cream cheese.

MARILYN'S HOLIDAY DEVILLED EGGS
Pink and Blue for this shower, I would think!
Posted by: DanaIN (My Page) on Sat, Jul 5, 03 at 10:04

Place eggs in single layer in saucepan. Cover completely with water and add a large amount of salt, 2 tablespoons and about 1 tablespoon vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, keeping covered and allow to sit undisturbed for 25 minutes. Drain water and plunge eggs into ice water.
If coloring eggs, for each color bring about 2/3 cup of water to a boil. stir in about 1/4 teaspoon vinegar and food color as desired. Carefully drop in cooked egg white and leave it in the water until it reaches the color you want (color will become more intense out of the water). Drain well on a rack until cool, fill as desired. Also, I got my egg plate at Walmart for about $3 I think!

If you be sure to put a few drops of vinegar in your hot water with the food color, you will get darker eggs.

Cool completely before peeling and remove yolks. Mash yolks and stir in other desired ingredients (Miracle Whip, mustard, pinch of sugar). Fill eggs (using a pastry bag) with yolk mixture and garnish as desired.

Posted by: cookingrvc (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 12:49
Had a lot of eggs in the fridge, and a fair amount of cheese, so I put together a crustless quiche in a 13x9 pan.
This one was good, I must say. They key is finding the perfect ratio of eggs to cream, which I think I've nailed.
As long as there are 1 1/2 cups cream (I guess you can use milk, although I haven't used it straight yet) to 4 large eggs, it is foolproof...
Measurements are approximate. I just make sure that the fillings substantially fill up the baking dish before the liquids are added.
Can make ahead and refrigerate. Remove from fridge and let sit for 30 minutes before heating in 200° oven for 30 minutes.
Large Quiche
4 1/2 Cups cream
12 Eggs
Salt & Pepper
1 lb bacon - crisp
1/3 lb ham (I had sliced, but you can get the ham slabs and cut into cubes)
1 large onion - chopped
8 oz swiss - grated
4 oz. goat cheese - crumbled
5 oz. cheedar - shredded
Preheat oven to 350°
Mix eggs, cream, salt, and pepper - set aside
Fill baking dish with fillings.
Pour egg mixture over filling.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until center is set.

"Sweet Sausage Puffs"
Vivian31
1 pkg cocktail sausages
1 can (10) biscuits
Preheat oven to 350
Roll biscuits flat, cut into quarters, roll 1 cocktail sausauge into it and seal edge. Please seam side down in a greased baking dish.
Sauce:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 cup fine chop pecans
2 tbsp. water
Melt butter, add brown sugar, pecans, water, bring to boil.
Pour over top of sausage rolls and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

PARTY SHRIMP SPREAD
Posted by: Ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Oct 7, 02 at 17:07

2 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 cup cocktail sauce
1 1/2 cups (1 lb.) cooked baby shrimp
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup sliced ripe olives
1/3 cup diced fresh tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and/or mozzarella

On a pizza pan or large, flat round tray, spread the cream cheese evenly. Spread the cocktail sauce on top. Sprinkle the shrimp, green onions, green pepper, olives and tomatoes onto the cocktail sauce. Distribute the Parmesan cheese evenly over all the other ingredients so it looks like a pizza. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve as a spread with crackers.

Posted by brenda55 (My Page) on
Thu, Dec 28, 06 at 15:37
I know, most are familiar with the cream cheese topped with the Raspberry Roasted Chipotle Sauce. I was served a recent appetizer where the cream cheese had actually been blended with the Raspberry Roasted Chipotle Sauce and then topped with toasted pecans. It was very good and relatively quick and easy