BLT Dip

Okay, so, what could be bad if it has bacon in it, right? This dip has only 4 ingredients so it truly could not be any easier. Gotta love that, right?! I served it in a bowl full of chopped iceburg lettuce and served it alongside pita chips. Mmm, mmm!

What You'll Need:
1 cup Mayonaisse

1 cup Sour Cream

1 lb. Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

2 Medium Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Lettuce for garnish
Pita Chips for dipping

What You'll Do:

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with lettuce and pita chips.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

This recipe was given to me by my sister when I was first moving out on my own. I had asked my sisters for the easiest recipes they had and this was one. I've made this chicken more times than I can count since those early days of learning how to cook. The best part is the lemony, peppery butter that is in the foil when you open it. I pour it over rice and it is delicious!

What You'll Need:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
Butter
Lemon Pepper Seasoning

What You'll Do:

Lay out pieces of foil (however many breast halves you have). Place a couple of pats of butter on each piece of foil. Place a piece of chicken on top of the butter. Sprinkle generously with lemn pepper seasoning. Put a couple of more pats of butter on top. Fold foil into a pouch and cinch tightly. You may want to double wrap with foil. Place foil packs into a casserole dish (just in case of leaks) and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes.

Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches

If you like smoked salmon, you'll love these little sandwiches. The herb butter makes them extra special. This recipe came from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa. She used square pieces of bread and cut them into triangles which is even prettier, but I couldn't find the perfect bread so I just improvised!

What You'll Need:

Herb Butter:

1/2 lb unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced scallions

1 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
1 Tbsp. minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 Loaf dense 7-grain or health bread, 1/4 inch slices
8 slices smoked salmon

What You'll Do:

Combine all the butter ingredients in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until well blended, but do not whip.

Spread butter on 4 slices of bread, top with a slice of smoked salmon then finish with another piece of bread on top. Refrigerate until butter is very cold and then slice each sandwich in half.

Caprese Skewers

This is a very simple appetizer! Tasty and pretty too! I made these for my best friend's baby shower. They were one of the fastest dishes we prepared that day and, I thought, one of the prettiest!

What You'll Need:
Small fresh mozzerella balls
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

Basil

EVOO

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

What You'll Do:

Marinate the tomatoes, mozzerella and basil in a mmixture of the EVOO, vinegar, salt and pepper for a couple of hours. Alternate ingredients onto skewers.