Easiest Entertaining and No Recipes Required

 "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients "    - Julia Child

If you are hosting family or friends, here are some simple ideas you can easily throw together when entertaining. Print and keep it on hand when you need to be creative with little time needed.

Sour Cream Dips -
French Onion Dip: Mix sour cream with dried Lipton onion soup mix
Blue Cheese Dip: Mix sour cream with crumbled blue cheese
Horseradish - Bacon Dip: Mix sour cream with a little horseradish and crumbled bacon
Ranch Dip (and it's Gluten Free): tsp. dried basil, 2 tsp. dried dill, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. dried parsley, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 8 oz. sour cream.  Mix, chill and serve.
(refrigerate all after preparing until ready to serve). Serve with assorted crackers, pita chips, or cut up carrots, celery, radishes, tomatoes or your favorite chips. Give Stacyssnacks.com a try when you are looking for baked pita chips.  Pita chip flavors include Simply Naked (nothing but sea salt), Cinnamon Sugar, Parmesan Garlic and Herb, Multigrain, Italian Harvest, Garden Veggie Medley and Simply Bruschetta.  I always keep a variety of Stacy's snacks on hand.  They are enjoyed alone or with dips, cheese and a glass of wine.

Pita Pockets and Hummus
Cut up your favorite pita bread into small wedges, arrange on a pretty platter alongside a bowl or two of your favorite hummus.

Fruit Platter
Grapes, pineapple chunks, sliced kiwis, sliced oranges, berries and melon cubes.

Cheese Platter
Select 3 or 4 favorite cheeses with different flavors and texture.  Serve with baskets of assorted crackers and sliced crusty bread.
Soft Cheese - Brie, Camembert and Goat Cheese
Semi Soft Cheese - Havarti, Fontina and Talleggio
Hard Cheeses - Cheddar, Swiss and Gruye're
Blue Cheeses - Roquefort and Maytag Blue

Tortilla chips and store bought or home made salsa.

                                                   Happy Weekend

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