Ben's Lit'l Smokies

1 pack Lit'l Smokies
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice (or 1/4 cup concentrate)
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp vinegar

Combine in crock pot and heat for 2 hours on high. Or low. Or whatever.

Perfect appetizer for New Year's Eve! (And reheat for breakfast in the morning!)

Scottage Cream

Ingredients
1 carton Fat-free Cottage Cheese
1/4 c. Milk
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Sea salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Serve over steamed asparagus or use as a substitute for sour cream.

Corn Salsa

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can Black-eyed Peas, drained
1 15 oz. can Black Beans, drained
4 large Tomatoes, diced
2-3 Avocadoes, diced
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 c. Yellow Corn
1 c. White Corn
1 c. Italian Dressing

Mix it all up and serve with tortilla chips. I like using blue corn chips. Mom likes to eat it as a salad or over chili.

Hummus

Ingredients
1 15oz. can Chick Peas/Garbonzo Beans (drained, but reserve juice)
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Tehini
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
2 cloves Garlic
2 tsp. Sea Salt

Blend all ingredients until thick and smooth. Add additional liquid if necessary (use the reserved bean juice).

Chill 2 hours. Serve cold as a dip or garnish. Traditionally served with olive oil. It's also great with za'atar, hyssop, sage, or similar herb sprinkled on top.

Yummy things to serve with it:
Pita bread
Pita chips
Veggie chips
Snap peas
Bell pepper spears
Red beats

Cream Cheese Penguins

Someone made these for a party recently and they were a big hit. If you need a fun, winter appetizer for a party, here you go.

18 jumbo black olives, pitted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

18 small black olives 1 carrot

Directions:

1.

Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.

2.

Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.