Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

A favorite among tea parties, garden parties, Mother's Day brunches, baby showers, and bridal showers, Cucumber Tea Sandwiches are the perfect small bite. These savory appetizers are a tasty addition to your party table. 

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 loaf sliced white bread, crusts removed

1 pinch lemon pepper (optional)

1. Place cucumber slices between 2 paper towels set in a colander. Allow liquid to drain, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl until smooth.
3. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on one side of each bread slice.
4. Divide cucumber slices over half of the bread slices. If desired, sprinkle lemon pepper on cucumber.
5. Stack the other half of the bread slices spread-side down over cucumber to make sandwiches; slice into triangles.

How far in advance can you make Cucumber Tea Sandwiches?

You should only make Cucumber Tea Sandwiches on the same day you will be serving and eating them. And ideally, you should not make them more than an hour or two earlier when possible.

The danger is that the inside of the bread will get soggy and the outside will become dry. (And nobody wants that.)

If you'd like to get a jump on your party prep, you can make the spread a day beforehand and store it in the refrigerator. And then assemble the sandwiches right before plating and serving. Easy peasy!

If you're planning a party soon, make sure to check out these other appetizer and beverage recipes:

• Gouda and Tomato Tea Sandwiches
• Chicken Salad Finger Sandwiches
• Tomato Basil Bruschetta
• Baked Pimento Cheese Pinwheels
• Pineapple Marmalade Brie
• Cranberry Pomegranate Sangria
• Champagne Punch

Gouda and Tomato Tea Sandwiches

These simple tea sandwiches are perfect for any upcoming parties you might be planning so make sure to save this recipe for your next bridal shower, baby shower, tea party, cocktail party, or brunch. It only takes 7 ingredients to make these savory little appetizer sandwiches. You can make the topping the night before and then assemble the sandwiches right before serving.

Gouda and Tomato Tea Sandwiches

2 Italian baguettes

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 oz. Gouda, finely grated

7 oz. Mozzarella cheese, finely grated

3 small tomatoes, sliced into wedges

Fresh Dill, Cilantro, or Parsley (for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Slice bread on diagonal about 1/2" thick and place slices in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.
3. Finely grate cheeses and place in a medium bowl.
4. Press garlic into the bowl and stir in approximately 1/2 cup mayonnaise. (Add 1 Tbsp. at a time until you have a spreadable consistency.) Mix the spread together until well combined.
5. Bake bread at 350˚F for about 7-10 minutes or until edges are beginning to turn golden. Remove from oven. 
6. While bread is still warm, top each slice of bread with spread. Top with tomato wedge and garnish with fresh herbs of choice.

If you're planning a party soon, make sure to check out these other party appetizer recipes:

• Classic Cheese Ball 
• Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
• Cowboy Caviar
• Pineapple Marmalade Brie

Baked Pimento Cheese Pinwheels

Pimento cheese is a true Southern delicacy. And this savory appetizer recipe takes it to the next level by encasing it in pastry. These Baked Pimento Cheese Pinwheels are a delicious, fun, and easy-to-eat appetizer that you'll love to serve at your next party. 

Baked Pimento Cheese Pinwheels

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained

salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place the extra sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and pimentos into a large mixing bowl. 
3. Use a mixer to beat at medium speed, until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Unroll the crescent rolls, keeping the perforated sections together. Gently pinch the perforations so they stay together.
5. Spread pimento cheese evenly on top. Carefully roll the crescent roll to create a roll. 
6. Set in refrigerator for 30 minutes for easier slicing. 
7. Gently slice the roll into 1-inch long sections using a sharp knife. 
8. Place onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to not crowd the rolls or they will stick to each other while baking.
9. Bake at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
10. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then remove from the pan.

Notes: 

The softer the dough is, the more these pinwheels spread during baking. Refrigerating in step 6 helps with this.

Crescent roll dough won't slice particularly evenly, even after refrigerating. (You won't have perfect circles of dough.) However, they will even out while baking.

How to Serve Pimento Cheese

If you don't want to make fancy pants baked pinwheel appetizers with this pimento cheese recipe, you could easily just make the pimento cheese portion of the recipe (steps 1-3) and serve it:

• as a dip with crackers, veggies, or chips 
• on regular sandwiches, finger (tea-sized) sandwiches, or grilled sandwiches
• as a filling for a quesadilla
• as a burger topping
• as a topping for cooked veggies or baked potatoes
• as a topping for French fries
• mixed into grits 
• mixed into macaroni and cheese

If you're throwing a party soon, check out these other appetizer recipes:

• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Cowboy Caviar
• Unbelievably Good Fruit Dip
• Mexican Street Corn Dip
• Chicken Salad Finger Sandwiches

How to Make a Winter Wreath That Will Last Until Spring

After you've taken down all of your Christmas decorations, are you sometimes stumped with what to do with your front door? If you don't want to decorate specifically for Valentine's Day, you can make this seasonal wreath that you can keep up from winter through spring!

Winter Wreath Supplies

• Pine wreath form
• Glittered long-needle pine garland
• Lambs Ear, Dusty Miller, or other flocked light green foliage garland 
• Glittered pine cones
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions

1. Cut apart the garlands into individual picks and organize picks into similar groups, removing distinct pieces from picks, such as pine cones, glittered branches, and berries (these will be added to the wreath separately).
   
   
   
   
   
2. Fluff up your wreath form and reposition any branches.
3. Choose one type of wreath pick and "dry fit" them evenly around the wreath and make sure that you're happy with their placement. For example, I chose to start with the flocked pieces first.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Hot glue those pieces into the wreath.
5. Choose the next type of wreath pick and "dry fit" them evenly around the wreath before hot gluing into place. For example, I moved on to the glittered long pine needle picks next.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Continue dry fitting each type of pick and hot gluing in batches until you've used all of the pick types, making sure that you've evenly distributed each type of pick before hot gluing them.

Notes:

I actually started with a pre-made wreath from Michaels that already had a few unglittered pine cones on it and a few different types of greenery attached to a grapevine base. I had planned to start with a pine wreath form because they give you a little more substance to hot glue your items to.

When I went to purchase my materials for the wreath, the only plain pine wreath forms they had left were either extraordinarily large (about 3 feet across) or super-small (about 6 inches across). This particular wreath was actually a pre-decorated Christmas wreath that was on clearance, and I was happy to use it as a starting point for this project. But I wanted to add a little extra oomph to create an extra voluminous wreath. 

Make sure to shop after-Christmas sales for simple wintery floral picks, wreaths, and garlands. I was able to get all the supplies for this wreath for 70% off because they were technically classified as Christmas items and were on clearance before the store brought in all the Valentine's Day merchandise.

I opted not to use the red berries that were included with the flocked garland on this wreath. But they would also look appropriate on a winter wreath too!

I'm really happy with how the finished product turned out. Here are a few close ups so you can see the details better:

Glittery long pine needles and lambs ear:

Glittery branches:

Pine cone clusters:

And one more look at the finished wreath:

There you go! If you've got about 20 minutes, you can create a whole new seasonal winter wreath for your front door this year!

DIY Wreath Tutorials for Other Seasons and Holidays:

• Valentine's Day/Winter Wreath
• Hot Air Balloon Spring Wreath
• Peeps Easter Wreath
• Halloween Candy Wreath
• Witch's Broom Front Door Hanger
• Christmas Wreath
• Vintage Christmas Wreaths (trio)
• Vintage Shiny Brite Wreath

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe is a classic appetizer that you'll only need 5 ingredients to make. So easy! The combination of hot sauce, chicken, cheese, and ranch flavors mix together in a dip that's served hot and makes the perfect party food for a crowd.

You can make this simple recipe in your oven or in the crock pot (we've included instructions for both ways). It's the best game day appetizer!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2, 12.5 oz. cans shredded cooked chicken, drained

1, 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into 1-quart baking dish.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Serve warm.

Notes:

If you would like to make this recipe in the crock pot instead, mix together all ingredients and cook on low in the crock pot for 2 hours, stirring a few times while cooking. (Unless doubling the recipe, this would work best with a 1.5 quart crock pot.)

If you are not a fan of blue cheese, you can substitute shredded cheddar cheese or shredded colby jack cheese instead. 

You can sprinkle the finished dip with green onions, if desired. 

What to Serve Buffalo Chicken Dip With:

• Tortilla chips
• Fritos Scoops
• Potato chips
• Pita chips
• Pretzels
• Crackers
• Toasted baguette slices
• Breadsticks
• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks
• Bell pepper strips

Other Favorite Appetizer Recipes:

• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Pineapple Marmalade Brie
• Queso Dip
• Sweet Corn Salsa
• Mexican Street Corn Dip