NEW YORK SOUR
Having friends for happy hour rather than for a sit-down dinner is a great way to entertain. We recently had some friends over on a Friday evening for some drinks and appetizers. I didn’t have to think too hard about what I was going to serve. I just searched in the recipes archives here on the blog and came up with a great menu.
WHITE SANGRIA
I always like to have a special drink mixed up ahead of time, but I still set up the bar in case someone wants to make their own cocktail. I served white sangria for our get-together, but the New York Sour is also a favorite. The nice thing about the sangria is that you can switch the white wine for red wine and have a mixture that might be better in the fall and winter months.
GUACAMOLE
It seems that whenever I am asked to bring an appetizer to a pot luck or a meeting, guacamole is my go-to dish. It is delicious, and every bit of it is always eaten. So, I made this guacamole recipe from The Barefoot Contessa.
HUMMUS
I cut pita bread into triangles, toasted it, and served it along with this hummus. Even when we’re not entertaining, I like to have hummus on hand for Mr. Right and me. It makes an easy lunch with some veggies or crackers. We even spread it on a tortilla, add some veggies, and make a wrap for a healthy lunch.
BRUSCHETTA
Since I have some tomatoes and plenty of basil in my court yard garden right now, serving bruschetta was a no-brainer. If you don’t like the tomato version, you might like this one.
The only store bought snack that I served was Trader Joe’s smoked salmon spread. Have you all tried it? It is so delicious. Just put it in a pretty serving dish with some fancy crackers on the side, and your menu is complete. Our guests really enjoyed the food, and so did we. Making and serving appetizers that I was comfortable with helped me be a relaxed hostess.
