Appetizers

The most important thing I can tell you about appetizers is:

Keep It Simple!

This course should be your least stressful. Think about canapes, crudite, and cheese plates/cheese balls.

Cheese Plate/Cheese Ball

You can get a very elegant cheese ball coated with almond slices (they're thin, I promise) from a grocery store, place it in the center of a platter, and surround it by a couple different types of crackers.

Another simple appetizer option is a cheese plate. This is as simple as it sounds. Get a few different types of cheese from the deli section of your grocery store. Unless you famliy is very adventurous when it comes to cheese, stick to mild cheeses. Brie, goat cheese, and gouda are all excellent options. Place these a nice bamboo cutting board (not your everyday board - think of the presentation as what makes this special), and stack your cracker around the outside edge. Don't forget the cheese knife!

Crudites

A favorite appetizer in my house is a simple veggie tray. Again, you can buy one from your local grocery store or make one of your own. Simpy wash and chop up some crunchy vegetables, arrange on a tray, and make an easy ranch or spinach artichoke dip. Put your dip in a beautiful bowl and place in the center of the tray.

Canape

Canapes have to be my favorite appetizer of all time. It's just a cracker topped with something savory. I like to get a thick cracker or toast round, top it with a hard cheese - usually a sharp white cheddar - and a slice of hard salami. Look for logs of genoa salami in the deli section when you're buying your cheese.