Bonne fête, part deux

Today is the big birthday party, so I'm re-posting the appetizer recipes from the other day. I've made a few changes, and added some pictures (and I'll add more later, once everything is made.)

EXTRAORDINARY CHEESE DIP (an Epicure classic!)
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
1-2 c. cheddar and mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tsp. Cheese Chives & Bacon Dip Mix
1 tsp. 3 Onion Dip Mix (I didn't have any 3 Onion, so I used an extra tsp. of Cheese Chives & Bacon)
1 tsp. Lemon Dilly Dip Mix
1 tbsp. Red Pepper Jelly (optional)

Combine everything together, except the Red Pepper Jelly. Hollow out a round loaf of bread and scoop in the cheese mixture. Drizzle with Red Pepper Jelly. Toss it in the oven at 375 F for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is golden brown. Serve with reserved pieces of bread.

MEXICAN LAYERED DIP (sort of a mix from lots of good recipes I've seen/tasted)
1 can refried beans (with green chilies)
2 tbsp. Pueblo Bean Dip Mix
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa
grated cheese (I used mozzarella and jalapeno havarti)
2 green onions, diced

Mix the beans with the Pueblo Bean Dip Mix and spread into a glass dish. Mix cream cheese and sour cream together and spread over the beans. Spread salsa over top, then sprinkle with green onion and grated cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

ISLAND GUACAMOLE (inspired by an Epicure customer who emailed me her recipe)
3 ripe avocaos, mashed
1 tbsp. Guacamole Dip Mix or Chili Lime Sansel or Fajita Seasoning
1/3 can mandarin orange segments (about 6-8 segments)
1 lime
1/4 c. mango, diced

Cut lime in half and then into segments (like a grapefruit.) Dice the segments and put them in a bowl with the juice from 1/2 the lime. Dice mandarin segments and mango and add to the bowl. Stir in seasonings. Mash or purée the avocado and stir in the fruit mixture. Serve with tortilla chips. This was a disappointment. I had made guacamole a couple weeks ago with oranges and fajita seasoning and it was delicious. This time I added the lime and mango and used Chili Lime and it was way too limey.

POTATO SKINS (from my friend's blog)
I followed her recipe, but I used Epicure's Garlic Potato Topper and Smoked Paprika. I put twice the amount of garlic, just because.

These were awesome!! I found I only had enough oil mixture to brush on the insides of the potatoes, so I didn't flip them over and cook them an extra 8 minutes like the recipe suggests. They were delicious though, and I'd definitely make them again! Thanks Jen!

SUSHI ROLLS
seaweed papers
sticky rice, prepared according to directions
avocado
cucumber
lettuce
crab meat (I ususally use smoked salmon, but I'm cheaping out this time)

For regular rolls: Lay seaweed on a bamboo mat and spread rice on top (leaving about an inch at the top.) Place thin strips of veggies and small pieces of seafood along the bottom, and then start to roll it up using the bamboo mat. Slice into pieces with a wet knife.

For inside-out rolls: Lay a piece of saran-wrap on the bamboo mat. Put the seaweed on it and spread out the rice, but then flip the seaweed over (so the rice is stuck to the saran-wrap.) Place your veggies and seafood on the seaweed and then roll it up. You should end up with the rice on the outside. Sprinkle with seasme seeds if you like.

Okay, that's not my sushi, but it's the prettiest sushi I ever ate! It's from a restaurant at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas called Shibuya. Here's my sushi:

TIRAMISU CHEESE BALL
1/2 pkg. cream cheese
1/4 c. softened butter (not margarine)
1/4 tsp. vanilla
6 tbsp. icing sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar (I forgot to put this in... oops)
1 tbsp. Tiramisu Fruit Dip Mix (or you could use cocoa)

Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually add vanilla, sugars, and Tiramisu dip mix and beat until stirred. Form into a ball. If it's too soft, let it chill and then form ball. Should be chilled at least 2 hours before serving. Best served on thin chocolate cookies, banana loaf, or graham crackers. May be frozen.
CRATER CAKE (from "Best of Bridge" cookbook)
I followed the recipe, but only used 1 1/2 c. sugar and used some maple-flavoured chocolate chips (because they're yummy, and because I only had 1/2 c. regular chocolate chips.)
This cake is so moist and delicious, but it's HUGE so make sure you use a 9x13" pan.

I'm so excited about the party tonight! I love having friends over.... we get to visit, I get to make awesome food, and my husband cleans up the house like nobody's business! We should do this every weekend!!