Thanksgiving Celebrations and Recipes

Hope your holiday was as delightful as the one I experienced. I have enjoyed cooking so much and I just hate for all of the fun to end when I return to work tomorrow. We visited with family and friends for several days while enjoying lots of good food. Some great friends host an annual oyster roast on Thanksgiving Eve. We love steamed oysters, but nobody loves them more than my eleven year old son. Each year we anticipate a really bad night after he eats his weight in oysters. Our host and hostess always ask everyone to contribute an appetizer. Each year I have fun trying something new just for the occasion. This year I tried- Hot Bleu Cheese Dip with Granny Smith apples (we are still eating the apples from the Rotary Club fundraiser) and Citrus Marinated Feta and Olives (the current issue of Southern Living- page 183). The dip had an awesome flavor that can be attributed to the mixture of bacon and bleu cheese. Meanwhile the marinated feta and olives had a zingy flavor that was just delightful on fresh french bread. Feel free to look up the Southern Living recipe for the marinated olives and feta. I will share the dip recipe. This week I will continue to share more about our celebrations as well as recipes.

Hot Bleu Cheese Dip

1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
5 oz blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp minced garlic
7 slices of backon, fried and crumbled
Granny Smith apple slices (Cut up ahead and soak in orange or pineapple juice to keep from browning. Place in a colander to drain before serving.)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except apple slices. Spoon into a greased 1-quart baking dish. Bake 30 minutes. Serve with the chilled apple slices.