Appetizers.

1. Artichoke dip
2. baked bacon
3. cheese crisps
4. BLT boats
5. Deviled eggs
6. Guacamole
7. Lemonade
8. Little Smokies – 2 recipes
9. Rosemary roasted walnuts or pecans
10. spicy nuts
11. Thyme Nuts – easy
12. stuffed mushrooms

1. Artichoke dip

• 14-16 oz can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
• ½-1 c mayonnaise (avocado mayonnaise is healthy)
• 1 c parmesan cheese
• Bake 40 min at 350 degrees.  Serve with sliced veggies, flax crackers or pork rinds

2. Baked Bacon

• preheat to 375 degrees
• Put bacon on parchment paper,
• Sprinkle bacon lightly with allulose mixed with tiny bit of monk fruit.
• Bake until brown – turning once

3. Cheese Chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grate 8 oz a good quality cheddar cheese like Dubliners in small piles on pan covered with parchment paper leaving ½” -1”between piles   Bake 8 min until cheese is melted and edges are  crispy. Let cool & store in refrigerator up to 5 days

4. BLT boats

• 1 ¼ pound bacon- cooked
• 8 leaves of romaine washed and dried
• 2 medium tomatoes sliced thin
• ½ c mayonnaise
• Lay lettuce leaves in single layer on large platter. Tope ea with 2 sliced tomato :& then cooked bacon.  Drizzle 1 T mayo on each and serve immediately

5. Deviled eggs in instant pot   6 eggs & 1 c water in instant pot on trivet.  Cook  6 min and then 5 min on slow release. If you want to cook more eggs, just add the eggs – you do not need to cook it longer in the Instant Pot.  Drop in ice cold water for a couple of minutes & then peel.  Mix ¼ c mayonnaise, 1 tsp mustard,1/2 tsp white vinegar.  Top w paprika.

6. Guacamole- make within a couple of hours of eating

• 3 avocados peeled, pitted, mashed
  2 T lime juice (1 lime – this is secret to good Flavors)
  1 tsp minced garlic
  pinch Cayenne pepper
  1/4 c diced shallots
  2 T salsa

7. Lemonade – state fair Lemonade

• 6 fresh lemons washed very well – scrub with vegetable brush
• Peel each of the lemons, add 1 ¼ c sugar substitute like stevia, stir & cover and leave 2-12 hours.   Boil 5 c water, pour over lemon rinds & leave 5 min.  Strain.  Let cool to room temp and squeeze lemon juice from lemons into the mixture. Chill and serve over ice.

8. Little Smokies

• 32 oz little smokies – simmer on low 30 min before mixing with the following so you do not have runny sauce.  Then put all in crock pot on low
• 1/2 c low carb (sugar free) ketchup
• 1/2 c Dijon mustard

 Little Smokies #2

• 16 oz little smokies
• 1 pound bacon

wrap little smokies with bacon & secure with toothpick. Lightly sprinkle with 1/2 c allulose mixed with 1/8 tsp monk fruit.  Bake 30 min or until bacon is crisp

9. Rosemary Roasted Pecans

• 2 1/2T butter
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 c pecan halves

Melt butter, mix with spices and pour over nuts to coat them.  Bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment for 10 min

10. Spicy nuts
    3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 3 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 3 teaspoons salt
    • 11/2 teaspoon cayenne
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
    • 3 large egg whites – whisk until foamy.
    • 3 cups pecan halves
    • 3 cups walnut halves and pieces
    • Optional: 1/4 cup allulose w 1/16 tsp pure monk fruit

Preparation
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in center of oven; preheat to 225°F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Whisk egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Whisk in spice mixture. Add pecan halves, walnut halves and pieces, and raw cashews; toss to coat completely. Sprinkle stevia over and toss to coat.
Divide nut mixture between prepared baking sheets; spread nut mixture in single layer. Bake until nuts are toasted and coating is dry, stirring every 20 minutes, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Sprinkle nuts with salt to taste.

11. Thyme nuts – easy and addicting!

• 2 c raw almonds
• 2 T olive oil
• 2T thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• spread on parchment paper, sprinkle with thyme and a little salt
• bake 350 degrees 10 minutes

12. Stuffed Mushrooms

• 16-24 oz whole fresh mushrooms (wash & tear off stem then stuff with following:
• cook 1/2 # pork sausage (like Jimmy Dean) and crumble
• mix sausage with 2 oz cream cheese & 1/2 c cream
• stuff mushroom & bake 10-15 min