Dressed Up Appetizers

 This week, I would like to show you how to make some appetizers that I have used when we have pot-luck dinners.  People really seem to enjoy them.  Last Saturday, I took them to a covered dish dinner, and they were almost gone before the dinner started.  The hors d'oeuvres are really simple, and the directions for them are in the second part of this post.  The first part of my post explains how to take a simple appetizer and make it more elegant.

To begin, you will need beads, toothpicks, and a glue gun.  I would suggest a low-temp glue gun, as you don't want to melt your toothpicks, and also, your fingers are so close to the glue (or in it, as mine were) that you want to make sure you don't burn yourself.  I used plastic toothpicks so that I could reuse them.  Depending on the quality of your gluing, these picks will stand up to a gentle wash with soap and water, and so you could use them more than once.

I used beads that I already had and washed them ahead of time.  I bought the only plastic toothpicks I could find.  I wanted to get some of the straight, multicolored ones, but I couldn't find any.  The ones I got came from Publix, and they have crooks on one end.  This was a little bit challenging, but the end result was nice.

Use the glue gun to put some glue on the end of the toothpick.  You will want to put it on the tip and not farther down.  Also, you don't want the glue to drip off, but you need to be generous enough with the glue so that your beads will have something to stick to.

Then, slide your bead onto the end of your toothpick, over the glue.  

 You could leave your toothpicks all like this, or you could get fancier by adding more beads on top of what you have.  Simply add another dot of glue where you would like to add your second bead, and stick the bead on.

Your designs could be abstract, as the one above, or you could try for a shape, like a flower.  The technique is all the same--add a dot of glue and stick the bead on.

 I tried a sort of hob-nail design.

 And Mickey Mouse ears!

 This is a different flower design from the first one.  

One of the things that I had to remind myself of was that these didn't all have to be recognizable objects, like flowers.  The beads are pretty, and so if you have an abstract arrangement of them, they will be just as nice.  One last idea that I will leave you for your beading.  I liked to use an oblong bead on the toothpick, and then a small bead sticking out from the side.  It was abstract, but it reminded me of a rosebud with a leaf on the stem.  Just an idea for you.

Now for the food!  You can certainly do this with regular wooden toothpicks and it would be just as tasty!

 You will need cheese, hard salami, and olives.  I got the deli to cut my salami in 1/2 inch slices (approximately).  You could buy the bags of cheese cubes if you want, or buy a block or two of cheese and slice them.  I chose mozzarella and cheddar.  I have had several people say that they really enjoyed the green olives I added, but you could use whatever you would like to add or substitute.

First, cut your salami and cheese into cubes and drain the olives.

Then, arrange your individual cubes and olives on each toothpick.  I put three cubes on each toothpick.  I didn't make all of my arrangements the same.  Some were all cheese, some were cheese and olives, some were meat and olives, some were meat and cheese.   Something you need to keep in mind is that it is important to get the toothpick through the middle of each cube so that the arrangement will stand up when you are finished.  The toothpicks I used were kind of flimsy, and I had trouble getting them through the salami and cheese in a straight line. Some of my little picks wouldn't stand up, so I rested them along the edge of my serving platter.  

Remember, your efforts are going to be appreciated no matter what.  Even if the results aren't perfect, people will still enjoy the fruits of your labor.

One last thought--I have also made these using fruit instead of meat and cheese.  Grapes, pineapple chunks, and berries would work well.

Please let me know what you think in the comments!  What else would you like to see?  I have another dessert idea for next time!