We had a housewarming party last weekend, and decided to start the party at 8 p.m. Lots of drinks were on the menu, and you know what happens when folks stay late and drink: they want to eat. So while we weren't serving dinner, we knew we'd need to have a bunch of heavier snacks to sustain everyone through the night.
Surprisingly, we had far more fun planning the food for this snack-heavy party than we have with many of our smaller dinner parties. I think the main reason for this is that everyone loves snacks: they don't have to go with one another, and they invite sampling and trying a little bit of everything. Below are a few snack-worthy recipes; the top five on the list are what we served at our gathering, and the remaining five are recipes we're excited to try for the next one. Happy snacking to you all!
Grab a Snack:
• Union Square Cafe Nuts Recipe - ABC News
• Parmesan Black-Pepper Biscotti - Epicurious
• Homemade Cheez-Its - Ready Made Magazine
• Baba Ganoush - David Lebovitz
• Fig and Olive Tapenade - Food 52
• Classic Pimento Cheese Recipe - The Homesick Texan
• Buffalo-Style Celery Sticks - Martha Stewart
• Sweet Curry Brown Sugar Popcorn - Love and Lemons
• Bite-Sized Baked Brie - Joy the Baker
• Apple, Fennel and Cheddar Cheese Straws - Fine Cooking
Related: Quick Entertaining: Winning Drink and Snack Combinations
(Images: Martha Stewart, Love and Lemons, Joy the Baker)
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
I've been wanting to try Joy the Baker's bite-sized baked brie for months. They look like adorable little cheese lollipops.
The link for baked brie takes you to the popcorn recipe...
Here's the brie-pop link: http://joythebaker.com/2011/12/bite-sized-baked-brie/
Great recipes - here are my favorite go to's in the pantry:
* nuts, herbs & spices on hand to make a quick batch of nuts
* hummus makings (made with preserved lemon and I love to add some hazelnuts or almonds)
* frozen logs of cracker dough, so I can bake-off a quick batch, and I keep jars of savory jam on hand
Oh my goodness, I don't know where to start with all of these snacks - "delightful" is right! Perhaps it would be with the bite-sized Brie by Joy.
Snacks for dinner is my favorite
I love baked brie. And I love it even more when it's baked in pastry. Making them bite sized is a great idea. I just won't use a stick. Sticks only belong with kebabs, not in a cake, not in baked brie.
The Baba Ganosh sounds tasty too. Looks like I have some things to try once I'm no longer sick.
Also, thanks JLS988 for posting the brie link.
Rucy - mind sharing your recipe for cracker dough that freezes so well? I've just come to terms with bread dough, and moving on to crackers seems like a nice respite (not to mention a great thing to have on hand for cheese and cracker dinners!).
Mini crab cakes are always a great snack and I love these parmesan cheddar crackers. My absolute favorite are goat cheese stuffed dates though...I can't get enough of them!
My great-aunt specifically requested an appetizer-only party for her 90th birthday, "because I love those, and that way I don't have to leave room."
What, no kale chip and cracker recipes? 'Cause that's what is in the photo. Just sayin'.
Can't wait to try each of these :)
One thing I wanted to point out: The link for bite sized Brie is missing and it takes you to sweet curry popcorn.