Recipes from Mocktini Party

Well the party for the board last night went so very well that I thought it only fair that I share a few of the recipes we came up with for it as I sit here watching Anchorman because I was in the mood to giggle and we canceled our cable. Anyways.

Key Lime Mocktini
2 parts limeaid
1 part creme de coconut mixed with some half and half
a few drops of vanilla
the juice of one key lime

Serve over ice with a graham cracker rim.

Crostini Trio
(these are painfully easy and fairly impressive but make just enough they don't keep well sadly...)
- French Baguettes
- Olive Oil

First you make the crostini- Preheat the oven to 400 Take Baguettes and slice them somewhat thin, on the bias (which means on an angle, this makes for prettier crostini) drizzle a little olive oil and toast them in the oven. Flip them after about 5 minutes as they toast up. You want them crunchy and a little golden but not so much so. You will want to monitor your first batch and adjust the remaining batches according to your oven. Make them a couple of hours before you need to use them you want them cool to be topped.

Artichoke Crostini
- Cream Cheese
- 1 can artichoke hearts, well drained and chopped, sort of in "ribbons" it seems like to me.
- Freshly diced tomatoes (with most of the seeds removed but don't go nuts over it)

Spread some cream cheese on the crostini, I used philadelphia spinach artichoke flavored at the party. Place a bit of artichoke on top of the cream cheese and then sprinkle a few diced tomatoes on it.

Avocado and Shrimp Crostini
- 2 Avocado
- 1 lime
- salt
- cilantro
- small to medium shrimp

Take your avocado and peel and pit it and put it in a bowl. Squeeze 1/4 to a 1/2 a lime for 1 avocado, a whole lime or so if using 2 or three. Add salt to taste. Spread this mixture over your crostini. Place two shimp on top of the avocado and then top with a sprig of cilantro.

Caprese Crostini
- Pre made pesto ( you can make your own or buy it store bought)
- Fresh Mozarella
- Sliced Roma tomatoes

Slice your roma tomatoes, a bit thick but not obnoxiously so. Cut your Mozarella in slices and then half your slices so they fit on the crostini. Basically cut your mozarella so it fits nicely on the crostini. Spread the pesto on your crostini, place a slice of mozarella on it, and then your tomato. voila. Simple stuff.

Italian Mini Sammies
- Foccacia Bread
- Pesto
-Bacon, cooked
- Sliced Roma Tomatoes
- Quality Turkey lunch meat ( I suppose you could use ham or chicken too)
-Provolone Cheese

Cook Bacon and Butter your foccacia bread. In a hot pan toast it on the stove top. You could probably do this in the oven on a high heat, face up too but then the tops would toast as well as the bottoms of the bread. Either way you want to toast up the bread. Allow it to cool, perhaps you could slice tomatoes at this time. Spread the pesto on both sides of the toasted bread. Place a slice of provolone on the bread. Then place three slices of turkey. Tear each slice of bacon in half and place a bacon half slice on each "quarter" of the sandwich. (You will be cutting the sammie in quarters for serving, or if you want to eat the whole thing then don't) Place a slice of tomato on each quarter of the sandwich. Store them for a few hours or less chilled. Cut them in quarters just before serving.