Hello Everyone, Happy New Year!

Now that Christmas is over...I went grocery shopping yesterday with
my little grandson he is 5, I was walking around pushing the
cart...guess what we saw. Now, remember we just had Christmas.
Valentine's Day candy, cards, gifts to give. Many people walked by
and just shook their heads...Merchindising gone wild. That should be
the name of a movie. Whew, after the pressure of getting your special
someone something nice or what they wanted from Santa. You got more
now...oh well, here is a simple recipe. When your go to the grocery
store pick these up. Have them on hand when company pops in and it is
easy to fix and they will marvel about your abilities to make
something in a pinch or blink of the eye.

1 package of cream cheese (room temperature)
1 small jar of cocktail sauce (small bottle works best)
1 small can of shrimp drained (can use oysters, crabmeat real or
fake.)
1 package of asst. crackers or ritz crackers
1 large round dinner plate or platter
1 dinner knife
1 large (group of people to watch you put it together)

Take the plate or platter, with the soften cream cheese, spread it
onto the plate with your dinner knife, while the large group of
people are watching you put it together. Talk a bit explain what your
doing. Some people do not cook or work well in the kitchen...ha ha..

Now, take the jar of cocktail sauce over the room temperature cream
cheese, open the jar of shrimp or oysters or fake crabmeat or the
real deal crab meat...not all three chose one. Each has it own flavor
and depends on what your guests like. Drain the shrimp, or oysters or
break apart the fake crab meat or drain the real deal crabmeat. An
place evenly around on top of the cocktail and cream cheese base.
Now, you take the crackers and place them around the rim of the large
dinner plate or platter and serve. Stick two crackers into the
mixture as a garnish...place chopped olives (black or green) or
parsley sprig along side of it. Looks neat goes fast and you only use
two kitchen items. Have fun. Let me know how it came out. A New
Year's Party is coming...have it ready and you will be the hit of the
whole party...bye now...Cheryl in Virginia