Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- 16 oz. fat-free cream cheese — softened
- 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 1 c pumpkin
- 4 egg whites — whipped
- 4 tsp. cinnamon
- 4 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp allspice
- 2 gram cracker pie crusts, crumbled
Whip cream and toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Preheat oven to 350, Prepare two 8″ spring form pans with cooking spray; set aside. Press pre-maid gram cracker crust into bottom of prepared pans. Bake for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, to prepare filling, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar, pumpkin, egg whites, cinnamon, vanilla, and allspice; blend until smooth. Divided evenly between pans and pour over baked crust. Bake for 30-40 min. or until slightly firm. Chill completely in refrigerator, release spring form pan, cut cheese cake into circles with circle cookie cutter, garish
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
1980′s Theme
The 1980′s was a decade of excitement. It was a decade of speaking out and fighting for what you believe in.
It was also an age where people found interest in debates, and solving problems.
During the 1980′s, Billy Bush was going to St George’s Academy in Newport, RI where he played Lacrosse and Hockey for his school. I was inspired to take a few of America’s favorite foods found in the cafeteria of any school and turned them into miniature snack bites with a 80′s inspired signature cocktail from the icon candy, The Astro Pop.
Pac Man and Cheese
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup sour cream
4 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
peanut oil
flour
1 egg
plain bread crumbs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.
- Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Top with additional cheese if desired.
- Chill macaroni and cheese in the refrigerator overnight.
- Cut into pieces using a round cookie cutter.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy duty Dutch over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dredge each circle in flour then egg, and then coat with bread crumbs.
- Fry for about 1 minute on each side until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels before serving.
Truffle Tater Tots
Ingredients:
1 large bag frozen tater tots
truffle salt
Directions:
- Follow the instructions on the back of the package to bake the tater tots.
- Sprinkle with truffle salt.
Mini Pizzas
Ingredients:
Frozen Pizzas
Directions:
- Heat the oven to the temperature as instructed on the frozen pizza.
- Using fun shaped cookie cutters, cut the frozen pizza into small pieces.
- Bake as instructed.
Astro Pop Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz. Absolut ® Raspberri vodka
1 oz. sweet and sour mix
½ oz. grenadine syrup
½ oz. Blue Curacao liqueur
Directions:
1. Add vodka and sour mix into a tumbler with ice to chill.
2. Shake ingredients and pour in a large shot glass.
3. Use Grenadine and allow to sink to the bottom of the glass (pour slowly
down the inside of the glass)
4. Allow Blue Curacao to sink to the middle of the glass (it will sit on top of the
grenadine if poured slowly down inside of the glass)
5. The finished product will be red, blue, then white from the bottom to top.
1980′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to immerse your guests in the 80′s theme.
1. Rick Springfield – Jesse’s Girl
2. The Bangles Walk – Like an Egyptian
3. Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth
4. UB40 – Red Red Wine
5. Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
6. Daryl Hall – Kiss on My List
7. Steve Winwood – Higher Love
8. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
9. Kool & the Gang – Celebration
10. Boston – Amanda
11. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
12. David Bowie – Let’s Dance
13. Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
14. Escape Club – Wild, Wild West
15. INXS – Need You Tonight
16. Olivia Newton-John – Physical
17. Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
18. Lionel Richie – Truly
2000′s Theme
The 2000′s were the age of technology and economic growth lifting millions out of poverty.
During the decade of 2000′s, Billy Bush is all grown up and living and working in LA. During this time, he and his wife, Sydney welcomed their three daughters into the world. Billy was also the host of Lets Make a Deal and Numerous Miss America and Miss Universe pageants during this time. During the 2000′s Billy became the host of Access Hollywood. Billy’s favorite restaurant in NYC is an Italian restaurant and loves to savor red wine.
Creaser Salad on a Skewer
Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
Grape tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, cubed
Croutons
Caesar dressing
Directions:
- Using a small skewer, slide on the romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese cube, crouton, and grape tomato.
- Drizzle with Caesar dressing and serve.
Bruschetta
Ingredients:
6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 ½ lbs.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
¼ cup olive oil
Directions:
- Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner and drain.
- Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes, remove the seeds and juice from their centers.
- Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice baguette on a diagonal about ½ inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Toast for 5-6 minutes or until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
- Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up.
- Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve.
Shrimp Risotto served on an Asian Spoon
Ingredients:
1 cup risotto rice
3 tbsp. butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
8 oz. clam juice or fresh seafood stock
2 cups of the smallest pink shrimp you can find
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
salt
Directions:
- Add the clam juice to 4 cups of water in a pot, heat until steamy. Do not let it boil.
- In a separate pot (thick-bottomed), heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat, and sauté the minced shallot for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
- Add the rice to the pot. Stir-fry the rice for 2-3 minutes, until all the grains are well coated in butter and are beginning to toast.
- Increase the heat to high and add the white wine.
- With a wooden spoon, stir the rice vigorously. Once the wine boils, turn the heat down until the wine is just simmering gently. Stir almost constantly. You are doing this to agitate the rice, which releases its starch and creates the creamy sauce you want in a risotto.
- When the wine is almost cooked away – under no circumstances should you let the rice sizzle on the bottom of the pot – pour in two ladles of the hot clam broth-water mixture. Stir well to combine, and add a healthy pinch of salt.
- Stirring almost constantly, let this liquid reduce until it is almost gone, then add another ladle of broth. Continue this until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Take the spoon to see if it needs more salt, if so, add a small pinch.
- Now add in the shrimp, parsley, and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir constantly until this last cup of broth is about half gone: Remember you want this risotto to be loose and creamy.
- Right before you serve, add lemon zest and serve at once. Best served with bowls and spoons rather than plates and forks.
Red Wine
Barbera d‘afti Wine
2000′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to allow your guests a taste of the new decade.
- Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
- Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
- Avril Lavigne – Complicated
- Nickelback – How You Remind Me
- Nelly – Hot In Herre (Clean)
- Sean Paul – Get Busy
- Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc
- Dirty Vegas – Days Go By
- K-Os – Crabbuckit
- David Usher – Black Black Heart 2.0
- Len – Steal My Sunshine
- TLC – No Scrubs
- Snow – Everybody Want To Be Like You (Edit)
- Usher – U Got It Bad
- Coldplay – Yellow
- Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
“The Duel” — Recommended by Gomez Addams
Gomez Addams
Gomez is in love with his wife, Morticia and cannot resist the urge to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her anytime that he sees her. He loves to duel and is a master of the sultry tango, which he and Morticia practice nightly.
Cocktail:
The Duel
5oz Martini Glass Chilled
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
3/4 oz Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Vodka
1/4 oz Chambord
2 cocktail shakers
Fill a shaker with ice and pour in Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, shake until chilled. Strain the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Godiva Ligueur has a rich creamy flavor, that complements the chocolate essence of the light, delicious vodka. Fill the second shaker with ice and pour in the Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Vodka and Chambord, shake until chilled. To layer the cocktail, turn a spoon upside down and gently pour the Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Vodka over the first layer.
Food Paring:
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