Bocaditos with a Twist

 

If you ever find yourself in a situation where a good friend of yours is throwing a Havana Nights themed birthday party and you're not sure what to bring...boy, do I have a solution for you-- Bocaditos!

These tasty, little, cuban party sandwiches are perfectly small (and filling) and are sure to be real crowd pleaser. I found the recipe here on Mmmm...Cuba and made a couple of changes to add some more flavor and spice.

BOCADITOS (makes 24 sandwiches)

3/4 lb smoked ham

2 (8 oz) packages of Philadelphia Whipped Cream Cheese 

1 bottle Mezzetta Hot Chili Peppers 

1 bottle or can of Sliced Jalapeño Peppers

2 dozen soft dinner rolls (I used mini-bun or slider rolls which are pre-cut)

1. Slice & Dice

Slice the ham and dice the amount of Chili Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers you'd like to use depending on how spicy you want your sandwiches to be. I used about 6 Chili Peppers and 7 Jalapeno Peppers.

2. Mix

Mix the sliced ham and diced peppers with the cream cheese until smooth.

3. Spread the Love

Spread mixture on rolls.

I'm so glad I learned about these little gems-- they make for great small bites to bring to a party or picnic. I'm sure I'll be making a lot more of these this Summer.

Enjoy!

Color Me Mine Time

This past December I celebrated my 30th birthday. 30!!! It sounds a lot older than it feels.

Initially, I planned for a bike ride...but heavy rain and winds put a damper on that plan real quick. Desperate for something that would allow my friends and I to spend time together, be memorable, fun and unique, I started asking around. My co-worker Leah gave me the excellent idea to make pottery, which led to the idea of painting ceramics at Color Me Mine.

The last time I had painted ceramics was when I was a kid during summers in Pennsylvania with my Grandma at the town's community center. I loved it then...and let me tell you...nothing's changed :)

The Color Me Mine in Santa Monica is awesome. The process is super easy. You choose from their wide array of ceramics, then start to paint! We reserved the party room which is a bigger table secluded in the back. They let us bring in our own wine and champagne so we sipped, painted and talked for a good 2 hours. It's only $10 per person + the ceramic piece(s) you choose. If you look on their calendar they have specials for "Ladies Night" and "Date Night." Super cute idea for a date! Dinner and Ceramics, love it!