Add alcohol and stir lightly. Pour in iced tea. Stir a few more times and serve.
It was actually tasty. I was kind of worried with that many liquors it would be way too strong, but the sweet tea was the perfect complement.

Food – there was so much! Before everyone arrived, I was looking at all the trays and platters and thought wow, we have lots of stuff leftover. That was so not the case! Practically everything was eaten! We had chicken fingers, shrimp, sausage balls, pigs in blanket, fruit, cheese ball with crackers, deviled eggs, Kahlua cake, flag cookie cake, Southern Caviar, buffalo chicken dip, Party mix, pretzels and nuts. People kept asking me about the Cheese Ball. So, here is the recipe for that:

Soften cream cheese. Add all ingredients except 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Chill, then shape into a ball and roll in pecans. Serve with crackers.
I didn’t have any pecans, so I just left them out and it tasted great. They just add a bit more crunch.

I think that is all I have to share.  It was fun, I would definitely love to host another party, but not a Going Away one for any more friends.  All of my neighbors MUST not move for many many years!

OK, will have to add photos later – can’t get them to work now. boo-hoo

Three Cheese Garden Pizza
1 pkg. (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C. (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms, (I subbed squash)
1/4 C. (1 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Place pizza dough on flat stone of your choice. Roll dough to fit stone. Bake 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven. Spread garlic onto crust; sprinkle with mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Top with tomato and Italian seasoning. Layer zucchini, onion and mushrooms over tomato; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15-18 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Cut into wedges; serve warm.

Also, before Christmas I had seen a recipe for Red Velvet Cookies in the newspaper at my Mom’s house.  I didn’t cut it out like I meant to, so I googled it when I got home.  I found a different one, Black and White Red Velvet Cookies, that looked yummy and tried it last night.  They were not the prettiest cookies around, my chocolate wasn’t nice and smooth like it should have been, but they were tasty anyway.  Lael only liked the white side, so she kept bringing me the other half to eat – just what I needed!!!  You should try this recipe too!

Red Velvet Black and White Cookies
Makes 10 large cookies, (It actually made 15 for me, and I think they were rather large.)

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

For Vanilla Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease and flour the pan well so the cookies don’t stick. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Using a mixer, 5 Tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.

Place 1/4-cup scoops of batter 2 inches apart of the prepared baking sheet, spread the batter out with a butter knife, so they’re not completely flat but look like the pictures below. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

To make the glazes-
In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup and 2 tablespoons hot water, until smooth. That’s your vanilla glaze.

In a seperate bowl, melt the butter and the chocolate in a microwave for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. That’s your chocolate glaze!

Once the cookies are cooled, face them all bottom side up of a clean surface. Spread half of the cookie with vanilla glaze and the other half with chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.

Anyway, the party was a success – we had way too much food of course, but better to have too much than too little!  The kids almost made it til midnight – they started dropping off about 11:00 – waaaaayyyy past Caeden’s usual time to pass out! I’m not sure who thought up the idea of party horns, but we might need to rethink that for next year!

Here is the Mini Cheesecake recipe.  It is so good, and not really difficult at all!

Mini-Cheesecakes

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. strawberry preserves

Combine graham crackers and butter.  Line 1 3/4″ muffin pans with paper cups.  Spoon 1 tsp. crumb mixture into each liner and gently press.  Beat cream cheese at high speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and mix well.  Spoon mixture into liners and bake 350 for 10 minutes.  Spoon 1/4 tsp. strawberry over cheese cake and chill.  Makes 2 dozen.

Carrot Bread

2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 – 325.  Cream sugar and oil.  Add eggs one at a time.
Sift together flour, salt, soda and cinnamon.  Add to creamed mixture.
Fold in carrots by hand.  Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes.
Makes 1 loaf.