Long time Sweetnicks readers may remember that I used to be in a Supper Club. I left it two years ago, and finally decided I missed it enough to start a new one, so a few months ago, I sent out an e-mail to 7 women, asking if they’d be interested in joining one. I was surprised when each one came back with a resounding yes, and tonight we got together for the first time at our house.
Indecisiveness reared its head when it came time to decide what to make. Just like with my old Supper Club, I couldn’t settle on one thing so decided to make … um… five things. But they were incredibly simple to make and took just an hour to pull them all together, from start to finish. When things are that easy, it’s really hard to edit. I stuck with tried-and-trues for three of them, and two new recipes. Because I hadn’t gotten together with this group before, I didn’t want to make anything too outrageous, and we ended up with a nice mix of offerings on the table.
White Wine Strawberry Sangria (aka Mom Juice)
Tex Mex Meat Pie
Chicken and Pasta Bake with Basil
Mrs. Whitlock’s Chocolate Dessert
Artichoke and Cheese Dip
and my contributions… Bacon Candy, Buffalo Celery Sticks, Greek Salad Bites, Chocolate Cups and Grilled Chorizo and Sherry-Garlic Mushrooms.
Forgive the sub-par picture of Bacon Candy – it’s just too addictive not to talk about. Ridiculously simple to make, some online reviewers likened it to getting hooked on crack. Crunchy and subtly sweet, this one will definitely be making repeat appearances.
Now to start planning the next gathering…
Bacon Candy
Recipe courtesy of AOL Food
1 lb Bacon (not thick-cut)
1/4 cup Brown sugar
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bacon into 1/2 inch strips and dredge in brown sugar until thoroughly coated. (I didn’t dredge; I just sprinkled sugar on top). Crumple aluminum foil to allow for grease drainage and place it on a baking sheet. Lay out the bacon on this making sure not to overlap pieces. Bake until crispy. Allow to cool and harden before serving.
Did you have to show the bacon candy? OMG – now I am going to have to try to find an excuse to make this.
Everything looks um, um, good!
You know, I have been wanting to make the “mom juice”, but haven’t been able to find strawberry schnapps around here… any suggestions for finding it in Northern NJ?
What a fabulous idea–I want a supper club!! Everything sounds terrific. I just KNOW my sweetie would adore that bacon candy!!
Kris – live on the edge – you don’t need an excuse! ;)
Patsy – the place in Boonton (my favorite liquor store) usually has it. I have also substituted Raspberry Razzmatazz, which is a little easier to find. Hope you try it out!
Ricki – Supper Club is a great way to try recipes that you might have overlooked … and to get a night out. ;)
Please tell me how a supper club works! It sounds like fun, but I don’t know how to get one started!
H – They are a lot of fun. You might want to check out this link, which has some good tips on how to start one. There is also a Supper Club Message Board on that site where you can find people in your area who are interested in joining or starting one. For my first SC, I posted there and found 5 women who lived within 10 miles or so of me. Each month, we’d get together, rotating houses, and bring food that was part of a theme we chose. This time, I assembled the supper club a little differently, but still just as fun. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for the info! I’m excited to research it!