grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

5 Halloween Appetizers for your Spooky Soiree

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Halloween Appetizers

Sponsored Post: This Halloween appetizers post is sponsored by Tyson Foods. All content and opinions expressed are my own. #WMDeliciousDisguises

Hey, friends. I’ve been working on a few new Halloween appetizers for the spooky soiree my husband and I are planning this weekend. The coolest thing about all of these deliciously disguised recipes is the first step of each is already prepared by the good folks at Tyson Foods. In other words, these appetizers include Tyson Any’tizers, Chicken Nuggets, or Hillshire Farms Cocktail Sausages. Easy!

When planning a spooky soiree, shortcuts are much appreciated, especially shortcuts that result in great taste and flavor. And bonus—all the ingredients in these five recipes were purchased at my local Walmart Neighborhood Market (660 MLK Jr. Blvd, Fayetteville, AR). One stop shopping is an immense bonus with a lengthy party planning to-do list.

Halloween isn’t just for kids. When we lived in Dallas, our home was known as the neighborhood  Halloween party house. Three years ago, we moved to Northwest Arkansas. It’s taken us this long to get back in the swing of hosting a Halloween party. (Don’t ask.) But, this is the year! We are excited about resurrecting our spooky soiree, and in creepy yet elegant fashion, we plan to go all out with food and decorations.

Five Halloween Appetizers

Today I’m sharing five Halloween appetizers along with serving suggestions to complement the mysterious ambiance I’m hoping to create. Yes, mood is created not only with home decorations and clever costumes, but also with food, plating, presentation, and spices. Little touches can make a memorable impact.

I try to imagine, what would Count Dracula serve to his guests?

Let me show you what I’ve come up with…Continue Reading

Buttermilk Honey Chicken Tenders

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Buttermilk Honey Chicken Tenders

Let’s talk about fried chicken, shall we? This buttermilk honey chicken tenders recipe is sure to please the kids (of all ages) in your family. The chicken tender is the most versatile of cuts. Eat ’em straight up, wrap them in a tortilla, chop and add them to a salad, dip them in gravy, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing. On a biscuit or waffle, presto, instant breakfast to be enjoyed any time of the day.

If you think about it, fried chicken is medicinal in that comfort food sort of way. And while I don’t fry very often, certain dishes call for whipping out the cast iron skillet. That’s the simple truth of it.

Momma made frying chicken look easy in that magical way Mommas do. Through the years, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes in the chicken frying department, and I’ll bet you have, too. Trust me, if I can make buttermilk honey chicken tenders while wearing a cast on my arm, it can’t be that difficult.Continue Reading

my most excellent CHICKEN SALAD recipe

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chicken salad - my favorite version!

This is my favorite chicken salad recipe and the perfect way to use leftover chicken. Simple to make and super flavorful—what more do you need for an easy southern dish?

An old-fashioned recipe with updated taste.

One reason the flavor is so great is the chicken itself is delicious. Grilled chicken adds a smoky flavor to your dish. Whatever seasonings were used during the grilling process become part of this recipe. Even a quick rotisserie chicken from the deli will add lots of flavor to your chicken salad.

The other key to the flavor of this dish is DILL. If you aren’t growing dill in your garden, run out to your local nursery and get some today. Not only is it delicious and loaded with health benefits, but dill is a host plant for Black Swallowtail Butterflies. And that’s a good thing.

Dill in the garden

My recipe has two kinds of onion—green and purple—because you can’t have too much onion. Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!