Sweet T and a Honey B
Food, Fitness, and the Adventures That Make Life Sweet

Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that my favorite part of any meal is the appetizer. Even better than appetizers, are the kinds of get-togethers where everyone in your crowd brings something to share resulting in a plate full of different creations to try. While I love experimenting and try to bring something new most times, I have a few go-to’s that are ridiculously simple to make, feed a large group, and taste REALLY good. 

At the top of the list are these precious cucumber cups. You know how when you bite into a cupcake and the frosting goes up your nose a little bit? These cups give you the exact same result but who doesn’t love a generous portion of a little cream cheese and sour cream?

Before I scooped the cream cheese mixture into the cups, I used a small vegetable peeler to make ‘stripes’ on the cucumbers. Obviously- not necessary but it dresses them up just a bit. I also used a disposable pastry bag to swirl the mixture into the cups, but you can use a ziploc bag with a tip cut out or just spoon a heaping tablespoon in. Again – as long as you’re generous with the filling, any way you make them is gold 😉 

Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites

Makes approximately 18 cucumber cups.

  • 2-3 large cucumbers
  • 1 8 oz. package/block of Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1 8 oz container of light sour cream
  • 1 package of ‘Good Seasonings’ Italian Dressings Mix
  • crumbled turkey bacon for sprinkling (This time, I used packaged turkey bacon, but I have previously cooked up a couple slices of turkey bacon over the stove for a fresher option)
  1. Combine sour cream, cream cheese, and Italian Dressing mix. Place in an air tight container in the fridge until you are ready to use.
  2. Wash cucumbers and if desired, use a vegetable peeler to peel ‘stripes’ on the cucumber.
  3. Slice each cucumber into 1 to 1.5-inch thick slices and with a small spoon or a melon baller, scoop out a good portion of the seeds/middle of each slice to form little cups.
  4. Lightly dab each of the cucumber slices with a paper towel. If there is too much moisture before adding the cream cheese mixture, it will become runny.
  5. Using the pastry bag or a spoon, fill each cup with a heaping tablespoon of the filling and top each with turkey bacon crumbles. 

One of the best parts of this appetizer is the crunch you get from the cucumbers so I would suggest making these fairly close to when you are going to serve them as the cucumbers become soft from the filling over time. 

Perfect for your next barbecue or even before a meal at home, I hope you try out and enjoy these easy-peasy cucumbers! 

Mango Berry Salsa (With Cinnamon Pita Chips!)

Like the masses this past weekend, my husband and I attended a couple of barbecues as the abundant sunshine of Memorial Day weekend kicked off the official start to summer. I consider ourselves lucky that our outings with friends and family were not scheduled until Monday as Hubs arrived home from school on Friday and announced that he thought he was coming down with strep throat (spoiler alert: he thought correctly). We were forced to take it easy for the majority of the weekend but as he started to feel better and our Monday plans approached, I started thinking about a small dish to share with everyone.The weather was hot and I knew there would be a lot of food straight off the grill, so I whipped up something that would cool everyone down. The fruit this time of year is gorgeous and the berries are especially sweet so a fruit salsa was an easy choice. 

Mango Berry Salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberries – diced
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 2 cups mango – diced
  • 2 tbs fresh mint – chopped
  • 1/2 cup green onion – chopped
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Wash and dice strawberries and place in a large bowl. Add raspberries and gently mix with a wooden spoon. The raspberries will soften and mix well with the strawberries. 
  2. Cut mango in to four sections away from the pit. You will have four sections that you can dice in to small squares. Once the fruit is diced, you should be able to peel or gently cut squares away from the skin. Add to the bowl and gently fold in to the berry mixture.
  3. Add chopped mint, green onion, and lemon juice. 

Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips

Ingredients

  • 6 Pita Rounds
  • 2 tbs coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 2 tbs cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
  2. Cut pita rounds into 8 triangles each and scatter on cookie sheet. Brush each triangle with coconut oil.
  3. Mix cinnamon and sugar and evenly sprinkle mixture over the pita triangles. 
  4. Place cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. 
  5. Serve pita chips warm or cooled with fruit salsa and enjoy!

 

 

Hubs thought my pineapple shaped serving dish from the Target dollar spot was ridiculous and when I first brought it home, was quick to question what I would ever put in that. Fruit salsa- that’s what. And you can bet I am going to try and find every excuse to use this adorable dish this summer. 😉 

Believe it or not – the Fri-Yay is here again and the forecast is looking good for another weekend of grilling and simply enjoying some Vitamin D. Whatever your plans are, I hope they’re filled with good company and yummy food!