Fall Pumpkin Cheese Ball & Lowcountry Boil

Just a quick post so that I can remember a couple of recipes we tried for the first time today.  We weren't sure if Tropical Storm Sandy would ruin our plans (who would have thought we should worry about such a think at the end of October?) but she didn't and so we had a few friends over for a little Lowcountry Boil.  It was casual, easy & delicious.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball Appetizer

Saw this idea on Pinterest and the Family Fresh Meals blog.  The ingredients you'll need:

• 3 16 oz blocks Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 3 Tbs Salsa, whichever kind you like
• 1 Tbs Chopped Onions
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 Bell Pepper
• Chips to serve with it, I like pita chips

Follow these steps to make a pumpkin cheese ball:

Gather your ingredients.

Using a hand mixer,
pulse through the cream cheese for a minute.

Add in the shredded cheese, salsa, onions & cumin,
and blend  until well combined.

Spread out some cling wrap
and lightly mist with non-stick cooking spray.

Scoop your cheese mixture onto the wrap
then use your hands to form a ball.

Wrap your cheese ball up,
stick it in the fridge to firm up for a couple hours.

Put your cheese ball onto a platter,
cut the stem out of a bell pepper
and press the stem into the cheese ball.

Crush up your Doritos,
cover the outside of your cheese ball with the crumbles.

Hold your cheese ball on the plate,
pick up the plate and tilt and shake to get excess chips off.

Add chips and veggies to the plate,
wait for your guests to enjoy!

Everyone thought the cheese ball was cute and tasted pretty good too!

Lowcountry Boil

Sadly, I don't have as many pictures for the Lowcountry Boil, but there are a few things I'd like to remember for next time.  Ingredients to gather (we served 10 and had little left over):

• 4 lbs Shrimp (fresh are best and medium size are ideal), heads removed
• 3 packages Turkey Kielbasa, cut into one inch pieces
• 6 ears of Corn (we like Silver Queen), shucked and broken into thirds
• 3 lbs Potatoes, cut into large bite size pieces
• 3 Lemons, cut into fourths
• 2 Onions, quartered
• Old Bay Seasoning (we used about 1/2 cup, but use this to taste)
• 1/4 cup Kosher Salt

Follow these steps:

1. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water.  We used the turkey fryer with the basket.
2. Add the salt.
3. Bring the water to boil.
4. Add the Old Bay, lemons and onions.
5. Add the potatoes and sausage, bring the water back to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add your corn, cook for another 8 minutes.
7. Add your shrimp and cook until they are just barely done (pink color, form a "c").
8. Carefully remove the basket from the water (or use a strainer to drain the water).
9. Poor the Lowcountry Boil (sometimes called Beaufort Stew) onto a paper covered heat safe table.
10. Sprinkle on a little more Old Bay and mix it up.
11. Serve with butter for the corn and potatoes and cocktail sauce and lemons for the shrimp.
12. Enjoy!