Hi friends! It’s another Tasty Tuesday! And I have something super easy and guaranteed to make you the hero of the party! Homemade Cocktail Sauce! If you bring shrimp and your own homemade cocktail sauce, that is instant celebrity status! Because shrimp is such a treat, and elevates any party to a whole new level! And bringing your own sauce is so much better than the stuff in a jar! And it’s so easy to make! So without further ado, let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Horseradish (we use Reese cream style, any will do)
• 2 shakes of Tabasco sauce
• 2 shakes of Worcestershire Sauce
•  1 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (or 2 good squeezes on half a lemon)

This is a taste as you go kind of recipe. If you feel it needs more of any single ingredient, just add in a little more.

Pour ketchup in medium size bowl.

Add in your horseradish.

Add your Worcestershire Sauce.

Add your hot sauce.

Add your lemon juice, (we just do a couple of good squeezes on half a lemon)

Use a whisk and mix it. It will have a creamy orange/red tint.

Chill until you are ready to serve!

Bring out the party foods and lets have a party!

Be sure and add lemon wedges to your shrimp platter, lemon juice adds such a nice brightness to the flavor of the shrimp.

You can add more horseradish if you like more kick. We added an olive and cheese plate, a fruit platter, some crab dip, smoked salmon, and a plate with banana bread and cookies.

The sauce is so fresh and flavorful with the shrimp!

Yum! Yum!

My husband loves this cocktail sauce! Better than any pre-made cocktail sauce, and it is so easy! No need to buy it in a jar!

As the holidays kick off, we may host a gathering or be invited to one. Those are such lovely times, and if you are going to such an event, this is the perfect time to do something a little indulgent. It’s like adding a beautiful ornament to the tree. It’s marking a special moment with a special food.

I was talking with some friends at a Thanksgiving potluck today at work. We were sharing some of our favorite holiday traditions and memories. And it struck me how precious those memories really are!

All these years later and I can still remember being with all my brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles on every single Christmas Eve and Christmas day! Some years it would be at Aunt Linda and Uncle Al’s house. Some times our house, or my Grandma Hammonds. Today I remembered the times we went to Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob’s. They had a tiny bungalow home, but everyone was invited! Card tables and tv trays strung from one end of the house to the other so we all could sit somewhere! Steam on the windows, snow and frost outside, and inside a precious gift unwrapped for us as laughter and non stop chatter filled the cozy home. Christmas lights strung around windows, people shoulder to shoulder! The kids ate in my cousin Tim’s room… he even had Christmas lights over his fish aquarium!

We had a long line for the food in the tiny kitchen. Their dog would happily mingle hoping for someone to drop a piece of cheese or ham off their plate. It was such fun I will never forget it! I am so grateful for those memories! The fact that we were all packed in there made it absolutely awesome! My aunt and uncle are gone now, but oh how I treasure those memories! I wonder if they ever knew how much they blessed the quiet little girl with dark curly hair and brown eyes who sat and just let every sight sound and smell soak in to her  heart on those special occasions!

We can treasure the memories of yesterday, and make new ones with the people in our lives today! Sometimes we may think, “Oh I couldn’t host a party, my house is too small” or “Where would I put people?” People will treasure the memory in our homes exactly the way they are! It’s something magical that happens as happy and grateful people come in with their coats and boots, rosy cheeks from the cold, a dish to pass and ready to laugh and share an evening with you! Goodness gracious what a wonderful time of year! It really is a wonderful life!

Have a wonderful week, my friend!

I’ll be back Friday for another Fashion Friday!

Love Always,

Amy

“…The true treasure of time are strings of pearls we call memories.”   ~Unknown