Baby Shower Appetizers

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Chafing Dish Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup shortening
1 (12 ounce) bottle chili sauce
1 (10 ounce) jar grape jelly

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley, salt, Worcestershire and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls. Cook in hot shortening over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Heat chili sauce and grape jelly together. Add meatballs. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in a chafing dish.

Makes 5 dozen.

Crab Balls

1 pound crabmeat
1 egg
3 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
3 drops hot pepper sauce

Put crabmeat in a bowl and gently sort through it for pieces of shell with a 2-pronged fork. Remove shell. Add all ingredients and mix gently until thoroughly blended. Form into balls. Deep fry until golden.

Yields about 30 balls

Cheese Straws

1 package frozen puff pastry
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Defrost puff pastry. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese onto a work surface, lay the unfolded pastry on top of it, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, pressing the cheese into it, to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut the pastry into long 1/2-inch wide strips, give each strip several twists, then lay them 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, about ten minutes. Allow to cool slightly but serve still warm.

Makes about 24 straws.

Fried Dill Pickles

Dill pickles
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup beer
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Cut dill pickles in slices as thick as a silver dollar. Mix remaining ingredients. Dip pickle slices in batter and quick fry at 375 degrees F in oil until the pickle slices float to the top, or about 4 minutes .