We are having a little cooler weather, and we will spend more time inside entertaining rather than outside in our gardens – or, in the South we say, “the yard.” We work in the yard all the time, maybe 15 minutes or all day, during the spring and summer. We still want to be proud of the work all year.

Being inside, what do we want to do? Have snacks while we are reading or watching our favorite TV show . I have a few snacks that I think you will enjoy.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 cup fresh crabmeat

1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon finely-chopped onion

1 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg, lighly beaten

1 teaspoon lemon juice

12 large mushroom cups, fresh

Parmesan cheese

Buttered bread crumbs

Mix crabmeat with dry bread crumbs, chopped onion, salt, parsley, lemon juice and lightly-beaten egg. Mix well and fill the fresh mushroom cups with the mixture.

Sprinkle with a mixture of buttered bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Place in a baking dish in a 350-degree oven until lightly browned.

If you don’t like crabmeat, try using ½ cup of cooked and drained pork sausage or ground chuck. You could even use shrimp or venison, instead.

Enjoy while hot. Add a little more Parmesan cheese on top while hot – it will melt and give them a wondful taste.

Sweet and Sour Balls

4 cups ground ham (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 pound ground pork

2 cups fine breadcrumbs

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Sauce (recipe follows)

Combine ground ham, ground pork, breadcrumbs, eggs and seasoning together. Shape meat into round balls. Add meat balls to cooking sauce (recipe follows) and cook at a slow simmer for one hour.

Just before serving add ½ cup of orange wine and place in chafing dish over heat.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups orange juice

2 teaspoons dry mustard

¾ cup vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup orange wine

Combine sugar, orange juice, mustad, vinegar and water. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then use for cooking Sweet and Sour Balls.

Potato Chip Nibbles

Whip these up when you are in a hurry or guests stop in unexpectedly.

Spread out in a shallow pan as many packages of potato chips as you think your guests will consume. Sprinkle generously with dry grated American cheese and a little red pepper flakes to give a kick. Place in oven of 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. These are great hot or cold.

Hot Marmalade Dip

This is a great dipping sauce if you buy your meatballs already cooked, to heat and eat. All of us need to resort to buying pre-prepared food sometimes – especially if you work and have children. But this sauce will kick it up a notch.

½ cup orange marmalade

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice – fresh, frozen or canned

1/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients. Heat to boiling point. Serve hot as a dip for cocktail meatballs. Makes about one cup.

If you have a small bowl that will fix onto a candle, this will keep warm.

Enjoy cooking and sharing.