Wine night rewind

I've tried out some new recipes but haven't found the time to blog until today. Last weekend I had a little wine party with some gals, on the menu were some appetizers including my hummus from a previous entry(it was a little more chunky than it should have been), salsa from a previous entry, some stuffed mushrooms my mom brought and 2 recipes that I'm about to share. The night was a lot a fun and it was great to try the different wine that everyone brought.

One of my favorite things about this caprese salad is how light it is and still has a great flavor. Don't be afraid about how much basil you put in it.

Here's what you need:
8oz Fresh Mozzarella Balls(grape tomato size), you can find this is the deli/cheese section
1 container Fresh Grape tomatos, rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 or 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar(I love the stuff so use as much as you want)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
a sprinkle of salt
a sprinkle of cracked black pepper

What to do:
Toss tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, balsamic, basil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well coated. Cover with plastic and marinated for a little while before serving.

AND for Dessert:

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com after I bought strawberries and blackberries but I didn't know what I wanted to do with them.

Here's what you need:
3/4 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4 serving size)vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups thawed cool whip, divided
1 (10.75 ounce) package frozen pound cake
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups mixed raspberries and sliced strawberries
1/4 cup blackberries

What to do:
1.Add milk to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

2.Cut cake horizontally into three layers; brush with juice. Place bottom layer on serving plate; top with 3/4 cup of the berries, half of the pudding mixture and middle cake layer. Repeat layers of berries and pudding mixture; cover with top cake layer. Top with 1/2 cup whipped topping and the remaining berries; cover loosely with foil.

3.Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

It does kind of topple, or at least mine did! There were no leftovers, the recipe doesn't make a ton so if you're looking to feed a crowd make two.

I'm going to get back into a regular routine of posting if I can....I've got some ideas coming too from magazines and cookbooks I've been getting from the library. Maybe even a doggie treat for all the dog lovers out there!