Beginning at the Beginning {simply thanksgiving}

One of my favorite parts of any festivity is the appetizers - the hors d'ouevres! And of course, the Thanksgiving meal is no exception! I want to show you two delicious bites for you to prepare to help get your family and guests excited for the meal to come.
First up, a deliciously little appetizer, pear topped with prosciutto, goat cheese and drizzled honey. This recipe, from Eat. Drink. Smile. is tasty and incredibly easy to put together. 

In order to put this together, grab your ingredients. Then, start by slicing the pear - the thinner the slice, the better.


Place a small piece of prosciutto on top of each slice of pear. Top that with crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with honey.


And voila! Enjoy! This pairs deliciously with a Chenin Blanc (sweet, but slightly less so than a Riesling) or a good Riesling - I'm a fan of Castle Rock's.
Secondly, another great appetizer for you and your family to enjoy while you're preparing the meal, is a dip - you can use crackers, vegetables, or small pieces of bread in order to enjoy it. This recipe was found - and very slightly altered from - at 101 Cookbooks, and I promise it won't disappoint!

In order to bring this together, first grab your ingredients - 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 small onions (or 2 large ones), 3/4 cup light sour cream, 1 small (5.3 oz) container of nonfat, plain greek yogurt, 3 teaspoons onion powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

First, chop the onions, place them in a pan with the olive oil, and a pinch of salt.


Allow the onions to caramelize, stirring occasionally over medium-low heat for 45-50 minutes, or until browned.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together.

Once the onions are done, add approximately 2/3 of the onions to the mix and thoroughly combine. 

Transfer to a clean bowl and top with the remaining onions to enjoy.

This goes well with one of the white wines I mentioned before, but it also goes especially well with a petit shiraz - I love the one by Line 39.
As you begin to create ideas for the start of your Thanksgiving meal, do you think you might use one of these? Do you have a go-to pre-Thanksgiving recipe? I'd love to hear about it! And, I'll see you back here tomorrow morning for the next installment of the new series - simply thanksgiving!