Appetizer Skewers

My husband has been working from home for a few months now.  It's been an adjustment -- for both of us.🤣  Creating 2 separate work spaces in our house has made work life easier on both of us though.  During the day, he works out of his new basement office and I occupy the main level kitchen.  Now I can make buttercream til my hearts content --- without disrupting his conference calls.🤳🏻🤫
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Co-working in the same house means that for the first time in our 30 year marriage, we both eat lunch at home on a regular basis.   Some days we eat lunch together and it's a race to the frig to see who gets to the leftovers first.🍕🤪  Other days, because of our schedules, we make and eat lunch separately.  

A couple of weeks ago, I was busy decorating a batch of cookies at the kitchen island during lunchtime so my sweet husband pulled out all the ingredients to make himself a BLT.  He expertly toasted the bread and then artfully crafted a bacon, tomato and Swiss cheese sandwich.🍅 🥓 🧀 🤷🏻‍♀️  The combination seemed a bit weird but I decided to refrain from commenting because there was still a full slice of bread left on his plate.  To my utter shock, (and disgust) this perfectly rational man that I'm married to, made himself a peanut butter sandwich and placed it on his plate, next to his BST.🥜   🥴🤐 

Who eats a half bacon, Swiss, tomato sandwich and a half peanut butter sandwich for lunch?  I'm pretty open to creative expression when it comes to food but watching my better half take a bite of a peanut butter sandwich and then a bite of a Bacon/Swiss/Tomato sandwich was more than I could take.  I'll have to admit that he lost a little bit of culinary credibility with his unappetizing lunch creation that day. 🤣​

Experimenting with new flavor combinations is one of the things that I love about trying out new recipes as a food blogger.  But there are limits to what I'll try. 🤣Appetizer skewers are a great way to try new flavors together.  As long as you don't include peanut butter, it's hard to go wrong with a selection of meats, cheeses, vegetables, olives and herbs on a wooden skewer.😅  The selection of skewer-able foods is important but how you add them to the skewer is also a great way to express your creativity.  I like to alternate flavors, colors and food groups.❤️ 💚💛

Appetizer Skewers
9 ounce package cheese tortellini
1/4 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce 
30 Kalamata olives
30 grape tomatoes
30 thin slices Genoa salami
15 baby mozzarella balls
30 pieces basil, torn
15 pieces chopped artichoke hearts

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain and rinse. 

Combine tortellini and dressing in a ziploc bag.  Seal and refrigerate 1-4 hours.  Drain.

Thread an olive, tomato, basil, tortellini, basil, folded salami slice, mozzarella ball, tortellini, basil, folded salami piece, artichoke heart, tomato, olive onto each skewer.

Ciao!

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