Just call me Betty Crocker

Well, not really ... but I try!

On Friday my friends and I made appetizers at our house instead of having dinner at a restaurant somewhere. Sometimes it's more fun to make things together, and it also saves on cost!

In addition to the bruschetta that I made, Cindy made fruit dip, Leah made pigs in a blanket, Julia made a loaded baked potato dip and Marilyn made a Velveeta, Rotel and sausage dip. Everything was delicious and everyone was happy. See?

Julia, Eden, Leah, me, Marilyn and Cindy

In case you need to bring an appetizer to a party in the near future, I'm sharing this bruschetta recipe with you! It requires a little bit of prep work, but the end result is totally worth it. I promise everyone will love it!

At the grocery store you'll need: a skinny loaf of French bread, a block of mozzarella cheese, two large tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and basil. (You can usually find little containers of herbs like as basil near the lettuce at the grocery store.)

First, cut the loaf of bread into bite-size pieces. Be sure not to cut them too thick or too thin. The bread needs to be a stable base for the tomatoes. Line the pieces up on an ungreased baking sheet.

Next, chop both of your tomatoes. Add them to a small bowl and combine however much garlic and balsamic vinegar you'd like. This is just to give the tomatoes a little bit of extra flavor.

After you finish with the tomatoes, thinly slice the mozzarella into pieces roughly the size of the bread. Again, make sure they're not too thick or else it will take longer for it to melt, and it may make a little bit of a mess on your baking sheet. Chop the basil leaves into small enough pieces in order to make sure you have enough for each piece of bruschetta.

Using a fork (a spoon carries too much liquid and makes the bread soggy), spread a little tomato mixture over each piece of bread. When you're done with that, stick a little piece of basil leaf on top of the tomatoes. The last layer is a slice of mozzarella. (This is so the basil doesn't burn.)

Finally, bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

Have a great day everyone! Also, be sure to check out Holly's great giveaway to Target and Starbucks — two of my absolute favorite paces!