Sick of chips and salsa?

It's Friday: time to celebrate by opening up a bottle of wine, or a few beers, and having some friends over. Gone are the days of chips and nuts for chill time with friends, unless you're an unmarried boy living with other unmarried boys. In that case, do whatever. For the rest of us, cocktail snacks don't have to come from a bag or can.

Here are some ideas to make Friday cocktail hour more fun:

(Any of these ideas work on crackers of your choice or sliced baguette, brushed with a little olive oil and toasted in the oven. If you don't want to slice this yourself, ask the bakery at your grocery to do it; they have a bread slicer, and then all the pieces will be even.)

1. Thin slices of brie cheese with sliced red grapes, green grapes, pear, or a small dollop of cranberry sauce (ok, this comes from a can.)

2. Small slice of blue cheese set on a thin slice of green apple (see picture.)

3. Small slice of blue cheese (artfully) drizzled with honey

4. Slice cucumbers. Take ziplock bag and snip off end of one corner. Put hummus into bag, and push hummus through opening (this is like icing a cake) to make artful dollop on top of cucumber slice. Leave plain or garnish with small olive slice or feta cheese.

5. Spread goat cheese on cracker/bread. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and top with a small grape tomato cut in half.