Retro Hors D'Oeuvres for Auntie Sandi

Saturday morning mummy and I went to Heathrow airport with David's mum to meet my Aunt Sandi off the plane from Toronto.  It was a very early start to the day but I had a great little snackie waiting at home for her (and us) to re-juvinate us all and get the party started for this final week of madness and mayhem. 

I had been thinking about something special to make Sandi (something as exciting as the quinoa pudding I made for mum) and it really had to be JUST RIGHT.  My Aunt, like my mum, is a great foodie and is totally in love with everything to do with food and making food and enjoying food and just experiencing fantastic flavours and textures.  This presented QUITE a challenge for me!! 

On Friday mummy and I were wandering around the Waitrose in Marylebone when I spied a package of mini croustades and I just knew I had to use them to make a little treat reminiscent of family get together's at my Nonna's house cira 1985...

My Nonna used to make a tray of these gorgeous little crispy cups filled with cream cheese and topped with half a smoked oyster...totally divine and totally inexpensive! When I spied these little croustades on the shelf I knew I had found the perfect treat to accompany the smoked salmon we were already planning on munching on.

When I was assembling this easy and totally yummy hors d'oeuvres I was immediately taken back to my childhood and family parties at my Nonna's house.  How fantastic is it that a single whiff of smoked oysters can transport me back 25 years?!  My grandparents aren't able to travel to the UK to celebrate the wedding, so it was really special to toast them with cream cheese and smoked oysters!! And my aunt was totally surprised when I brought out the platter...she said she would have never guessed that these were her surprise...not in a million years! A true Nonna special!!

PS did you spot that I used a whole oyster for each croustade? Half an oyster is just not exciting enough !!