Ladybug Appetizer

Ladybug Appetizer

Ingredients (what I used to make 36)

Cucumber (1 1/2)
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (36)
Black Olives (9)
Cream Cheese (6 oz.)
Sour Cream (6 oz.)
Ranch Seasoning Packet (1)
Food Coloring (red, blue, green)
Fresh Rosemary (1 sprig)

Directions

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch packet together (put a small about to the side; about 1 tablespoon).  Slice cucumbers in about quarter inch pieces.  (I didn't do this, but in the future I would lay them out on paper towel to blot out some of the water to make them less slippery!)  Arrange cucumber slices on a platter and put a generous dollop of dip on each one.  Slice tomatoes in half and arrange on top of the dip to look like the shell of your ladybug.  Slice the olives into quarters and arrange on dip to look like the head of the ladybug.  Take rosemary leaves (needles) and put two between the tomato and olive to look like antennae.  With small amount of dip you set aside, add food coloring until it is a dark brown or blackish color; put in the corner of a sandwich bag and snip a very tiny piece off the corner.  Gently pipe dots onto the tomatoes to look like the spots.  I garnished the plate with extra sprigs of rosemary.   

Flip it!

Use more cream cheese to make your dip thicker or more sour cream to make it softer!
Use crackers, pita chips, etc. instead of cucumber!
Use chives instead of rosemary for the antennae!
Use different color tomatoes to make other bugs!
Add fresh herbs to the dip instead of ranch seasoning!