Penguin Colony

Aren't these the cutest little guys you've ever seen?  So what exactly does one call a group of penguins?  A flock?  A herd?  A rookery?  Well, according to a list I found on line, it's called a colony.  I don't know if that's right or not, but I'm going with it.  Thanks so much to my friends Karen and Bonnie for introducing me to these adorable h'orderves!


Drain one can of extra large and one can of small pitted black olives.

Make a vertical slice in the extra large olives from the criss-cross at the top to the hole at the bottom.

Fill each extra large olive with cream cheese. I cut a block of cream cheese into rectangular chunks that looked to be about the right size. Then I opened the slice and stuffed in the cream cheese piece smoothing a 1/4 -1/2 inch wide line of cream cheese between the two sides of the slice. When the olives are stuffed refrigerate them until you are ready to assemble the penguins.

Peel a carrot and cut it in 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut a small pie shaped wedge from each slice and set them to the side.

Gather the small olives, the stuffed olives, the carrot pieces and some round toothpicks. Pierce a small olive sideways with a toothpick. Push the toothpick through and thread one of the cream cheese stuffed olives lengthwise beneath it. then push the bottom of the toothpick into the center of a carrot slice, lining up the opening where the wedge was cut away with the stripe of cream cheese above.

Set the stack upright balancing on the carrot slice. Position the small olive so that the hole faces forward in line with the cream cheese slice and place a small carrot wedge in the hole to form a beak.

If desired, take a fresh chive and slit it in two lengthwise. Wrap one piece around the penguin's "neck" and arrange it like a scarf. Trim away any excess. Arrange penguins on a plate to serve as appetizers or use as a garnish for other dishes.

http://www.myownsweetthyme.com/2008/12/penguins-in-snow.html