Finger Lickin' Fridays: Stuffed.

(Photo courtesy of The Brown Eyed Baker)

Ok - story here! One of my besties, the lovely Ms. Lauren "LuLu" S., and I had the pleasure of dining at Cava - Portsmouth's new tapas and wine bar - a few weeks ago. Totally fab; definitely a new fave of mine. We drank sparkling wine in delicate flutes, nibbled on delicious small plates of fresh crab and avocado and then completely stuffed our faces full of (the Cava version of) these amazing little bites of heaven. Honestly. All of our ladylike manners and our posturing as cultured, educated women went soaring out the window when our (super hunky) waiter delivered a platter of roasted medjool dates stuffed with manchego cheese and wrapped in broiled ham.

We were like ravenous dogs. There was lip smacking, finger licking, and moaning in delight over the salty, sweet, cheesy deliciousness of it all. We loved them so much, in fact, that we ordered them for an appetizer and then ordered another plate at the end of the night as our dessert. And it was perfect and I'd do it all over again and probably will.

Thanks to the Brown Eyed Baker, I can now whip up these sinful little devils and eat handfuls of them all in the comfort of my own home and without the disapproving eyes of the more refined restaurant diners. Hooray!