Are we having fun yet? Of course we are. It’s eight days ’til Christmas and I don’t have a tree up yet. What I do have are some ideas for appetizers I think you’ll enjoy serving to family and friends in this last week before ole St. Nick comes to call. They add a touch of “pretty” to your table and are all fairly simple to prepare.
One of my favorites is pine cone cheeseballs. They’re beautiful when done well. Made of herbed cream cheese and decorated with toasted almonds, this turns an old staple into an eye-catcher. (Allow an overnight for it to chill in the refrigerator.)
Trees, trees everywhere. How about planting a forest of pita trees on your table? These pick-ups can be done in less than half an hour by topping pita wedges with store-bought guacamole (or make your own) and “decorating” them.
A couple of really quick-fix ideas are to arrange the grapes and cheese cubes you were going to put out anyway into a Christmas tree shape on a cutting board or tray. Simply alternate green and red grapes and a mix of cheeses to form an edible tree. A stalk of celery serves as the trunk.
Staying with the tree theme, here’s another stand-by spruced up for the season, borrowed from Pinterest. Cut a block of cream cheese across the diagonal. Arrange the two sides to form a tree, gently smoothing edges with a finger or non-serrated knife. Insert celery for a trunk, sprinkle a touch of garlic salt over the cream cheese (optional) then spoon on a topping like pear ketchup, raspberry pepper jelly, chunky cranberry sauce, fig jam, Jezebel sauce — your choice. Add a few sprinkles of fresh chives and a sprig of parsley on top for a “star” (or cut one from green pepper) and you’re finished.
Yes, the calendar feels like it’s racing toward Dec. 25. But if you need to make a little something for a party, or want to do something tasty and pretty for a family gathering, maybe some of these fast fixes can help shorten your stint in the kitchen. And if you have time to spare to help us search for that perfect cedar tree in the woods, come on out.
PINE CONE CHEESEBALL
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
5 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 Tablespoon chopped green onion
1 teaspoon chopped dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
(Source: cooking.com)
PITA CHRISTMAS TREES
4 flavored or plain pita folds or pita (pocket) breads (about 6 inches in diameter)
16 thin pretzel sticks, halved
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup guacamole
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper
(Source: bettycrocker.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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