Bite-Sized Holiday Treats

Tis the season to be eating… and eating… and eating. I’ve been stuffing my mouth for the past week and Christmas is still five days away. Wherever you go during the holiday season, there’s usually some type of Christmas goodie to be devoured. Bite-sized treats are my favorite because you can sample a variety of recipes without feeling guilty. The following mini treats are among my holiday favorites: RASPBERRY BRIE BITES Ingredients: 4 ounces Brie 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 1/4 cup sliced almonds 12 phyllo cups Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash raspberries. Cut Brie into 12 … Continue reading →

Food for an Open House

An open house is a great way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends without a lot of the hassle of trying to fit things into a schedule. Basically, you have a set number of hours in which your home is open to guests. Friends and family can drop by any time during these hours and stay as long as they like. With an open house, your home will never get over crowded, and you will have more quality time to spend with each guest as they arrive. When hosting an open house, you’ll want to have plenty of … Continue reading →

Chocolate Covered Christmas Goodies

So much for a low-calorie Christmas. My mom just sent a container full of homemade chocolate Christmas goodies and we just about polished off the entire tin. UGH! It’s a case of not being able to eat just one. The Mint Chocolate Wafers are heavenly, and once you start eating you simply can’t stop. Then again, I was never known for my exceptional willpower. Regardless, the treats are gone and if we want more I’m going to have to make them myself. Fortunately, the recipe is not hard. Take a look, and you will see how easy it is to … Continue reading →

Holiday Rib Roast and Loaded Potatoes

In my family the holidays bring multiple generations into the kitchen. Like many clans, we have a handful of favorite holiday dishes that are made without fail each year. Pistachio-Crusted Rib Roast and Loaded Baked Potatoes are among my family’s favorite Christmas recipes. While the dishes may sound fancy, they are surprisingly simple to make. Follow the recipes carefully and you too can celebrate the holidays with these scrumptious seasonal eats: PISTACHIO-CRUSTED RIB ROAST Ingredients: 1 beef rib roast (2 to 4 ribs), small end, back bone removed (6 to 8 pounds) 1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, finely chopped 1/4 … Continue reading →

Festive Food Garlands

The idea of making festive Christmas garlands out of food is nothing new. In the Victorian era, when the Christmas tree first came into fashion, folks hung all sorts of things on the tree and around the home to celebrate Christmas, and food was no exception. Today, though, we have a wealth of new “materials” available to us for festive food garlands. I’ll share some of the basic traditional food garland ideas, along with some new more modern takes. Orange and Apple Garland This garland not only looks good, it smells good too! The orange and apple garland gives you … Continue reading →

Go Red This Christmas

Put a little color into your season’s eatings. Why settle for drab brown and white Christmas cookies when you can serve up festive red ones instead? The following yummy desserts are not only packed with flavor, but they also feature colors that will get you into the Christmas spirit in no time: EASY RED VELVET CUPCAKES Cupcake Ingredients: 3 large eggs 3/4 cup unsalted butter 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 … Continue reading →

Christmas Candy Desserts

I just threw out a huge bag of leftover Halloween candy. It’s out with the old and in with the new. My daughter just received two Christmas gifts bags filled with chocolate, so I figured I better pitch her Halloween treats in order to make room for the next round of holiday goodies. I hate to waste food, which is why I waited so long to throw out the Halloween candy. But it had to be done. Still, some good came of it. The candy pitching served as incentive for me to dig out some of my family’s favorite candy … Continue reading →

Easy Chocolate Christmas Treats

You can’t go wrong with chocolate during the holiday season (or anytime of year for that matter). Whether you are looking for a decadent treat to bring along to a holiday office party, your kid’s school, or to give as a gift to family and friends, the following simple recipes will help put the ho-ho-ho in your holiday festivities: MOCHA BROWNIE COOKIES Ingredients: 1 egg 1 egg white 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons instant decaf coffee granules 1 tablespoon boiling water 1/4 cup melted butter 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 … Continue reading →

Edible Christmas Masterpieces

Have you ever considered molding an igloo out of cream cheese to spice up your holiday buffet table? What about crafting a Christmas wreath from crescent rolls and chicken? Does it sound like something you’d leave to professional chefs? Well, think again. There are a slew of simple recipes that allow you to create amazing works of art for your holiday dinner table, without having to take a culinary arts course. Here are a couple of my favorites: CHICKEN AND CRESCENT ROLL CHRISTMAS WREATH Ingredients: 2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls 1/2 cup chopped red pepper 1/2 cup chopped frozen broccoli … Continue reading →

Last-Minute Thanksgiving Side Dishes

You’ve got the turkey situation under control and the pies are set too, but what about the all-important Thanksgiving side dishes? We’re down to the wire; Turkey Day is less than 48 hours away. If you’ve neglected the dishes that will round out your holiday meal, don’t fret. These simple last-minute recipes will help you make it to the Thanksgiving feast finish line: CRAN-APPLE SALAD Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice 3 tablespoons brown sugar 10 cups spring mix lettuce 1 diced green apple with skin on 1 diced … Continue reading →