Tidbits

         After a huge holiday meal is consumed, it is easy to forget what has been balanced unsteadily on small plates by diners sitting or standing around chatting about an upcoming football game or just catching up on family gossip that is as interesting as any entertainment news. Biting into stuffed celery, a whole green onion, a handful of olives, cubes of cheese, carrot sticks, cauliflower, broccoli and cherry tomatoes are the highlights of any holiday meal.

         Chicken wings are basted with soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar and some fresh lemon juice. They are baked for forty-five minutes in a three-hundred and fifty degree oven and served while a professional football or a college game is playing onthe television set.

         Basting sauce:
?cup soy sauce
1-Tlb.garlic, minced
?cup fresh lemon juice
?tsp. brown sugar


         Directions: In a saucepan; combine the ingredients and heat on medium-low stirring frequently. Place the chicken wings in a rectangular baking pan and generously baste them with the sauce. Bake at three hundred and fifty degree oven for forty-five minutes.

         Ranch Dip


         (Makes 2 Cups)
3/4-cup buttermilk
1/2-cup sour cream
?tsp dried herbs (1/8-tsp each parsley flakes,thyme and tarragon leaves)
1/2-cup mayonnaise
1/4-tsp dried mustard


         Directions: Combine all the ingredients and chill. Serve in a hollowed out red cabbage on an attractive hand-painted serving dish next to a platter of raw vegetables.

         Stuffed celery


         Rinse, dry and cut stalks of celery into halves and then fourths. Spoon some pimento cheese onto each celery stalk

         Pineapple and Cream Cheese spread


         1-small can crushed pineapple
1-12-oz block cream cheese, softened


         Directions: Combined softened cream cheese and crushed pineapple. Spoon the mixture onto celery stalks that have been cut into halves and then fourths.

         Spinach Dip


         1-10oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1-cup sour cream
1-cup mayonnaise
1-pkg. dry vegetable soup


         Directions: Combine the sour cream, the mayonnaise and the dry vegetable soup. Stir in the chopped spinach and serve in hollowed out Hawaiian bread.

         Note: To keep raw vegetables crunchy; set them in containers filled about fourth of a way with ice water. Drain the container and lightly pat the vegetables dry just before they are served.

         Pickapepper sauce is poured over a block of cream cheese, placed on an attractive serving plate like a milkglass or a cobalt blue color and surrounded by a variety of crackers.

         Cubes of swiss, cheddar and a jalapeno pepper jack cheese are displayed on a glass plate along with green olives, ripe olives and baby dill pickles.

         Rinse and dry raw broccoli and raw cauliflower then cut them into bite sized pieces. Serve on a large plate with sliced radishes, baby carrots and whole green onions.

         A large picnic cooler is iced down and filled with soft drinks, wine coolers,beer and bottled water for washing down all those wonderful tidbits before the holiday meal begins.

         Cooking since the age of fifteen, the author has always enjoyed preparing holiday meals.