A Simple Holiday Party Dip

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

The holiday season is here and social calendars are quickly filling up. Between decorating, gift shopping and card writing, it can be an overwhelming time. Last weekend, I needed an appetizer in a hurry to bring to a luncheon and made this delicious green olive dip.

When I need a fast and simple appetizer, it’s impossible to go wrong with this recipe. With only three ingredients, it’s a snap to prepare and requires no cooking. The red and green colors of the pimento-stuffed olives make it the perfect choice for a holiday table. I serve it as a dip with vegetables or as a spread for crackers, sliced baguette or crostini. The boys, of course, prefer to eat it with chips but love to use it in place of mayonnaise on their sandwiches, too.

Click to read more ...

A Seasonal Salad

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

If you’re planning a holiday dinner party this year, think salads. A salad makes the perfect first course. It’s a light and fresh beginning for the richer main course to follow, and you can do all the prep in advance, tossing the ingredients just before serving.

I eat salads all year long and rarely have a dinner that does not involve a small plate of greens, either pre- or post-dinner, with a bit of cheese. So the recipe I made contains both and achieves all the notes that I desire in taste and texture.

Click to read more ...

Greet Holiday Guests with Breakfast

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

During the holidays, there seems to be a Christmas party every other day. Most often, due to being tired and getting caught up in the holiday spirits, many of us wake up with a hangover the following morning…or is that just me?

More than the indulgences in sweets and champagne during the holidays, I love to indulge in breakfast. It’s the one time of the year I can have something rich for breakfast, and I relish that opportunity. Plus, in my family, we always had friends or family staying over the nights before the holidays and the days in between, so we always had to have breakfast for many on hand.

Click to read more ...

My Go-to Holiday Appetizer

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I love to throw a big holiday party, but it’s so much work, I’ve forsworn doing them. I shared my party tips with you during my last big holiday party, ever.

It doesn’t mean we won’t deck our halls. As I write, there are hundreds of ornaments collected over the years, sorted by type, waiting to be hung on our nine-foot Noble Fir, purchased, as in years past, from a Delancey Street lot where the trees are beautiful, the service is excellent and the cause is admirable.

Delancey Street is the country's leading residential self-help organization for former substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others who have hit bottom. All of the cheerful and helpful staff at the Christmas tree lot are working their way out of their various life issues through Delancey Street programs.

Click to read more ...

Quick Chicken Dinner

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

As we enter the holiday season, remember to pause, take a break, and cook yourself up a delicious but simple and quick dinner at home.

The recipe below is one that you would be proud to serve for company as well. It’s not a new way to cook the chicken but a great way to dress it up for the holidays with a quick grape pan sauce.

Grapes are extremely versatile as they can be eaten out of hand, fresh or frozen, and can easily be made sweet or savory or a bit of both. Here they are given a quick cook to bring out their jam-like quality to add a sweet note to our sauce.

The jewel color alone says holiday. The garlic, the anise note of the tarragon and the acidity of the wine only enhance the grapes further. If tarragon is not your herb of choice, then simply substitute rosemary.

Click to read more ...