THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods
Also visit our main website, TheNibble.com.
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December 2, 2014 at 8:14 am
· Filed under Christmas, New Year's Eve, Recipes
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If you like to add a flourish to your party food, consider fancy party picks.
They not only make the food look better, but can also serve as party favors or stocking stuffers (at about $5.00 per box).
These special party picks, found on Amazon.com, will make your hors d’oeuvre even tastier:
Holiday party picks, silver and gold picks with a star on top
Christmas party picks: assorted red, green and white with Christmas trees on top.
Foil party picks: fun metallic fringe in blue, green, purple and silver for New Year’s Eve.
Conventional frilled party picks, with cellophane frills in bright colors for Thanksgiving.
CHRISTMAS FOODS TO SERVE ON PARTY PICKS
Savory Picks
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Christmas picks, Photo courtesy CreativeConverting.com. |
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New Year’s Eve picks, Photo courtesy CreativeConverting.com.
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Caprese salad: halved cherry tomato stuffed with mozzarella and a basil leaf; optional balsamic vinaigrette dipping sauce (photo).
Greek salad: feta square base topped with Kalamata olive, mini cucumber and cherry or grape tomato (photo).
Mini meatballs: topped with pastry stars, served with mustard dip (photo).
Pepperoni boats: pepperoni slice wrapped around cheese, cherry tomato half and basil or parsley (photo).
Sausage slice: base topped with pepperjack (or other cheese), a fresh parsley leaf and a pimento-stuffed olive (photo).
Sweet Picks
Santa heads: green grape base topped with banana slice, inverted strawberry and mini marshmallow (photo)
Star fruit and cheese skewers: cut fruits into stars with canape cutters and alternate with cheese cubes.
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See more suggestions for appetizer picks and dessert picks.
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December 2, 2014 at 8:00 am
· Filed under Christmas, Food Fun, Recipes, Snacks
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Food fun, task for the kids: Make Holiday Wreath Popcorn Treats. This recipe from The Popcorn Board can be made by older children.
RECIPE: CHRISTMAS POPCORN WREATHS
Ingredients For 8 Five-Inch Wreaths
3 quarts popped popcorn
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows
3 tablespoons (1/2 of a 3-ounce box) lime gelatin dessert mix
Decorations: small red candies, mini jellybeans, dried cranberries or cherries, etc., plus red fruit leather for “ribbon”
Preparation
1. SPRAY a large mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray and place the popcorn inside.
2. MELT the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the marshmallows and gelatin dessert powder until the marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over the popcorn and mix well until coated.
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Almost too pretty to eat! Photo courtesy The Popcorn Board. |
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3. SPRAY your hands with cooking spray and press firmly to form the popcorn into 9-inch logs. Then bend the logs to form the wreaths.
4. PLACE the wreaths on wax paper. Press the candy decorations onto the wreaths to decorate. Add a “ribbon” cut from fruit leather.
5. SERVE immediately or wrap individually in cellophane bags for storage and gifting. Add a ribbon tie to the bag as a decorative closure.
6. TIP: Soak the saucepan in hot soap and water before cleaning.
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December 1, 2014 at 8:56 am
· Filed under Food Holidays, Fruits, Nuts & Seeds
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A glorious Honeycrisp apple. Photo courtesy A.A. Modts Apple Farm. |
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While October is National Apple Month and September 20th is International Eat An Apple Day, today is Eat A Red Apple Day.
Our favorite apple is the Honeycrisp, developed at the University Of Minnesota and released in 1991. Beloved for its crisp flesh, juiciness and sweet and tart notes, it has become Minnesota’s state fruit!
They’re our favorite apple. The only fly in the ointment is that the University of Minnesota and Minnesota apple breeders developed the variety to be at its best when grown in the local soil conditions and climate.
Thus, the Honeycrisps from Washington and elsewhere (they are widely grown around the world) are just a little less glorious.
But we’ll take them wherever we can get them. Trader Joe’s has them in stock this week: The typically jumbo Honeycrisps as well as minis the size of Lady Apples.
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APPLE TIP: Apples deteriorate quickly if they’re not kept cool. Don’t keep them on a table or counter in a decorative basket. That may look nice, but your apples will Keep better in the fridge!
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