Delicious Reading: Festive food

It's that time of year when our social calendars are much more full than usual -- there are so many open houses, potlucks and parties to attend with friends, family, co-workers and clubs!

My party season always kicks off with a trip to my hometown of Kankakee, Illinois. My mom's brothers and sisters, my cousins and all our kids get together, sort of like we did when I was little. We used to be able to fit all these Yohnkas into my parents' home. Now that we have more than doubled in size with the next generation, we meet at the Knights of Columbus Hall. After an evening of laughter, hors d'oeuvre and sweets, we spend the next day hosting a "Berns Twins Memorial Christmas Party" at the nursing home where my Grandma Rell and her twin sister, my Aunt Tene, spent the last years of their lives. After they moved there, because their birthdays were close to Christmas, we decided to have a party for all the residents to celebrate both their birthdays and the upcoming holiday. Even though they haven't been with us to enjoy the cake, games and singing for the past nine years, we feel very close to them as we participate in the festivities.

The six-hour drive to Kankakee with all the accouterment needed for three kids, as well as party ware for the nursing home event, inspired me to get creative with what appetizer I prepare for the Yohnka get-together. I am sharing my "go-to" recipes with you in case you find yourself in a festive food quandary this season. They prove that even the simplest things, if presented artfully, can make a party.

__O Antipasto Tree__

It is very easy to grab the ingredients for this on the way to, and assemble it after, you arrive at your destination. To be ready for a party any time in December, keep these items stocked.

__Ingredients:__

1 package sliced pepperoni

2 packages sliced cheese or two bricks of cheese, sliced or cubed

1 small jar of olives

Rosemary sprigs

Mini pretzel sticks

__Directions:__

Arrange the cheese, pepperoni and olives in alternating lines on a large platter to create a triangle-shaped tree.

Tuck the sprigs of rosemary in at the end of each row.

Line up the pretzel sticks at the base to create a trunk.

If you have a star cookie cutter, you could make a cheese star for the top the tree.

__In the Meadow We Can Build a Cheeseball__

__Ingredients:__

2 bricks cream cheese

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Peppercorns and sliver of carrot

__Directions:__

Soften the cream cheese and mix in the minced garlic.

Form the cream cheese into two balls.

Roll the balls in the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Stack the balls on top of one another and make a snowman face with peppercorns for eyes, smile and buttons and a carrot sliver for the nose.

Serve with crackers.

__Gluehwein__

This drink is a traditional German and Austrian treat. The "glow wine" is supposed to warm you up and make your cheeks rosy! I first had it at Christkindlmarkt in Chicago. It is easy to recreate in a Crock-Pot and provides a nice alternative to egg nog.

__Ingredients:__

2 bottles red wine (I prefer Barefoot brand sweet red, but you can use anything good enough to drink, but not so good that it will hurt your feelings to pour it in a Crock-Pot.)

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

2 oranges

20 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

__Directions:__

Pour the wine, water and sugar into the Crock-Pot and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Cut the oranges in half and squeeze the juice into wine mixture. Push the cloves into the outside of the orange peel, and place peel in the wine mixture. Add the cinnamon sticks.

Heat on low until the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce to warm setting to serve.

----------

About Brooke

Brooke Clubbs is a Jackson mom of three, a freelance writer and a communications instructor.