🍽️ Food to Have on Hand 🎄

‘Tis the Season… For Company, House Guest and Friends to drop in so you’ll need some food to have on hand. Were one week out from Christmas. The presents may all have been shopped for and wrapped, most work parties are probably in the past. Kids may be home from school and you now are in the home stretch. You may have the actual Christmas Day meal and plans in tact and you know who is bringing what and what time the meal will be served. Job well done so far. What I usually am scrambling for at this point is “What am I going to have on hand for last minute invites such as, “You run into a friend at Kroger who you haven’t seen in years and you decide to last minute invite them over for a drink or dessert after dinner on the 23rd.” Or what to have on hand when the kiddos come back from college or their first Christmas after college and they are living in a new city? Or yet, you in-laws are flying in from Florida for Christmas, their flight gets in after dinner. What could you have on hand that’s substantial yet not to heavy to have so close to bedtime? Or hearty, healthy snacks to have on hand for everyone (including YOU who are the magic elf who makes it all happen) when you are dashing around this week between chores and events.

Don’t forget the reason for the season and that the food is secondary to the people around your table…Boxed Private Selection cookies from Kroger, very similar to the Imported LU cookies, dark chocolate covered biscuits, either to have on hand or to give as little gifts 🎄

WELL, fear no more. It’s all here. These recipes are simple and may even become part of your kitchen repertoire. I like to have a salad on hand, like my Green and White Egg Salad, an easy nutritious soup or stew, my very quick and easy Zucchini Soup, cookies either YOUR Favorite Christmas cookies and a few things like a good whole grain bread from your bakery or homemade for Avocado Toast and sandwiches, so add avocados, sandwich meat & cheese, fruit and cottage cheese to this list so guests can “Help Themselves.“ the Egg Salad and Soup recipe are below to refer to, or you may have your own recipes for a good salad and soup to have on hand and these are just thought and ideas to get you going. Also, consider last week’s Marvelous Monday which included my Orange Pancakes (which can be made in advanced and kept in the freezer or fridge to re-heat in the toaster as needed-never the microwave). Bircher-Muesli and Protein Balls which are all three always a hit. If you don’t have time to make cookies, pick some up. For a snack or simple breakfast this week, consider the Bircher-Muesli served with fruit and boiled eggs. Lu or Pepperidge Farm cookies are always good. Just put them on a platter lined with doilies and most grocery store bakeries have some specialty cookies like chocolate no-bakes or Russian Tea Cakes also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies. If you happen to be the guest, offer to help out as much as possible, emptying the dishwasher, setting the table or cleaning up, and take your sheets and towels to the laundry room on the day of your departure. Be a good guest. Always. To make things easier for yourself the host or hostess, enlist the help of your children or guests and it is NEVER a copout to have anything catered or pick up food at your favorite restaurant, just decide to do that in plenty of time and NOT last minute-restaurants may or may not be able to help with last minute orders, they have groceries to order and staff to have to prepare. Ok, I think you’re all set. Remember, guest or host, the food is ALWAYS secondary to those around the table. ALWAYS. Keep it simple, make your lists each day and try to enjoy and make each and every day…A Great Day 🎄

Groceries to add to your list-

-Sliced ham and Cheese from the Deli for sandwiches either cold or grilled

-Your favorite bread from your favorite place to buy baked goods or the grocery store.

-Condiments needed for sandwiches (and or lettuce tomato if desired)

-Cottage cheese to serve with fresh fruit

-Eggs to have on hand for breakfast, boiled eggs and for desired recipes

-Cream cheese to be used with a pepper, fig or your favorite jelly served as an appetizer with crackers.

-Crackers

Green and White Egg Salad (serves about 6-8)

Egg salad could be a snack a meal or a side dish with leftovers, here seen along side last night’s leftovers from our favorite Italian restaurant. You just can’t go wrong with Egg Salad, and this one is my favorite version.

Ingredients

-10 hard boiled eggs peeled, take out yolks and chop into cubes

-1/2 cup bread and butter pickles chopped

-1/3 cup onion finely diced

-2/3 cup of mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt could be substituted)

-1 bunch fresh parsley chopped

-1/2 cup finely chopped celery

-coarse ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Prepare all ingredients and place in a large bowl. Mix gently with a spatula.
I like to chill this before serving but it is not necessary. This can be served solo, on a bed of lettuce or on your favorite bread as a sandwich. Serve any leftover in an airtight container for up to 3 days, if it lasts.

Very Easy Zucchini Soup (serves 4-6)

Ingredients

-1 medium yellow onion chopped

-2 pounds zucchini small, cut into cubes

-2 teaspoons minced garlic

-2 cups chicken stock (I like/use Better Than Bouillon)

-4 ounces Laughing Cow Cheese (regular or low fat)

-coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

Place zucchini/courgette, onion, garlic and chicken stock in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, turn down and let it cook until vegetables are soft, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add 4 ounces of laughing cow cheese.
Stir as cheese melts and then either blend with a hand immersion blender or pour mixture into a blender and blend until mixture reaches your desire texture smoothness (be mindful of how hot mixture is.
Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.