Top Ten Holiday Party Tray Snacks and Treats
The Top Ten Snacks and Treats for Your Christmas and New Years Eve Holiday Party Tray... Yum Yum!
by Paul Ace Diamond "Huggy" Blow
The Christmas holidays are upon us and in my book it is mandatory to load up on some tasty Christmas holiday snacks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and of course the left overs can be eaten up on New Years Eve. My own tradition is create a nice platter of snacks and treats which are eaten by myself and my dearest loved ones while listening to smooth jazz radio, exchanging gifts, and playing board games (chess or chinese checkers are the games we play.) Now then, without further ado, here are the Christmas and New Years Eve holiday treats that I always put on my holiday snack platter, and this list is not only for any readers out there looking for some good holiday snacks, but as a reminder to myself on what to pick up at the grocery store. And speaking of grocery stores, don't forget most stores close early on Christmas Eve so don't wait for the last minute to load up on snacks or you will end up with nothing but a 7-11 Big Bite hot dog and a slurpee like I once did on a Christmas Eve a few years back. Now then, here's my list of great holiday snacks and treats for a successful holiday party tray:
1) Veggies and Veggie Dip: I gotta have my veggie tray, I tell you, I just gotta have my veggies. I'm talking carrots, celery, and cucumber along with a nice vegetable dip. Those are my top three mandatory veggies to have on my holiday platter, but if you can afford it also get some cauliflauer and cherry tomatoes, maybe even some broccoli. The veggie tray is the healthy part of my holiday snack platter, you just can't do without it. A holiday snack platter without veggies and veggie dip is like Rudolph without a red nose... it's just not right!
2) Smoked Oysters: I know, smoked oysters are not for everyone, but I simply must have them on my holiday platter or it just ain't Christmas, at least not for me. For me smoked oysters are a Christmas tradition... They are tasty and go great with the next couple items on my holiday party tray list.
3) Swiss Cheese: Cheese is expensive these days, but you gotta have cheese on a holiday snack platter or your holiday platter will be a disaster. I personally can only afford to buy one cheese block for my platter and swiss cheese, being my favorite of all cheeses, is the one that makes it on my snack platter. Of course, all cheese is good, you just can't go wrong with the cheese, man.
4) Crackers: Now that you've got your smoked oysters and swiss cheese (or other cheeses for that matter) you gotsta have some crackers along with them. I usually buy soda crackers and some Triskets, as those are the best crackers with smoked oysters and swiss cheese. Crackers... you gotta have them or your Christmas holiday platter will be "el lamo", and we don't want that, do we?
5) Summer Sausage: I always buy one of those big logs of summer sausage that they sell at Safeway stores, it's usually the only meat I put on my holiday platter. The big logs of summer sausage will not only feed you on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day, but I guarantee you will have leftovers for at least two months which go great with omelets. My number two choice for a meat would be pepperoni slices, those too are awesome on a holiday platter.
Now that I've got my top five Christmas and New Years Eve holiday platter items listed, these next five items -- while not always making it on my own platters -- are always a nice touch:
6) Christmas Cookies: I personally love Christmas sugar cookies. especially home made sugar cookies. If you can't bake them yourself, go ahead and buy a package at the grocery store. Molasses cookies with frosting are another favorite of mine, but if I can have only one cookie on my holiday platter it will be the sugar cookies, and it's an added bonus if they are shaped like stars and Christmas trees, or even Santa Claus... that's a nice touch right there... yum yum.
7) Christmas Chocolate: You can't go wrong with some chocolate treats. My top pick for Christmas chocolate is Christmas M&M's. You know the kind of M&M's I'm talking about -- the red and green ones! Chocolate is always a nice bonus on a Christmas holiday snack platter and the M&M's melt in your mouth, not in your hands, didn't you know? My number two choice for chocolate would be Hershey Kisses, those are always a delightful addition to a holiday snack platter.
8) Green Olives: Holy Moly, I can't believe I almost forget the green olives! Seriously, a holiday snack platter without green olives is like Santa Claus without a beard, it just won't do! I freaking love green olives (I hate the black ones) as they are not only tasty but also a nutritious snack item.
9) Aplets and Cotlets: I freaking love Aplets and Cotlets, they are so gosh danged good and they only really sell them in stores around Christmas time. These are indeed one of my fave candied holiday treats and thank the Lord I am writing this here list or I would have totally forgotten to pick up a package for my own holiday party tray.
10) Holiday Punch: You gotta have something to drink with your Christmas and New Years holiday platter to wash down all those goodies I've listed thus far. My personal favorite holiday drink is holiday punch which you can easily make yourself. The ingredients of my own recipe are ginger ale and Hawaiin Fruit Punch mixed 50/50 with a dose of pineapple juice added to the mix. If you're a certified boozer you can add some whiskey to the punch and there you go... it's a holiday classic, a sure winner!
There you go... the top ten Christmas and New Years holiday snacks and treats for a successful holiday platter according to me, Paul Diamond Blow -- self-ordained king of the holiday platter. Now that, as they say, is good eatin'! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays, and happy eating!
Enjoy this article? Buy Paul Diamond Blow's new book Tales From Outer Space
