My Free Time: Food, Fun For Holidays

Normally, in my Short Orders column, we leave the frilly "holiday entertaining" stories to Martha Stewart and that crowd, but I've got an idea this week that combines good food, good friends and good works in a way that'll make your holidays click into gear.

The white elephant routine has been done, and the usual "punch and cookies" gatherings just seem a little pale anymore. You want something new, right? You want a gathering that will have your friends fighting each other to answer your invitation next year.

Party Eats | Holiday Section | Drink Receipes

Meet the ceilidh (KAY-lee), an ancient Irish/Celtic gathering made modern.

Traditionally, the ceilidh was a community gathering, where everyone, young and old, would gather and share music and, especially, stories.

Now, I've got to warn you, this gathering is completely devoid of DVD players, big-screen TVs, boomboxes, or video game systems. It is the oldest form of amusement: human-generated. You may find hidden talents in your friends and run the serious risk of deepening friendships and discovering common interests.

Now, most people aren't practiced storytellers and may have some trouble getting started. That's where a "story starter" comes in. There is another old Yuletide tradition called a Gift Blanket, a large cover or cloth bag filled with various homemade gifts brought by party attendees. Each person at the party takes a gift from the blanket and tells a story about it or talks about what it meant to them.

For our modern version, try turning the Gift Blanket idea around. Have each guest bring a gift, something appropriate for a child, perhaps, and have each of them tell a story about the gift as they put it into the blanket. Then, after the party, donate all the gifts to a local charity.

Of course, the whole evening doesn't have to be rigidly formatted. Leave plenty of time for singing, chatting and general hooraw.

Food and drink is an integral part of any convivial clustering, of course, especially one inspired by the traditions of those party folk, the Irish. For drinks, serve spiced mead, mulled wine, cider, eggnog or one of the holiday beers described in Lisa Morrison's most excellent Liquid Solutions column.

Foods should be hearty, as you've got a long night of storytelling and singing ahead of you. I've attended ceilidh that lasted all night. Make sure you've got plenty of good cheese, and stout bread to eat with it. You might go the fondue route, although fondues tend to become an event in and of themselves and might detract from the other goings-on.

Finger foods are a great idea and an ideal sort of thing for guests to bring along. Get an eclectic group of folks all bringing their favorite munchies, and you're sure to have an evening of gustatory enjoyment.

Here are a couple of my favorite super-quick spur-of-the-moment munchies. Enjoy!

Sausage Rollups

Ingredients:

1 package Little Smokies (preferable all-beef) or other cocktail sausages

1 package refrigerated pie crust dough

Cajun seasoning, kosher salt or your favorite seasonings

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Roll out pie crust dough until it's about half the thickness it was when it came from the package. NOTE: if you've got kids helping, you can let them do this by the "pinch-and-stretch" method; this recipe does not owe much to precision.

Pinch off or cut small rectangles of dough, just big enough to wrap around the sausages. Dust dough lightly on one side with seasonings.

Wrap dough around sausages, pinching shut with wet fingers.

Place rolls on cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes, or until brown.

REHEATING: These reheat very well in the microwave.

Dragon Eggs

This is a recipe found in many forms all over the Southwest and on many restaurant menus. To control the jalapeno heat, remove the white ribs inside the peppers. That's where most of the capsicum, the "heat," lives.

Ingredients

24 jalapeno peppers

2 c. all-purpose baking mix, such as Bisquick

1 lb. pork sausage, spicy or mild (NOT sage)

1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 lb. Monterey jack or pepperjack cheese, in small cubes

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325° F.

In a large bowl, mix baking mix, sausage, cheddar cheese and spices.

Stuff each jalapeno with jack cheese, then encase them in the sausage-flour mixture to a depth of about ½ inch.

Bake on a lightly greased sheet pan for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.

These are stellar served with various dips such as ranch dressing, queso or picante sauce.

Now get your friends on the phone, get the oven heated up and spread the Gift Blanket for a night of unconventional entertainment!

++Previous Holiday Features:

My Free Time: Holiday DVD Picks
My Money: Holiday Saving How-To Guide
My Health: Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
My Family: Hot Toys Aren't Always On Lists
My Home: 'Tis The Season To Be Messy: Tackling Holiday Stains