“Eve of the Eve”
Holiday Party Menu

Yuletide Tradition
The date is always set for Lois and Mike Boyd's seasonal soiree.

ARTICHOKE TREE WITH LEMON CREAM SAUCE
A styrofoam cone; U shaped floral pins; wooden skewers; toothpicks; endive lettuce or mustard greens; 12 artichokes; cherry tomatoes.

Cook artichokes, being careful not to overcook. Drain well. Cover the cone with greens, securing with pins. Arrange artichokes evenly over the cone, starting with one at the top. Use toothpicks to place the cherry tomatoes. This may be made one day ahead. Wrap in a warm towel and store in a cool place. Refrigeration is not required.

LEMON CREAM SAUCE
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. white horseradish
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients, cover and refrigerate. May be made up to three days in advance.

SAUSAGE RING
1 lb. of hot bulk sausage
1 lb. of mild sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1 large can apricots, chopped (preferably peeled, but they are hard to find)
1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage and remove with slotted spoon. Let drain completely. Combine all ingredients. Liberally grease a bundt pan with shortening. (Pam doesn’t seem to work on this.) Cook for about 40 minutes and remove from pan immediately. This may be cooked the night before and placed in the oven to heat right before served. Use greens and tiny tomatoes to garnish. Serve with your choice of condiments.

MIKE BOYD’S ORIGINAL MIDNIGHT BROWNIES
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 package Mini Midnight Milky Way nuggets (dark chocolate) cut in half
3 Hershey bars, 1.5 oz. size, finely chopped

Combine eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl, stir well. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and pecans. Add chopped Mini Milky Way nuggets. Pour mixture into a greased and floured 13x9x2 inch pan; sprinkle with chopped Hershey bars. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares. May be frozen in a tightly sealed container for two weeks.

LOIS BOYD’S SNOWBALL COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
10 pieces Peppermint Patties candy, quartered
Sifted powdered sugar

Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar until well incorporated; stir in vanilla. Gradually stir in flour and pecans, mixing well. Cover and chill for two hours. Form 1 tablespoon of dough around each candy quarter, forming a ball. Place on un greased cookie sheets, bake at 350 degree oven for 12 minutes (cookies will not be browned) Let cool for five minutes on cooking sheets. Remove and roll in powdered sugar. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes 40 cookies. These can be prepared two weeks in advance and tired in air tight container in freezer.