EASY YET ELEGANT HOLIDAY SNACK IDEAS
This Easy Yet Elegant Holiday Snack Ideas shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone.#StaterHolidaySnacks #CollectiveBias
This time of year each and every one of us are looking for quick and easy ways to satisfy hungry family, friends and guests. So today I thought I’d give you a couple of my easy yet elegant holiday snack ideas. I’ll help you impress your guests with a couple of simple recipes using only a few ingredients that everyone will think you slaved over!
Toward that end, I’m always delighted when my local supermarket, Stater Bros., not only has the things I need in a handy location, but also at a discount. Right now they’ve got a huge display of my favorite Coca-Cola beverages alongside my go-to munchies, BIG Wheat Thins, Wheat Thins Popped and Wheat Thins Pita, all of which I need for my easy yet elegant holiday snacks.
Stater Bros. makes shopping for holiday snacks fast, easy and affordable. So even though I won’t be needing these until later in the week, I’m purchasing everything now while it’s on sale. I saved $1 with Digital Deals by purchasing any two Coca-Cola 6 packs or 6 packs of Smartwater.
Plus I saved $1 on 2 packages of Wheat Thins Popped & Pita and Ritz Toasted Chips. And as you’ll see, they will make the perfect pairing for my easy yet elegant holiday snack ideas.
Click here to access Stater Bros. Digital Deals.
I like to have these nonperishable items as staples in my kitchen. I keep them on hand in the pantry and pull them out anytime I need to whip up a fast and easy snack for my family, or for friends that may pop in during the holiday season.
When it comes time to serve my beverages I’ve invented an easy yet elegant way to both display them and keep them cold at the same time. In less than 10 minutes I can assemble a beautiful Ice Bowl using fruit, flowers, herbs and/or greenery I have in the house. Today I decided to make an Ice Bowl using sliced oranges and holly leaves and berries, perfect for the holidays. Here’s my easy Ice Bowl Tutorial:
Start by slicing 3 large navel oranges into 1/2″ thick slices.
Line a large glass bowl with the orange slices, then add some holly & berries. As an alternative to the holly you could use orange tree leaves and fresh cranberries.
Place a second glass bowl on top of the fruit. Pour water between the bowls to 1/2 inch from the top.
Place the bowls in the freezer and freeze them overnight.
When you’re ready to use your Ice Bowls remove them from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes until the bowls separate easily. Do not run them under water.
Remove the top bowl.
Next, invert the bottom bowl onto a flat plate. Place it back in the freezer until ready to use.
Once you’re ready to use your beautiful Ice Bowl carefully invert it onto a serving platter or stand.
I’m a lover of Fanta and think bottles of this delicious orange soda look great in my Orange Ice Bowl. Just add bottles of your favorite coca-cola beverages to your Ice Bowl and serve to your very impressed guests.
No one will have to know how quick & effortless it was.
To go along with my Coca-Cola beverages I’ve made one of my favorite and much loved holiday dip recipes to pair with the assortment of Wheat Thins I purchased on sale at Stater Bros. Let me show you how you too can make this easy yet impressive Cream Cheese & Pesto Christmas Mold. All you need are 4 simple ingredients:
- 1 Lb. Salted Butter, Cut into small cubes
- Two 8 Ounce Packages of Cream Cheese
- 1 Cup of Prepared Basil Pesto
- Fresh Basil for Garnish
Find a vessel that will accommodate 4 cups to use as your mold. I used a fluted metal brioche pan. A clean terra cotta flower pot also works well. Cut a double layer of cheesecloth to fit your mold, leaving some excess to drape over the sides.
Wet the cheesecloth, then wring it dry. Line your mold as smoothly as possible, draping the excess over the sides of the mold.
Allow the butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Add to the bowl of your standing mixer and beat until smooth and well blended.
Now it’s time to assemble your Cream Cheese & Pesto Christmas Mold. Depending on the width of your mold you can have as many layers as you wish, but you will start and end with a layer of cream cheese.
Carefully spoon the cheese mixture into the bottom of the mold, pressing it delicately and carefully into the mold using the back of a spoon.
Next spoon on a layer of Pesto. If I have time I’ll make my own Pesto, however, if I’m short on time prepared Pesto is a great, easy alternative.
Add another layer of cream cheese, then repeat with a layer of Pesto and so on until you have used up your ingredients. Keep in mind however, that you should always start and end with cream cheese.
After you have completed the layering use a spoon to gently press down on the final layer.
Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can also cover the mold with plastic wrap and refrigerate it up to 5 days. This is a perfect make-ahead snack.
When you’re ready to serve your Cream Cheese & Pesto Christmas Mold fold back the cheesecloth from the top of the mold and invert it onto your serving dish. Then carefully peel back the cheesecloth.
Top with some fresh basil leaves.
Serve with an assortment of Wheat Thins, Wheat Thins Popped and Wheat Thins Pita. I used assorted flavors, the Garlic Herb Toasted Pita, the 100% Whole Grain Veggie Toasted Chips, Wheat Thins Popped and BIG Wheat Thins.
To complete this easy yet elegant holiday snack display, pair snacks with your beautiful Ice Bowl that has been filled with delicious, cold and refreshing assorted Coca-Cola beverages. I particularly like the glass bottles, which I think are a classy way to serve beverages and add a bit of a vintage, throwback aesthetic to your holiday snack display.
It doesn’t get much easier or more elegant than this. Hard to believe something so simple and affordable could be so good!
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So there you have it: EASY YET ELEGANT HOLIDAY SNACK IDEAS
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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What’s your favorite way to enjoy holiday snacks & beverages over the holidays?
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. All photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.
