I'm glad you enjoyed the "Caroling Cocktail Party" segment on "Live with Regis and Kelly". More festive ideas can be found in my new book: Click here: Amazon.com: buying info: Celebrations : A Joyous Guide to the Holidays from Past to Present
Celebrations makes a great gift - only $13.96 on Amazon - and this deluxe hard-cover holiday guide is full of color photos, recipes, crafts, traditions, and folklore. Have fun creating and I hope you party is a big success!!!!!

Happy Holidays, Jeanne Benedict

Christmas Apple Martinis

For Single Serving: 2 parts Pucker Sour Apple Martini to 1 part Vodka. Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel stars. Use mini cookie cutter (usually available at William Sonoma) to stamp stars out of lemon peel and slide star on to a cocktail pick.

Apple Martini Punch

Pour 1 bottle (@750 ml.) Pucker Sour Apple Schnapps and 4 (@1-liter size) bottles club soda into punch bowl. Add shots of vodka into punch to taste. Fill punch bowl to the top using the same proportionate amount of ingredients, sampling as you go to get that great apple taste and dazzling green color! Keep cool with an ice ring in the punch made or have a bucket of ice on the side with a cocktail shaker and strainer. For a festive garnish, drain the juices from a couple of jars of Maraschino cherries and add those to the bottom of the punch bowl before you add the punch.

Christmas Tree Crudite Topiary

This festive vegetable topiary is beautiful on an hors d’oeuvre buffet table and a real conversation starter. It takes some time and creativity to make as opposed to the other dishes I displayed on “Live with Regis and Kelly” which can be made very quickly. But you can make it 2 days in advance of your party if stored properly in the refrigerator. Your party guests will absolutely love it!

2 - 3 heads green cabbage (varied sizes, large, medium, small)

8 bamboo skewers cut in half

1 box toothpicks

green floral wire (1 paddle wheel of @22-gauge wire)

wire cutters

sharp knife

assorted size star shape cookie cutters (I purchased mini star shape at William Sonoma)

6 - 8 big bunches of parsley, rinsed

1 carton cherry tomatoes, rinsed

1 bag baby carrots, rinsed

2 heads broccoli, rinsed

1 - 2 heads cauliflower, rinsed

1 bunch radishes, rinsed

2 yellow peppers, rinsed

1 red pepper, rinsed

1 green pepper, rinsed

(and any other vegetables that you like)

1. To make tree structure, cut cabbage heads in half. Place 1 large cabbage half cut side down on serving platter. Make sure the “base” cabbage half rests level, trimming half as necessary, as this bottom cabbage will support the whole tree and it must be sturdy. TIP: You can use a larger serving platter and surround the base of the finished tree with extra vegetables like celery sticks and a scattering of cherry tomatoes. Insert 4 bamboo skewers into rounded top of base cabbage. Place another cabbage half, cut side down, on top of base cabbage pushing it down on to the skewers so it is secure. Continue to build tree structure with bamboo skewers and cabbage halves until you have a nice, sturdy cabbage stack. I used 4 cabbage halves (2 heads) for the tree on “Live with Regis & Kelly”. TIP: You can make the tree higher with 1 more cabbage half, but I would stop there so the tree doesn’t topple. Also, use large cabbage halves at tree bottom and smaller halves at top so cabbage stack will resemble Christmas tree shape.

2. Using wire cutters, cut green floral wire into 40 (1-inch long) pieces and 20 (2-inch long) pieces. Bend wire pieces into hairpin shape. Start by building 1 row of parsley garland on the tree. TIP: I find it easiest to make the middle garland that winds up the tree and build additional rows of vegetables and parsley above and below that main garland so all rows appear even. Break off a “golf ball” size bunch of parsley. Gather stems in a bunch and using a (1-inch piece) floral wire hairpin anchor parsley stems into cabbage tree. Continue anchoring bunches of parsley right next to parsley already on tree so parsley forms a garland from bottom to top of tree. TIP: If you have trouble visualizing the natural line of garland up a tree take a ribbon and let it wind once around the tree from top to bottom as a general guide.

3. Make a cauliflower garland row above parsley. Insert a toothpick into back of cauliflower floret and insert into cabbage just above parsley row. Continue building cauliflower garland from bottom to top of tree. Use larger florets at tree bottom and smaller at treetop to resemble Christmas tree shape. As you build this tree it will be necessary to trim cabbage especially at treetop so vegetables will pack nicely into the cone shape. TIP: Rounded vegetables are easier to work with such as broccoli and cauliflower florets, and cherry tomatoes, while baby carrots are a little more tricky.

4. Make another parsley garland row above cauliflower using floral wire hairpin pieces to anchor garland into cabbage. To make a row of baby carrots above new parsley row insert toothpick into end of baby carrot and insert into cabbage. I find the carrots or any “stick” shape vegetables look nicer if inserted at a 45 degree angle to cabbage. Also, since the carrots are more narrow than the florets I make a double row of carrots at the tree bottom and then at closer to the treetop taper the carrots to a single row.

5. Continue building rows of parsley and vegetables up tree. Above carrots add a row of parsley and then a row of cherry tomatoes or yellow patty pan squash if your budget allows for that. Below middle garland that you started with add a row of broccoli florets by inserting toothpicks into the back of the florets and then into the cabbage. TIP: The 2-inch pieces of floral wire may be used to anchor parsley at the bottom of the tree where it may be necessary to use longer stems on bunches to make the bottom wider so it resembles a Christmas tree more closely.

BIG TIP: Remember, you are making an edible work of art so you will be trimming the cabbage, adjusting parsley and possibly cutting more floral wire pieces to fit your work in progress. Your end result will be unique, beautiful and a creative gift your guests will dearly appreciate.

6. Fill in the bottom and very top with parsley. Add a festive touch to the top portion of the tree and at various points around the tree with mini star shape yellow, red and green peppers. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stems. Lay pepper half, cut side up, on a flat surface. Stamp out pepper star shapes using mini metal star cookie cutter. TIP: Plastic cookie cutters do not cut through pepper as well as metal. Insert toothpicks into tree through parsley and gently press pepper stars against toothpicks to secure stars to tree. It may be necessary to cut toothpicks in half. Using a larger star cookie cutter stamp out yellow pepper star for treetop. Insert toothpick into top center of tree and gently slide pepper star on to toothpick.

7. Place a bowl of your favorite dip next to the tree for guests to enjoy. I’ve found that most people love to look at this tree and view it as décor although the intent is for them to pull the vegetables off the tree and eat them. A variety of vegetables around the base of the tree on your large platter is a good idea if you wish to use the Christmas Tree Crudite Topiary as décor only. Also, prepare extra vegetables with toothpicks to replace those that guests have eaten during the party when the tree is looking sparse.

GENERAL TIPS:

1. During the tree building process step back and “eyeball” the tree shape from all angles to make sure you are making a nice, even cone shape. Trim parsley or adjust vegetable as necessary.

2. To make it easier on your self, make the vegetable garlands out of the rounded vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower florets and offer stick shape vegetables such as celery and carrots around the base of the finished tree.

3. To make this tree 2 days in advance, store your tree wrapped in moist paper towels and plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until serving.