Mix crisp pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled, with your buttery string
beans or use the bacon as a garnish on top of egg salad, deviled eggs,
tomato slices, or potato salad.

Serving steaks or roast beef? Whip butter with your favorite herb
(such as garlic, scallions, basil, etc.) in a mixer. Using a small scoop,
serve a “ball” of this seasoned butter with your meat entree. You can
even use your little treasures on top of hot vegetables. Elegant, indeed!

Serving just plain ole’ potato chips? Try using melted grated cheese
(cheddar is great or even pepperjack for a bit more bite), or buy the
salt-free and add a seasoned salt. Your guests will be pleasantly
surprised.

Serving soup? Try tiny cream cheese balls that you have rolled in
parsley or chopped chives. Place a few in the steaming bowl of soup
and you have soup par exellance!

Looking for a vegetable idea:

Choose tender, young carrots in full length (peeled, but not sliced).
Cook until soft, but far from mushy. Using the green tops of scallions,
take three beautiful and colorful carrots and tie them together with the
top of the scallion. You can use two or three tops and you have a very
pretty vegetable bundle to set on the side of the main meat or fish entree.

Serving hot rolls? Take your prepared hot roll mix and make a figure-
eight, or tie a knot, or even shape a letter. Be creative, a basket of
different shapes also adds an added appeal to your table.

Using just a few decorative touches to your meal and Viola! you
are a very good host/hostess and people will beg to come to your parties.
When you use special touches, your guests will feel “catered” to.

Enjoy!

©Arleen M. Kaptur

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