Written by GAIL McGLOTHIN   |   Photographed by APRIL MCGLOTHIN-ELLER

’Twasn’t the night before Christmas, but it was coming up fast. The only stirring in the house was Betsy Conoly standing over the slow cooker with a wooden spoon as she watched meatballs in simmering sauce. 

The Conoly home looked like someone had tossed a bucketful of Christmas into each room. Lighted candy canes guided the steps of the book club members into the house with each member carrying a copy of “The Santa Claus Girl” by Patricia Goodin under one arm and a covered dish in the other hand.

My book club had earned its party after 10 months of good books. Club members read new books and books that have been out of print for years. Among others, we'd finished “D-Day Girls” by Sara Rose, “Moonflower Murders” by Anthony Horowitz, and “Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles.

I love being in a book club (I’m in two) because I read and enjoy books I wouldn’t necessarily pick for myself.

Like the books we read, the menu of our Christmas party reads like old favorite recipes and new recipes to try. We didn’t have a sign-up sheet, so everyone chose what they wanted to bring. For dessert, Joan Exner supplied sweet bread made from a mix, reminding us how handy prepackaged mixes are –  especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. In all, an eclectic mix of goodies were enjoyed.

Christmas is a fun time to prepare dishes to share. Stroll around the produce section at your favorite Coweta grocery store for green, red and white veggie combinations. Try buying plain packaged cookies; dip them in melted white or dark chocolate, and then cover with holiday colored sprinkles. Make a double batch of your favorite savory cereal mix, and then rename it Reindeer Chow. Enjoy the recipes, and plan to leave Santa a plateful.

Pickled Shrimp

1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
4 bay leaves, crumbled
2 ounces bottled capers, drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Mix all ingredients except shrimp in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water abundantly. When the water is roiling, add shrimp and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to the marinade. When shrimp cools to room temperature, cover tightly, and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Holiday Pinwheels

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch recipe mix
1 small can green chiles
1 small jar pimentos
1 small can black olives, sliced
3 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients together. Spread thinly over the tortillas. Loosely roll up each tortilla, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill overnight. The next day, slice into pinwheels. Chill until served.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Cooking spray
12 pack Hawaiian style rolls, cut in half horizontally
¾ pound deli ham, thin sliced
½ pound Swiss cheese, sliced
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1½ teaspoons dried minced onions
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray. Place bottom half of rolls in pan. Layer ham on top of rolls, then layer cheese over the ham. Place tops of rolls over the cheese. Mix together butter, mustard, poppy seeds, onions and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle mixture over tops of rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Uncover rolls and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. Sprinkle parsley over the tops. Cut into individual sandwiches and serve immediately.

TriColor Cheese Layers

¼ cup prepared basil pesto
¼ cup bottled roasted red pepper, finely chopped, rinsed, drained and blotted
16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 ounces feta or goat cheese, softened (Don't use pre-crumbled cheese)
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons bottled black olive tapenade

Drain pesto in a small fine-mesh sieve over a bowl for at least 10 to 15 minutes, then discard excess oil. Lightly oil 3x5-inch loaf pan and line with a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to allow a generous overhang on all 4 sides. Smooth the bottom as well as possible.

Mix cream cheese, feta or goat cheese, and milk. Use spatula to divide into fourths.  Spread about ¼ of cheese over bottom of pan. Drop pesto onto cheese mixture, spreading evenly.  Drop ¼ of cheese by tablespoons over pesto; spread gently to cover pesto. Top with chopped peppers, spreading evenly. Drop another ¼ of cheese by tablespoons over peppers; spread gently to cover peppers. Spread olive paste evenly on top. Drop remaining cheese by tablespoons over olive paste, spreading gently to cover. Cover loaf pan with another sheet of plastic wrap, and chill at least 8 hours.

Remove wrap from top of loaf and invert onto a serving plate. Peel off top plastic wrap.  Let  layers stand at room temperature before serving. Serve with toasted Italian bread slices or crackers. This is also good with cucumber slices, carrot sticks and celery. 

Candied Bacon Roll-Ups

1 pound package little smokies
1 pound bacon
Brown sugar

Cut each slice of bacon in four pieces. Dip one side of bacon in brown sugar; wrap bacon around sausage with unsugared side touching sausage. Place on parchment paper-covered cooking sheet. Bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with toothpicks.

Saucy Meatballs

1 (18-ounce) jar grape jelly
1 (40-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
2 pounds purchased meatballs, cooked

Melt together jelly and barbecue sauce. Pour over cooked meatballs in a crockpot. Simmer 45 to 60 minutes, and serve with toothpicks on the side.

Jalapeño Poppers

20 medium jalapeños
1 pound hot pork sausage
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces cream cheese

Split jalapeños in half, length wise. Clear out seeds and membranes. Scramble and fry sausage. Add cheddar cheese and cream cheese. Stir together until well mixed. Stuff jalapeño halves. Bake and serve immediately or freeze individually. When ready to eat, defrost as many as desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Layered Mediterranean Dip

8 ounces prepared hummus
8 ounces olive tapenade
4 ounces feta cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup chopped red onion
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

Using a small round dish, begin layering with the hummus followed by olive tapenade, feta cheese, tomatoes and red onion. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with cucumber slices around the edge. NCM