Gift Guide

Fake Champagne

1 bottle white grape juice

1 can pineapple juice

1 bottle ginger ale

(Optional) pineapple sherbet

Mix all liquids together in punch bowl and chill. Can add sherbet if desired.

Alana Chance Rogers

APPETIZERS

Corn Dip

2 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, salt and pepper. Chill the mixture until ready to serve. Enjoy with crackers, tortilla chips or corn chips. Serves 16.

Brenda Gail Burgess Berry

Elizabethton

Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

1 pound hot sausage

1 pound mild sausage

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients and roll into balls.

Appetizers & Beverages

Bake for 45 minutes or until brown.

Cane Cannon

Easy Nacho Dip

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 package taco seasoning mix (dry)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

Any kind of Nacho Chips

Brown and drain ground chuck. In separate bowl, place cream cheese and microwave for 30 seconds to melt. Stir and cook additional 30 seconds.

Remove and add taco seasoning (dry) and blend well. Add ground beef and stir well. Keep refrigerated and microwave when ready to serve.

Serve with any kind of nacho chips.

Alana Chance Rogers

Human Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

One paper bag (this makes mixing better)

4 squares of white chocolate or almond bark

1 cup of peanut butter

6 cups of Rice Chex cereal

1-pound box of powdered sugar

Melt white chocolate or almond bark in microwave, then mix in peanut butter. Add Rice Chex cereal and mix until cereal is covered well. Take paper bag and pour in powdered sugar, then pour cereal mixture into bag, shake well.

Pour into bowl. Keep covered for freshness.

Breads

“Tammie’s Homemade Biscuits”

5 cups White Lily self-rising flour

3 heaping tablespoons shortening

Approximately 2 cups of buttermilk or milk, may vary, add little at a time

**The trick to making the “BEST” biscuits is to crumble up the shortening in the flour before you add the milk.

**Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After hand mixing the flour and the shortening, gradually add the milk until your dough is easier to handle. You

Alana Chance Rogers

Sweet Party Mix

4 cup bite-size corn square cereal

4 cups bite-size rice square cereal

2 cups pretzel knots

1 cup sliced almonds

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup dried cranberries, blueberries, or cherries

In a large roasting pan combine corn and rice cereals, pretzels and almonds, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook and stir, over medium heat until mixture boils. Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate without stirring, for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda. Pour over cereal mixture, stir to coat.

Pour on baking sheet, bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir and bake 5 more minutes. Remove and add fruit, spread out on buttered foil to cool. Break into pieces and enjoy.

Ava Rogers

Holiday Popcorn Snack

You can pop as much popcorn as you like but I usually use:

4 microwave bags of popcorn

6 squares of almond bark

1 cup peanut butter

Christmas Sprinkles

do not need to knead, just make sure to fold all the ingredients together well. Pour flour on counter top or wax paper and sprinkle flour on your hands. Fold biscuits until you can easily handle the dough. Pinch off some dough and roll into balls. DO NOT grease your baking sheet. Place biscuits on baking sheet, bake for 20 to 30 minutes. When you remove them from the oven, butter the tops of the biscuits.

Tammie Cole

Christmas M&Ms

Pop your popcorn and set aside.

Melt your almond bark and add peanut butter and stir.

Pour over popcorn and toss with your hands.

Put into your Christmas bowl and toss in M&M’s.

Pour Sprinkles on top and let set.

Ready to eat!

Tammie Cole

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1/4 cup canned (chopped) green chilies

1/4 cup canned (chopped) jalapeno peppers

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

Nacho Scoops

Directions:

In a large bowl with mixer beat together the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Spread into an 8 or 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, then top with bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the bread crumbs are lightly browned.

**Serve hot or cold with Nacho Scoops

Tammie Cole

Cakes & Pies

Classic Key Lime Pie Ingredients:

2 graham cracker pie shells

2 (14 oz.) cans of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup of lime juice

(you can add 1/4 cup more if you like it tangy)

1/3 cup of sour cream

2 teaspoons of grated lime peel

(Optional) Cool Whip for topping

Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and sour cream in large bowl until blended. Stir in lime peel. Pour filling into crust. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, then bake 7 to 10 minutes or until tiny bubbles begin to form on surface of pie. Cool completely. You may top with Cool Whip if you prefer. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Best if served the same day.

Cane Cannon

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

Oreo Pie Shell

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 package (8 ounce) softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 package (12 ounce) Cool Whip, thawed

1 (11 ounce) jar Hot Fudge Sauce (optional) or chocolate syrup

Preparation Instructions

Filling:

Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth.

Pour filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula.

Topping:

Cakes, Pies & Desserts

Melt the Hot Fudge Sauce in the microwave, usually about 20 seconds, and pour over pie, or you can swirl chocolate syrup on top of pie.

Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Warning: This is ultra, ultra-rich. Cut small slivers – your guests will thank you!

Tammie Cole

DESSERTS

Strawberry Delight

1 box of flat pie shell sheets (located in biscuit area)

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese spread

3 cups of sugar TOTAL (used in two different areas of recipe)

Cookies & Candy

Brazilian Chocolate Truffles

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons powdered cocoa

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Chocolate sprinkles

Combine condensed milk, cocoa, and butter in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and pulls away from bottom and sides when the pan is tilted, 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Scoop teaspoonfuls of mixture and roll into balls with greased hands. Spread chocolate sprinkles on a shallow plate. Dip and roll balls in sprinkles. Makes about 20.

Brenda Gail Burgess Berry Elizabethton

No-Cook Peanut Butter Candy

2 sticks butter, melted

Lunch Box Pizza

1 (16 oz.) cool whip

1 large strawberry jello (dry)

4 cups boiling water

3/4 cup cornstarch

1 pint fresh strawberries (stemmed and sliced)

STEP 1:

Take the flat pie shell and place in a 9x13 baking dish, bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Let it cool.

STEP 2:

In a saucepan place strawberry jello mix, cornstarch, and 2 cups of sugar.

Mix this up dry! Add 4 cups of boiling water. Cook until thickens, then place in the refrigerator or freezer to cool. This will be the last layer.

STEP 3:

In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese

spread and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip and pour over the cooled crust.

STEP 4:

After jello mixture has cooled, put half on top of white mixture, then sliced strawberries on top. Pour rest of jello mixture on top and refrigerate until serving.

Tammie Cole

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box (1 pound) powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour into buttered pan. Cool and cut.

Brook B. Newland, N.C.

Quick Chocolate Fudge

2 sticks butter, melted

1 bag chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

Melt butter and chocolate chips. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly. Pour in pan. Cool and cut.

Faye N. Roan Mountain

Main Dishes

1 tube (7-1/2 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)

1/4 cup pizza sauce

10 slices pepperoni

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Flatten each biscuit into a 3-inch circle and press into greased muffin pan. Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce into each biscuit. Add pepperoni and cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes til golden brown.

Cody B. Newland, N.C.

Quick Pickled Beets

2 cans beets

2 cups sugar

1 cup vinegar (white)

Pickling spices (optional)

1/4 cup water or beet juice

Drain beets. Put in jars. Heat vinegar and sugar and water til hot. Pour over beets. Put in refrigerator overnight. Ready to enjoy.

Anna S. Roan Mountain

Granny’s Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

I usually bake a Fudge Marble Cake according to recipe on box in two-8 inch round pans and then cut the cake in half. After making

Veggie Pizza

1 store bought pizza crust or crescent rolls spread onto a pizza pan

One bag of cauliflower, broccoli and carrot mix

3/4 cup of mayonnaise

2 (8 oz.) cups of cream cheese spread

1 envelope of dry Ranch dressing

1-1/2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese

Bake crust as directed and let cool.

Mix together in separate bowl: mayonnaise, cream cheese, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread over cooled crust.

Chop vegetables fine and sprinkle on top of pizza. Sprinkle cheese over pizza. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ava Rogers

Miscellaneous

the frosting, I like to put it in between the layers of the cake.

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter

5 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk (adding a little at a time as much as needed to thin icing)

Mix all this together.

Gradually add milk until frosting is as thin as you like. I usually refrigerate cake after I frost it to let the icing set up.

Tammie Cole

Tammie’s Crock Pot

Apple Butter

8 cups of cooked apples OR applesauce

5 cups sugar

2 ounces OR 50-60 Cinnamon Candy Dots

1 tablespoon apple cider

vinegar

Make sure apples are done if cooking your own apples.

*Wolf River apples seem to be the best for this.

Then mash your apples.

**(If using canned applesauce) START HERE:

Put applesauce, sugar, cinnamon candy and vinegar into crock pot and cook for 2-3 hours. If you like a lot of cinnamon you can add a few drops of cinnamon oil.

Put into hot jars and heat

lids and place on top. Let cool. Make a pan of biscuits, say the “blessing” and enjoy!

Tammie Cole

Pappy’s Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chuck (brown and drain)

1 onion (chopped, sauté with ground chuck)

1 green pepper (chopped, sauté with meat)

4 cubed potatoes (you can boil these some before adding)

In crock pot add: 1 can tomato juice

1 can diced OR whole tomatoes

½ can tomato paste

1 small bag of frozen corn ½ bag of frozen diced carrots Cook in crock pot about 2-4 hours on low.

Mike Cole Elizabethton

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cans corn (drained)

1 rotisserie chicken (shredded) or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 packs fajita taco seasoning

1 onion (chopped)

1 green pepper (chopped)

2 cups of small pasta (rotini shells) or rice

1 large can of tomato sauce

4 cups water or enough to fill crock pot

Add all ingredients, then fill with water.

Cook 4 hours or until hot and serve with Nacho Chips.

Alana Chance Rogers

Corn Salad

2 cups whole kernel corn

Soup & Salads

(1 can)

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped onion

Can add any other vegetables you like

Drain corn, add vegetables. Pour Ranch or Italian dressing over vegetables. Mix and enjoy.

Put in refrigerator til serving.

Phyllis H.

Elk Park, N.C.

Broccoli Salad With Cranberries Recipe

4 cups chopped broccoli

1/3 cup of bacon bits

Red onion, chopped fine

1 cup Craisins Brand dried cranberries or raisins

1/2 cup cashews, chopped fine

1/4 cup shredded cheese,

reserve a little to sprinkle on top

1-1/4 cups mayonnaise

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Mix all together and sprinkle cheese on top. Refrigerate and serve.

Tammie Cole

Grape Salad

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 (8 oz.) sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

OR 1 butterfinger candy bar (crushed)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 pounds grapes (any color or combine colors)

Mix together with mixer cream cheese, sour cream and sugar, until smooth.

How small businesses can make the most of local markets

METRO - Annual holiday

bazaars are a tradition in many communities, and the success of such events has led many towns to schedule similar events throughout the year.

Community festivals and weekend marketplaces can be great opportunities for small businesses to connect with locals and generate revenue. Such events can be even more lucrative for small businesses that plan ahead.

• Do your research.

Chances are business owners can find a number of festival or marketplace opportunities in or around their communities each month. Some of these festivals may be large scale events like annual Christmas bazaars, while others might be more toned down affairs that occur each week. Business owners can research local festivals, paying particular attention to how communities market the events and which businesses attend them. Community turnout is another significant factor to consider. Such research

can help business owners determine which festivals best suit their businesses and what they’re hoping to accomplish.

• Make things easy for customers. Cash was once king at community festivals and marketplaces, but the convenience of plastic and even touchless payments has long since replaced hard currency as consumers’ preferred method of payment. In fact, a recent study from Visa found that contactless payment

usage in the United States grew by 150 percent between March 2019 and March 2020. Card readers are inexpensive and easy to use. Businesses can still accept cash payments, as accepting both cash and card increases the chances of making more money.

• Brand, brand, brand. The National Federation of Independent Businesses recommends that small businesses make everything in their festival or marketplace space about their brands. Storage

containers, banners, price tags, and the clothing personnel wear should reflect the brand.

• Don’t overdo it. A cluttered stall at a festival or marketplace may make it difficult for consumers to browse or find what they’re looking for. NFIB® advises business owners to fill the space without it making it appear cluttered. Keep extra inventory on hand to restock displays as sales are made throughout the day.

• Balance engagement with patience. NFIB® recommends that business owners tone down their sales efforts without coming off as disengaged. Warmly welcome visitors to the booth or stall and express a willingness to discuss products customers appear interested in. But keep in mind that many people attend festivals and marketplaces to browse, so give them space after welcoming them to the booth.

Weekend festivals and marketplaces can be fun and lucrative ways for small business owners to connect with their communities.

Toy buying tips when shopping for kids

METRO - Shopping for gifts for kids makes many shoppers nostalgic for their own childhoods. Few adults can forget the joy of finding the perfect gift under the tree on Christmas morning. Recreating that magic for a youngster can be as joyous for gift givers as it is for kids. That’s especially so when shoppers make it a point to give safe, age-appropriate gifts.

Whether shopping for their own children or their grandkids, nieces or nephews, shoppers can keep these tips in mind to ensure they give toys that are as safe as they are fun.

• Speak to Mom and Dad first. When buying for a grandchild, niece or nephew, shoppers should first ask Mom or Dad for suggestions. Parents will know which types of toys their children like, and they’ll also know the child’s level of maturity. Some kids may not be mature enough to play with otherwise age-appropriate toys, while others may be mature beyond their years and enjoy more complex toys than their age would suggest. Parents will know what makes a good toy and what doesn’t.

• Learn what to look for on labels. Toy labels are

great sources of information, but shoppers must know what to look for. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that toy labels include information about age-appropriateness (i.e., “Ages 3 & Up”) as well as directions regarding how to use the toy. If the instructions seem a bit complex for the child the item will be for, look for something else. Children’s toy labels also include additional information that consumers may not be familiar with. For example, toys labeled “ASTM F963” meet the latest safety standards from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. An “ASTM D4236” label indicates the materials associated with the art toy have been reviewed and deemed safe by a toxicologist. More information about toy label requirements can be found at cpsc.gov. The AAP advises that electric toys should only be given to kids if they include the UL label. That means the toy has been certified by the global safety certification company UL, LLC.

• Avoid certain features. The AAP notes that toys that are loud, shoot objects into the air or contain

small pieces pose a threat to children. Especially loud toys can damage children’s hearing, while projectiles can increase the risk of eye injuries or choking. Toys with small pieces also pose a choking risk to young children who may try to put the pieces into their mouths.

• Err on the side of caution. Consumers who are uncertain about the safety of a given toy, even after reading its label, should err

Place grapes (whole or cut up, whichever suits you) in large bowl and pour mixture over grapes. Mix well and pour into dish.

** If you don’t want to use pecans, crush a Butterfinger candy bar instead. Sprinkle over grape mixture, then sprinkle brown sugar over this. Refrigerate until serving.

Tammie Cole

Cornbread Salad Ingredients:

1 pan of cornbread

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 cups Ranch dressing (depending on how creamy you want it you can add more Ranch dressing AFTER you put the vegetables in)

1 tomato (chopped)

1 green pepper (seeded and chopped fine)

1 cucumber (chopped fine)

1 can Luck’s Pinto Beans (wash the juice off them)

1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (save a little to sprinkle on top)

1/4 cup bacon bits (to sprinkle on top)

Bake cornbread. While it is baking I cut up my vegetables.

After cornbread cools enough to handle it, crumble it in a large bowl.

Add mayonnaise and Ranch dressing and mix well. Add vegetables, then beans and cheese and mix well. Pour into bowl and sprinkle bacon bits and remaining cheese on top. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving (overnight is better).

Tammie Cole

on the side of caution and only give toys they’re confident won’t pose a safety risk. Even toys that may seem safe could be dangerous to kids who might otherwise seem old enough. For example, the AAP advises against giving kids under 12 hobby kits and chemistry sets. That’s because such kits may contain dangerous chemicals that even pre-adolescents are not old enough to handle safely.

Metro Photo Community festivals and weekend marketplaces can be great opportunities for small businesses to connect with locals and generate revenue.

Metro Photo Shoppers must consider a host of factors when looking for safe toys for kids this holiday season.