Extra touches will impress guests

StatePoint

Holiday entertaining can be impressive and delicious without stress or mess.

With a few twists, you can make decorations sparkle with minimal hassle.

And your food easily can be made more festive by incorporating flavorful nuts, creamy cheeses and seasonal fruits.

When it comes to dressing up holiday decor, simple flourishes can impart a big “wow” factor.

Try filling wine glasses with different stones or glass pieces and inserting a tea light in each. Placed around the room, these impart a sophisticated glow. An easy, elegant centerpiece can be created with multicolored glass ornaments in a clear bowl finished with holiday greenery.

On the food front, opt for colorful choices that are healthy and natural yet flavorsome and festive.

“More than ever, our friends and family want to enjoy delicious flavors without over-indulging” suggests Josh Schroeter, co-founder of Sahale Snacks, a producer of healthy, all-natural snack foods. “Unique and satisfying flavor combinations will excite the palate and make guests feel special without tipping the sugar, salt and fat content over the top.”

Here are some food ideas to make your seasonal offerings the most tantalizing in town, without wreaking havoc on your budget:

Small and splashy: Party goers increasingly are concerned about portion control, and it’s easy to help them out with simple, show-stopping appetizers. Guests will do double-takes when they see fresh figs split at the top and filled with soft, whipped goat cheese and sprinkled with Pomegranate Cashews. Or pile a tray high with tea sandwiches full of chicken salad studded with celery and pecans.

Cheese at the ready: Don’t know when guests might drop by? Keep a selection of cheeses and nuts on hand. To make an easy cheese platter, choose three kinds of cheeses: one creamy (like brie or camembert), one aged (like manchego or English cheddar) and one unlike the others (bleu, goat or sheep’s milk cheese). Embellish it with Tuscan almonds or dried fruits.

Spectacular salads: A few bags of pre-washed salad greens make it easy to toss together a salad you can quickly adorn with special touches. For example, spinach or any winter greens can be combined with a handful of Sahale Snacks Valdosta Pecans with dried cranberries to impart some sparkling flavors. And a light balsamic dressing will complete this tasty, healthful side dish.

Just desserts: An all-dessert party is sure to impress. Assemble pears, apples, persimmons, figs, nut and cheese dessert platters, adding dark chocolate squares. Try this tasty combination: a triple-cream brie paired with chocolate squares, chocolate, persimmons or orange slices and Pomegranate Cashews or Honey Almonds with Sea Salt. You can save money by buying at stores supermarkets and club stores.

For more celebratory holiday ideas and recipes, visit www.sahalesnacks.com, or facebook.com/sahalesnacks.

By simply adding some personal touches, you can make the occasion more memorable with minimal hassle to the host!