Simple snack ideas? We're having my family over for Christmas Eve, and my in-laws on Christmas day. . .?

These are my suggestions, they're not too Chirstmasy, but i think they're classic and they're what i'm making!:

- pigs in blanket

- cheese, crackers, sausage (like you'd get at hickory farms)

- spinage vegetable dill dip served in a bread bowl with veggies

- onion dip w/ potato chips

- 7-layer taco dip w/ tostitos scoops

- you could also look down your frozen food aisle for some more ideas like jalapeno poppers, mini-quiesh, frozen shrimp (which tends to be on sale!!) w/ some cocktail sauce, pizza rolls, sweedish meatballs, i really like your cheese fondue idea.

Vegetable Party Tray

Items Needed:

Divided Party Tray with 5 slots and circle in the middle.

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Celery

Radishes

Red Bell Pepper

Green Bell Pepper

Baby Carrots

Cucumber

Ranch Dressing

Directions: First wash each vegetable well and set aside. Next you will want to cut the top off of the Green Pepper, core, wash out the inside, and drain. After you are sure that you have drained out all of the water out of the Green Pepper fill it with Ranch Dressing and place in the center of the tray. Next cut off the ends of the radishes, slice thinly, and place a thin layer around the Green Pepper. Cut the stems off of the Broccoli and Cauliflower and place on opposite ends of the party tray. Next place the baby carrots on one side between the Broccoli and Cauliflower. Then you will want to slice your Cucumber and place it next to the Broccoli. Next you will want to cut the ends off of the Celery and cut it into about 2″ strips and place it in the remaning slot. Finally cut off the top of the Red Pepper, core, slice it about 1/3 of an inch thick, rinse, and garnish each section of the vegetable tray

Party Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons minced onion

1 (8 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce

3/4 cup chili sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.

In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

I also have more appetizers and Party Tray Ideas listed at http://giftwrapandmore.com/tag/appetizers/ I hope this helps.

For Thanksgiving I did something different. I made an antipasto platter. It went over very well.

1 jar pepperoncinis ( I used pickled veges instead)

1 can Garbanzo beans

2 c. fresh mushrooms, quartered

2 c. cherry tomatoes

1/2 lb. mozzarella, cubed

1 can black olives, drained

1 bottle Italian dressing (or Vinaigrette)

Combine everything in a large bowl. Pour dressing over mixture, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min, or overnight. Arrange on tray lined with lettuce. Serve with toothpicks. I also added artichoke hearts to my mix.

Mini quiches, foie gras on white bread mini-sandwiches, deviled eggs, Chex mix, fruit cake already sliced, hot dogs in Pillbury crescent rolls. The cheese and meat tray sounds good. I think of dip/chips as more of a Superbowl Sunday type snack. But if you think ppl will like it, serve it!

I've always liked the Meatball dish...surrounded by various cheese cubes. Meatballs are very easy to make (or by in your neighborhood grocery store). Place it in a Crockpot, add your favorite BBQ sauce or seasoning and cook them. Place them on a nice tray (just before it's time to eat), or Put them in a decorative corningware dish with a lid (to keep it warm) and serve it with Cheese. Bring a nice holiday cup/container to hold your toothpicks or long skeweres!! Make it CUTE!

I think your list is great already but here are 2 easy favorites of mine. 1) Salami roll-ups: sliced salami (as much as you want) and cream cheese. spread the cream cheese on the salami and then roll up the slice. Very simple and they are very addictive. 2) Chili cheese dip: spread cream cheese in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish; heat up a can of Cincinnati style chili and pour on top of the cream cheese; last spread a nice layer of finely shredded cheddar cheese on top; you can use whatever type of chips you want to dip, but Frito's Scoops work the best!

Champagne Punch

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 cups apricot nectar

1 cup frozen lemon juice from

concentrate thawed

2 (64-oz)bottles apple juice

1 (6-oz)can frozen oj concentrate thawed

2 (750-ml)bottles champagne chilled

2 (12-oz)cans ginger ale chilled

combine sugar water in a dutch oven bring to a boil stirring until sugar dissolves set a side let cool.

Add apricot and next 3 ingredients to sugar mixture;stir well.pour mixture into 2(12-cup)containers cover freeze 4 8 hrs

remove containers from freezer room temperature 30 min.

Place 1 block of frozen juice mixture in2 punch bowl.add 1 bottle champagne and ginger ale as needed Yield 32 cups.Enjoy

We do the same type of thing for christmas eve all finger foods

crackers and cheese

pigs in a blanket

chips and dips

veggie platter

veggie pizza

mexican dip

mini egg rolls

Monzerella sticks

wings

swetish meetballs

Cookies

eggnog

and that pretty much does it. What you have planned sounds delicious

I had a holiday party last week and the biggest hit was PICKLE ROLL UPS!! (lunch meat smeared with cream cheese wrapped around a pickle spear, make sure you warm the cream cheese in the microwave for a few seconds it makes it easier to smear) second fav. was HOT PIZZA DIP (lay cream cheese in a baking dish, top with pizza sauce, sprinkle with moz. cheese~you can add meat if you'd like. serve with bagel chips or bread.)

Make fortune cookies! You'll mess up a couple before you get the hang of it, but it's great fun to make up fortunes for people. Practice some a few days before the party. Here's where you can find a recipe:

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/diningout/r/fortun...

I've made truly GIANT ones - about 6 inches in length, unfolded.