Who Doesn't Love Presents You Can Eat?

I love the idea of holiday baking - pouring all of my heart and soul into something delicious to be enjoyed by my family and friends as they gather to celebrate. Notice I said the IDEA of baking. In reality, recipes that have more than 6 ingredients make me all nervous and twitchy and then I run screaming from the kitchen. To overcome this I have collected several stupidly simple recipes over the years. I prefer things that are off the beaten path, a breath of fresh air amid a sea of cookies and cupcakes. Here's a few of the staples that get me, sanely, through the holidays.

SEASONED OYSTER CRACKERS

Ingredients:

1 bag (12-16 ounces) oyster crackers

1 pack Ranch Dressing Powder

1/4 t lemon pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

3/4 t dill weed

3/4 C oil

Steps:

- Mix ranch and oil, then add other spices.

- Pour over crackers, stir and spread in a casserole dish.

- Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically.

- If you choose to double this recipe, just bake for 10-15 extra minutes.

WINTER BARK

Ingredients:
3/4 C dried cranberries or cherries
3/4 C natural almonds, broken into pieces*
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (2 C)
8 ounces white chocolate (1 1/3 C)
*I prefer sliced almonds because they don't require breaking, and they're easier to bite into

Steps:
- In small bowl combine almonds and fruit, set aside.
- Melt semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate separately, according to package directions.
- Stir slightly more than half of almond mixture into semi-sweet chocolate. Spread chocolate mixture to about 1/4 thick on a large ungreased cookie sheet.
- Drop white chocolate by tablespoons onto chocolate mixture. With tip of a knife, swirl chocolates for a marbled look.
- Sprinkle with remaining almond mixture.

Bon Appetit!