KIDDY-SIZED

I am sure everyone has heard of Super-Sized especially when it comes to fast-food restaurants or movie theatres.  In this time of holiday celebrations it is hard not to partake in the special items that come out once a year.  People cocoon and feel comfort in baking or cooking and feel insulted if you don't share their joy.  That's not their problem.  It is yours, so how do you deal with it.?  Nobody wants to hear about your diet.  So the answer to the delectable dishes confronting you is to kiddy-size.

Now there are certain things that perhaps should not be on your menu choices like anything bacon-wrapped, cheese balls and eggnog.  That latter doesn't appeal to me anyway.  I never liked eggnog.  I don't care how much booze in it, there is something too thick and creamy about it for my taste.  I am more a skim-milk, lactose-free type of girl.  I guess that goes for cream-based soups as well.  Also not my taste.  It is probably not a good idea to have cream in anything.

Often we are confronted with nibblies at a house party and we also have to provide nibblies when people come to us.  So what are the best nibblies to eat?  I would say on the protein side, mini meatballs, zesty hummus, shrimp cocktail and chicken.  Fruit and veggies are always good as long as they are not slathered with thick dips and sauces.  Tzatziki is a good dip or home-made ones made with goat cheese or low-fat or no fat sour cream. 

The other day I had bought 6 pounds of ground beef, not ever-thinking I was going to do more than a single dinner with it.  You know it is a bargain when you buy in bulk but the truth about anything ground it shouldn't be frozen raw.  There are too many sides on each piece to pick up bacteria.  Ground anything should be used within 24 hours.  As the deadline loomed, I thought what I could do with it.  I ended up taking half of it and making Italian mini-meatballs in the oven.  The other half I used to make sweet and sour meatballs.  I must have made 200 meatballs.  By the end of it, my shoulder hurt from rolling them.  Each meatball was 1/2 ounce.  So taken this under consideration, they are a good appetizer or even part of a main meal as long as you kiddy-size the portions.