This year's menu is a departure for us. The number of items prepared is greatly reduced from previous years. This made for a much more relaxed party prep and allowed us both to enjoy ourselves much more. The deep fryer I bought Ted for his birthday in May made a major appearance, turning out deep fried goodness for most of the night.

Appetizers

• Spiced Holiday Nuts
• Pork + ginger-Fuji apple chutney pot stickers - Simply Ming by Ming Tsai
• Chickpea Fritters
• Turnip Tots - special recipe by Ted
• guacamole and red pepper hummus with pita bread and tortilla chips - recipe from Inna Garden

Main Dishes

• Fennel and Orange Salad
• Waldorf Salad - from Joy of Cooking
• Israeli Couscous with roaster butternut squash and cranberries - based on this recipe
• Tortilla Pie
• Skewered tri-color tortellini with a trio of sauces (pesto, alfredo and basic tomato)
• Swedish Meatballs
• Sliced ham

Desserts

• Dessert Wontons with sweetened ginger-fuji apple chutney filling
• Anginetti Cookies with whipped cream filling
• Hermits
• Baklava (from my Aunt Sophie)
• Peanut Butter balls