Peg Herring, Mystery Author

These appetizers are easy and yummy--and easy! 1 pound sliced bacon 2 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese 2 tbsp. prepared mustard 1 c. mayonnaise 1 pound sliced pumpernickel party bread Cook bacon in a skillet until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Preheat oven to broil. In a medium bowl combine the bacon, cheese, mustard and mayonnaise. Stir well. Arrange party bread on a cookie sheet. Spoon mixture onto each slice of bread. Broil for 5 minutes or until bubbly.

1 pkg. cream-filled cookies (such as Oreos but not double-stuffed) 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese Smash the cookies to fine crumbs. Stir in softened cream cheese. Roll into balls and chill for 1 hour. Melt 12 oz. white chocolate. (Some use regular chocolate.) Using toothpicks, dip the balls into melted chocolate and set on waxed paper and chill to harden. If you like, you can drizzle dark chocolate over the white to make them pretty or decorate in some other way. We like to color the white chocolate green and leave a "buckeye" showing the cookie mixture. Any way you do it, these don't last long, and they make great gifts for friends, family, and others on your list!

Just what they sound like--great for parties Crust: 1/2 c. oleo 1/2 c. shortening 1 c. brown sugar 2 c. flour Mix well and press into 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes Topping: Mix 5 eggs 1 c. syrup (I use light but recipe says you can use light or dark) 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. pecans, broken Pour mixture over crust and bake at 275 degrees for about 50 min. Cut into bars.

Also called Macaroon Pie, this one's easy but really good! In a blender: 2 eggs 1 c. milk 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. flour 2 tbsp. melted butter/oleo 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt Blend well. Pour into greased pie plate and sprinkle with 1 c. flaked coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.