Pony Land Picnic

Wally says, "Nothing bids a fond farewell to summertime like indulging in a casserole of pysllium, chopped fresh carrots, beet pulp and oat hay pellets that have been lightly tossed with a hint of vegetable oil. Simply scrumptious! And just to add to the enjoyment, you can lick the bucket afterwards."


Since Ron and I moved to this house a year-and-a-half ago, we've attended more backyard barbecues, pool parties and holiday soirees than the 20+ years we spent in our former neighborhood. What makes these frequent gatherings all the more festive is that about 1/3 of the attendees own horses, too. Or at the very least, they like horses. Needless to say, that means that I'm never at a loss for conversation topics. That's a good thing because, believe it or not, I really do not enjoy crowds or parties. I get really nervous in groups of people, especially when we're chowing down on food that's balanced tenuously on floppy paper plates. It's all one big accident and stained horse blouse waiting to happen.

Saturday is one more of these fetes. It's an End of Summer shebang. Because it's a standard potluck affair, I've been volunteered (by my husband) to bring "something." I decided on an appetizer because... well, because there were already 3 salads waiting in the wings, coming from other guests. I'm going with my Old Faithful recipe of stuffed mushrooms: whip some cream cheese together with chopped green onions, cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon, top with a dash of Lawry's seasoning salt and stick them in the oven until the mixture begins to bubble. They're gooey but good. And why not have some finger lickin' fun while you're upping your daily maximum intake of fat, sodium and cholesterol?

Speaking of fat, I began to wonder what Wally would bring to a party or backyard picnic, especially if the invitees were his local horse buddies. Knowing Wally's taste in foodstuffs, I imagine that these would be his favorite appetizers:

* Beet pulp hummus with pita chips
* Carrot kabobs
* Peppermint dip
* Pellets On a Stick
* Watermelon Rind Tartlets

* Deviled Licorice Twists

Maybe, just for a joke one time, I ought to concoct one of these and bring them on a plate marked, "From Wally."

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