• Serve guests a healthy and colorful vegetable and dip platter.Relish tray filled with vegetables and dip image by Edward Stephens from Fotolia.com
  
  When you're planning a big Christmas party, the last thing you want to do is spend hours and hours in the kitchen. Treat guests to tasty yet simple finger foods to snack on before dinner is served. Whip up easy appetizers using fresh, festive ingredients and serve them on decorative trays as an attractive presentation.
  
  

Creamy Lemon Dip

• As a tangy twist on traditional vegetable dips, create a simple version using lemon and several creamy ingredients. The refreshingly tart dip will please guests' palettes as they mix and mingle. To make the appetizer, combine the juice of two lemons, olive oil, ground pepper, sour cream, mayonnaise and fresh chives. If you want to spend less time in the kitchen on the day of the party, mix the dip up the day before and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Serve the lemon dip with roasted vegetable chips, bagel chips and pieces of pita bread. If you want to treat guests to another type of dip or spread as well, make or buy hummus, which can be served alongside the same accompaniments.
  
  

Caprese Salad Bites

• Delight Christmas party guests with mouth-watering bite-sized versions of a caprese salad. This finger food is easier to transport than plates of salad. To create the appetizers, slide one half of a grape or cherry tomato, a fresh basil leaf and a small fresh mozzarella ball onto each toothpick. Make as many as you need to accommodate your guest list. Place the salad-enhanced toothpicks on a serving tray and drizzle them with high-quality balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Season them with a few sprinkles of salt and freshly ground pepper. You can also serve an oil and vinegar mixture on the side for dipping.
  
  

Wreath-Inspired Treats

• When creating your Christmas party appetizer spread, don't forget to include sweet treats. Create festive wreath-inspired goodies using a few basic ingredients. Mix together melted marshmallows and butter and add a few drops of green food coloring. Stir in corn flakes, completely coating them with the marshmallow mixture. Form the coated corn flakes into wreath shapes and garnish them with red hot candies to resemble a decorated pine wreath. Place the crunchy wreaths on a piece of wax paper as they cool to prevent sticking. Serve them on an elegant platter.