Santa's Sampler: A Collection of Over 100 Hors D'oeuvre Recipes

This is a cookbook born from friendship, philanthropy, and a really good cheese dip. Compiled by the St. Louis Alumni of Kappa Alpha Theta in the early 1990s, Santa's Sampler gathers over 100 hors d'oeuvres recipes contributed by sorority members, each one tested in home kitchens and brought to holiday parties across the city. The recipes span hot and cold dips, savory tidbits, and festive gifts to give, reflecting an era when entertaining meant Velveeta melted with Ro-Tel tomatoes and stuffed mushrooms were the height of sophistication. There are practical touches here: Red Pepper Jelly for gift-giving, spiced tea for winter afternoons, seasoned salt to keep in the pantry. But beyond the ingredients lies something warmer. These are recipes shared by women who believed cooking for others was a form of love, and that a good party started with the right dip. Proceeds supported the Good Shepherd School for Children, giving this collection a heart as generous as its Cheese Squares. For anyone who remembers when every gathering featured a slow cooker of something bubbly, or who longs to bring that spirit back to their own table.