Victorian Appetizer: "Angels on Horseback"

This was a popular appetizer or "savory" in Victorian times when oysters were both inexpensive and abundant.

INGREDIENTS:

- 8 oysters, shucked
- 8 bacon slices
- 4 slices of toast
- Unsalted butter
- Coarsely ground pepper
- Parsley or watercress to garnish

PREPARATION:

Wrap a bacon slice around each oyster and, and sprinkle all with coarse ground pepper.  Place on a broiler rack with the seam side down. Cook under hot broiler until bacon is crisp, then turn over to crisp the underside.

Cut two circles from each slice of toast and butter the circles. Place one roll on each circle of toast. Garnish with parsley or watercress.

This dish can be varied according to your tastes. You may marinate the oysters in any number of different mixtures before preparing, and the finished rolls needn't necessarily be placed atop toast, but can be speared with a toothpick, or served on the half shell. You can also wrap pitted dates in bacon and broil, serving these alongside as "Devils on Horseback."

How to make a cranberry-popcorn garland

Yes, it's true that garland is relatively inexpensive, and can be purchased almost anywhere. It wasn't so in days of yore, and rural families most often simply made their own. Thematically, what the garland was made of depended on what was available, but most commonly popcorn was used, or ribbon with or without baubles and bows stitched onto it.

Want to try to make your own? If so, make it an experience - something the family can do together, that will make for fond memories. Put on Christmas music, or one of your favorite movies. Serve cocoa or hot cider and Christmas cookies.

MATERIALS:

• Popcorn: No salt and no butter, if possible. After popping the popcorn, let it sit out for a day to get stale; fresh popcorn crumbles.

(Make an extra bowl of regular popcorn for the family, since the kids are probably going to eat it as they help make the garland, unbuttered and stale, or not.

• Fresh cranberries

• Heavyweight sowing needle. Use good judgement in how old your child needs to be to handle a sewing needle, and supervise them well. For a very young child, you can set them to the task of alternately handing you cranberries and popcorn.

• Heavyweight sewing thread. Waxed dental floss works great, because it is less-prone to breakage, and the addition of the wax makes it easier to slide the cranberries along.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Lay out long lengths of thread. Tie a knot at one end, and thread the other end through the needle. The individual segments can be tied together when you're finished, but be sure to leave a couple inches of thread at the end of each segment.

Push the needle through the cranberry and slide it down the length of the thread to the knotted end. Then do the same with a piece of popcorn. Alternate popcorn and cranberries until the segment is finished.

Lastly, tie the segments together, and hang the garland.

After Christmas, send the kids out with the garland to decorate any shrubs or trees around your residence. A small child will get a lot of pleasure out of seeing the birds dine on the garland he's hung out.