Wash watercress and chop coarsely.
Season with salt, pepper and a few
drops of vinegar. Blend with cream
cheese or cottage cheese and spread
between two thin slices of white or whole
wheat bread. Trim off the crusts and cut
into triangles or one-inch strips.

1 cucumber
1 green pepper
1 bunch green onions
mayonnaise

Peel and take out the seeds of the cucumber. Use of the onion tops along with the green onions. Mince cucumbers, green pepper and onions together. Drain off juice through a cheesecloth bag. Mix ingredients with mayonnaise, salt and sugar to taste. Spread between slices of white or whole wheat bread. Trim off crusts and cut into triangles or one-inch strips.

Beat one small package or cream cheese until smooth. Add one small jar of drained and pitted olives, finely chopped. Moisten with mayonnaise and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Spread on top of circles of white or whole wheat bread.

Sweet Selection

Here are a few sweets for the teas or for the showers or even the wedding sweet table. These come from Jack Bishop’s cookbook, "Something Sweet" (Simon & Shuster) where he claims that "Life is short, so eat dessert first!"

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two large baking sheets. Place chocolate and condensed milk in a large saucepan set over low heat. Stir until chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, vanilla extract and salt. Mix well by hand. Beat egg white until stiff but not dry. Fold gently into batter/ Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Use fingers to shape batter into rough balls. Bake cookies until bottoms and edges are set, about 10 minutes. (The tops will appear moist and shiny.) Cool macaroons on a rack. Makes 24 cookies in about 25 minutes.

12 tablespoons (l and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups old fashioned (not instant) rolled oats
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg lightly beaten

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in oats, sugar, flour, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well with a spoon and stir in egg. Drop batter by the tablespoon onto the parchment lined baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies. Bake cookies until edges become golden brown, about 13 minutes. Carefully slide parchment from pan to a rack and give cookies 2 to 3 minutes to harden before transferring them directly to the rack. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes 24 large or 48 small flat cookies in 35 minutes.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners; sugar, plus more for dusting, optional
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Press dough into prepared pan with fingers. Bake until shortbread is pale gold in color, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool pan on a rack for 5 minutes and cut shortbread into bars. If desired, lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Makes 16 small bars in 40 minutes.