Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

I love olives on a tree, I love olives on my knee. I love olives on my plate, I love olives on a date. I love olives in a bar, I love olives from  jar. We just watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Last night we hosted a holiday soiree at our house. As a centerpiece for the table I created an edible olive tree. Because I adore olives, a tree made out of olives is like something to worship. I would like to sit under it and meditate.

To create the tree I used five varieties of pitted olives including, large sweet olives, large spicy olives, Manzanilla, Kalamata and colossal green. Sandy purchased these by the pound at an Italian market because they are so much cheaper than any olive bar at the grocery store.

Ingredients

1 craft cone 3 7/8 x 11 7/8

2.5 lbs pitted olives in various sizes and colors

.5 lbs Nicoise olives to go around the base of the tree

(This is not necessary, they are our favorite)

1 Small jar of

Manzanilla olives (small green with pimentos)

1 Pack of wooden toothpicks

1 Slice of Star fruit for the star

Make It Happen

~Using 1/2 -3/4 of each toothpick, put pick into cone then place olive on pick.

~Continue to do this for what will seem like a lifetime until the cone is completely covered. Enjoy a glass of wine while you are doing this, I did.

~Use the smaller olives to fill in the holes.

~Place tree on a lovely platter or stand and surround with more olives.

~Photograph for bragging purposes and enjoy the praise you will receive from your family and friends.

Note: You will need to remind your friends and family to eat the olive tree because they will be too intimidated by its beauty to disassemble it, but that is what it is for. Remind them that no one person (or two) should have sole access to that many olives, so please save us from ourselves and enjoy the olive tree.

Have a delicious weekend.

Grinch photo courtesy of Mollycorrine.wordpress.com

Tags: compassionate eating, going veg, holiday table decorating, olive appetizer, olive tree, trying vegetarian, vegan challenge, vegan entertaining, vegan experience, vegan holiday, vegetarian entertaining, vegetarian holiday