New Year's Eve

This was the 3rd or 4th year in a row for my annual NYE dinner party.  I make all the food, and just ask that guests bring whatever they want to drink.  I've made guacamole and spinach dip every year, but those are probably the only menu items that have stayed consistent.  I feel like my kitchen expertise has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year, and I put a lot of thought into making this year's menu the most spectacular spread of food I have ever accomplished.  

Due to various conflicts, only a handful of people were able to make it this year, but those of us that were there had a great time and agreed that the food was amazing.  

Sweet Potato Cannelloni

filled with crab, onion, celery, cream cheese, alfredo

Cider-BBQ Pulled Pork

pork tenderloin rubbed with flour & cinnamon

slow-cooked in the crockpot for 9 hours

Slider Rolls

choice of plain or cider

Mini-Quiche

choice of bacon or mushroom

Quinoa Salad

with carrot, celery, broccoli, mushroom

olive oil/garlic/ginger 

Cole Slaw

choice of honey & mustard or mayo & ranch

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

spinach, artichoke, cream cheese, alfredo sauce

Guacamole

avocado, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, tomato

Pumpkin-Cheesecake Truffles

choice of dark chocolate or white chocolate

The biggest hit!

I'm told they "melt in your mouth"

I didn't eat any of the white chocolate ones, but I definitely devoured some of the dark.

I'm gonna have a tough time beating this menu next year!  

But I will find a way...of course.

As a side note: as far as I'm concerned, the year ends in June and starts in August.  Which means there are about 5 more months to get through before the year ends. 

But for those of you who go by the number you write at the end of the date...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Purist Burger

Unusual for me.  I made a burger that was just. beef. I normally make my burgers exactly like I make my meatballs and meatloaf; with egg, breadcrumbs, herbs, and whatever else I feel like throwing in.  This time, I just took a hunk of beef out of the package, molded it into a burger-shape, and threw it in a skillet.  Of course, this was less because I wanted to be a purist, and more because it was faster and easier...I was hungry.  And I didn't want to make a whole pound of hamburgers, I just wanted one.

I served myself the hamburger on a bed of warm coleslaw, with some tomato and avocado.  Yes I played with my food and made it look pretty before I ate it. The plate is my canvas, food is my paint.  Or something like that. 

The coleslaw was about 1/2 of a small cabbage, and 1 medium carrot chopped up and cooked in a little bit of olive oil.  I tossed it with a bit of ranch dressing after removing it from the heat.  It was tasty.  

As for the lack of a hamburger bun...I'm on this kick where I'm trying to eat more protein and less carbs.  (or less carbs from bread and pasta, anyway) Carbs are necessary for energy...but not in the quantities that I normally consume.  I still eat a carb-loaded pancake for breakfast most days, and often a sandwich for lunch, but I'm finding that once I got used to the occasional bread/pasta-less meal, it's not so bad.  I can actually satisfy my hunger at dinner without eating pasta.  Who knew?  

Spicy Slaw

Something is wrong with that title...I don't like spicy!  But this is what happens when you add raw radishes to something...and use mustard for flavor.  oops.  I survived my taste-test forkful of this slaw...but I had to drink a bunch of water afterwards.  We'll see how I survive tomorrow's dose at lunchtime.  Maybe the mashed potatos will help relieve my burning taste buds.  It's so annoying being super-sensitive to spiciness...ugh.

Slaw
1/2 cabbage, finely chopped
2-3 sticks of celery, finely chopped
6 or 7 radishes, grated
2 medium carrots, grated

Sauce
I'm afraid to say exactly what I put in it...you might not want to know.  I kinda just threw together whatever caught my eye.

garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, oregano, dash of salt
      - (these are kitchen staples, I don't know how to make food without them!)
1/2 c ranch dressing
2-3 tbsp mustard
squirt of ketchup
1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Picture Time!

I'm getting good at chopping now that I have

a good chopping knife!

more cabbage

celery

radish time

I'm running out of space and I haven't added the carrots yet!

new bowl, more space

dry seasonings

the sauce

I'm very skeptical, and kind of afraid to try this slaw...like my scared face?

look, there's even a video of my amateur chopping skills

bonus points if you can name the song playing in the background