The End of the Year

First let me say that the menu Gal #2 provided looked delicious and soooooo worth all the ingredients. But December 31st hit and no menu had been made so improv was the key term for this menu. Also budget. I did not have the necessary budget to complete this meal to its fullest or do it justice but I will be returning to this menu to successfully do it again. So here follows pictures of what was able to happen....

 

 The fudged ingredients. Didn't have time to make my own stock and I just added some veggies I had in the fridge for something extra. Also notice my rotissery chicken. Shortcuts are my friend.

 

 I cooked in my fabulous new apron from Gal #1! Is this our first cook snapshot? We should do more of them!

  

 Prepping the chicken for the pot.

 

 Taking a note out of Gal #1 I used Bisquick instead of Matzo. Our Matzo was $$$ at the store so it didn't make the cut. But I would love to try again with them in it. We weren't huge fans of the Bisquick.

No Gruyere cheese here :( Unfortunately also too expensive but I did parm and rosemary. It was difficult to press the ingredients into the dough but they were quite tasty and probably Mr. Gal #3's second favorite of the meal.

 

 

TA-DA! It was one of those shortcut menus which had to happen (sorry Gal #2) but still tasty. There are no pictures of the shortbread...couldn't get one fast enough. Mr. Gal #3 had quite a few and so did all the ladies in Mary Kay! I made bumblebees with yellow sugar and then the chocolate.  I did not make them as thick as directed because I wanted to get more out of the dough. But they were great, easy and not time consuming!

So there we are, already into our New Year and I'm wrapping up last year. Will be posting the favorite of the year. Looking forward to cookie stories!

December Menu - Gal One

You would have thought I might have learned something from reading Gal #2's post.  When she shared with us that trying to deliver this menu on a holiday was overly-ambitious - I apparently wasn't listening (or reading with comprehension).  I decided to make this menu for our New Year's Eve dinner.

And so I started.  (See above)  And things were looking good for awhile.  (See below)

And then I read the recipe.  Mind you - I did read the recipe all the way through (like thegood cook that I am!); but it had been awhile and I forgot the THREE HOUR SIMMER time.  So all of a sudden, New Year's Eve soup and breadsticks became hamburgers, fries and frosties from Wendy's.  :)

New Year's Came: While the pot of soup when back on the burner to simmer for THREE HOURS, I decided to start the shortbread.

Since this picture is not the best quality - let me explain.  I was measuring.  The recipe said the dough should be rolled 1/2# thick.  That is really thick....I became uncomfortable.  Those are some thick cookies.  So I measured.  I decided to go on faith...and Ina...and unlike Gal #2, when I got to 20 cookies, I had no more dough left.  They were THICK.

The soup was getting there....only ONE HOUR LEFT.  So the breadstick making commenced.  This, by the way, was the hit of the menu with Mr. Gal #1.  He loved these. There were no leftovers. But I must confess that I CHEATED.  No gruyere for me - too pricey at my store - so this was done with only rosemary and parmesan and salt.  Yum.

But if you look at my work surface carefully...you will see a digression from Giada's instructions.  She says to carefully pat the topping onto each breadstick.  Ummm.  I did one that way.  And then I dumped the whole bowl of topping ingredients onto my cutting board and rolled those poor breadstick pieces around until they were covered with the stuff.  Worked like a dream.  Sorry Giada.

SOUP IS DONE!

Whoops....I CHEATED....again.  I looked at that simmering pot of loveliness and checked my temperature.  Yup, definitely getting a cold.  Definitely needed a nap.  Definitely wanted a bowl of that yummy stuff inside of me ASAP.  So out came the bisquick box and in went store-bought bisquick dumplings instead of Matzo balls.  About this time, Son #1 woke up (YES, definitely afternoon by now) and looked despairingly into the pot and said..."Are those matzo balls?"  I said "No."  He was visibly relieved.  Sorry Gal #2.

SHORTBREAD!

These are rich and yummy.  And very, very pretty.  Mr. & I each ate one (ok, ok, I had 3) and I heroically sent the rest to the local hospital for the poor folks who...no, I'm kidding.  They went with Son #1 to his job at the emergency room where they were all inhaled by ER staff beforethe end of his shift.  I loved those.  (Loved them too much to leave them in the house)

FINAL FOOD SHOT:

I forgot the soup!  (It was already being eaten...it would have ruined the picture).

Great job, Gal #2.  What an inspired menu! I love food that takes awhile (despite my earlier groaning) and that makes the house smell so wonderful!  Happy New Year to my tummy!

Gals...I think our next post should be best of show from this year!  Anybody want to upload their favorite 2010 picture?