We Ate and Drank Our Way To 2011

 

Happy New Year everyone, I hope ya'll had a wonderful and safe New Years Eve. Ours was packed full of delicious food, family, awesome friends and a bottle or ten of tasty adult beverages.

This is how we started our night...I knew it was going to be a great evening!

The start to the appetizers.

Mini Quiches

Crostini with White Bean Puree, Rosemary Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Crostini with Olive Tapanade

Crostini with Goat Cheese and Cranberries

The recipe for the White Bean Crostini came from this amazing book I received for Christmas from my uncle. The book is called A Twist Of The Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals with ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags and Boxes.  Awesome, awesome book!!! He said it easily has become his number one go to book and I can see why. All the recipes are super simple yet look and taste like you spent hours in the kitchen. Plus it uses foods you normally have on hand in the fridge and or pantry, love that! 

Preheat oven 350. 

Slice a baguette, lay out on to a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until light golden brown. When cooled rub the oiled side with fresh garlic and set aside.

In a saucepan heat 3/4c EVOO and 1 big tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves. Heat over medium and bring to a simmer. Then lower heat and keep simmering until you hear the rosemary start to sizzle. Turn off the heat at that point and let the rosemary steep in the oil.

In a bowl combine 1 15oz can of cannellini beans (I used Great Northern Beans from my pantry), 2/3 cup of the rosemary oil, 1 small garlic clove minced and 1 tsp kosher salt. Mash ingredients with a potato masher until most of the beans are mashed but still slightly chunky.

Place a few arugula leaves on each crostini and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the bean puree over the arugula. Use the back of the spoon to make a well in each puree mound and spoon 1/2 tsp of the rosemary oil into the each well. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over each crostini and top with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Another fun Christmas gift was from my hubby...a Babycakes Cupcake Maker (in pink of course). Michelle of Muffin Tin Mom and her family spent NYE with us so of course we had to try out the cupcake maker! I think it is actually pretty cool. You can make up to 8 mini cupcakes in 5 minutes. This is a perfect gadget if you only want to make a few and not a big mess. Plus it also makes muffins, mini pies and empanadas, wahoo! 

Muffin Tin Boy helping his mommy make a decadent Champagne Butter Cream frosting for the cooling cupcakes. She found the recipe for the frosting from Hoosier Homemade, an adorable cupcake blog that I will definitely be adding to my side bar list.

Cheers!!

My brother Dave and my soon to be sister in law Audra stopped by for a visit before their big New Years festivities in Pacific Beach. Ahh, to be young and childless again...lol Audra made a super yummy appetizer that I had never had before but is now going to be a NYE must have from now on!

Shrimp with fresh basil, prosciutto and olive oil.

Shell and de-vain shrimp. Wrap each shrimp in a basil leaf then a slice of prosciutto. Brush with olive oil and pop in the oven until shrimp turns a nice pink color and is no longer translucent. The warm wilted basil leaf with the salty, now crisp prosciutto and tasty shrimp...please, does it get any better?

Not Yo Mama's Mac and Cheese

I used to have an amazing recipe for an "adult" mac and cheese that used Gouda, white cheddar, Havarti and several other cheeses. It was quite the expensive dish but oh so fabulous. However I seemed to have lost it so I went on line and found a similar and delicious sounding recipe to try out. The recipe calls for prosciutto but I substituted smoked thick cut bacon and it was awesome! Click HERE for the recipe.

The cupcakes are cooled and it's time for the frosting and decorations! My hubby is admiring Michelle's pipping and use of a ziplock bag...lol

~ Sweet Friends ~

Are these not the cutest cupcakes ever and so perfect for a New Years party! Michelle made the jolly rancher stars (she's uber talented). The recipe can be found on the same post as the above mentioned Champagne frosting.

It was a great night. My girls were so excited because they got to have their very first sleepover with Muffin Tin Moms kiddos. We played pool, darts, and toasted in the New Year with Champagne. What a wonderful way to ring in a new year.