Nothin' Says Celebratin' Like Fondue!

I know New Year's is gone in many of your memories as the stores rush to sell you pink and red valentine's, but I just wanted to post a few pics and a few recipes. So let's take a little wander back to my New Year's Eve Celebration!

Our family chose to celebrate the arrival of the New Year with plenty of home grown fan fare and pajamas. Game boards and electronic games were the entertainment while the dinner was coming together in the kitchen.

Dinner was mini sausages, bread chunks and apples dunked in cheese fondue. Chocolate dessert fondue followed our cheese fondue. What could be tastier than fruit, marshmallows and pound cake dripping in chocolate?

After the tasty fondue dinner (served on holiday paper plates) we returned to our living room to make sleeping bag nests to watch movies. We were all wearing our jammies as the original Herbie the Lovebug movie played on the dvd player and everyone was wide awake. (Ooooh the anticipation.)

Just before midnight we poured "toasting beverages" (champagne for the grown ups and Sprite for the kiddos) and turned on the tv so we could watch the ball drop. We counted down and then kissed and toasted and ran into the driveway to light sparklers.

Cheese Fondue

4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1.4 t cinnamon
1/4 t mace

1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt

5 T flour

2 c apple juice

Mix the spices and flour. Add a small amount of the apple juice to the flour/spice mixture in a seal able jar. Shake until smooth. Pour in a saucepan and whisk in the rest of the apple juice. Stir in the cheese. Let simmer a bit and then dip away! Warmed (mini) sausages, hunks of bread, and green apple slices were very good dipped in the cheese fondue.

Chocolate Fondue

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T butter

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 T water

t vanilla

In heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt chocolate chips and butter with sweetened, condensed milk, and water. Cook and stir constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add vanilla.

Serve warm with "dippers" (pound cake cubes, strawberries, banana slices, marshmallows, etc. Store leftovers in fridge. (Makes a great ice cream topping, also.)

Warning! Here's what can happen with too much fondue and too little sleep! (S, the following afternoon.)

May God grant you His many blessings in 2008!