Our holiday open house was last night. We all had a good time! Of course I stress a bit each year over what to make and if I have enough of everything and hope everyone enjoys themselves, but I get good feedback by way of everyone returning each year to party with us. This year I enlisted hubby and kids help or I would never have pulled it all off. I have great intentions but find I don't have the time to get everything done these days. So I gave everyone a couple jobs and we worked as a good team. Thank you!! Again, THANK YOU!The menu:
Big pot of chili cooking all day on the stove. The basic recipe for anyone interested:
Saute 2 med. sweet onions and 2 green peppers (all chopped) in a little olive oil.
Add approx. 6 lbs. extra lean ground beef (I use 96%)
2 large cans chopped tomatoes, 2 large cans crushed or pureed tomatoes
Spices... I use a grinded pepper blend, fine sea salt, dash of chipotle pepper and a chili seasoning packet. It was the first time I used a that, just because at the store I wasn't sure what spices I still had in the house. It worked well. The flavor was nice. I can't take anything tooooo hot, so we put the hot sauce and cayenne on the side for anyone wanting to feel the burn.
Tortilla chips, french bread pieces, sour cream, shredded cheese, dark and light red kidney beans, on the side. I usually put the beans in the pot, but heard ahead of time that a few people didn't like it that way, so for last night they were in a separate pot.
Hoagie trays
Homemade dips..... 1 eggplant, 1 blue cheese, 1 pan fried onion. The pan fried onion is very popular, I make it alot. Recipe: Saute 1 large sweet onion, sliced or chopped, in a little olive oil, sprinkle on a little chipotle pepper while cooking, as onions start to get soft, remove skillet from heat and let sit to cool a bit. Mix 1/2 block low-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup low-fat mayo, 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream. Stir in onions. You'll never want store brand onion dip again!!
Veggie tray
Cheese tray
Olive oil/spices for dipping italian bread
Nathans beef dogs wrapped in crescent rolls, baked, sliced to appetizer size
Velveeta/salsa dip
Salsa/tortilla chips
Homemade guacamole : 10 fresh avocados (peeled, pitted, cut in small chunks), 3 tomatoes (cut in small chunks), 2 cloves minced garlic, couple dashes hot pepper sauce, juice of half lemon, juice of half lime, black pepper, sea salt to taste.
Beef stick, cut in wedges, some sauteed in ham glaze, some sauteed in an asian fusion sauce of oils, peanuts, spices.
Desserts:
Homemade peanut brittle and butter cookies
Split cream donuts, buttercream and chocolate from a 3rd generation bakery in the area
Friends brought assorted homemade cookies & pizzelles. Another brought a Yule Log, chocolate with vanilla cream, and still another brought an awesome lump crabmeat dip with cocktail sauce on top, all homemade!
Drinks included the usual beer, wine, soda, coffee. Friends brought champagne and homemade red wine. One of the favorite wines of the night turned out to be a sweet, white dessert wine called 'Moscato D'Asti' that I hand on hand for a guest that I know likes a similar type wine that we had one year from Georgia. I'll be getting more of this wine in the future!
From the party:
From the party:
There were alot of other guests, I just didn't get pics of everyone or get them uploaded. Rather than random party shots, which I did get a few of, I prefer to ask people for a picture. I know the ones of people shoving food into their faces or falling asleep on the couch after one too many can be funny but I'm not so into embarrassing all my friends.
That poor doggie looks like he's really restraining himself from gobbling all that food down!!
ReplyDeleteHi Gledwood, we are actually quite generous with our pets. They get their kibble and canned food, but they also know we share our yummies with them too! Even that brat cat gets a few pieces of turkey or tuna from a sandwich. ;)
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