Ringing in the New Year

It was my absolute pleasure to create a lovely meal for friends to welcome in 2010. What I didn't realize until I came home from the grocery was that there was no more beautiful celebration to a New Year than the creation of this meal from the freshiest of ingredients. See my before and after and enjoy the menu:

- Vegan Chili with the addition of Black-Eyed Peas for good luck and fortune for the New Year

- Black bean and corn salsa

- guacamole

- low fat cornbread and jalaleno cornbread (I did mini-muffins for people to crumble in their chili)

- and, in my mind, the highlight: Poached Pears with Marsala wine, vanilla bean, and cinnamon stick syrup (I had to get creative since I am not eating sugar)

Everything turned out wonderful and the company was even better!

SO, that was mt way of celebrating the Eve of a new decade. I had friends and family that found different ways to celebrate with food (and sent me pics to boot)

Laurie - her first attempt at cakeballs

JT - Bacon Explosion (not fast food, but probably the grossest thing I have ever seen...Pete and I almost drove off the road looking at the pics) You can click on the link for the full "artistic" process

Jamie - Matza ball soup from the Carnegie Deli before entering Times Square for a 7 hour party!

I hope your celebration was filled with incredible food, and dreams hopes and blessings for the year to come!

Welcome 2010 and Bon Appetit!

mer