31 Dec– a midnight toast to a very good year. 
Argyle champagne from Jeannine and Beth.

31 Dec – New Year's Eve – Chicken and Walnuts, Crispy Spring Rolls (with Lou's help), Asian-inspired cole slaw (in other words–no recipe–used up the root vegetables that have been taking up room in the fridge). and Grand Noir Cab-Shiraz. I think I like this wine. and it is wicked cheap.

30 Dec – Everyone home. Homemade pizza and movies. Cheese, pepperoni, green olive, red onion, fresh garlic, roasted red peppers pizza. Despicable Me, The Kids are All Right.

29 Dec – leftover Chinese

28 Dec – Lou was hungry for Venezuelan chicken. I made homemade enchilada sauce, then cooked chicken in it. Boiled sweet potatoes, rice, pinto beans, lettuce.


Quick and Easy Mexican Enchilada Sauce
by Jolinda Hackett
About.com

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 cups water
• 1 8 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Heat the oil, flour and chili powder together in a large pot. Allow to cook for a minute or two.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Stir well to combine and dissolve tomato paste in water. Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more spices as desired.

27 Dec – take out on the way home from Green Bay, WI. 
Too tired to remember to take photos.
http://www.kingdomwi.com/
Mongolian Beef
Udon with vegetables
Shrimp fried rice
Seafood Combination
Green Jade Vegetable

26 Dec – made food in the microwave in our hotel room after the Packers vs. Giants game.

Black bean enchiladas with Rick Bayless sauce, Mexican rice.

25 Dec – Christmas Day starts at our house with my homemade Swedish tea ring, scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, and lots of coffee.

Dinner at my parents' house. 
Only one nephew and one brother-in-law were not with us.
A joint effort makes up this Swedish smorgasborg.



My father's Glug. 

Pickled herring and thin Swedish crackers-they must have a name, but I don't know it. (need to make my grandmother's homemade hard tack next year).
My mother's homemade Rye bread, Havarti, crudités (or as my mother calls them, vitamins).

Swedish meatballs (made by my Chilean brother-in-law from Ingebretsen's mix), Swedish brown beans, potatoes in cream sauce, red cabbage, hot fruit salad, Swedish potato sausage, Lutefisk, Swedish ham.

So many of us, we had to set up tables in the livingroom.
























Christmas cookies, rice pudding, lingonberries, coffee.

24 Dec – Christmas Eve at my in-laws. My mother-in-law treated us all to this delicious dinner.

Appetizers with Uncle Ron's homemade beer, 
Le Grand Noir Cabernet-Shiraz. 

Tomato carrot soup paired with a white (need to check on what..white). Beef tenderloin, broccolini, potato gratin paired 2007 Navarro Carreas Malbec.  

Chocolate cake with Victorian brittle paired with Port.

23 Dec – Thursday night football with my sister and her partner at Mac's Industrial.
hot pastrami on pretzel roll and coleslaw

wings and edamame

forgot what the sandwich was

egg burger and tots
and beer

22 Dec – all the boys home!

homemade pasta sauce with capers, Italian sausage, spinach salad, garlic bread.

21 Dec – Happy Solstice
pork chops, onions, rice, peas

20 Dec – Brenda's down home Southern beans, cranberry pecan bread. (You should serve corn bread.)
If Brenda's uncle comes over for dinner, make sure you serve corn bread.

Soak the beans overnight. (I used navy beans.) Place in crock pot with o 1-2 smoked turkey legs (I used two.)  Add finely chopped onion. No salt (there is enough salt in the the smoked turkey legs). Brenda only puts in some water, she does not cover the beans in water. I was not sure what proportions to use and  covered with water and mine turned out more like soup. I added a bay leaf. When the beans are cooked, stir in 1/2 can tomato paste. SO good.

19 Dec – pasta sauce, salad


started making Christmas cookies

Gingerbread cookies, pecan short bread

18 Dec – start of the holiday season. Friends, and my nephew, Carl, over for homemade Swedish potato sausage, brown beans, oven baked sweet potatoes, cranberry pecan bread. Datlyhn brought Dragon Eye Fruit and baguette.

17 Dec – pre-holiday shopping cocktails and snacks at Town Talk Diner


Went shopping at Midtown Market.

Takeout for dinner from Phan Deli – Pho Ga (well, ordered Pho Ga, got beef.)

16 Dec – well it looks like I lost track of one dinner. I know it was snowy and I drove Vicki home from work, stopped to get the winter box of veggies and did not go to the work holiday party. But don't remember what dinner was.

15 Dec – leftover lasagna, salad

14 Dec – meatloaf, broccoli, potatoes

13 Dec – a try at Indian-style – red lentil dal, rice, broiled shrimp, naan


Red Lentil Dal


sautee onion and 1 tsp. coriander seeds in sunflower oil. add  1 T. oregano, 1 tsp. ground balck pepper, and 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 C. beef broth, 2 C. red lentils, simmer until tender.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/naan/Detail.aspx

Naan

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.