Hosting a New Year's Eve party?

My favorite thing about hosting a party, is planning a menu of tasty appetizers for me my guests to enjoy. 

Here's a great article from Family Fresh Meals, with easy to make appetizers that won't keep you in the kitchen all night!

Cookin' with beer!

It's getting cold, and nothing's better then a meal from your crock pot- unless it's got beer in it!





The crock pot is such a magical device...you throw ingredients in in the morning, go to work, and when you come home...dinner is served.  Also your house probably smells great, and you (usually) won't have much else to do to feast with little efforts after a long day.  And these days, it's a long, cold, windy day.


Check out this recipe for Crockpot Beer and Cheese Soup from Family Fresh Meals :

Crockpot Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
32 oz chicken broth ( or veggie broth to make vegetarian friendly)
12 oz beer
1 cup of carrots, finely diced or shredded
1/2 cup celery, finely diced 
1 cup onion finely diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
Directions:
1. Place all chicken broth, beer, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper into your crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 
2. Once time is up, remove lid and stir in shredded cheese, and heavy cream. Stir until cheese is melted. Next whisk in cornstarch. Recover and cook for 10-15 minutes longer. 
3. For a smooth soup (which we prefer for this soup), use an blend soup in batches, or use an immersion blender before serving.  
I served ours with fresh pretzel rolls from out local bakery.