Cheese Fondue

8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
8 oz Muenster cheese, coarsely grated
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a bowl or large plastic bag, combine the cheeses and and toss with the cornstarch to coat.

In a large, heavy skillet, bring the apple juice/cider and garlic to a simmer over medium-low heat.  Add the cheese a little at a time, stirring well (to prevent clumping) until melted.  Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Continue stirring until smooth (about 3-5 minutes).  Set the pot over a candle and serve with the following:

boiled potatoes (canned will do in a hurry)
steamed broccoli florets
steamed cauliflower florets
toasted sourdough bread
pepperoni


Update:
If you don't have apple cider, just use 1 cup of apple juice. Sometimes it's nice to get a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. Then you use 1/4 cup in the fondue and drink the rest at dinner.

Way better potatoes:
Roasted Lemon Pepper Potatoes
Syracuse Salt Potatoes

Rather than steam the broccoli and cauliflower, it is much easier to buy a bag of California Style Frozen Veggies and microwave them.  They are larger and hold up better dipped in cheese. And it's just easier.

Our favorite meat right now is Genoa Sausage.

Rice Pudding

1 cup boiling water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup rice (pearl rice if possible)

Combine and cook 7 minutes.

2 cups milk

2 cups Half and Half

4 Tablespoons butter

Add to rice mixture and stir.  Simmer on low 1 hour, stirring frequently.

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

Slowly stir into simmering mixture.

(Might want to temper those eggs first.)

Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.  

Remove from heat, cool for two minutes.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 raisins

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (or grated orange rind)

Slowly stir in vanilla, raisins, and nutmeg.

Rice Pudding is a Heritage Recipe from Grandma Carlene (Palmer).

Grandma's Easy Stuffing

For each 6 oz box of Stove Top Stuffing (Chicken or Turkey), saute 1/2 an onion and 1 rib of celery (both small dice) in 2 Tablespoons butter on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes.  While the onion and celery are cooking, boil 1 1/2 cups water.  When the onion and celery are done, pour the stuffing mix and boiling water into the onion/celery mixture.  Stir well.  Remove from heat.  Cover.  Let sit for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve!

Orange Chicken Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water

2 green onions, thinly sliced

handful raisins

handful toasted pine nuts (or slivered almonds)

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

drizzle of extra-light olive oil

splash of apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper 

In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa under running water until water runs clear, not cloudy.  In a small saucepan, combine water and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is completely absorbed, about twenty-five minutes.  While quinoa is cooking, combine next five ingredients in a large bowl.  Drizzle with oil, splash with vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork then add to ingredients in the large bowl and mix well.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note:  The recipe above serves 2.  Pictured is this recipe times 4.  :)

Chutch Chutch Chicken Salad

2 cups celery, chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

2 cups red grapes, sliced in half

6 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 16 oz box of butterfly noodles, cooked, drained, rinsed in cold water

1 16 oz bottle Kraft Coleslaw dressing (or homemade)

1 cups mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip)

1 8 oz can cashews

Mix everything but cashews and refrigerate.  Stir in cashews just before serving.

Note:  I whisked the Coleslaw dressing and mayonnaise separately and didn't add the entire amount.

Strawberry-filled Marble Bundt Cake

Simple and delicious, this is just a marble cake (using extra light olive oil instead of vegetable oil), baked in a bundt pan, drizzled with ganache (8 oz. chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream melted and stirred over a double boiler), and filled with fresh strawberries.  Nothing could be finer.  :)

Lime 'n Chili Chocolate Covered Nut Clusters

1 cup Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1 can Blue Diamond Bold Lime 'n Chili Almonds

In a microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate chips for 1 minute.  Stir with fork.  Continue to microwave fifteen seconds at a time and stirring until chocolate is smooth.  Pour in almonds.  Stir until well coated.  On wax paper, mound nuts (three to four nuts each).  Let cool and set.  Enjoy!