Fondue for Three

So I told the "Fam" we were going to have a romantic dinner. So it was decided we would have fondue by candlelight. Sarah had never had fondue and Stuart told her, "Sarah, you haven't lived until you've had fondue."

We went the simple route and a cheese fondue and a chocolate fondue.

The first course was a simple salad:

Salad:

3 cups leafy greens
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/2 tomato, small bit sized pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Balsamic dressing
                                  
Directions:
 Mix all ingredients, except dressing. Allow each person to add desired amounts of

The second course was the cheese fondue. I say cut up whatever veggies you have on hand that sound good with cheese. We also cut up grilled elk London broil steak and kalamata olive bread. Just make sure everything is in bite size pieces.

Cheese Fondue:

6 oz. medium sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
2 oz. Emmenthaler Swiss cheese, cubed
4 oz. Coors Light beer
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dry mustard powder
2 Tbsp. flour
                                          
Directions:
     Set up a double boiler system. Heat Coors Light, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. While that is heating up, mix cubed cheese and flour in a medium bowl. Once beer mix is hot, add cheese mixture 1/3 at time. Do not add more cheese until the first round is melted. Continue stirring as cheese melts. Place in fondue pot when you're ready to eat. Do not make ahead of time, reheating this recipe does not work well.
                                  
     Serve with your desired veggies, meat, or bread.
                                  

The third course, was dessert, chocolate fondue. Cut up your favorite fruit. We did strawberries, bananas, and mango. You can also dip, cake, marshmallows, rice crispy treats, etc. Be creative, it's fun!

Chocolate Fondue:

200grams semi sweet chocolate morsels
4 Tbsp. Whipping cream
1 1/2 Tbsp. Milk
                                     
Directions:
     Again, set up a double boiler system. Met chocolate chips. Then add cream and milk. Mix until completely combined and creamy. Place in a fondue pot. Serve with desired dippings.

Blueberry-Lemony Coffee Cake

And we're back in the game!!! It's been nearly 4 months since my last post. I've been a little preoccupied with wedding planning. I got married July 14th to a man I cannot live without. But, none the less I've still been cooking. This is the first one I have taken the time to blog about.

Sarah is here for the summer and wanted something with blueberries, so this is a new recipe I found. I hope you enjoy!!!! This recipe has been adapted from the sweet pea kitchen.

Blueberry-Lemony Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the Topping:

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup walnuts, chopped coarse

For the Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 ¾ cups buttermilk

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

3 large eggs

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), rinsed and dried

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

For the Icing:

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. To make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together until the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the nuts; set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13 inch square baking pan and set aside.
3. To make the coffee cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter until smooth. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula and stir until the batter looks smooth and well combined. Stir in blueberries and lemon zest.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

                                    
     6. To make the lemon drizzle, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and ½      tablespoon of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another ½ tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Drizzle over the top the coffee cake. Let harden, about 10 minutes, before serving.