Happy New Years!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed your New Year’s Eve. I spent it with family. We chatted and snacked and had a jolly good time on our end. My contribution to the party was a Pistachio Cheese Log. I found the recipe a few years back in Everyday Food. It is very simple, yet a bit elegant. The only frustrating bit for me is chopping the pistachios after I roast them. I haven’t found a good nut chopping system, so if you have one let me know!

Pistachio Cheese Log 

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1 tbs. Dijon mustard

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Salt & Pepper

1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped

Beat the cream cheese, cheddar, Dijon, and Worcestershire until well combined.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cover, and refrigerate until slightly firm, 1 to 2 hours.

When firm, shape into log on either wax paper or cling wrap.

Roll in pistachios.

Serve with crackers.

(Oops, I just realized that I forgot to add salt and pepper last night to mine! It was still tasty though.)

(I am sorry the pictures are so bad. I forgot to take a picture before I left the house and I only had my cell phone with me.)

As far as drinks were concerned I mostly had water. However, I did find a new drink that I quite liked. While shopping for our gathering I decide it would be nice to have some Canada Dry Ginger Ale. I usually avoid it because it has high fructose corn syrup, but it always seems so festive. If I had been thinking I would have picked up a natural sugar-only brand when I was at the Wedge earlier in the day, but I was not thinking, so I didn’t. Then I got home and thought it might be nice to mix it with something, so I did an internet search. I looked and looked, but I had trouble finding a recipe that was simply a little bit of alcohol with the ginger ale. Eventually I found this recipe that contained ginger ale, butterscotch schnapps and something called Gentleman. I had no idea what Gentleman was and a further internet search did not clear the matter up. Nevertheless I loved the idea of butterscotch schnapps and ginger ale. So on the way to the gathering we stopped for a bottle of schnapps. It was a very good choice. It was a very seasonal yumminess! And, even though we bought the smallest bottle we could find (350 ml), I have enough for at least a couple of New Year’s to come!

Happy New Year!