December's Made for Parties

Posted in Wrestling Forums by carpinteyrosuy at 09:32, Sep 08 2013

é??ç·¿ecember's Made for Parties

Busy or not, here we come. Every month "A Cut Above" serves up new recipes, cooking tips and ideas for dishes that are elegant in taste and presentation, yet simple enough to prepare and enjoy in a snap.

Maybe it's the chill. Or the last sprint at the end of the year. Or the final blush of any fall harvest before it finally passes away. But something about December makes us want to hunker down with our friends. Even in places without much chill, people crank up the partieswe hold fond memories of crackling fireplaces in Austin, accompanied by the air conditioner's whir.

A good party is a mixandmatch affair with a range of tastes. More important, it also has a range of timing. peuterey outlet online shop If you bring everything out at once, you're destined for a fairly short evening.

We like to start out with a simple punch, something we can pour into tall glasses. Then <a href="http://www.barrioroma.it/peutereypeuterey/">peuterey outlet online shop</a> we load up the coffee table.

Cutup vegetables are always welcome, especially when green isn't in abundance. We like raw sugar snaps and barely steamed asparagus spearsa splurge to be sure, but always welcome, a little bit of spring amid the chill.

Purchased lowfat creamy dressing makes a good dip, but we also like to set out a range of exotic vinegars: malt, sherry, Champagne, syrupy aged balsamic and even barbour sale deutschland the light, slightly sweet white balsamic. With crunchy sea salt on the side, these veggies are pure bliss.

An hour into the party we bring out the main coursesomething stewed and luscious, the perfect dish for a winter night. That's why we love the slow cooker: We get a deep, complex taste without a lot of effort. Best of all, we can bring it right to the buffet and let the <a href="http://www.barrioroma.it/woolrich+outlet/">woolrich outlet online</a> stew keep warm while the party goes on.

An easy ropa viejo does the trick. woolrich It's a Cuban favorite, but our version is updated and simplified. Everything goes into the slow cooker in the late morning and by dinner there's a rich, decadent, slightly soupy stew that begs for nonfat corn tortillas on the side.

For dessert, consider serving a platter of dried fruit. Have some melted chocolate on hand and dip dried apricot or pear halves in it. Split open prunes and smear them with a little almond or walnut butter. And roll date halves in cocoa nibs, available at highend markets and from online suppliers. The essence of chocolate, nibs are crushed cocoa beans taken out woolrich outlet online of the process before <a href="http://www.madeelodesign.de/barbour/">barbour sale deutschland</a> they're turned into our favorite baking staple.

So come in from the coldor the almost cold, if you live in Austinand make an easy holiday party for your friends. It's always best to hunker down together.

Two 1 1/2pound flank steaks, trimmed of all excess fat

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced into rings

2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cored and chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and shredded through the holes of a box grater

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped

Whisk the broth, vinegar, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne in a 5 or 6quart slow cooker. Submerge the meat, then add the onions, bell peppers, apples, celery and garlic, making sure the vegetables are under, between, and over the steaks.

Cover and cook on low until the hollister outlet uk meat is <a href="http://www.biennalecarrara.it/spacciowoolrichbologna/">woolrich</a> forktender, about 8 hours.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board; set aside for 10 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks, pulling it into strands along the grain. Return to the slow cooker; <a href="http://www.photo2video.co.uk/hollisteruk/">hollister outlet uk</a> stir in cilantro. Set the slow cooker on warm and serve within 4 hours.

6 herbal hibiscus or hibiscusflavored tea bags

1 quart sugarfree, caloriefree ginger ale

One 12oz can frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup freshsqueezed lemon juice

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the tea bags, cover and set aside off the heat for one hour.

Squeeze any excess liquid from the tea bags into the pan and discard the bags. Pour the tea into a large punch bowl; stir in the ginger ale, apple juice concentrate and lemon juice. Serve over ice.