Happy New Year Q13 Visitors!

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, 2009 has been an exciting year for me and I’m looking forward to 2010!

I’ve created some fun New Year’s Day appetizers that are simple to make and will look and taste delicious. To top off things off, I’ve got three different Champagne drinks that will help you ring in the New Year!

Sweet Dishes!

Recipe Quick Links

• Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Champagne Bar
• Antipasto Platter

In this healthy version of the classic appetizer, we are using frozen spinach and frozen artichokes. Unless you harvest the spinach right out of your garden, frozen is a good way to go because spinach rapidly looses nutrients after it has been harvested. Frozen spinach is harvested and frozen right away, locking in the nutrients. Artichokes are best fresh, but very labor intensive, frozen is the next best thing.
Quick Tip: Assemble, but don’t bake. Keep in the fridge for a day and bake according to the recipe or wrap with plastic and foil and freeze for a few months. Bake from frozen in a 400° oven for about 1 hour covered, uncover and bake until bubbling.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light mayo
• 1, 8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 + 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 3/4 cup artichoke hearts, frozen and thawed, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, minced

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine mayo, cream cheese, mascarpone, 3/4 cup parmesan, sour cream, garlic, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Stir in the artichoke hearts, spinach and sun dried tomatoes.
4. Spread into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling.
5. Serve with whole wheat crackers.

A New Year’s Celebration just isn’t complete without Champagne, and I’ve put together a selection of three different Champagne drinks to help you ring in the New Year.
We’ll start off with a delicious “Mexican Bubbly”, along with M&J’s Champagne Spritzer and finish the trio with a Pomegranate Champagne Twist. Champagne is a fun and easy drink to get creative with!

M&J’s Champagne Spritzer

• 1 part Chardonnay
• 2 parts Pineapple banana juice
• Champagne
• In a large pitcher mix the chardonnay and the juice together. Fill a champagne flute 3/4 full with chardonnay/juice mix and top with champagne.

Mexican Bubbly

1. 3 parts Limeade
2. 1 part Tequila
3. Champagne
4. In a large pitcher mix together limeade and tequila. Fill a champagne flute 3/4 full with limeade and tequila mix and top with champagne.

Pom Pom

• Pomegranate juice
• Champagne
• Pomegranate seeds
• Fill a champagne flute 1/4 full with pomegranate juice, fill to the top with champagne and top with a few pomegranate seeds.

This appetizer is the ultimate in make ahead. Arrange the platter up to a day ahead, keeping the bread separate. When you are ready to serve, put the platter out on the counter finish with the bread and serve.
This can be out for several hours with out refrigeration.

Ingredients

• 8 oz or 2 large balls fresh mozzarella cheese
• 5 dates, sliced and half and pit removed
• 10 slices prosciutto
• 1 cup pitted mixed olives, in a small bowl
• 1 1/2 cups marinated artichokes, in a small bowl
• 1/2 pound Brie3/4 pound White cheddar, sliced thin
• 1/2 pound blue or gloucester cheese
• 1/2 pound parrano or gouda cheese, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds salami
• 1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

Directions

1. Slice each mozzarella ball into 5 slices.
2. Lay half of a date on each slice of mozzarella. Wrap each mozzarella and date with a slice of prosciutto.
3. On a large platter place the bowls of olives and artichokes in the middle.
4. Arrange cheeses, salami, prosciutto wraps, tomatoes and bread around the olives and artichokes.