Dinner Guests

We had friends over for dinner--nice with the early sunset since I could light candles and have the twinkle of the Christmas tree lights. It was a great visit with Mark and Wendy and their three children. We finished the meal with a hot mug of peppermint cocoa--definitely see the recipe below, so YUM-YUM!

Farfalle with Bonnie's alfredo sauce--lotsa garlic! and broccoli
Bruschetta
Spinach salad with strawberries, roasted pecans, & parmesan
Pineapple, orange slices, green grapes, blueberries
Bonnie's triple chocolate chip cookies and shortbread cookies (store bought)
Peppermint cocoa

Yes, the spinach salad again--my fave for the moment. The bruschetta was a nice fresh taste of summer on a cold December day--fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, s&p, basil on top of a baguette toasted with roasted garlic butter and asiago cheese. THANKS to Bonnie for sending me a cookie mix she prepared--all I had to do was add the wet ingredients. The cookies were scrumptious!

And here is the cocoa:

Mexican Hot Cocoa

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups low-fat milk
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Whisk together all ingredients in a saucepan; cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally until heated.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

I took the above recipe and omitted the cinnamon and nutmeg. I added about a 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. I then topped each mug with whipped cream and sprinkled with crushed candy cane. O so fresh and delicious. I have also made it the Mexican style--also good. Make yourself a round one December night!

It was definitely not a low calorie, low fat dinner--but nice to do every once in a while.

You?