Riddle me this....what do you get when you combine a husband in the dog-house right before Valentine's Day AND a wife with a crippling headache (to elicit sympathy)? You might call it a trifecta...a perfect storm...a guaranteed gift from someplace other than a gas station or a drug store. I won't go into the details, they'd just bore you, or provide proof for a judge someday - plus a gag order was issued...but I will say my "sorry" collection (otherwise known as jewelry that comes with a card attached saying, "I'm sorry") has grown...my headache has left...and the mister is out of the dog house. For now.
Nanette of Freda's Hive mentioned having a Fabric Fairy...turns out I had one too! Caesar Beezer The Wonder Dog is modeling my new fabric - which, after aging for a year, will be ready to be made into something in time for next Valentine's day...Okay, back to fondue...for all of you on the Atkins/South Beach/high protein diet, this one's for you...nothing but veggies/fat and protein...and fun - because really, who doesn't like "dip?" And that's just what fondue is...cheese dip - warm, gooey and good - so good that it will make eating those veggies more fun than you can imagine!
After a week of chocolate, veggies sounded good - and much better than what the mister had planned to serve for Valentine's dinner, since that's his day to cook. Lightly steamed veggies, along with fresh tomatoes and celery, made the perfect dipping "sticks." I also added some crusty French bread cubes and meatballs (from a package!) so the caveman wouldn't have to beat his drum. Try this one night with the fam - the kids will eat whatever you give them as long as they get to dip it in this creamy cheese sauce!
Garlic Fondue
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
any combination of veggies, cut into bite-size pieces and lightly steamed so they are still al dente: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagas, brussel sprouts. Serve these veggies fresh, and not steamed: carrots, celery, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, green/red peppers, etc.
cooked meatballs
crusty French bread cubes
Steam veggies or blanch them in 4 quarts of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, strain, rinse with cold water and set aside. In the top of a double boiler combine milk, mustard, garlic, flour and salt. Mix well. Fill bottom of pan with about 3 inches of water, bring to a boil over high heat. Insert top pan and cook over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cheese. continue cooking another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a 1-quart crockpot or fondue pot (I don't have either of those things so I just put the fondue into small bowls, it stayed plenty hot for the duration of our meal and then some). Serve with vegetables. Makes about 4 cups of fondue, serves 6 to 8.
We dined in front of the TV so we wouldn't miss a second of the Olympics...go Apollo!
