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Welcome to the Morning Star B&B Newsletter
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Greetings!
What a December! Bitter cold and several big snowstorms sure let us know that it was winter in the Midwest. The silver lining, though, was a beautifully white Christmas. It was truly lovely and Bill and I were fortunate to be able to celebrate Christmas with our mothers and good friends. We hope that you, too, enjoyed the holidays.
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A New Year's Resolution
Some people don't like New Year's resolutions, but I am a believer in them. In general, I'm a goal setter and believe that resolutions, whether for the new year or any other time, help me get things done. I've decided that, for me, 2010 is going to be the year of cheese -- that is, that I am going to work on expanding my cheese making repertoire. "Cheese" loosely used basically refers to any edible curdled milk product. Thus, broadly speaking yogurts, sour cream, and ricotta, which I already make, are cheeses. More strictly speaking, though, some would say that curdled milk products aren't true cheeses unless they contain rennet. For now, I think that I am going to continue down the path that I have already started to explore and make a Paneer cheese next, getting bolder, I hope, as I build on my successes. To share your tips or experience cheese-making, or if you want to hear more about mine, click here. |
Miniature Cheese Balls
With holiday entertaining over, many people are starting to think about Super Bowl parties. Here's an appetizer that works well for almost any event.
8 oz. cream cheese, lightly softened
8 oz. freshly shredded cheese(s) such as Monterey Jack, Colby or Mild Cheddar
1/4 tsp. ground paprika or smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper or chipotle
3 oz. cheese such as Smoked Cheddar, Gouda or Havarti
1 c. chopped mixed nuts
1 1/2 T. sesame seeds and/or dried herbs of your choice ( I generally use Nori Fumi Furikake Rice Seasoning.)
Place cream cheese, shredded cheese(s) and spices in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Cut Cheddar, Gouda, or Havarti into small chunks (about 3/8" square). Set aside. Mix together the nuts, sesame seeds and/or seasonings of your choice. Take about 1 1/2 tsp. of smooth cheese mixture and wrap it around one of the cheese chunks, then roll it in the nut mixture. Place ball in an airtight container for refrigeration. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture and chunks. (If you need to layer the cheese balls, separate the layers with a piece of waxed paper.) Chill for 2 to 4 hours before serving. Yields 40 pieces. Cheese balls can be made ahead and frozen for up to one month. Thaw frozen cheese balls in the refrigerator.
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Morning Star Reader's Picks
Over the past few months, I've seen four or five guests reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. The most recent of Brown's Robert Landon mysteries, it has the fictional symbologist of The Davinci Code fame tracking down symbols and clues left by the Masons in the architectural landmarks of Washington D.C. in his struggle to save an old friend from a ghoulish nemesis. For whatever reason I was prepared not to like this book and I found it a little slow at the beginning. Yet, soon enough I found myself unable to put it down, wondering how Langdon was going to work his way through the problem at hand and wishing that I could do a "lost symbol" tour of the nation's capital. It's fun reading for a snowy, stuck-in-the-house kind of a day.
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Wishing you all the best in 2010 and hoping to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Laurie Pieper
The Morning Star B&B |
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