HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year everyone! We were treated with some light flurries after dark last night and a visit to The Diner by Blossom and a smaller possom-mate, sibling, offspring. I made a simple supper-empanadas with a romesco dipping sauce.

These bad boys turned out well-C's were filled with a chopped mixture of mushrooms, olives, onion, garlic, thyme and cumin; mine had pulled pork (non-BBQ) and onion, garlic, thyme and cumin. The romesco was almond based rather than hazelnut. The empanada dough or discs I bought pre-made Goya brand from a Mexican market and I would recommend going this route rather than making the dough by hand. Cuts an enormous amount of time which helps because filling these is a wee bit tedious-a tablespoon of filling, folding, forking the edges shut, brushing with vegan egg wash. BTW-Just Eggs works very well as a substitute and makes very tasty scrambled eggs, too. The empanadas were filling, full of flavors-something fancy-schmancyish for the holidays. 

For a non-alcoholic sub for bubbly, we tried one from Freixenet, a well-known brand from Spain. We were both pleasantly surprised: requisite bubbles and decent crisp wine flavors with a clean finish. I hoped that this old house (since 1861) would do a good job and I was not disappointed. Plus, it made sense to have a Spanish wine considering the meal.

Not only were we celebrating the coming of a new year, we were also observing our first year anniversary with our Buddy.

Such a good boy!

We wish all a happy, healthy New Year and courage in a year that potentially could be monumental for not only our country but the entire world.