Your Party Your Way

Sometimes you just want to be alone despite eit being New Year's Eve. That's OK.  You can have your own party for one. It's a good time to just to treat yourself.

Most go for takeout. Chinese is bif and you cna easily get a small meal. Go for somethign that's idulgent like shrimp in lobster sauce or fried pork or chicken dumplings. These are good also as leftovers on New Year's day.If you're just having one or two friends over. Some pizzerias can make a pie for one.If not treat yourself to some garlic knots and a good scratch made stratichella soup. You could also eat out too. There are restuarants who can squeeze a solo diner . if that's the case, treat yourself to an indulgent meal. Try a French restaurant where you can indulge in a rich bouef bourgignon or even a French onion soup. If you don't want to deal with a crowd , ordrr ahead and just take out. You still get restaurant quality food and enjoy it in the privacy of your home. Of course if you're craving a burger than stop at your local Wendy's or McDonalds. Go all out for a bacon cheeseburger and fries. Order a shake if you want too.

Home cooking can also work for a party of one. Stores such as Aldi,Lidl and Acme have exclllent choices for appetizers and hors douevres. Aldi has an excllet array of frozen snacks like corn dogs and creamy mini quiches. Serve upa plate of their Mac and cheese bites.Try Lidl;s veggie egg rols that can be easily air fried toa crispy, golden brown. They even come with their own little packets of duck sauce. They also have the richly indulgence escargot or snail puffs from France,They also offer vegetables au gratin,. small cups that are filled with carrots, zucchini and eggplants. Treat yourself to their chicken fries or chicken wings that can be air fried or oven baked. Acme along with many other grocery stores offer good cold cuts and cheeses. Arrange a mini charcuterie plate fro yourself with yoru favorite cold cuts like prosciutto cotto or salame along with Brie and Edam. Slice up a small Portuguese roll instead of buying a whole French ro Italian bread .Add olives and artichoke hearts if you like them. Since it's only you also buy a good bottle of champagne to drink as well. Save some for the next day for indulgent mimosas at your New Year's Day breakfast.

There's nothing wrong with celebrating on your own. Indulge yourself. Enjoy a dinner out or a dinner in. I'ts your party.

Cake Pops Savory Style

Cake pop makers can be fun yet they can be limited in use. After all how may occasion call for these mini treats. Yet you can turn your gadget into an appetizer and hors oeuvre maker. It can even be used for fun poolside snacks or a different spin on dinner. How? Go savory instead of sweet.

It's the entire premise of a new cookbook entitled Savory Bites From Your Cake Pop Maker (Ulysses Press) written by author Heather Torrone. Ms. Torrone,a New Jerseyian is a graduate of the new York Institute For Culinary Institute. She has come up with dozens of fun and tasty easy recipes that turns your average cake pop maker into something special. Thanks to her creativity, even a novice can whip up tasty bites that range from gourmet to fun. She covers all the bases from breakfast to lunch and dinner. There are also savory vegetarian bites as well as burger and crab cake bites.There's also a section on desserts but more like fried iced cream and pop version of apple and sweet potato pie Any one of these would be perfect for a poolside party or summer night gathering. A variety of different ones would be great at any shower or grad party.

The recipes are pretty easy to make, thanks to the cake pop maker doing most of the work. The assemblage is simple with most of the balls just being rolled like mini meat balls. The dough for the cake pops is a simple water and flour recipe. Some also call for ready made crescent rolls. There are some great recipes for both young and old. Kids will love the pizza pops , mozzarella popped into pizza dough squares. These are served with a marinara dipping sauce. Grown ups will appreciate the cool retro sophistication of spinach and salmon bites as well as the beef tenderloin with the cream brandy sauce. All will gobble down the cheeseburger and chicken burrito pops.

If you're bored with your cake pop maker then buy Savory Bites For Your Cake Pop Maker. You can make everything from fun to super sophisticated. It;s a great way of not just getting your money;s worth but making tasty and unusual appetizers and hors oeuvres

The Marriage Of Taste and Nutrition

The American diet is a toxic one.We overload our bodies with toxic processed and junk foods.However how do we give up these tasty but poisonous foods?By combining both healthy and tasty.It was done long before theinentions of burgers and chips.Helarhy food has been around for centuries and it's time to get back to it. This debate was the topic of for New York Times article by formerDining editor and nutrition lobbyist MarkBitman.He points out that diets can be both tasty and highly nutritional.WE just have to get back to the Mediterrenean prGrekdiet.That means little or no red meat ,more fish and fowl in our diets- along with olive oil.Veggies and grains along with the occasional slice of whole wheat bread should round this out.Dessert should be fruit and nuts.Nix the cake and candies however add dark and onlydark chocolate because of the antioxidants involved.Mr.Bittman suggests treating yourself to ice cream or a cheese burger ever great once in a whi E but consider the, just that treats. So what is a healthy and tasty meal?There is a yummy veggie laden frittatait is filled with onion and and kind of vegetable that you want.Add ppers along with mushrooms and spinach .You could even serve it wothParmesan cheese or better yet a side of fresh home made tomato sauce.There is also Mr. Bittman's first rece for a fur spiced salmon.Salmon fillets are crusted in cumin, nutmeg,clove and coriander for a tasty and crunchy main meal,elegant with simple turmeric rice pilaf. You can eat healthy and tasty too.Just use the Mediterrenean diet as your guide.Your palate and stomach will both appreciate it.

Summer Indulgences

Even though the warm weather is here you can still indulge (although it is bikini season). Just like in the cooler months you can treat yourself to something wonderful and rich. Let's face it although it's just bordering on the first day of summer you're probably tired of all that grilled chicken with everything and meager watermelon slices.

Every roadside stand and beach hut has some great sandwiches right now. Don't think twice about a chili dog with extra onions and cheese. Have it with a big cup of beer. whether it be the alcoholic, birch or root kind.(and whatever kind you have make sure it has a big, foamy head).Another summertime treat is a fresh off the grill burger smothered in a good sharp cheddar with a few strips of bacon or even Canadian bacon. Lobster roll is another foodie gift to oneself. It's just a meal of pure indulgence with a wicked blend of lobster and mayo on a buttered hot dog bun. If you want a food that's somewhere in between then go for barbecued wings. Yes, the chicken is good for you however that calorie rich barbecue isn't.

If you're dying for something sweet, then get one of those coffees that's more of a dessert than a drink.Anyplace from Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts is serving them with a vengeance this summer .Opt for a chocolate one with a huge puff of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Dunkin Donuts has its version of the famed frozen hot cocoa which tastes like a chocolate shake on steroids. Of course there's the old fashioned banana split that's easily made at home.Use flavor intense ice creams like vanilla, butter pecan, chocolate or strawberry and add two very ripe bananas. Finish up with your favorite topping and ,of course whipped cream. You can also make a luscious ice cream sundae too.

Even though this is the season for skinniness, treat yourself to some lush, calorie rich foods every now and then, It's fun and , yes, satisfying to sink your teeth into a juicy bacon cheese burger or an iced cream sundae. Forget that it's the start of bikini season. Treat yourself to something yummy!