Monthly Feature
Each month…eight friends get together for great food and good times! Check out the recipes and rundown. The Shalins hosted and made the appetizers and  main course. The Shooks brought over a tasty mixed drink concoction. The Jagears were in charge of dessert. The Eisons (Rob and Shelley) were off in another country, but guests Edward and Geri came and brought sake and beer.

Main Eats
http://www.fiestamart.com/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=showuser&user_id=76&Itemid=105
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/restaurant-style-egg-drop-soup/Detail.aspx

Mixed Drink (Sake Martini)
http://www.food.com/recipe/sake-martini-30980

Dessert (Green Tea Ice Cream and Fortune Cookies)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/green-tea-ice-cream-recipe/index.html
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fortune-Cookies-I/Detail.aspx

Recap
Asian eating galore last night!  The Shalins made some sushi (both vegetarian and spicy salmon rolls), along with some egg drop soup and potstickers for appetizers.  The sushi was polished off and I gotta say, the egg drop turned out so much better than I expected.  Sorry, no recipe posted for the sushi.  I didn’t really use one.  All of the dishes for the main course are included in one link (steak with romaine lettuce and vegetable chow mein).  The Jaegers wooed the crowd with their green tea ice cream and homemade fortune cookies.  You read right! Homemade fortune cookies.  Look how beautiful they turned out.  And the ice cream was refreshing and very interesting…and tasty.  Sake was passed around the the beer was downed in about thirty minutes.

Monthly Feature
Each month…eight friends get together for great food and good times! Check out the recipes and rundown. The Jaegers hosted and made the appetizers and entree. The Shalins brought over a tasty mixed drink concoction. The Shooks were in charge of dessert. And the newbies, the Eisons (Rob and Shelley), came with wine.

Main Eats
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Empire-State-Muffins/Detail.aspx?prop31=1
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-Cheese-Muffins/Detail.aspx?prop31=4
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cinnamon-buns-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/gingerbread-waffles-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/sausage-and-pepper-frittata-recipe/index.html

Mixed Drink (Strawberry-Ginger Caipirosca)
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/strawberry-ginger-caipirosca?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/vodka-cocktails#slide_2

Dessert (Scrumptious Strawberry Shortcake)
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/scrumptious-strawberry-shortcake/Detail.aspx

Recap
Big shocker…everything was awesome.  Carrie made a frittata that was so good it would make you wanna slap your mama.  Seriously though, I could eat a wedge of that everyday for breakfast.  The Shooks take on strawberry shortcake was divine. I also loved the granola with yogurt.  I’m not gonna lie, the energy level was just not there last night.  It was as tired as I’ve seen this group.  We ate, we talked, we went home…dog tired.  Sara couldn’t even attend due to our youngest daughter barfing on her.  It was still great to see everyone and the food, as stated, was fabulous (and quite labor intensive…although Carrie will never admit that).

Monthly Feature
Each month…eight friends get together for great food and good times! Check out the recipes and rundown.

The Shooks hosted and made the appetizers and entree. The Jaegers brought over a tasty mixed drink concoction.  The Shalins were in charge of dessert. And the newbies, the Eisons (Rob and Shelley), came with homemade hard apple cider.

Grilled cheese
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/grilled-cheese-recipe/index.html

Tortilla soup
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegetarian-Tortilla-Soup/Detail.aspx

Fried chicken
Sorry, no link to a recipe…it was made up

Macaroni and cheese
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Macaroni-and-Cheese-40045

Mashed potatoes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html

Rolls
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/unbelievable-rolls/Detail.aspx

Pumpkin Crisp
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Crisp/Detail.aspx

Another dinner club at the Shooks, another complete act of food gluttony.  We started (and probably could have finished) with grilled cheese sandwiches and tortilla soup.  Both were great–I really enjoyed the tart apple in the sandwich, and, as usual, bacon makes everything better.  We then polished off this lethal mixed drink and hard apple cider.  Both were better than outstanding.  We all rolled over to the table and proceeded to consume yet more food.  How’s fried chicken tenders, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and dinner rolls sound?  Keith fried the chicken in his brand new mini-deep fryer (jealous!).  He treated those tenders like a pro.  And don’t get me started with Molly’s first attempt at roll-making.  It was perfection!  Conversation ranged from marathons to how curing meat is like fermenting beer.  Don’t ask.

Monthly Feature

Each month…six friends get together for great food and good times! Check out the recipes and rundown.

The Shalins hosted and made the appetizers and entree. The Shooks brought over tasty beverages, and the Jaegers were in charge of dessert. The theme was Tapas.  Here’s how it broke down:

Tapas

Chick Peas and Spinach Tapas, Grilled Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese Crostini, Pan Roasted Shrimp with Toasted Garlic, Potatoes with Capers and Dill (note–all recipes are found in link below)

http://www.chefnorm.com/tapas.html

Drink: Sangria

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sangria-Sangria/Detail.aspx

Dessert: Cream Puffs with Chockablock Chocolate Cakes with Warm Macadamia Nut Goo

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/caramel-topped-cream-puffs-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/chockablock-chocolate-cakes-with-warm-macadamia-nut-goo-recipe/index.html

It was a lot of fun taking our first stab at tapas.  I think they turned out as well as can be expected.  The sangria and dessert were hits.  Because of a hectic December for all, we’re doing a pot-luck dinner at the Shooks.