Pots of Gold Pudding Cups

Most holidays in our house are purely an occasion for fun.  St. Patrick's Day is certainly one of those occasions.  We are not Irish, we do not celebrate saints' days, but we do have fun.  I was thinking of making cupcakes, but I get lazy and sometimes making frosting and decorating cupcakes is way more effort than I want or am able to put into something.  So I opted for pudding cups.  Pots of Gold to be exact.

Pudding cups seem to always be a hit with my children and their friends.  There is one exception, my four year old son.  He ate all the candy from the top and left his pudding.  His brother, before taking the pudding for himself, asked him why he doesn't like pudding.  The older brother said, "It's just chocolate."  To which the four year old responded, "It's melted chocolate and I don't like melted chocolate."  He's a funny one, but I love him.

These are really simple and rather quick to put together.  Once you have made the pudding mix {I always fold in freshly whipped cream}, spoon it into 9 ounce cups.  I used gold.  You could use black or clear.

If you are making these for later in the day, you'll want to skip the following steps until just before serving {otherwise the crumbs will get soggy and not be so pleasant}.  Top each pudding cup with about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs.

Take a strip of rainbow candy {I found some sour rainbow candy in the dollar section at Target}, and tuck in each end into the sides of the cup.

Add a couple of gold coins or more.  Then tuck in a spoon.  Instant happiness.

Pots of Gold Pudding Cups
2 {6 serving} boxes of instant chocolate pudding
6 c cold milk
1 c whipping cream
1 c graham cracker crumbs
rainbow candy strips
chocolate coins

Mix pudding mix and milk with wire whisk for two minutes.  Set pudding in refrigerator to completely set.  While pudding is chilling, whip the cream until stiff.  Fold whipped cream into pudding.  Divide chocolate cream pudding between nine cups.  Top with graham cracker crumbs.  Decorate with rainbow candy and chocolate coins.

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Peppadew Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Something sweet and spicy~ peppadew.  I was introduced to these tiny packages of spice recently while out with a friend.  There is a great coffee shop I frequent.  Not only do they have the best coffee in the area, they serve wine and beer and some delectable nibbles.  They have expanded their menu to include some fresh appetizers.  My favorite is the goat cheese stuffed peppadew.

I was hooked instantly. When I got home, I did some searching to find out what these tiny red peppers were.  They are a recent discovery, it seems, found in South Africa in the mid 90s.  They are sold pickled, already processed with seeds removed to reduce the level of heat. When I looked for them in the local grocery, I found that they are available in mild to hot.  Also, when I opened my jar, I found some of the mild peppers still contained the seeds.  I just rinsed them out a bit to remove the seeds.  Some peppadew retained a few seeds and they do add some spice.

They have a sweet and spicy combination that pairs well with a creamy cheese.  I enjoy them slightly warmed so the cheese is rather soft and the warmth lets the flavors swim around your taste buds.  Enjoy them with small pieces of bread.

To prepare your peppadew appetizer, remove them from the jar, rinse and drain them.  Place soft cheese in a piping bag {I recommend a goat cheese that is soft and spreadable rather than crumbly}.  To heat, place a small skillet over a medium flame.  Add stuffed peppadew and heat for about 2~3 minutes, turning once or twice. You could stuff these ahead of time and serve at room temperature but the taste is so much better if slightly heated. {These stuffed peppadew are a bit messy because I was really craving them and used a small spoon to stuff them rather than piping.}

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Sloppy Joes~ Friday Night Dinner

Many have rummaged through the pantry and fridge, looking for something to make for dinner, and quickly thrown something together with ingredients on hand.  And many have had a wonderful dinner come from it.  Some of those are disappointed to find out that the dinner was such a success when they realize that the really don't remember what all went into that meal.

I am one of those unfortunate ones.  But thankfully this dinner happened to be so easy that I couldn't forget the ingredients I used.  Now it is one of our favorite go to meals when I need something quick and I want something I know the children will like.  Those happen to be characteristics of our Friday night dinners, too.

I never enjoyed sloppy joes as a child, but my mom only made them a few times.  When she did, she used the canned sloppy joe mix.  This recipe does use some prepackaged ingredients, but it really does taste so much better than the canned sauce {in my opinion}.  The taste is bold and the simple addition of a freshly chopped bell pepper makes a difference.  I like to serve these on toasted buns that have been lightly buttered.

Sloppy Joes

12~16 oz jar salsa {1 1/2 c salsa}

12-16 oz jar bbq sauce {1 1/2 c bbq sauce}

1 lb ground meat {we use turkey, but have also used beef}

1 green bell pepper

8 hamburger buns

shredded cheese {optional}

Brown meat in skillet.  If using ground beef, drain fat.  If using ground turkey, it doesn't really brown, just cook it thoroughly then drain liquid.  Add salsa, bbq sauce and chopped bell pepper to meat; bring to simmer.  Cover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes to heat and blend flavors.  Serve on buns and top with cheese.

Tips and Tricks~

*Split hamburger buns and place, inside up, on a cookie sheet.  Top each piece with a small dab of butter.  Toast on top rack of preheated oven {about375F} unyil butter melts and buns are lightly toasted.

*If you want to spice these up, use a hot salsa.  Then, add a slice of pepper~jack cheese.  Sweet and spicy sloppy joes!

*This recipe is often doubled, even tripled in our house to make for casual gatherings to feed a crowd.

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Cheesy Garlic Rolls and BMT Salad~ Friday Night Dinner

Friday night, there's one every week.  In our house, we like to take it easy but also have some fun.  Most often we watch a movie and eat dinner while we watch.  Dinner is often something that isn't difficult to make or is made ahead of time.  One more thing, dinner has to be yummy.

I know many families opt for pizza on Friday nights.  Nothing wrong with that in my opinion.  Pizza happens to be one of our favorite Friday night dinners, but something different can be good and just as delicious.  Cheesy garlic rolls are similar to pizza~ based on pizza or bread stick dough and loaded with cheese, my children L~O~V~E these.  They don't miss the tomato sauce.  In fact, these have their favorite parts of pizza, lots of gooey cheese with a buttery crust.

But we can't have just cheesy garlic rolls for dinner, now can we?  Well, my kids think they can.  Here's a salad that is so flavorful and a nice twist~ BMT Salad.  I had this at a covered dish once, got the recipe, and now make it a few times a year ever since.  The salad makes enough for quite a large group so you may want to half it.  It is a hearty salad with bread and fresh mozzarella and bacon.  The balsamic vinegar and the basil add a distinctly sweet flavor to the whole salad.

Basil Mozzarella and Tomato Salad
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1 small baguette, cubed
4 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
4-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 lb bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl; cover and let marinate in refrigerator at least an hour.  Place bread cubes on cookie sheet; toast in preheated oven for about 5-8 minutes, tossing once or twice.

Place toasted bread in large bowl; add tomatoes, basil and marinated mozzarella.  Toss and let sit at least 15 minutes. Place lettuce in serving bowl.  Top with bread mixture, green onions and crumbled bacon.  Toss lightly. Serves 10~12.

Cheesy Garlic Rolls
1 1/2 c warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp
4-5 c flour
drizzle of olive oil
1/3 c butter, very soft
6 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
3 c shredded mozzarella

Mix sugar with the warm water; add yeast and stir.  Let sit in warm spot for 5 minutes until foamy.  Stir in salt.  Add 2 cups of flour and stir to combine.  Using dough hook {or hands}, add 1 cup flour at a time and stir/knead dough until it is not too sticky and forms a ball.  Flour your work surface and knead dough on surface for a couple of minutes, until smooth.  Place dough in a large glass or porceline bowl; drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss to coat.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm spot for 1 hour to rise, about doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Grease a 9"x13" pan.
Punch risen dough down.  On floured surface, roll dough out to a bit larger than 9"x13".  Spread soft butter over entire surface of dough.  Combine Parmesan, garlic and basil.  Sprinkle over buttered dough.  Top with mozzarella.  Roll dough, like for cinnamon rolls, from the long side to the long side.  Cut into 12 equal pieces.  Place in greased 9"x13" pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 20~25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.  Serve warm.

Tips and Tricks~
*You can make these ahead of time, up to the point of baking.  Just keep covered and refrigerated, even overnight.  Let them stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking and you'll be good to go.
*The salad is easy to make ahead as long as you don't combine all the ingredients.  Keep the ingredients in separate baggies in one container to throw together just before serving.  That also means you don't want to have leftovers of this salad; it doesn't keep after combing everything.  Though, you probably won't have any leftovers.
*When chopping the fresh basil, layer the leaves and roll.  Then slice thinly, and chop the thin slices.

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Neptune's Chest~ Shrimp Salad with Melon

When my husband and I were dating each other, we would frequently go to a great seafood restaurant on the water in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  It was great, not only because of the food, but for the atmosphere.  It is close to the water and filled with historic buildings making it a beautiful place to walk around before and after dinner.  We often sat upstairs in the piano room.  There was a fabulous piano player who really entertained everyone.  And they had fabulous drinks to go along with their food, the specialty was a draft beer in a huge glass called A Fish Market.  But the food was always good.

Once, shortly after we were engaged, I came back from the ladies room to find my fiance gabbing with an older man. The man asked if I would dance with him.  He was very sweet, so I did.  The whole time he teased me about where I was going to for my honey moon, some small town in Ohio, or so that's what he claimed my soon~to~be husband told him.  I knew it was all a joke, but my husband and I remember it to this day.

We went there often even after we were married.  But things change.  First, the piano man no longer worked there and they never hired a replacement.  Then they quit entertainment altogether because of city regulations.  Our next visit to the Fish Market was quite a while later.  By that time, the ownership had changed and so had the food.  I ordered my regular~ Neptune's Chest.  It was a traditional cold shrimp salad served in a cantaloupe half, not difficult.  But it was different.  We haven't been since and I think our dinners at the Fish Market have come and gone for good.

But I like to think about those days and hopefully many more ahead with my husband.  Almost out of nostalgia I decided to make this shrimp salad to enjoy.  I had never made a shrimp salad of my own before, but didn't think it would be too difficult.  I went from my taste buds' memories and knowledge of basic creamy, cold salads to make this.  I especially would love to make this for an early summer evening picnic, just for two.

Neptune's Chest Shrimp Salad
1 lb cooked, deveined and peeled medium shrimp {tail off}
4 stalks celery, tops and bottoms removed, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 c mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 cantaloupe, halved, seeded and flesh removed {see tips below}
1 small heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped, rinsed and dried

Mix all.  Chill for an hour.  Fill each melon half with shredded lettuce.  Spoon chilled shrimp salad onto lettuce, dividing between the halves. Makes two generous salads.

How to Prepare the Melon Bowl~
To make the melon bowls, cut a melon in half {suggest cantaloupe}.  Spoon our the seeds.  Cut around the inside edge, between melon and skin.

Cut into flesh only, 4 wedges, avoiding the skin.  The two slices on the outer edges should come off easily.  The two in the middle will still be intact.  Using a spoon, slowly and carefully lift the two remaining wedges.

Save the wedges {or cut into chunks} to serve with salad.

These are excellent for lunches, too.  Once assembled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep chilled.  If taking for a picnic, place on ice in a small cooler.


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Irish Coffee Ice Cream

My taste is pretty simple when it comes to ice cream.  Vanilla is my favorite and if that's not available, I'll take chocolate.  The most exotic I get with ice cream flavors is coffee.  It reminds me of being eight years old and tracking across town with my mom.  I can distinctly recall driving down a major highway, as there were tons of towering light poles shining down, towards a store where she would pick up a gallon of ice cream to last her a while and the children each picked out a single serving for themselves.  I would frequently get the coffee.

I don't often buy coffee ice cream because I would eat just about all of it; my children don't share my taste, but thankfully my husband does.  The problem is I really like the more expensive brands of ice cream when it comes to coffee, like Haagen Dazs.  One night we were sitting around the table enjoying our ice cream when my son {or perhaps my husband} said, "I wonder what Haagen Dazs means."  I was intrigued and grabbed a laptop and googled it.  Guess what?  It doesn't mean anything.  It's not even Danish!  I thought it meant something like 'Happy Days'.  I also found out that my favorite coffee ice cream isn't from Denmark.  A Polish imigrant came up with the idea after sitting around for days making goofy sounds that he thought sounded Danish.  Go figure.  I then shared my disappointment with my family over Haagen Dazs being from New York rather than from Denmark, explaining that as a young teenager I only liked it because it was from Copenhagen.  It even had a map of Denmark with Copenhagen starred.  That's official, right?!

Back to my ice cream.  A blogging friend, Monica, posted a recipe for peppermint ice cream.  Not only does it make brilliant use of candy canes, it requires no ice cream maker, just use your stand mixer to whip up the ingredients.  I love the idea of not using an ice cream make and making fresh ice cream, that has real cream in it.  I was so excited that I even got somewhat exotic with my flavoring~ Irish cream mixed with coffee.  Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  How festive!

Irish Coffee Ice Cream
based on recipe from Sweet Peas and Happy Things
2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2  c whole milk
1/4 c Irish cream
1/4 c brown sugar
2 tbsp instant coffee granules

Combine all ingredients and stir to help coffee and sugar dissolve.  Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer {there may be some bits of sugar and coffee at the bottom, that's fine, they will get mixed as the cream is whipped}.  Using the whisk attachment, whip ingredients until fluffy but not stiff {about 7~10 minutes}, beginning on low speed and moving to medium as mixture thickens.  Place ingredients in freezer appropriate container and freeze for 8~12 hours.  Makes about 2 quarts of ice cream.

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Sopa Paraguaya~ Paraguayan Cornbread

Cornbread may be a misleading name for this recipe.  What comes to my mind when I hear 'cornbread' is a very crumbly, often dry texture of food. The corn is simply a backup singer for the cheese and onions in the recipe.  Around our house we do not call this Paraguayan Cornbread; we call it Aunt Claudia's cheesy~onion~casserole.

My sister~in~law, Claudia, has an interesting heritage.  She is American by birth but her parents are from Argentina, and she was often cared for by a family friend {much like a nanny} who is from Paraguay.  So the food she makes has many influences and is always a hit with us.  Perhaps my favorite is this cheesy dish.

I really, really, really, like cheese and onions.  I will warn you, that if are not too fond of either, this is not the dish for you. It is loaded with two pounds of cheese and four onions.  If you do like cheese and onions, this may be the side dish of your dreams.  It makes an excellent side for roasted chicken {just put some chicken pieces in a baking dish and season with Adobe then roast}.

Paraguayan Cornbread
4 medium sweet onions, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 c fine white corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 15 oz can corn
1 c whole milk
3 eggs
1/2 lb Muenster cheese
1 lb Monterrey ~Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.
Saute onions in olive oil until tender and slightly browned.  While onions are cooking, cube cheeses.  Combine baking powder, corn meal and salt.  Place softened butter, creamed corn and corn meal mixture in bowl; combine well.  Slowly add milk and eggs and mix well.

Add cooked onions to corn mixture and then add cheese.  Spoon into a greased 9x13" casserole dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 35~45 minutes, until golden on top.  Let cool for 10~15 minutes before serving {it needs to set or it will be to soft to hold any shape}.

Tips and Tricks~
*The cornbread should be served warm, not hot.  If you cut into while it's hot, you'll need a spoon to eat it with and the rest of the casserole will ooze in and take over the empty space from the missing piece.
*If you buy white corn meal in the regular grocery {instead of an international market} you may only find self~rising corn meal.  If so, you can use it; just skip the baking powder and salt in this recipe.
*The casserole is even tastier after it has been refrigerated for a day and reheated.  I don't really know why, but it is.  It can be reheated in the oven {covered}.


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Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Sometimes an idea will come to me, and I will get so excited and think I am just brilliant.  I think I have an original idea.  Something never before thought of.  Something all together new.  And I'm always wrong.  There is nothing new under the sun.

Talking with my children the other day, an idea came to me for a cupcake.  Never before had I heard of a root beer float cupcake.  I told my children about it and they thought I was the most wonderfully creative person in the world.  The more I thought about the recipe and what how to decorate it, I decided I must not have a very unique idea.  But I refused to search and see if I indeed had a new idea or not.  I was determined to make my own root beer float creation.  Then I would see what others had done.

I was pleased when one of my sons told me more than once that the cupcakes I made actually taste like root beer floats.  I don't know if I would say they taste just like a root beer float, but they come close.  The cupcakes are moist with a slight spice and taste reminiscent of root beer {and they should since the batter contains root beer}.  And I think they are rather cute.  If you make them, let me know what you think.

Oh, and I was certainly not the first to come up with this idea.  I searched after I finished my creation and found many, many other root beer float cupcakes.  Here are a few different ones that captured my attention~

Root Beer Float Cupcakes from Better Homes and Garden

Root Beer Float Cupcakes from Bakingdom

Root Beer Float Cupcakes from Baking Bites

Root Beer Float Cupcakes
2 1/2 c flour
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
12 oz root beer
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 recipe butter cream frosting {follows}

Preheat oven to 350F.
Whisk together dry ingredients {from flour to cloves}, breaking up any large clumps of brown sugar.  Add wet ingredients {root beer to vanilla}; blend to combine all ingredients, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Divide batter between 24 lined cupcake tins.  Bake in preheated oven for 14~18 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting
1 c butter, softened
4 c powdered sugar
1/4 c whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter.  Add 1 cup powdered sugar and blend well.  Add another cup of powdered sugar and blend.  Add half of the cream; whip til smooth and fluffy.  Add vanilla and remainder of sugar and cream; whip til smooth and fluffy.

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Shrimp Etouffee

Etouffee is a bit different from jambalaya {not tomato based} or gumbo {thicker} but very Creole. It features shellfish, usually crawfish or shrimp; I prefer shrimp, mostly because I can easily buy it already deveined and shelled, though if you do shell your shrimp, you can use it to make a shrimp stock to cook your rice in {I just use chicken broth}.

Etouffee means to smother, which is a Cajun cooking technique of simmering a small amount of liquid to make a gravy that is heavily seasoned then served over rice {rice should be simple, cook with stock or broth and season with salt and pepper once cooked, maybe a tad bit of butter so it isn't too sticky}; it is quite popular in Louisiana, especially New Orleans.

Great dish to have for Mardi Gras {which is February 21 in 2012}. Most equate Mardi Gras with riotous parties but it is actually a day that is meant to prepare for the season of Lent.  It is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the eating of rich food before fasting begins on Ash Wednesday.

Shrimp Etouffee
1 c butter
1 c flour
2 bell peppers
1 medium onion
2 c chopped celery
5 c broth
1/3 c fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic
1 lb shrimp {small, salad shrimp}

Melt butter in a deep sauce pan or dutch oven over low heat.  Whisk in flour and continue to cook over low heat, whisking frequently, for 20 minutes.  While roux {flour and butter} is cooking, chop the onion, celery and bell peppers.

Add veggies to to roux and stir, coating the veggies.  Increase heat to medium~high.  Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring while doing so.  Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic.  Stir.  Once the sauce has come to a boil, lower heat to maintain a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir in cooked shrimp and cook to heated through.  Serve over hot rice.

Tips and Tricks~
*The base of the recipe is a roux that takes time to make. It is important to cook the flour and butter over a low heat so it doesn't burn but should cook for about 20 minutes, til it deepens in color to a mellow caramel.
*The roux doesn't deepen too much in color, but after all the other ingredients have been added and it simmers for 30 minutes, it will get a bit darker.
*Don't be alarmed at the thin soup when you first add all of the broth.  After simmering, covered, the sauce will thicken quite a bit.
*If you use frozen, precooked shrimp, make certain it is completely thawed and drained.  If not, your etouffee will more soupy.

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Love Them~ A Valentine's Day Lunch

When my children are at school all day long, I really miss them.  Yes, there are perks and moments I like {such as having a chance to clean up without having them leave more things behind to pick up}, but I don't enjoy it every day of the week.  I much rather the days of winter or summer breaks when they are home and I can spend some time with them.

That being said, it is important for me to let them know that I love them with little treats or notes and such.  I may not make a conscious effort daily to do this, but I try.  And on Valentine's Day, I feel it is almost expected.  In addition to the treats I help the children make for their classmates, I like to give them a treat.  It can be as simple as a sweet lunch.

This Valentin'es lunch includes~
a bag of sliced strawberries {sliced to resemble miniature hearts} and a note 'I love you bunches!'

cheese and ham cut into heart shapes with a croissant {find a set of nesting heart cookie cutters at your local craft store to use for smaller sizes}

a snack bag of Hershey's kisses and Rolos with pretzel sticks for a tic~tac~toe game of Hugs and Kisses.

For my older children who may think the heart shape cheese and ham are just a tad too cutsie, I'll make a chicken salad sandwich featuring dried cranberries for a touch of festive red and a hint of sweetness served on a flaky croissant.

Package it all in a regular brown paper bag, perhaps tied with some curly ribbon {again, maybe skip that for the older ones}.  This should let them know I love them!

What about those remnants of cheese and ham? Toss them into some scrambled eggs for a breakfast burrito to send the kids off to school with. There's no stopping the loving them.


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Two Fondues {A Mild Cheese and A Hot Fudge} ~ Friday Night Dinner

Fondue is wonderful for a romantic dinner~ bite size pieces of breads and fruit for dipping in chocolate or cheese.  It's the perfect dinner to enjoy slowly while talking and sipping wine.  But have you ever thought of fondue for a family dinner?  Our family has enjoyed fondue many times.  But to do it well for the whole family or for many guests, you need to know a few things.

If you are having fondue for more than two, it is better not to cook while sitting down with everyone~ no raw meat or fish.  The pot of oil gets overwhelmed and the small bits of meat take forever to cook.  This doesn't mean you must limit your menu to bread, cheese, fruit and chocolate {thought there's nothing wrong with that}.  Instead, have some meat that is cooked ahead of time and ready to be enjoyed along with the other items or could be dipped in the cheese fondue.

A favorite of ours is crab cakes.  Make them in miniature and have a platter of them ready to enjoy.  Some other favorites for dipping are carrots, but the ones with the stems still intact.  My children think these are the cutest things ever.  One dipper for cheese fondue that I wasn't certain about at first is sweet pickles.  But after the first try, I was hooked {and I don't even like sweet pickles normally}.

As with any other Friday Night Dinner, it has to be easy for me and fun for the family.  Fondue is both of those.  Prepare the tray of assorted dippers, including fun and different items, ahead of time.  Then make the fondue and set it up with the prepared items, sit back and enjoy the food and conversation.  Take time to catch up with your family.  They are important.

Mild Cheese Fondue
12 oz can of beer {for milder taste, use a pale brew such as Blue Moon}
3 c shredded Swiss
1 c shredded mild Cheddar
1 c shredded sharp Cheddar
2 tbsp corn starch

Toss shredded cheeses with corn starch.
In a saucepan over medium~low heat, bring beer to a simmer.  Add cheese, a handful at a time and stir. Don't add another handful until the previous one has melted, otherwise the cheese will not melt properly and will goop up.  Once all the cheese is added, stir and heat til smooth.  Transfer to a warm fondue pot.

Chocolate Fudge Fondue
1 c semi~sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp butter
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients in saucepan and heat over medium heat to melt butter and chocolate chips, stirring constantly.  Transfer to fondue pot to keep warm and melted.

A favorite for the kids~ Nutter Butters dipped in hot fudge fondue.

Tips and Tricks~
*Make fondue ahead of time and reheat over low heat on the stove top, then move to warm fondue pot.  This works for both cheese and chocolate fondues.
*For fresh veggies, lightly steam or parboil.  You can find baby Yukon in the produce section of the store, and they are great parboiled and dipped in cheese fondue.
*Prepare all dippers ahead of time and store in zip bags.  Assemble on a platter shortly before serving.
*If you want to use steak, chicken or pork to serve with the cheese, cut into bite size pieces.  Season and saute shortly before serving.
*Another excellent choice is seafood.  Use cold cocktail shrimp or mini crab cakes.  I make crab cakes and store in the fridge.  About an hour before party time, place on a oven proof serving platter, cover with foil and reheat in the oven set to 300F.  Once heated, lower oven temp to 220F to keep warm.
*For a quick fondue dinner, pick up ready to go dippers at the store~ prepackaged raw veggies, meatballs, chicken nuggets, a variety of breads {try a sweet raisin nut bread} for cheese fondue dipping.  For chocolate, grab some strawberries, packaged cookies {my daughter LOVED Nutter Butters with the chocolate} and a pound loaf.  All that is left to do is heat up the fondue.

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