Frog and Goat

Last night we made dinner together. We prefer to stay at home on New Year’s and make a special dinner. Half the fun is in the preparation. Here’s the menu from last night:

Yes, I always create a menu using Publisher. And, since it is impossible to read the image this is what it basically says:
Warm Brie on Baguette Toasts (brie wrapped in puff pastry with cranberries and almonds)
Black Bean Soup (with a dollop of sour cream and green onions)
Bay Scallops (poached in wine with mushrooms and thyme)
Kaiserspargel (asparagus with a cream sauce)
Potato Gratin (russet potatoes with dijon mustard and cheddar cheese)
Coffee Ice Cream with Raspberry Preserves (we were too stuffed to eat it)

Here’s the outcome…the picture isn’t great but there was alcohol involved:

Last night at the stroke of midnight we smooched and then went outside to listen to gunfire. I know some of the noises were firecrackers but most reports were from guns. One good old boy got out the automatic weapon and let it rip. After standing on our front porch laughing and sipping champagne, we decided to fire off a couple of bottle rockets to join in on the fun. Welcome to Mechanicsville.

Here are some other New Year’s customs:
In Brazil: wear white to bring good luck and peace to the new year
In Columbia: build an effigy of the old year and burn it
In Germany: leave a little food on your plate to ensure a full pantry
In Spain: eat 12 grapes with each stroke of midnight to ensure good luck
In the South: eat black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes on New Year’s Day for luck (we have ours ready to go)