Ringing in the New Year

So much for a creative blog title . . . there aren't many words that rhyme with 11: heaven, seven, that's about it, right?

Anyway, we had a very laid back, but nice, New Year's Eve this year.  Of course, we couldn't get too wild since I couldn't party hard as a pregnant lady.

We spent an hour or so of the day in our basement making sure we avoided any of the tornadoes that hit pretty close to our home.  Once the storms were pretty much out of the way, we took the dogs to a trail near our parents' houses to let the dogs run in the 60 degree weather!!  Insane weather we are having in the end of December!!  Then, we headed over to my in-laws' house.  They had a lovely spread of appetizer-type foods that were all delicious.  We spent some time hangin with the babies, and the rest of the family, playing a little Scattergories.  Then, Chris and I had to scoot home to drop off the dogs and change clothes for our dinner.

We met some friends at a really nice Peruvian restaurant called Mango in downtown St. Louis.  The service there was so nice.  As soon as we got there and I explained that I couldn't drink and would have a water, the bar tender offered to make me a "mocktail" of whatever drink I chose from the menu.  I got the mango mojito mocktail, and it was awesome!!

Delicious plantain chips and salsa verde

 They were serving a prix fixe menu for New Year's Eve which consisted of your choice of selected appetizers, a salad, an entree, a dessert, and your choice of champagne.  I did indeed order a champagne, even though they offered to make me another mocktail for free, but I decided I wanted a sip of the bubbly to toast the New Year, and would then pass the rest on to someone else.

First Course:

Katie got the Sashimi (which I couldn't sample)

The rest of us chose the beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon atop sweet potato puree -- yum!

Second Course:

There was only one salad, which consisted of field greens topped with mangos and roasted red peppers.  The dressing was a little too tangy/salty? for my taste, but I still ate it all!

Third Course:

Chris got the halibut that was Asian style, topped with delicious veggies and all served on top  of a crab and scallop puree that was amazing!

I got the chicken that was rolled around a cheese? and spinach atop a potato puree with asparagus -- it was delicious and cooked well, not too dry at all!

Jenn got the pork tenderloin that came with a really good potato/aji amarillo pepper/fava bean puree!

Katie ordered the scallops that were served with fried plantain/sweet potatoes and asparagus.

Tim got the steak tenderloin that was so delicious and spicy!  I am not sure what it was served with, but it must have been good, because he didn't share that part! ;)

Fourth Course:

I ordered the sponge cake with dulce de leche (caramel) filling, which was really tasty as the caramel oozed out of the cake with each forkful!

Chris and Jenn ordered the chocolate torta, which was also delicious, and apparently a family recipe

Katie ordered the mango sorbet, which was awesome, as mango sorbets usually are!

Fifth Course:

My glass of pretty pink Moscato champagne, that I mostly gave away.

Toast! To 2011!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!  It's going to be a good one!