A New Day...

...on the first day of a new year

......on the first day of a new decade

Appropriately, there was a dusting of new snow from the day before to make my world look fresh and clean. And just the fact that the new year is begining on a Friday(always a good day in my book!) is a good omen, I think.

I decided to get out with my camera this morning to capture a few(somewhat fuzzy and out of focus) shots of my yard and also the view from my car and on the beach(with the dog along for the adventure),
before it all started to melt. Scroll all the way down for a slide show.

It's pretty warm out there today(especially compared to New Year's Day weather last year) and that's a good thing for the daring and baring souls (not me!) who plunge into the ocean at noon for the annual New Year's Day "Pier Plunge".
I featured "the Plunge" in my last year's New Year's Day entry..here(complete with it's own slideshow)...but won't be going down to see it this time, since I will be busy getting a dinner ready for later today when my parents and sister are coming.

I'm making an apricot and cranberry pork loin(which, after preparing this, makes me want to become a vegetarian in 2010), mashed potatoes, green beans and for dessert--a red fruit pudding(see recipe below).

I found the recipe for this tart and juicy(I hope--haven't tried it --they are sitting in their dishes in the fridge because I made them yesterday after work) dessert in the December 2008 issue of Gourmet magazine, which as of November 2009, is no longer being published(*sigh* welcome to the new era of disappearing newspapers and periodicals)
It is made out jarred Swedish lingonberries(surprised that I was able to find it on the shelf of my local Stop n' Shop), frozen red raspberries-- which I had to puree and then smoosh through a sieve so the seeds were left out(a messy, staining, and just plain pain-in-the-ass process), pomegranate juice, gelatin and sugar. Then I realised I didn't have enough glass dessert dishes(I think that is something I'll need to invest in this coming year, especially if I am really going to host a dinner party sometime for friends), and had to put some of it in wine glasses. Luckily, it's family coming--not so much pressure, but I am sure my mother will make some kind of remark about the odd collection of dishes when the pudding comes to the table. Hopefully, the awesomeness of the pudding's taste itself will make her forget the motley and less than proper presentation.
By the way, Mr. F surprised me by making reservations for dinner out last night, and we were home by 8:30 (just try to stop our wild and crazy ways!), and asleep by 11:30--couldn't even make it one more half hour to fully see the new year in. The Prosecco and raspberry sorbet "slushies" were a hit (drinking them might have added to me not being able to stay up until midnight, though)


Red-Fruit Puddings
Serves 8 to 12
Active time:25 min
Start to finish:4 hr (includes chilling)
December 2008

Like Jell-O, but all grown up, these tart little puddings have a bracing fruitiness that is just what’s needed after a sumptuous holiday spread. The scarlet juices of pomegranates, lingonberries, and raspberries are bound into a very soft gelée.

3 (12-oz) packages unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed
2 (1/4-oz) packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup bottled pomegranate juice
2 cups bottled wild lingonberry sauce or lingonberries (from two 14-oz jars)
1/2 cup sugar

Accompaniment:
lightly sweetened whipped cream

Purée raspberries with their juices in a food processor, then force though a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
Sprinkle gelatin over pomegranate juice in a medium saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin has dissolved. Stir in lingonberry sauce and sugar. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved and sauce has melted. Stir into berry purée.
Quick-chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to mound, about 30 minutes. Pour into dishes or glasses and chill until set, at least 3 hours.

Cooks’ note: Puddings can be chilled up to 3 days.
Dec. 2008 Gourmet Recipe by Ruth Cousineau