Simple Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

8oz heavy cream

1 bag (120z) semisweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp vanilla

nutmeg to taste

Procedure:

• In a fondue pot heat up the cream, and vanilla on medium.
• Once the cream starts to slightly bubble begin to add the chocolate by the handfuls. Make sure you stir constantly.
• Once thick and blended add nutmeg to taste.

Dippers:

strawberry or strawberry cake

pound cake

oreos

bananas

pretzels

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:
6 large Idaho or Russet potatoes

2 Tbsp and 1 tsp salt

dash of freshly ground white pepper

2 eggs, beaten

4 Cups unbleached flour

Procedure:

• Boil the potatoes in their skins for about 40 minutes, until easily pierced with a skewer. 
• When cool enough to handle, peel and rice the potatoes. You can use a cheese grater for ricing the potatoes. Set the riced potatoes to the side with as much of the surface as possible exposed to the air. 
• Boil 6 quarts of water and 2 Tbsp of to a boil.
• On a cool surface gather the riced potatoes into a mound, forming a well in the center. Stir the remaining 1 tsp salt and the white pepper into the beater and pour the mixture into the will. Work the potatoes and eggs together with both hands, gradually adding 3 cups of the flour and scraping the dough up from the wrk surface with a knife as often as necessary.  (should take no more than 10 minutes, the more it is worked the heavier the gnocchi will become.)
• Dust the dough, your hands, and the work surface lightly with flour and cut the dough into six equal parts. Continue to dust as dough feels sticky. 
• Using both hands, roll each piece of dough into a rope 1/2 inch thick, then slice the ropes at 1/2 inch intervals. Indent each dump ribbed, you can do this with a fork or the cheese grater. 
• Drop the gnocchi into boiling water a few at a time, stirring gently and continuously, cook 2-3 minutes, until they rise to the surface.
• Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place the on a warmer. 
• Add sauce once all are cooked. Grated cheese is great on these. 

You can also freeze the gnocchi to do place the uncooked gnocchi on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 30-45 minutes, then place in a bag. The freezing on the cooking sheet prevents the gnocchi from sticking to each other. 

Easy Beer and Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

2/3 cup dark lager/porter (we used a Samual Adams, made sure you use a better beer not something like coolers or busch)

16oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard or 2 tsp kosciusko mustard (which is a spicy mustard and Ronnie's favorite)

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Procedure

• In a Fondue pot mix beer, mustard, cayenne pepper, and worcestershire sauce and heat at 375 or on high until bubbles form.
• Gradually add in the cheese. I did about a hand full at a time stirring after each handful.
• Once all the cheese is melted reduce the heat to 200 or low.

Dippers:

apples

pears

pretzels

a hard bread ( i.e. french french bread)

bread sticks

Raw veggies ( broccoli, cheery tomatoes, carrots, or celery)