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| Ryan, Ashley, Natalie, Thomas, Dominique, Tyler, Chelsea, Chris, me, and Andy after dinner at Reata on New Year's Eve 2012 |
For New Year's Eve 2012, I coordinated a dinner with a small group of couples at one of my favorite restaurants- Reata. We planned dinner for 7:00 with the following friends: Thomas and Natalie McDaniel, Chris and Chelsea Stephens, Tyler and Dominique Wasinger, and the soon to be married Ryan and Ashley (Meyka) McCollum. I know Thomas and Natalie from growing up in Fort Worth, and Andy and Thomas were fraternity brothers. I know Chris from Fort Worth, and I met his now-wife, Chelsea, the same night that he did- on my 22nd birthday at The Cellar. I was also a bridesmaid in their wedding. Tyler is Andy's old roommate and fraternity brother, and we hadn't seen him or his wife since before they got married in November (on Andy's birthday, actually)- it was great to catch up with them! Ashley is my little sis in DG, Jennifer, 's cousin, and she and her now-fiance, Ryan, play kickball on Andy's team. Despite always being late to everything, Andy and I were right on time! Too bad everyone else had arrived before we did and were already seated! Reata is always prompt and the service is impeccable. Our waiter was helpful in picking out a Malbec wine to pair with our meal, and what a meal it was!
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| Andy and me at Brownstone, NYE 2012 |
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| Andy and me at Brownstone, NYE 2012 |
After Reata, most of us headed to the 7th Street area and went to Brownstone for drinks and fun. Thomas and Natalie took little Cakeball (as Andy and I call their un-born baby) on home for a restful evening, but they were definitely there in spirit! Brownstone had a cover that included one free drink of your choice and a champagne toast. Always being one for champagne, we bought our tickets and claimed a counter top as quickly as we could. The night was full of sparkle dresses, catching up, toasting, a countdown to 2012, and, of course, midnight kisses!
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| Chelsea, me, Ashley, and Dominique at Brownstone |
The next day, Andy and I were very slow movers, so I figured a crockpot recipe would be easiest. I'd found this one for Buffalo Chicken Sliders, so we invited some friends over to watch the Cowboys game. Like us, our friends were all couch-ridden, so it turned out to be just us and the sliders and my Baked Macaroni and Cheese. The great thing about these sliders is how little it took to fill a big appetite. Since our friends were being lazy at their own houses, we had a ton leftover for dinner the next night, and I even took some for lunches at work the next couple of days.
So cheers to 2012- I hope this year is full of laughter, smiles, and lots of healthy cooking for you and your's!
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
BigOven.com; altered by Kate Strickland
Servings: 6 (appr. 10-12 sliders); Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 4/slider
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| Buffalo Chicken Sliders on Hawaiian Roll |
- 4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (17.5 oz) bottle buffalo wing sauce (like Frank's)
- 1.5 c barbecue sauce
- 1/2 oz dry ranch salad dressing mix (like Hidden Valley's Ranch one here)
- 2 tbsp light butter
- Hoagie rolls- however many sliders you want to make
- (Optional) Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing for topping
- Place the frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker and pour in the bottle of wing sauce and barbecue sauce; add ranch dressing mix
- Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours
- Once chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely (often, the meat will fall apart as you stir the pot)
- Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls and top with optional ranch or blue cheese dressing
Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine
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