“Years end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that can instill in us. ” – Hal Borland (An author, not a character from TV’s, “Home Improvement”.)

Happy New Year! WOW!!! 2015 is almost over. It’s exciting to celebrate the beginning of a new year! This week, we offer our new dip recipe, which is full of fresh veggies. We also share our creative resolutions, give 2015’s last Patio Update, and, of course, check out the bears in their celebratory mode! As a bonus, we’ve included three more dip recipes from earlier blogs and instructions for our Happy New Year banner, featured with the bears above.

FRESH VEGGIE DIP

Everybody loves dip, but often they are made with powdered soup mixes, filled with dehydrated vegetables, salt and msg. Freshen things up with our easy and delicious veggie dip!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• one 16 oz. container fat-free sour cream
• 4 oz. room temperature, low-fat cream cheese
• one small onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup broccoli, chopped and blanched for 2 minutes, then cooled in ice water
• 3/4 cup carrots, boiled until tender and diced
• two medium bell peppers, chopped (we like red and orange, but green is fine)
• one tablespoon olive oil
• one clove grated garlic
• one teaspoon hot sauce
• two tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make:

• Saute peppers and onion in olive oil for three minutes.
• Sprinkle grated garlic over peppers/onion mixture and saute for one minute.
• Combine the peppers and onions with prepared broccoli and carrots.
• Chill all the vegetables.
• Place cream cheese and sour cream in food processor and blend until smooth.
• Set aside 1/2 cup of chilled vegetable combo.
• Add remaining vegetables, lemon juice and hot sauce to food processor.
• Pulse until smooth.
• Add the reserved vegetables to food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times, leaving some chunks for texture.
• Chill at least one hour.
• Serve with chips, crackers or crudite.

DIP INTO THE PAST

Speaking of dips, one is never enough. Here are three other dip recipes we’ve shared in 2015!

 “No Tell” Queso Dip

https://funclesarts.com/2015/01/25/a-super-bowl-dip-lights-and-a-recycling-tip-now-thats-poetry/

Red Pepper/Chickpea Dip and Rosemary White Bean Dip

https://funclesarts.com/2015/07/02/lets-be-independent-together/

CREATIVE RESOLUTIONS FOR 2016 

Our goal for this blog is to explore many creative avenues, and in doing so, to learn and have fun. Here are some of our creative resolutions for 2016:

Experiment with new foods and recipes.

See more plays, movies and concerts.

Learn to use our new guitar and camera.

Make more creative gifts.

Go to more galleries and art shows.

Meet more creative people.

Expand on the creative things we already do or have done.

Try new things.

Please share your creative resolutions for 2016!

PATIO UPDATE

This has been a wonderful year for our patio garden. We grew a few plants from seed and tried and succeeded at growing some new vegetables and herb plants. Our patio’s use was extended with real and artificial decorations into the holiday season and will continue to be a source of light and color this winter. Thank you for your continued interest in our patio updates. Looking forward to a green, colorful 2016!!!

This week brought the first snowfall (our favorite snowfall – didn’t have to shovel!) and it looked nice with the greenery on the patio.

FOOD ART

FRESH YEAR!

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. – Charles Kettering

NEW YEAR’S BANNER

Check out the link below from last year’s blog to make the banner featured above. Easy to update with a quick change of year from 2015 to 2016!

https://funclesarts.com/2014/12/31/happy-new-year/

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATIONS!

This link from History.com is the place to look for New Year’s facts and videos.

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/new-years

THE BEARS

The bears (featured above) are polished and shining for their New Year’s celebration!!!

OUR WISH FOR YOU IN 2016

We wish you a happy, healthy, fun, creative and prosperous 2016!

Enjoy!

Roy & Kevin!