post inauguration party pictures!

howdy folks! last night seanalyn and i got together to celebrate the historic inauguration of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama! we put together a delicious ‘American’ themed meal.

we started out with some creative appetizers made by seanalyn:

‘Red, White, and Blue’ Tomato Mozzarella appetizer:

seanalyn putting the finishing touches on the 'red, white, and blue' tomato mozzarella appetizers.

creatively, seanalyn thought of a great ‘OBAMANATION’ appetizer.  with tomato, fresh mozzarella, and a blackberry mixed with fresh basil and balsamic reduction, this appetizer was completely festive and flavorful!

seanalyn frying her salmon cakes!

seanalyn’s Salmon Cakes with a Spicy Aoli sauce sure hit the spot after the light ‘red, white, and blue’ appetizer!

Salmon Cake, with a squeeze of lemon and topping of the aoli sauce.

i made the entree, which consisted of a Spicy 4 Bean Turkey Chili:

simmering to perfection!

i

kt’s Spicy 4 Bean Turkey Chili:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small onion, diced (i used a food processor)
• 1 orange pepper, diced (or food processor)
• several cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (i used the food processor)
• 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can vegetarian baked beans
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
• On medium heat, using a large soup pot, saute onion, orange pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground turkey or beef; brown. In a small bowl, combine spices and hot sauce together into a mixture, and then add to ground turkey mixture. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans. Simmer on Medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with grated Cheddar cheese, onions, and sour cream.

to quench our American thirst!

to wash that all down, seanalyn found these incredible ‘white trash’ and ‘red neck’ wines from Bakersfield, California, while visiting her parents.  not only are they completely humerous, but they were quite tasty as well.

while enjoying the feast, we watched Independence Day on blu-ray!  it was a great, AMERICAN day!

<3 katie