A Spanish New Year's Eve Dinner (in pictures)

Happy 2011! It's finally here! A new year and a fresh start.  I just love that sense of newness that comes with the start of another year.  It's sort of like staring at a crisp white blank sheet of paper while holding an inky black pen, ready to start filling up the page with all of the events and happenings of another year of life.  Possibilities seem abundant and hopes are high that this will be a great and memorable year.  To help welcome 2011, I had some friends over on New Year's Eve for games, adult beverages and of course, food.....

Sangria got the party started!

We dined on Spanish food because cuisine from that region tends to be bold and packed with bright and exciting flavors, which seemed to be a fitting way to start the new year.  Also, a meal of pork served with beans is said to be very lucky to eat on New Year's Eve.  (Pork is said to signify prosperity and well-being and beans are said to symbolize wealth.  Finger's crossed, right?)

Fiona made out-of-this-world pork belly lettuce wraps

Served with corn and black bean salad and homemade spicy tomatillo salsa

I made a veggie paella-inspired rice 

Sarah made awesome cheese stuffed peppers with herbs and aged sherry vinegar

And for dessert, Cheesecake Flan

Sweet, creamy and cool..recipe to follow tomorrow

Happy 2011! May you're year be off to a great start!