Feb 6, 2011

Groundhog Wellington

I absolutely love Groundhog Day.  It's right up there with Halloween.  For the past seven years we've been celebrating the day by cooking groundhog, eating heavenly sticky buns and stuffing angel food cake into our faces while watching the movie with Bill Murray.

I try to make each year unique when it comes to dinner but my ideas are getting stale.  I went through our photos and found that this year wasn't so original after all.  Next year will have to be monumental.

2005 was our first.  I made chicken drumsticks wrapped in bread dough.  Mother and babies have cloves for eyes, toothpicks for whiskers and olives for noses.  Yum!



2006 was a little more creative.  Our meatloaf wrapped in bread dough was stuffed with spaghetti (Gary's idea) so when it was cut open, it would look like, well, you know.  
Notice the red spots on back - that's where the "buckshot" landed.



I guess I really like to cover meatloaf with breading.  2007 was actually pie dough this time.  Its easier to form and mold into shapes.  The claws were fun.  I think he looks more like a mole than a groundhog.




Okay, so this was different.  This is two turkey breasts tethered together and stuffed.  Maybe a groundhog would look this this if it was skinned and roasted...
(2008) 




I went looking for our 2009 photos.  Apparently I don't have photos for this year.  Bummer - what was I thinking?  This was Chicken Cordon Bleu from Costco.  But the fun part was making the Spam claws that were attached for feet.  

Chris was at the Missionary Training Center in Provo prepping for Romania.  We wanted to make sure he would get some groundhog, so I made something shippable for him.  I made an Apple Ladder Loaf and shaped it like a groundhog so he and his mission companions could share in the festivities.  It turned out really well, but it gave them all gas.  Sorry Chris! 


The following year (2010) we made groundhog pizza.  


And fruit pizza for dessert



2011 was very predictable.  Yes, it was wrapped groundhog.  Yummy meatloaf though.




So now the challenge is on.  Next year has got to be completely original.  I've got eleven months for a new recipe.  

Happy Groundhog Day!