My kids’ eyes sparkle when I tell them we’re having fondue for dinner.  

And because it’s so darn easy, my eyes sparkle too.

I just whip up some broth and cut up some chicken and steak and we have the makings for a dinner that inevitably involves a lot of conversation because those little pieces of meat take a long time to cook and eat enough of to get you full!

This is one of our favorite things these days for a good meal like this:

Some great/funny conversations started with that little box of questions I tell you.  You can buy all kinds of different sets of them over here.

I know some people do the oil stuff in fondue which I’ll admit is delicious  but we stick with the broth around here and we all love it.  Here’s what I put in it:

A few cups of broth (chicken or beef)…I always use this stuff:

It’s the best.
A couple bay leaves
About a tsp. of minced garlic (I use the kind minced for you in a jar)
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 c. cooking wine
1 c. water

As you can see, I am very meticulous about my measuring 🙂  I just generally throw stuff in and it always seems to turn out great.  If you want something more precise, there are all kinds of good recipes on the Internet.  This one looks good over here.  And this one too.  I’ll have to give those ones a whirl next time.

If my kid’s eyes sparkle with this layout on our table, you can bet their eyes go up to the gigawatt range if we have chocolate fondue.  You just mix in some chocolate chips with a bunch of caramel syrup (ice cream topping stuff) and dip your favorite stuff in there.  (pretty precise about that too, right?)

My sister-in-law does the chocolate fondue thing with her family as a tradition on Christmas Eve and we did it with them a few years ago (here) and figured maybe we’d incorporate that, but we haven’t had much luck on that one yet.

Some day.

Until then, it’s reserved for very special occasions like once in a while on Valentine’s Day (cause it’s kind of a lot of work if you ask me…and chocolate chip cookies are a lot faster:).  Favorite recipes for those over here (at the end of the post) and here (also at the end of that post) and here.

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11 Comments

  1. We started this with our 4 girls a few years ago for Valentine's Day too. We let them sit on the floor with pillows around our big coffee table which they love! I also grab my China and silver we gotta use it sometime! 🙂

  2. The fondue thing looks wonderful. I think I actually have a fondue pot I got 25 years ago as a wedding present. Never used it. I'm going to look for it tonight!

    But, is this enough food? I know your girls are probably ok with it, but your hubby and Max? I ask because I have a teenage son as well that can eat more than I ever thought possible. I can see him dipping tiny morsels into the pot… NOT…. – He'd think it was a snack! Do you serve anything else with it?

  3. We love this game!!! We played it at Christmas with my dad and sister. My sister and I are 6 years apart and haven't been together for Christmas in over 20 years. I moved away when she was 11 years old, so this game gave us so much insight into each other. Found out some wonderful things, and some heartbreaking ones too, but all were good. Brought us much closer together!!!

  4. When I was growing up, we always had fondue on New Year's Eve. It's so fun! I've never made it with broth, only oil. I'll have to try the broth. Here's our favorite sauces: Horseradish: ½ cup sour cream, 1 tsp. prepared horseradish, Curry: ½ cup sour cream, 1 tsp. curry powder, dash of salt, Garlic: ½ cup sour cream, 1 clove pressed garlic, 1 tsp. onion flakes and onion powder, Store bought sweet ‘n sour sauce, Store bought barbecue sauce

  5. What do you buy for cooking wine? I've always wanted to experiment with the flavour of wine in cooking but have shied away from it because once the bottle is open I know we won't be drinking the rest to finish off the bottle. Do you keep the rest? Store it for a short (or long) time? Toss what you don't use?

  6. "Cooking wine" is nasty. And it is the same as using "real" wine, as far as the alcohol goes so it is not a "replacement" for people who think it's a sin to consume alcohol. You're still consuming it, just in another form.

    Just use regular wine – the alcohol cooks out of it so you are not sinning.

  7. We need to start doing this again. But we have to wait for somebody to come and share it with us! Fondue for two? Well probably lots of people would do it. I don't think so for us!

  8. We love this game!!! We played it at Christmas with my dad and sister. My sister and I are 6 years apart and haven't been together for Christmas in over 20 years. I moved away when she was 11 years old, so this game gave us so much insight into each other. Found out some wonderful things, and some heartbreaking ones too, but all were good. Brought us much closer together!!!
    Chocolate Fondue Dippers

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