New Year New Mindset–Savory Creme “Bluelee”

So you think Creme Brûlée is only a sweet dessert? Well, change your mindset because the New Year is coming and everything is new. Including the way you think about cooking. Creme Brulee can be savory. How is that, you ask? Well….because I said so. I have been wracking my brain now that I have so much time to think (official MEtirement date is January 4!) and all I can think about is how I am going to put a new spin on an old concept. Change dessert into an appetizer. Change all sweet into a combination of sweet and savory.

And that is how the idea for Creme Bluelee was hatched. The simplest combination of cream cheese and blue cheese with a bruleed topping (I made that word up—fancy word for caramelizing brown sugar on the top of a creamy dish). Done. That simple. And when you only want to be thinking about what to wear on New Year’s eve or what Netflix series you are going to binge on all night, this tasty little appetizer will take your champagne toast to a whole new level. You can add a bit of fresh rosemary to the mixture but admittedly, that is a strong herb and some people do not like it. If you have a bunch of rosemary lovers joining you for New Year’s Eve, have at it. If not, the baked dip is just fine without it.

So what sweet and savory morsel would enhance the Creme Bluelee? Well of course, something that is already sweet and savory like a Maple Walnut Scone from Breadsmith. This monster of a scone (as big as your head) is a little bit sweet but not too sweet and balances out the brown sugar topping on the Creme Bluelee beautifully.

I warmed the scones in the oven  for just 5 minutes at 350 degrees after taking the Creme Bluelee out from under the broiler. I cut the scones into eight pieces and serve them along side the creamy, savory, cheesy dip. If you don’t want to buy maple walnut scones you can bake your own, or use sliced French bread.

So now before I sign off for the rest of the year (well, maybe…I might have a new thought (or recipe) or two I might want to share), I thought I would take a MEtirement moment to reflect on what not working means in the grand scheme of things. As you know from this blog, not working leads to forward movement in a creative direction. More relaxation. More time for reflection.

When you are working at a job for years and years,  you don’t really notice that you are not  learning, growing and progressing, in the true sense of those words, every day. In fact, if you were paying attention to such things, you would realize that happens rarely. There is certainly a benefit to using all of the skills that you have in your arsenal to accomplish a result. But MEtirement, with its gift of free time and freedom, in general,  leaves you open to exploring many new things just for fun (instead of for a paycheck) and when you do so you actually can see a result.

Take photography for example. If you have never used a real (translation–DSLR) camera before, and all of a sudden you get your hands on this more sophisticated/complicated device, you have to learn everything about it. How to turn it on, what settings to use, what light you need, how to edit a photograph– all of those things are brand-new. And what is so interesting about learning those skills is that there is substance to the actual result. I mean, it’s not like writing a memorandum or a letter (that, in general, no one even wants to read!).  Instead, there is concrete evidence of your progress. One goes from green/ blue/ yellow/ photographs that look like they were taken by a child to photographs that look more like they could be in a published book or magazine (or even better, on Instagram!). So it is this tangible proof that you can actually create something, improve your skills and have something to actually show for your work that distinguishes these types of activities and pursuits from the every day humdrum of a “job”.

So those are my perceptions of the day. Your days can be just so full when you are not working. Full of choices. And that is what I love about life these days. I have a choice. To take photos. To learn about Lightroom editing (which is so far giving me a bit of angst). But I press on. I don’t throw in the towel when things are challenging because the newness of the challenges is what I am appreciating the most. Choices. Newness. Creative Pursuits, including this blog.

And speaking of newness….scones for appetizers? Why not? It’s the beginning of a New Year so you might as well start thinking outside the box! Happy New Year to all my friends, old and new, who have visited this blog and made me so appreciative of your support!