Au Revoir '09

Today has been great:
-Slept in
-Watched IU beat Michigan
-Got our cheese fondue ingredients for tonight
-Pat shoveled snow and started a fire
-Finished a very difficult puzzle
-It's almost time to open up a bottle of champagne (never too early for that, right?)

My most memorable NYE was a long weekend in Cape Cod with almost 20 friends (3 years ago)...

Pat and Warren

Traffic jam in the hallway ~ silly boys!
Evan and Elysa enjoying lobster
Denis cooking up a ham.
Gals on the freezing beach.
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At Laurisa's NYE party 2 years ago: Rob, Laurisa, Pat, Suz, Ellen

Happy New Year everybody!  Hope you have fun celebrating.  I welcome 2010! 

More cooking

Hello friends.  I sure am enjoying my week off.  Lots of pajama time, reading, working on a very difficult puzzle, and other fun stuff like shopping and mani/pedi with my mother in law.  The In Laws are driving back to Cape Cod right now actually.  On my time off I've also done some cooking.  Over the weekend I made a couple recipes from my mom: Company Chicken and Oriental Broccoli Slaw. 

Last night I whipped up some Date Cookies.  They are quick to make and very tasty.
1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
8 oz. package pitted dates, chopped
Put above items in saucepan and bring to a boil
Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly
Turn off
Stur in 2 and 1/2 cups Rice Krispies and 1 cup chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
Form in balls, about 1 inch
Roll in powdered sugar

Here we have all the ingredients mixed together:

Forming the balls:

And VOILA:

Let me know if you try it.  :o)

Chili Cookoff

The other weekend Pat got the idea to make chili.  He found a recipe online and we got to cooking.  We followed this recipe pretty closely.  Turned out great - Paul, Kate, Pat, and I all loved it.  Pat took the leftovers to the Jets tailgate the next day to go along with the usual burgers and sausages.  Anyhow, we decided to make it again this past Sunday.  We followed the same recipe but used an extra chipotle chili and some more jalapeno slices.

Might not look too appetizing but sure tastes good!

Add One More!

Remember my post last week called Engagements Galore?  Pat's high school buddies are dropping like flies! :o)


Warren proposed to Alyssa last night!  We walked down the street to congratulate them and give them a bottle of bubbly!  This is what we saw on the garage doors:

Happy couple!

Pretty sparkler!

Another congrats to our engaged friends!!

Christmas Happenings

Maura making delicious fudge:

Winnie sitting by the fire:

Paul pouring Champagne:

Plenty of eating:

Sitting around the table:

Lots of visiting and family time:

Playing Big Game Buck Hunter:

Finishing a puzzle: (Shucks, 1 piece missing!)

Staring at squirrels out the window:

And wishing I could see my parents and sis in Tennessee too!

Christmas Recap

Christmas day was wonderful.  We slept in, finished watching A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version is my favorite), had the most amazing french toast dish made by Maura, worked on the puzzle, went for a run with Pat, and opened lots and lots of presents.  And of course there was coffee and champagne and wine over the course of the day.  Our main dinner dish was a rib roast made by Kate. Yummy.

I was evidently a good girl this year!  Want to see some of my goodies?  

Puzzles! One from E and one from my parents

Perfume!  Kate knows my perfume taste well (last year it was the new Juicy)

Sweaters, one from my In laws and one from my parents :)

Snowman ornament from Maura and Mike

Pretty earrings from my Mom

Softest Blanket from Paul and Kate

Mom and Dad got me 2 books I wanted

T Shirt from Pat

Tiffany Knot earrings from E ~ I gave her a pair for her birthday a couple years back.  Now we both have them. :o)

Stocking stuffer Pez and Slap Chop. Ha!

Looks like I am going to have a new hobby:

And my big gift from Pat:

NEW CAMERA!!!  I actually took some of these pictures with it.  My old camera was a few years old and this one can take better photos (twice the megapixels) and has some really cool new features. (E, my old camera is coming your way!)

And here are a few of Pat's gifts... his big gift, watch from moi.

Book from my parents - they know him well!

A couple silly Ts from me:

KEYBOARD CAT!!!

My family is amazing!  Thank you for all the perfect gifts!!

People pictures coming up next!