Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas to All!!

First, I want to wish all my Bandita friends and families a joyous Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!


And now … I thought I'd share some random thoughts and photos taken from my own family’s Christmas celebration.

We're a cozy group this year, just eight of us. Two of my brothers and their wives, my nephew, the DH and I, and mom. We're staying together at my mother’s big house in Palm Desert, California. Our first night together, we ate chicken tacos and watched that heartwarming, traditional Christmas film, Die Hard.



Here's a photo of Satina the reindeer. I think my mom's had this little creature since before I was born. Anyway, maybe it was the full moon, or maybe the desert heat made her thirsty, but Satina couldn’t stop staring at my brother’s martini (vodka, extra dry, shaken of course).



And now, revealed to the world at last, my mother’s super secret chocolate chip cookie recipe. I think you can all imagine the sense of betrayal I felt when I saw this. It took six cookies and half a bottle of champagne to overcome it.




One of the danger signs that you’ve passed over the threshold into middle age is when you get together with the family at Christmas and the first thing you do is compare surgery scars. Let me assure you this is not a family member but merely a demonstration of what you might expect to see at a Christmas celebration sometime in the future. I'm just sayin'...






Here's something a little bit cuter...or not. You be the judge. It's the jolly snowman on mom's coffee table.






On Christmas Eve we ate a lovely beef tenderloin (with apologies to our tofurkey fans, we named it Igor) and then watched one of my favorite Christmas movies, Love Actually.








And what about presents? Books, of course. Here are two mysteries I can't wait to read -- Tasha Alexander’s And Only To Deceive and Cara Black’s Murder in Montmartre.



An Ipod for Kate. Sweaters for everyone. Lots of gift cards for mom because she always returns regular gifts.
And a merry time was had by all!!





And finally, here’s the family recipe for Spicy Mixed Nuts. Be careful – they’re addictive! They’re perfect for a party and only take 5 minutes to make, plus 20 minutes baking time.

¼ cup butter
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp each: seasoned salt, celery salt and garlic powder
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp. each cayenne pepper and pepper
1 c. shelled walnuts
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 325 F. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Simmer over low heat for several minutes for flavors to blend. Stir in nuts and transfer to a shallow baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes 3 cups. (Great with cocktails. And they can also be tossed on salads.)

Cheers!

Any random thoughts out there? What’s going on at your house this Christmas? KJ wrote from Africa yesterday. I’m celebrating in the Southern California desert today. Where else are our Banditas, friends and families spending the holidays? I'm giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one lucky person, just for taking the time to come by and comment on Christmas Day!

53 comments:

Amy Andrews said...

Hey, hey. Looks like the rooster is coming back down under?

Amy Andrews said...

Well its now nearly 11pm n Christams night here and I'm so full my top button's still undone. Didn't go anywhere - just sat at home eating like gluttons with the aircon going full boar while the turkey and pudding cooked. Turkey was brill. Pudding was a bit of a disaster :-( I've been cooking Xmas puds for years in a rag and I STILL haven't perfected it.

Saw all the snow storms in the mid-west on the news before. I know I've been salivating about snow for weeks now but seriously, y'all take it easy over there on the other side of the world.

Oooh, I just had my first ever egg nog too.

Unknown said...

Merry Christmas everyone! Niece and nephew just got their stockings from Santa. Niece got a Wii yesterday and they took over the tv all night playing High School Musical. It actually grades their singing and performance. lol. Dinner is being fixed now. Pies were made last night along with Pumpkin bread. Happy Holidays!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Christmas at my house was done the 24th as daughter and her family went to dad's today. I got pretties that sparkle and shine!!

ruth said...

We had a lovely traditional Italian delectable dinner which was memorable due to the scintillating conversation and goodies. Watched travel photos which always gives me great enjoyment since I hope to travel next year. All the best for a wonderful blog and stay well.

Joan said...

Merry Christmas all!

We did our Christmas yesterday too.

My brother and I went to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Now stop laughing. It was really a cute, good little movie for adults as well as kids. I think I want to adopt Theodore LOL

Then dinner out, then back to my house for presents. My brother is so generous and got me lots of nice things.

We capped our night off by going to my CP's house where her sister and her family joined a handful of others to celebrate the season. The best part was 4 yr old Paige and 3 year old Ella. They loved my gifts of small Disney princess dress up outfits. Who knew that clothes could be made out of really soft rubber?

It cracked me up when Paige decided that my brother HAD to be Prince Charming. As soon as Cinderella said "These are our marriage clothes" PC turned tail and ran. LOL. Cindy was not pleased.

Today a quiet morning and then I've been invited to Christmas dinner. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Kate Carlisle said...

Merry Christmas, everyone! Amy, great job on nabbing the golden beast!! I know it'll be happy in the sunny down under.

Is it Yorkshire pudding you're making? I tried making it years ago and it looked a disaster but tasted pretty good. Egg nog is one of my favorites, too. With brandy, of course. ;-)

Amy S, I'm dying to get my hands on a Wii. But I didn't know you could sing and perform, too. I thought I'd just be playing tennis!

Hi Dianna! Ooh, sparklies! My favorite kind of present! Hope your Christmas day is lovely and relaxing!

Kate Carlisle said...

Hi Ruth! Whenever we're at my DH's sister's house for Christmas eve, we have their traditional Italian dinner of fish soup (and lots of crusty bread, yum!). It's absolutely the best recipe, lots of white fish in a rich buttery broth with veggies. My mouth is watering to make that now!

Good luck with your travel plans. I hope to take a trip this year, too. I'm thinking...either go back to Scotland or go to Italy for the first time. Such a decision, right? LOL

Kate Carlisle said...

Hi Joanie T!!! Merry Christmas!! I'm so glad your brother gave you lots of goodies. Brothers are the best, aren't they? I've got FOUR and they're all maniacs but I love 'em. :-)

And believe me, every one of them would be just as intimidated by a marriage-minded four-year-old! That's just too funny!

The Chipmunks look so cute in the commercials. Can't wait to see the movie!

Enjoy your day, JT!

diane said...

After helping prepare a wonderful feast for Christmas Eve which consisted of perfect grilled veggies, a succulent lamb roast and a yummy dessert of brownies I am now totally content. What a lovely evening together.
The Italy trip sounds utterly fabulous. That is my wish for this year. To experience the beauty, history and food of that unique country. Happy New Year and loved your blog today.

alissa said...

Right now I am getting ready to go out walking and since it is lovely and dry it will be easy going. I need the clear, fresh air after indulging to bring things back into perspective. Your travel dilemma can be easily solved. I would definitely choose Italy. that is my dream destination and hopefully this year before I get too old to enjoy this experience.

Linda said...

Die Hard is also a Christmas tradition at my house! We have maybe 15 movies we watch every Christmas. You're gonna love the Cara Black mystery! Thanks for your entertaininhg Christmas letter!

Trish Milburn said...

Hello from chilly Kentucky. We're up visiting my husband's family. I just pulled the hashbrown casserole from the oven, made the pumpkin pie last night. As soon as the hubby gets ready, we're headed over to his brother's house to do our immediate family Christmas. Will get to see the little nephews open their gifts from us. Then tomorrow all the aunts, uncles and grandma show up and we eat like gluttons again.

Joan, I'd like to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. I think they're cute.

Kate, had to laugh at the bit about the cookies. Hey, those are my type of cookies. :)

jenna said...

Happy Holidays to all and what a great site and blog this has been. totally enjoyable. My holidays are so far eventful and fun. Since I am off for a good while this has been especially thankful to spend time with my family and friends. We went to a gettogether which was great. Today I will be assisting in cooking up a storm.

Fedora said...

Congrats, Amy!

Kate, thanks for sharing such a fun collection of photos and comments today! I confess that our "secret" cookie recipes look much the same as your mom's... ;) Hope the champagne did the trick :)

The kids opened their gifts this morning, and are watching one of them (Hi-5's Wonderful Wishes) and then we'll head up to my parents' place after the littlest guy's nap for dinner (we're eating out this year--my mom said, enough of the cooking thing!)

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

jo robertson said...

Amy, yay for you winning the GR!

Too funny post, Kate. I love how Satina is eyeballing that martini! And too disappointing to discover the secret of your mom's cc cookies!

It's sort of like my secret spaghetti sauce which my children adore. I haven't yet had the heart to tell them it's a jar of Prego mixed with Lawry's dry spaghetti mix and tomato sauce.

They think I spend hours simmering this stuff from original ingredients. What, am I stupid or something?

Happy holidays to all!

FilmPhan said...

Everyone is coming over here for Chrsitmas so we have been cleaning and running around for a couple of days. Most of the family should start showing up in about 20 minutes. So now I'm sick because I haven't been getting much sleep and have been constantly on the go. Fun times.

Cassondra said...

Hey Jo, it's legit if you do stuff to it! If Prego could do that, they'd be doing it, right?

I take spicy jar sauce and melt some crumbled feta in it and mix in some chunked tomatoes. People think it's real. HA!

Great post Kate. Love Satina, and I might fight her for the vodka martini.

It's just me and my husband this year, though I called one of my critique partners to see if she wants to come over for dinner since she likes ham.

I'm doing laundry and cleaning, believe it or not. How's that for a Christmas tradition? I work all the way through New Year's Eve, so this is my only free day until after the new year.

Just put the ham in the oven (I have a secret ham recipe that makes people drool and look at me like, "you don't look that domestic." And I'm NOT.)

I'm on a cleaning binge. Shredding stuff. Getting stuff OUTA HERE so I can actually clean the house. I know it doesn't sound like much of a way to spend Christmas, but I actually have time so I'm using it, and a cleaner house makes me feel better.

All I'll have to do is make mashed potatoes and some veggies and ta-da! Christmas dinner ala easy.

Merry Merry from Kentucky to everybody wherever you are.

Cassondra said...
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Anna Campbell said...

Kate, great post! The photos gave me such a giggle, especially the dipsomaniac reindeer! Hic! Thanks, Jenna, for saying how much you love the Banditas!!! We've made such a lot of lovely friends through this site this year.

The pudding, I'm guessing, is the trad plum pudding that is a real part of Christmas over here. It's a bit like a fantastic fruitcake and you're supposed to boil it in a cotton cloth for hours! I've never made one but my mother's was to die for. I actually don't like fruitcake but her pudding was like food from heaven! The only problem with her pudding was that generally we ate it after a HUGE turkey roast dinner and a seafood starter and believe me, a big heavy fruit based pud then can make you feel like you're busting a gut!

Happy Christmas, everyone!!!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, AA, congrats on the rooster! I hope you've got him on a tinsel lead!

Jane said...

Merry Christmas. I already opened my gifts last night at midnight. One great gift I got was season two of Rome. I'm going to go stuff my face again.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oh man, Amy got the GR! We Yanks just can't seem to hang onto that little critter for long! :>
Kate, I loved the post. Had to LOL about the scars though. Thankfully, that didn't happen yet...but my son got basketball jerseys so I'm sure there will be a lot of comparisons on who has whom on the jerseys.
Oooh, sparklies, HardwrkingMom? Tell, tell!
FilmPhan, dont sweat it. No one checks for dust THERE, just relax and enjoy...or do you have a MIL who DOES check there? Snicker!
Cassondra, I love clearing out before New Years, so you GO girl.
Everyone sounds like they're having a cookin' kind of day. I've got casseroles in the oven and potatoes baking. We're cooking steak today to go with that. YUM! My sister's up from the Carolinas tomorrow, so we're doing the big turkey then. Double Yum. And Ooooooh, the leftovers. I love the holidays because there are leftowvers. :> Yum, yum, yum. I love the holidays. Merrrrry Christmas everyone!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Jeanne, I love sparklies, what woman doesn't? LOL BF got me a watch with sparklies, a diamond bracelet, two rings and earrings. My daughter came in from TX and took up the nasty carpet in my dining room for me (that was my Christmas present) got to spoil my granddaughter for a week. Now me and BF are preparing to watch a movie that is supposed to be very good movie, "What I Did For Love"

Kammie said...

Merry Christmas everyone! Your mother and I have something in common. It's that secret recipe. lol Delicious and you can still say you baked them. We celebrated the holiday over the weekend and I'm wrapped up under a blanket today just being lazy. Oh, and keeping my eye on those cookie tins.

Helen said...

Morning everyone it is Boxing Day morning here already and I am the only one awake they are still getting over our big day yesterday.

We went to the Central Coast of NSW to my sisters she has a pool but it was very cool here so no one went swimming it was nice to be able to eat a big hot lunch and not be sweltering I made the pudding and it turned out really good this year I didn't do it in the cloth this year I steamed mine in a steamer.
Everyone got lots of lovely presents I have heaps of chocolate yummy and some lovely new clothes earrings CD's a new chair for the computer.
My sister has a pool table and we were all outside under the patio playing pool and my grandson who will be 2 next month couldn't work out why people were putting balls into holes so everytime someone sunk a ball he would pull a face say #%@ and put it back on the table we laughed so much yesterday my sides are sore and my 5 month old granddaughter couldn't get enough paper to play with.
I really love it when my sisters and our families get together I have nother sister who lives in Queensland and she can't get down till Jaunary so the four of us and our familes will be having another big day then.

Congrats amyandrews on the GR hope he is enjoying the warmer weather.
I hope everyone is having or had a wonderful Christmas day with family and friends.

Have Fun
Helen

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Kate and Jeanne, if you want to see my sparklies go here
http://hrdwrkdmom.com/mvc-733f-rs.jpg

Keira Soleore said...

Merry Christmas, Banditas & Friends!

The best Xmas present I got this year was the Catholic Mass I attended with my friend and her family on the Eve. My first. She and the ceremony filled my heart to the brim with happiness. That squeezing in the chest that I feel at such times is great joy. And with that joy comes gratitude for wonderful friends and friendships.

Happy Christmas!

Sentimentally yours,
Keira

Keira Soleore said...
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Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

GREAT POST, Kate!

I'm with Cassondra, I'm ready to fight Satina for that martini. :-P

Well, as the Banditas and our buddies know, Aunty's furnace went belly-up 2 weeks ago. So all I got for Christmas was hot air, and actually, it's still not completely fixed! GRR!

Okay, I DID get something nice for Christmas, but I've known about it for awhile. The DH and I are going to London and Paris, 4 days in each, in a couple of weeks. YAY! I haven't been to London in over 20 years. It's only been about 8 or 9 since I was in Paris but I LOVE that city... But not as much as I LOVE Italy! Kate, no question, you should GO!

Merry Christmas to all our Bandita buddies! Thank you so much for making our blog such fun and please visit us often in 2008.

AC
still Grinchy after all these years

Gillian Layne said...

Joan, we went and saw "Alvin" yesterday too! What a relaxing Christmas Eve afternoon. And it was fun to enter the mall with all its frantic last-minute shoppers and leave with it dark and quiet.

Out Christmas is over, mostly. Had a huge one with the in-laws, which we hosted on Saturday, and our Christmas here today with our girls and my folks who came for lunch.

Now I'm headed for a great big nap! A peaceful day to all....

Gillian Layne said...

Aunt Cindy--

My Mom, bless her, is going to Italy for the first time in April. Her brother's hosting, he works abroad and he and his wife are renewing vows there. They'll be staying in Iona (sp?) about 40 minutes from Florance, I think. She is SO excited and SO deserves this trip.

Any words of wisdom for her?

CrystalGB said...

Merry Christmas everyone.
I have a large family and we gathered at my parents for dinner and exchanging gifts. This year was great. It was a busy day. I am so glad I got to spend time with my siblings, my parents and my neices and nephews. I hope everyone had a fabulous day. :)

Kate Carlisle said...

Hey, hi everybody! Sorry I wasn't around for the last few hours but we had to travel back home this morning because the DH is getting on a plane early tomorrow.

I think I left Mom in good hands with all the brothers, though. Oh, who am I kidding? They've probably force-fed her two or three bloody marys and she's now taking a nap. Ah well, tis the season!

Diane, your Christmas Eve feast sounds so delicious! And you're making Italy sound wonderful, too. I think that may have to be the desination next year.

Alissa, another vote for Italy! And your walk sounds great. We're about to head out for a walk, also. It's crisp and clear and we've got the beach a few blocks away so we're going to take a stroll and clear our heads before we fix a little Christmas dinner for just the two of us. :-)

Jennifer Y. said...

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had a wonderful day!!

I spent the weekend at my brother's house here in Georgia playing games with my nephews. Then this morning headed to my sister's to see what her daughter's got from Santa and spent the day playing with dolls and now I am back at home. I got lots of books to read from my family so I know how I will be spending the evening.

Kate Carlisle said...

Hi Linda! I love Die Hard! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who watches it at Christmas. And you've read Cara Black. I can't wait to start this one! But I'm so jealous of her. I wish I'd thought of a mystery series set in Paris. Can you imagine the research trips? :-)

Merry Christmas, Trish!! Uh, hashbrown casserole? I think we're gonna need the recipe for that!! Travel safe.

Happy Holidays, Jenna! We're so glad you all keep coming to visit. That's what makes it so much fun here in the Lair!

flchen1, I am soooo with your mom on the decision to eat out! We did that for our Thanksgiving dinner last month and it was such a treat. Have fun!

Anonymous said...
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Kate Carlisle said...

Jo, your spaghetti sauce sounds fabulous!! You must've gone to the same cordon bleu cooking school as my mom!! LOL. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

poor filmphan, I'm so sorry you're getting sick. I used to get bronchitis every year around now because it's such a stressful time! Take good care of yourself and feel better soon.

Cassondra, your ham sounds fabulous! And hey, sometimes cleaning up the place is the best gift you can give yourself. It's definitely going to make you feel like you accomplished something, so go for it. And have a wonderful Christmas dinner!

Kate Carlisle said...

Merry Christmas Foanna! And now I get the pudding reference. Plum pudding. I've never had it but you're making my mouth water with the description!

Jane - ROTFL at you going off to stuff your face! Enjoy! That's what I've been doing for days now, and I'm about to do some more stuffing, myself. :-) We're having the traditional steak and baked potatoes for Christmas dinner! Yum!!

Jeanne, you're making me sooo hungry!!!! Have a fabulous Christmas dinner!

Dianna, not only did you get bling, but free labor, too! What a nice gift from your daughter!

kimw, you're another chocolate chip cookie sneak?? My mom's been pulling this trick for years and we finally found out her secret. They're still delicious, though, so we're still speaking to her, LOL

Anna Sugden said...

Hey all - wanted to pop in and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Great blog, Kate - sounds like our kind of Christmas!

We've had a day-long celebration ... you have to do one round of present opening to be able to phone home ... then another round from people round here ... then finally hubby and I *grin*. In-between was champagne, a traditional English Christmas lunch (turkey, not goose), red wine and lots of laughter. Time for a snooze, I think.

Amy - hubby does the Xmas puds using his mum's recipe. I hate Xmas pud - but from those in the know, these are pretty spiffy. (It's the hours of steaming that drives me nuts!).

Hope evryone has/had a very merry one!

Kate Carlisle said...

Helen, what a wonderful Christmas day you had. Your grandkids sound adorable!!

And now it's Boxing Day down under. Is there a traditional Boxing Day greeting? Since I'm not sure, I'll just wish you a happy day and hope it's funfilled!

Keira, did you go to midnight mass? There's something very special and emotional about the late night, the lighting, the music, the whole thing, and then you walk outside and the world is dark and hushed and crispy cold, and you're sharing the experience with a handful of close friends or family. It's a wonderful moment, isn't it? :-)

Kate Carlisle said...

Aunty, what a fabulous Christmas present!! London and Paris? You really know how to live, my dear! Hope your furnace is completely fixed, soon.

Gillian, enjoy your nap! That's sounds really good right now. And hope your mom loves Italy! What a dream! And hey, I'll take those words of wisdom from Aunty, too!

Merry Christmas, crystalgb! Thanks for coming by the Lair to say hi!

Jennifer, happy holiday to you, too! Curling up with a good book sounds like heaven. Enjoy your evening.

Vrai Anna, Merry Christmas!! Sounds like you had a full day of presents and food and friends. You deserve a cozy snooze! And I can't believe your darling husband makes the pudding in your house! Such an amazing man!

Trish Milburn said...

Cindy, London and Paris, huh? You are one travelin' woman.

Nathalie said...

We have spent the whole afternoon preparing the turkey... and now we just finished eating it... so it is time to clean out the kitchen.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

Lily said...

It is 9PM where I live, we spent the whole day with the family, eating, watching a movie, playing cards... we just had a nice time :)

I did not think there will be a blop post today!
Merry Christmas :)

Laura J. said...

Well everyone has finally left our house. For lunch today we had my husband's family over and he prepared out portion of the meal. Dinner time it was my family and I was incharge of the meal (and so far everyone is still healthy).

It was a great day. My husband and I are wore out, now if the kids would wind down.

Hope everyone had a great day and if you are going out tomorrow for those after holiday discounts, may you find many and be safe!

doglady said...

Just got home after two days in the land of no internet (my Mom's.)What a great blog. I cracked up at Satina. She really is eying that martini, isn't she? Congrats on the GR, Amy. What self-respecting rooster WOULDN'T want to be in Oz for Christmas. It is freezing here and I live in the Deep South. I will get to meet Tasha Alexander in February as she is coming to the mystery authors' luncheon our local library gives as a fundraiser each year. And hey, I won one of RaeAnn's books!! How cool is that! My BFF did a happy dance when she opened her favorite gift from me - copies of BOTH of Anna C's books! My Mom DID make Yorkshire pudding and English trifle for Christmas dinner and it was scrumptious! Especially when accompanied by turkey, ham, Boston butt, chicken and dumplings, fresh field peas, sweet tater casserole, mac and cheese with toasted bread crumbs on top, cranberry sauce, potato salad, cherry salad, Italian dream cake, Lane cake. Well you get the picture. I am currently in a barely there food coma. Got lots of goodies from the brothers and their wives and kids and got way too many gifts from Mom. The mountain of gifts stretched out from the tree all the way across the livingroom. My Mom goes all out! The best part, however, is sitting around the table telling our favorite Christmas memories, favorite Christmas gifts and all of the old stories of us three kids growing up. The two nephews and the niece sit in rapt attention through it every year. The favorite is still the Batman utility belt debacle followed by the Christmas morning my brother, James, sneaked downstairs, unwrapped everyone's gifts and then rewrapped them (badly!) Merry Christmas, Banditas and friends!! You are all definitely part of the joy of my life.

sabrina said...

I had a wonderful day and felt so much warmth and love. Since your blog was up this was a great diversion. Out with my mom and sister for dim sum today and then spent the evening at the neighbors exchanging gifts and enjoying yummy desserts. Thanks for the blog, entertainment and fun. Best wishes and stay well.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Wow, what a fun day on the blog. I've finished cleaning up, gotten the kids in bed and am going to have a glass of wine and read for a while. Ahhhhhh, finally to get off my feet! Ha! What a great Christmas! Sounds like everyone else had a super-dooper one too. Can't wait to see what the New Year brings for the Bandita Lair. It's been great in 2007, so 2008 should be amazing!

Kate Carlisle said...

Merry Christmas, Nathalie! The clean-up is always my mom's favorite part of the day. I think it's because she can go into the kitchen and finally be alone for a while, LOL.

Hi Lili! Thanks for coming by. You know, we Banditas have to blog every day. Otherwise, the Golden Rooster would have no place to stay for the night! :-)

LOL, Laura! So glad everyone's still healthy after eating your dinner! And good luck getting the kids to calm down!!

Doglady, Merry Christmas!! You are one of the great joys of our lives, too! So glad you had such a wonderful day and I really hope you make it out of your food coma soon! LOL. I think it's very cool that you're going to see Tasha Alexander in February. I just started her book last night and I'm already a fan.

Hi Sabrina - hey, dim sum sounds great. I had a huge dinner and you all are making me hungry all over again. Happy holidays. :-)

Stacy S said...

Merry Christmas! We've been doing Christmas since Saturday. Now it's all done. My dh has the house all clean and most of the Christmas stuff put away.

Hellie Sinclair said...

I love Die Hard! Perfect Christmas movie...If I can't get Jack Sparrow in my stocking, I want John McClane--do you see the pattern? Men who are hard to kill off?

Maureen said...

I have the same snowman on my end table in the family room! My daughter got it years ago and then didn't want it so I saved it and he appears every Chrismas.