glad tidings and a giant coke bottle

glad tidings

we are currently going through all kinds of growing pains in our family...

first of all,

we are too big to have our annual christmas eve party at anyones home...

with the arrival gary's family, we have more than doubled

(in case you didn't know,

gary's family is kinda big:))

so we had a big party on the 21st in the club house at his condo...

mom and dad were there and with as stressed out as dallys and i were about the whole thing,

it turned out to be one of our best ever...

we had a surprise visit from santa and everyone one went home with a gift.

mom and dad got a beautiful new nespresso latte maker

http://www.nespresso-us.com/machines/pixie/

and dad made the most beautiful gifts for each of the grandsons...

some got exquisite poker boxes that are each one of a kind...

it was something very special...

(i'm sorry i didn't personally get a picture but they are truly

beautiful...)

prime rib

yorkshire pudding

  

on christmas eve we each had our own little parties

and at ours we made 

yorkshire pudding 

for the very first time.

this is a tradition in matt's family and it is wonderful...

 we also made a

prime rib (fantastic)!!!!

for the first time...

we probably had enough to feed you all and are still feasting on it today...

we even had a sit down dinner:)

(this is one of my new years resolutions-to have more sit down dinners)

matt built his annual snow sculpture...

a giant vintage coke bottle!

it was really something...

it didn't last very long though...

so sad...

and my beautiful mother made me this scarf and it was my very favorite present...

our christmas was wonderful...

but we have had a ton of snow and i have to drive in it tomorrow...

dang!

i have been busy working on some books for this year...

here is the first one

the other boleyn girl

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37470.The_Other_Boleyn_Girl

i will post more of them in a day or two...

bye...

more later...

for a wintery day...

chai tea latte

for a wintery day...

we are a bit snowed in here

this helped a lot...

just brew the chai tea bag

and add frothed or heated milk

and cinnamon...

you can sweeten it if you like...

but i like it just like this...

this hot chocolate worked also...

 thanks mom...

yea...

pretty snowy...

bye...
more later...

cafe` bernice

bernice's peanut brittle

this is our first installment 

of cafe` bernice:)...

hope to have more...

yea, 

we all love this in the thomas family and look forward to it all year...

bernice is an amazing cook who cooks with her head, 

so if you want to learn one of her recipes, 

you have to cook it with her...

matt made this...

 with bernice by his side...

and learned something special...

first prepare the pans

(bernice gave us these pans with strict instructions to use them for nothing else but candy)

it is amazing...

we had an awesome christmas...

i will tell you more about it later...

hope you did too...

bye...

more later...

"peninsulas of apricot"

spiced apricots

something new to add to the Christmas party fruit and cheese platter:)

i got this recipe from

here

i used semi sweet chocolate instead of dark

(i think the dark is prettier but i like the taste of semi sweet better)

i used my little miniature crockpot

but you could use a double broiler or the microwave...

just melt the chocolate

dip half of the apricot into the chocolate and lay on wax paper...

sprinkle with chili powder...

the spice adds the most wonderful kick!

it was so easy...

it seriously took me like 5 minutes!

so pretty...



pretty little radishes

radishes with butter and sea salt

since we have been taking a little break from the 

"book club"

for the month of december,

i have been playing...

i have been trying to find some fun things to try out for our family christmas party... 

 i have been reading this book

possession

and it kept referring to radish and butter sandwiches...

so i looked it up...

apparently it is very french and quite popular...

so of course i had to try it:)

the spiciness of the radishes and the creaminess of the butter along with the salt is a remarkably nice combination...

not to mention super pretty...

all the websites said to make sure you 

"see the butter"

so, 

i did!

it is very good

i believe i have found a new favorite:)

sometimes i love pretending that i am someone other than who i am...

this week i was french:)

i hope you are enjoying december...

bye...

more later...

bare-naked granola

dallys' granola

not really...

but it's close enough:)

super easy and delicious...

i absolutely loved that when dallys posted this on instagram

within hours, we were all making it, preparing to make it, or planning to make it...

i love instagram...

it's so great for families who live far apart...

thank's dallys:)

it's almost here!!!!

are you getting ready?

bye...

more later...