Happy New Year!

I made Pineapple Champagne Sorbet from The Perfect Scoop.



Mmm, fresh pineapple is so delicious! This sorbet is very airy and light. And festive!

Chris and I went skating at Frontier Park this evening. Brrrr, it was cold!!! Now we're eating assorted cheeses and waiting for the new year to begin. The TV is going on and on about the new decade. *rolleyes* I'll celebrate the new decade next year, when it begins.

Dennis's Favorite Fudge

I had some leftover ingredients from our Christmas cookies, so I made the fudge recipe from the Baker's chocolate box, sans nuts because we both prefer our fudge nutless.

Dennis can't stop eating this fudge! It is not as sugary or creamy as the Fantasy Fudge my Grandma always made, but it is about the easiest fudge recipe ever.

Merry Hunting / Chinese Buffet Day

I am still under the weather, but we got up and went hunting this morning anyway. I took an adult dose of Tylenol cold medicine (ew, the orange stuff) right before we went out the door.

Dennis saw a deer as we were walking down the old farm road. I was fully bundled and carrying my seat and bibs at the time, so I didn't think I could shoot. He got the muzzleloader. He walked parallel to the path he'd seen the deer on, and I continued down the road. Of course, that's when I saw deer. If I'd put my stuff down and gotten the rifle ready instead of handing it off, we'd have venison tonight. Oh well, that's hunting!

We sat for a while, but I was too wired from my adult dose of Tylenol cold medicine to sit still for very long. We made it about two hours in total. I realized as I was walking back up the hill that I really did not feel good at all, and questioned coming out into the cold to begin with.

After a nap, we went to Ryce Oriental Buffet for dinner. Their special holiday buffet seemed pretty nice. I had a fever by this time, so I didn't try much in the way of Westernized Chinese food, nor did I venture too far into the more exotic side of the buffet. I mostly ate dim sum dishes from the steam table. They had some jade dumplings that were super tasty. Dennis had some spicy tendon.

Orange Cookies - Florida

Beth's Orange Cookies - opted not to ice them after tasting the cookie alone.

trip to Florida in June.

Work/Party

We had a "rob your neighbor" Christmas party at work today. They also catered Bud Select and White Castles. I am getting a cold just in time for Christmas. I tried to keep off to myself to some extent, because I don't want to get everyone's children and grandparents sick.

I left early and came home to sleep. I hope this doesn't hang on for the whole long weekend! Dennis and I wanted to hunt.

Mexican Wedding Cakes - Shannon's Favorite

These really are my favorite cookies, and I include them in my Christmas cookies every year.

Mexican Wedding Cakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease cookie sheets.

Toast, stirring occasionally, in a baking pan until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes:
1 c chopped pecans

Set aside to cool completely, then grind until very finely chopped but not powdery or oily.

Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 t salt
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 t vanilla

Gradually beat the pecans into the butter mixture. Sift over the top and stir in until well blended:
2 c ap flour

Pull off pieces of the dough and roll between your palms into generous 1-inch balls. Space about 1-1/4 inches apart on the sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are faintly tinged with brown, 12 to 15 minutes; rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even browning. Remove the sheet to a rack and let stand until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely. Roll the cookies until coated all over in:

1/3 c powdered sugar

Fifth-life Crisis

My sister is turning twenty tomorrow. Apparently she is experiencing some kind of fifth-life crisis over it. I'd like to try twenty over some time. I don't remember having much fun - I just remember a lot of hard times and hard work.

At any rate, the family came down to St. Charles to celebrate Beth's birthday. We walked past a few places, and finally settled on dinner at Little Hills Winery. It was a fine place to eat. I think there was a little sticker shock over the bill, but in all reality we ate for about $15 per person, which seems reasonable to me.

We got Beth some insulated riding gloves.

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies - Memphis

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

Trip to Memphis

Pine Nut Cookies - Colorado

I am not thrilled with these. I picked the wrong recipe. I don't have a food processor. There is nowhere near enough mositure to make this work with a hand mixer. I should have gone with something like Anne Burrell's version.

These represent our trip to Colorado in November.

Kentucky Bourbon Balls - Kentucky Trip

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

These represent our trip to Kentucky this summer.

Snickerdoodles - Chris's favorite

Chris requested snickerdoodles for his Christmas cookie this year.

I used the Joy of Cooking recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk until wel blended:
2 c ap flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

Beat in a large bowl:
1 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar

Add and beat until well combined:
2 large eggs

Stir in flour mixture.

Combine:
1/4 c sugar
4 t cinnamon

Shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, roll in the cinnamon sugar, and arrange about 2 3/4 inches apart on the cookie sheets.Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let stand breifly, then remove to a rack to cool.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Dennis's Favorite

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Cookie supplies

I finally came up with a holiday cookie theme! This year we're doing one cookie for each place we've traveled to and one cookies by special request of each family memeber. Total grocery bill: $95

Winter Wonderland

Chris participated in a St. Charles Bicentennial concert at Lindenwood University this afternoon.



Here's a video of the Eight Grade Orchestra doing "Winter Wonderland".

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

We went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra this evening. Chris gets one hour extra credit practice time for going to a concert!

We had a blast at the concert. Chris loved it. There was a big storm while we were there, and when we walked back to the car, we passed a bunch of flooded cars in City Hall's parking lot. Brrr, those poor people!



I haven't been to a concert with lasers and pyro for a long time. It felt like too long. Cool.

Christmas shelves

I used to display Chris's special yearly ornaments on our entertainment center. Now there are just too many, or the entertainment center is too small.

I came up with the idea of shelves. This way the ornaments are even more highlighted, and he can take them with him when he leaves the house. In the distant future...

Christmas tree

The tree has been up since November 27th. A little slacking later, and viola - a Christmas tree!



Now let's get some presents under there!

What I wore

I'm starting a new project this week. I'm taking a picture of what I wore to work each day. I'm hoping it will help me keep track and better gauge what I need to add to my closet. It is also incentive to go home for lunch instead of out to eat. You know, so I'll have more lunch money to spend on clothes!

Photobucket album for "What I wore"

Brown Butter Ice Cream

I mostly followed this recipe, but I did the whisking in the blender.

This has the flavor of brown butter, and a very dense mouth feel. Dennis and I both agree that it needs to go with something, like a dark chocolate brownie. It would also be good with an addition of vanilla or lemon flavor.

Chirstmas Concert

Chris's first orchestra concert of the year was this evening.