The Silly Season

OK, dear Readers, I have been remiss and I apologize. I have broken my own rule about blogging and haven't posted for quite some time now. I'm not usually one to make New Year's Resolutions but this year will be an exception - I will update far more frequently, promise.

So here comes the brain dump from the month of December 2008, are ya ready?!

Annual baking day with the girls – twelve hours of baking resulted in eight different kinds of holiday treats and dozens of each. We have our usuals – traditional Scottish shortbread, rum balls, blueberry mincemeat tarts, butter tarts, chocolate bark and skor bars. We added sugar cookies and ambrosia macaroons to the mix this year. The highlight for me this season were the fruitcake cookies, so pretty in their little gold foil baking cups.

Annual tree trimming – every season we round up all our friends to help decorate the tree. Always so much fun! We do ask that everyone bring an ornament, we have quite a collection now, all beautiful and provide fantastic memories. Of course, the Boy and I put out quite a spread, including his beef tenderloin (OMG, it was good and gobbled right up) and a fantastic red pepper dip that was new this year and will be added to my party repertoire from now on. And, of course, the old standby stuffed mushrooms. A big thanks and a big hug to everyone for sharing in this festive event with us.

Between tree trimming and the weekend before Christmas -- Work, work, blah, blah, got a promotion (!), seasonal functions, Trevor’s jersey was retired, Sundin signed, blah, blah, too darn cold for Vancouver, snowed too much, I ate too much, drank too much, repeat, etc.

Stuff you might not know -- to remove a little bit of cork from a glass of wine, rather than chase it around with a spoon use a straw, the bits will stick to it (and I don't mean suck them out). Question: Do you have to serve the wine your guests brought? Answer: You are not obliged to open the gift bottle, it is meant as a host(ess) gift. Thank your guest, keep the wine and, if you wish, have your friend over some other time to enjoy it. Or open it up, your choice!

Liver, yuck! I tried, I really tried. I consider myself a foodie but you can't be a true connoisseur if you won't eat the offal. But I have my limits, I enjoy paté, liverwurst etc, but straight liver, not so much. I haven't had liver since I was a kid, so when we went to Tapastree, I thought I'd give it another go, ummm, yeah, no. I’m sure the chicken livers were very good to those that enjoy the taste, I’m just not one of those, and I’m now at peace with that. The sauce was good though! Particularly excellent with a glass of Joie rosé.

Wine – many of you know that I’m taking course in wine, I’ve signed up for Level 3 (Advanced), I wrote the exam for Level 2 (Intermediate) – I think I passed but it was tough, cross your fingers! We checked out the new Joey’s wine bar in Bentall 1, excellent selection and all by the glass – with my new love of rosé, I tried the Menage á Trois from California, beautiful. There were so many but another I enjoyed include the aforementioned Joie PTG (their first red).

Miss Kitty and her family, and Reese and his family were over for Christmas Dinner – the Boy again made his fabulous Deconstructed Turkey, so juicy, so flavourful, so good. I made a gingerbread trifle, also yummy. Thanks to Miss Kitty for the crabby appy and the brussels, and to Reese for bucking up for the turkey.

That brings us to today, Happy New Year everyone! May you find lots of things to enjoy, and please don’t forget those less fortunate. Smooches.