And A Happy New Year

What?
You don't ring in the New Year by beating pots and pans with spoons?? Clearly you aren't half Keating. But I'm glad we're friends so I can urge you to try it for 2014. I converted three people that night. And they weren't that drunk.

Miss H was fierce and I was fancy because I had on a sparkly headband. Instant fancy!
With tons of food and fun and games it was an excellent start to the New Year and I have to say I'm all a fizz to see what happens this year! It's so exciting!

I don't go in for making lists of resolutions but I have thoughts about how I'd like this year to be, not really goals but how I want to feel and be as a person. I really shook my life up last year, I was brave and walked away from a place that was bad for me into the unknown. I woke up and fought, just like Woody told me to. And with a V for Victory I end 2012, the Year of Woody, lovin' everybody.

I like going home for Christmas and getting back in touch with that older part of my life before coming back to the city to revel in the present for the New Year. It really puts things in perspective, showing you their values.

And I do love the old part...

Quiet and familiar.

Just as I left it, almost. And yet so different.

It was a more subdued Christmas somehow, feeling the need to pull in a little, even the Misses Lizbeth and Amy said they felt that way this year. Not in a bad way, just different from some other years. All the same it was wonderful, all the new things and the old ones too.

And of course we ate well. We had steaks for Christmas Eve (as ever, nothing says "I Love You" to a Sandin like red meat, thanks Grandaddy!) and our menu for Christmas Day: Breakfast Burritos, Roast Chicken and Vegetables with an Asian Pear Salad for dinner, and Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce for dessert.

Smashing.

This is the breakfast of champions.

I'm not sure I would have managed all that wrapping ripping without such hearty fortification! I was still slightly full when dinner rolled around which is quite shocking as well as appalling as it was a really tasty dinner and I wanted to eat lots of it.

It was made extra exciting by the meat thermometer exploding in the oven while the chicken was roasting. Eep! But no one choked on a piece of glass, thankfully, we just chewed very carefully. I just couldn't manage seconds. But never fear, I rallied for this:

I love this dessert and no Christmas should be without it. The cake itself is a very nice gingerbread but the true glory is the lemon butter sauce we drench it it. It's heaven and you actually find yourself cutting a second piece of cake to use up the sauce left on your plate from the first slice. It's that kind of a sauce people.

Miss Linda's Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

1 c molasses
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c sugar
1/2 melted butter
2 c flour
1 c boiling water
2 eggs, separated and the yolks and whites beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the molasses, baking soda and spices together.
Add sugar, butter, flour and hot water beating together well.
Add yolks and fold in the whites.
Pour into greased 8 c ring mold, the batter looks thin it's okay!
Bake for 35-40 minutes.

and don't you dare skimp out on the sauce or I'll smack you.

Sauce:
1 c sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 c water
1 egg, beaten
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 c butter

Mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Gradually stir in the water, egg, lemon juice and zest, and butter. Keep stirring until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Keep at a boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and pour into a small jug to serve. Makes 1 1/2 c.

But I have to say, my favorite part of Christmas was falling asleep to the quiet hiss of snowflakes falling on the skylights and waking up to a wintry wonderland.

It was falling fast enough my plans for the day were cancelled and I snuggled up with Miss Linda on the couch to watch movies and knit.

Dr. Karl kept peering out windows shaking his head and tut-tutting at the rate the snow was falling which made us giggle.

I had him make me "children's coffee" which is just really milky sweet coffee which I drank out of a bowl just like him.

And we managed to make it all the way through the Lord of the Rings, again.

By nightfall the snow had slowed and Miss Noh and I went for a walk in the wintry wonderland of our hometown.

We still have a pathetic amount of snow up here in Chicago. I'm quite glum about it and keep glaring any time Miss Linda tells me of how they've had even MORE snow since I've left. Jerks.

Whatever.

I'm still ridiculously cheerful about the start of a brand new year and will just have to keep my fingers crossed for a Snowmageddon 2013. Bring on the thunder-snow!!