The Holidays

Our holidays started off with a tasty and fun package from Hannah.

Then Todd brought home fantastic holiday creations from Zabar's.  What you can't see in this picture is that inside the candy coating on tree is a solid ganache cone. 

We also managed to get our tree and trim it more than 48 hours before Christmas. Many thanks to Niraj who came out to help with the decorating.

As always we had a great time with my parents for the holidays.  I got to spend some time with my mom while I made a holiday gnome to keep the bat and the peppermint beastie company.  I may or may not have left tiny silicon beanies all over the house. 

After the crafty preparations we prepared a tasty dinner of unlikely holiday foods and sat down to a fun family dinner.  I have to say it is always a good time when we visit my parents.  The food is always good, but the fellowship and community that my parents foster in their house in Harlem with their own kids and all of our friends and acquaintances is really what makes events there special and makes us want to just drop by and visit.

Our eclectic meal included ravioli in bolognese sauce, mandarin duck, osso bucco, stuffed pork loin, risotto and brussels sprouts. 

To top things off we shared a traditional flaming Christmas pudding with hard sauce.  Todd has been perfecting his recipe and I have been "helping" by listening to Hercule Poirot in The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.

Over dessert we cracked open a few early presents.

The next day we headed to Kent where we opened presents with his family.  Here Todd shows up a fun wrapping job and his new Whaler's hat.

 

Buddy and Dakota seem awfully happy amid the paper and boxes. 

  

 Buddy was not please with this remote controlled helicopter that Todd got from his dad and eyed it suspiciously.