A good one and some Christmas snaps

Ooookkkk, so Jason got a pasta maker for Christmas...and we had homemade pasta with a brilliant concoction of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions and parsley - like a cappellini pomodoro type dish.  SO GOOD.  The pasta is fantastic - Graham helped crank it out.

We left Thurs for Eau Claire, went to cousins' Zach, Jake & Josh's HS hockey game, went to Dan & Cheri's Christmas Eve morn, celebrated Christmas Eve with some of Jason's Dad's side of the family, Christmas day we opened gifts under the tree with Mary, Dave, Ryan, Jen, B and E, headed to Madison and celebrated with my Dad's side of the family and on Sunday celebrated with my Mom's side of the family at her boathouse - it was a winter carnival of sorts!  Skating, broomball, bonfire, kayak sleighriding, etc!  And finally made it back home to celebrate yet again with just the four of us!  WOO.  Caught up on sleep and here we are.  Headed back to Madtown for my Dad's retirement party on NYE...

Catch up and Christmas!

Dear, dear Jason...this blog has benefited me like I didn't foresee...Jason has stepped up his game, I think.  Now that he's published...hee hee.  But seriously, it does seem like the ideas, creativity and quality have elevated in the past months...I'm just always so floored by dinner so many nights!

Two great ones:

I don't have a lot of cravings/moods for particular food except Thai food and Graham had his Christmas concert tonight (REAL cute, see below, with a couple of another little gal for good measure) and Jason made Pud Thai - Wooo hoooooooo!  SO GOOD.  Rice noodles from TJs, pud thai sauce, bean sprouts, chicken in soy sauce, etc., red pepper, cilantro, scallions.  YA Hoo Yum.

And a few nights ago, Jason made this salad with spinach/herb mix, chicken, craisins, goat cheese and a from-scratch balsamic herb vinaigrette PLUS!!  a from-scratch rosemary flatbread that Jason had a hankering for and found a recipe on the web.  Seeeeee??  Isn't it crazy?  Crazy awesome.

PEACE AND LOVE AND COMORT AND JOY TO ALL!  Happy Holidays...xoxo

Two great dishes and 'that' flu

Jason made a couple great ones the last week.  First was a sort of Asian creation with bean sprouts, peas in the pod, chicken, pears, brown rice, etc.  YUM.

Then that vicious albeit short-lived flu hit Graham on Friday at midnight but was fine by Saturday night.  The rest of us were just fine until Tuesday morning for me.  WOW.  Not good.  I begged Jason to come home from work to help with G and E and he obliged.  The knight in shining armor made a seriously incredible soup for dinner - I was able to eat it surprisingly.  Orzo, carrots, corn, chicken, celery...he sauteed the veggies first and then added broth and the orzo last.  REE Hee hee LL goooood!

Here are Graham and Estelle getting geared up for Christmas

Little Drummer Boy - Graham loves putting costumes together and tying anything and everything together