IT IS THE YEAR OF THE DRAGONNNN!!!
Especially if, by “dragonnnn!!!” you mean “soul-crushing cold virus.”
By the evening of December 25, my head was so sore and stuffy that my teeth hurt whenever I blew my nose. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is usually busy; I take the kids on trips to museums, parks, and the zoo. Not so this year. My body gave me a Time Out. Napping was the priority.
It was a surprisingly good thing. We all lounged around the house, feeling cozy, putting together puzzles, eating chocolates, and enjoying our Christmas gifts.
The kids were allowed to take over the dining room with Lego creations. Ella spent the week in her princess dresses.
I even managed to summon the energy to use up the gingerbread cookie mix someone left on our porch. (Yes, porch. That’s the way we roll in these parts.)
Brian even cancelled a golf game with my dad on the 27th to stay home and help me get well. Which turned out to be fortunate, as that was the same day one of our kitchen cabinets fell off the wall, breaking almost all of the dishes inside. (Bright Side: all of the ’60s “rooster” casserole dishes were saved. Dark Side: the beautiful ceramic Ben Behunin platter was destroyed.) It was nice to not clean that up all by myself.
I was feeling somewhat normal by the time New Year’s Eve rolled around. Our friends AnnaJune and Justin hosted a Cupcake War. The “dragon” cupcakes (at the top of this post) made our entry. Those are red velvet donuts on top of the cupcakes. Yum.
Because I didn’t cook a fancy dinner on Christmas, I decided to do so on New Year’s Day. I invited my parents and brother over, and we ate a roast with all the fixings. (Lego dragons were used as centerpieces.)
There was even a ganache-covered cake with peppermint cream that was so delicious I didn’t even have a chance to photograph it until it looked like this:
That kind of face-stuffing glee is the greatest compliment a chef can get. Happy New Year, my friends. May your future be filled with all kinds of cake.
Casa Camisas 