Busy as an Elf!

Baking, shopping, and painting...it has been a very busy week!



You can find my Mom's special Pecan Tassie recipe on my sister's blog - Whistlestop Cafe Cooking!




The perfect wedding dress has been ordered!





and I finished painting the baby's room for Michelle and Jay!
One more trip to the grocery store and I am almost ready for Chistmas ...how about you?

"Rav" Day

It's an annual tradition and I was the guest of honor this year....the "Italian side" of Doug's family gathered to make mass quantities of ravioli and spaghetti for the holiday season. It is as much about family as it is about food! Everyone showed up with their own ball of seriously kneaded dough and Grandma pinched and poked and carefully selected the year's "Best Dough" winner. The special apron gives a family member bragging rights for one year. There were no slackers in this kitchen, everyone had a job...I was a "baller" and according to my team we "kicked butt"!











The wine flowed, the flour flew, and the finale was a fabulous Italian meal of homemade pasta and family specialties (British term for specialty).
I can't think of a better Christmas tradition!

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral....the perfect setting for a picturesque Christmas market and ice skating rink.....I think the sign says it all "England's Christmas Capital"!


We spent the day shopping the market stalls, watching the children ice skate with the support of the skating penguins - how cute is that? - an entertaining guided tour of the cathedral, and of course, the perfect holiday Pub lunch.










Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic Cathedral in Europe. History can be traced back to the original site in the year 642. Since then the rebuilt and renovated Cathedral has hosted the Funeral of William II, the coronation of Richard I, the marriage of Queen Mary I, and the funeral and burial of Jane Austen. The architecture is majestic and worth the trip any time of the year!

PEACE and quiet!

At 8:00 AM, far away from the student protests, Hyde Park is PEACEFUL!

London Lights

Nothing gets me in the holiday spirit faster than an evening stroll through Sloane Square. The lights on the side of Peter Jones and hanging in the trees give the area a blue hue highlighted by the cold crispness of the air. It's magical!


But my favorite street has to be Elizabeth Street - Don't you just love the chandeliers hanging above the street?





We ended up meeting friends at our favorite "Sunday Roast" spot, The Orange on Pimlico Road.
Happy Christmas to all....see you back in London in 2011!

King's Cove

It turned out to be a great birthday surprise for Rick, but while we were caravanning in the pitch dark, down narrow country roads, relying on an occasional GPS signal for guidance, not a sign of civilization in sight...I had my doubts! Sandi was humming the theme song to "Deliverance" and there is no telling what our "Boston Boys" were thinking!




"King's Cove" on Lake Martin turned out to be the perfect weekend retreat for our family. It was new construction but rustic-country-quirky-shabby chic and full of quaint antique pieces and comfortable overstuffed furniture. We kept the fire blazing, watched football (whew - did have cable!), played dominoes, grilled steaks, watched the sunset over the lake and toasted marshmallows in the chiminea. Some were brave enough to take the canoe out...homemade paddle and all!















Thank goodness Sandi remembered to pack the Woodbridge!
You can see some photo's of the inside of the cabin on her blog.. Whistlestop Cafe Cooking....
Cheers! Ya'll

Pride and Tradition

It is with great PRIDE that the people of Auburn go all out and decorate for the biggest game of the year...the Auburn VS Alabama football game! Rick's sister's house was decorated for Thanksgiving, Football, and Christmas ...in that order...and was spectacular. We were lucky enough to be there this year when Auburn turned things around in the fourth quarter and finished a winning season.






The TRADITION is gathering at Toomer's Corner in downtown Auburn after the game. There is a special technique to throwing the toilet paper so that it drapes all the trees and wires until it looks like a wintry snow scene. I'm not sure the boyfriends from Boston will ever be the same after this experience!
WAR EAGLE!