Presents & Stuff

[bjcotton]

Here are some of the things I got for Christmas...the best part was being with Jean, Roy, and Tracie again, what fun!

Tracie gave me the handmade tiedyed apron; Roy made the meat mallet, the salt box, and the wooden fork thingie leaning on top of the jelly [works great on bacon], made by his own loving hands; Jean gave me the Apple Cider Cinnamon Red Hot Jelly, the Cranberry-Apple Chutney, and notice the little Christmas Tree ornament hanging from the cupboard handle...that was for Buddy! He obviously felt right at home too!



Here is some of the snow we endured on the way home.



Jean and Roy relaxing after [or maybe it was before a hard day], Jean still in PJs She threatened me if I took certain pictures.

[Mare749]

Billy, it sounds like you had a wonderful time and even got some snow to go with it to make your day festive! Thanks for sharing your gifts and pictures. I'll try to post some as soon as I get a chance to.

Christmas is always fun in our family, but this year was extraordinary, probably because we had Alyssa running around and playing like a normal two-year-old should be. What an incredible blessing it is to have three beautiful grandbabies!

Santa gave me some fun toys also, like a very nice cookbook holder for my kitchen, my favorite bread baking book by Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, which I have taken out of the library at least a dozen times. Also got a new salt pig, and a very pretty gold necklace.

Maryann

[bjcotton]

I got another present when I got home. I love old cookbooks where previous owners write notes, stick scraps of paper in with something written on them, old newspaper recipes, etc. PJ sent me "Ruth Wakefields TOLL HOUSE Tried and True Recipes" published in 1945 and it has notes handwritten in it. I'm so happy!

[cjs]

We didn't even unload the car when we got home last night, so can't remember all the individual things we got - but we sure made a killing, let me tell you! All kinds of goodies to try

[Gourmet_Mom]

I love the salt box Billy! Somehow the apron just screams you...LOL!

I got my mixer, Peterson's Sauces book, some Fiestaware, and a few other cooking gadgets....but these were the best. I'm on page 42 in my book and can see this is one I'll be reading over and over.

[bjcotton]

Peterson's Sauces is a great book. If I recall, we had a long discussion about it on another website and with my limited knowledge on the subject I had to have it. I make reference to it often.

[cjs]

Oh lucky you, Daphne!! I also love that book!

[Harborwitch]

Oh good, another book I need to get! (Jean can't I write these off as business expenses???)!

We had a pretty low key Christmas planned. Having to pay rent after living rent free for darn near 8 years and no longer having my pay check really put a damper on it - but our little argument with the State of Confusion (I mean California! LOL paid off just a few days before Christmas.

Bob's wedding ring broke a number of years ago - and we never saw anything we liked to replace it. Then - while we were moving the big stone fell out of my engagement band which interlocked with the wedding band so I had to put it away until we can get them both fixed. This year for Christmas we got each other "Always & Forever" rings. They are titanium with a center band that spins - on the outside of mine it is engraved with "Always & Forever" and a tiny heart with a speck of a diamond. Bob's band also has a center part that spins - a larger speck of a diamond, and the inside of his band is engraved with "Always & Forever". He said it was the best Christmas present we've ever gotten each other!

Jennifer got Bob 3 pairs of nice slacks for him to wear to work, and went to Williams Sonoma for part of mine - beautiful black on cream toile apron and 2 pot holders to match, and a wonderful Moroccan cookbook that we are dying to play in!!

#1 daughter got us a beautiful cheese board made out of a piece of a stave of a wine barrel with corks for legs. Of course it sat with triple cream brie and luscious feta for appys.

All in all it was a darn good Christmas. We did some shopping for things we needed and we have a digital scale, a rectangular cloche for baking bread, and a (don't laugh) G5 grill/waffle iron/etc. still on our list. Might even get to get a tagine! www.casablancamarket.com has some lovely ones, and Bob does like his food to be prepared in authentic cooking utensils when we can.

[cjs]

Yes, now that you are registered with APCA, you can legitimately deduct all your cookbooks, small cooking appliances, cooking equipment, etc.

[Harborwitch]

Hmmmmmm!