More Christmas, Authentic Chinese Hot Pot and more...

Christmas morning came with a bang this year. The gifts were more family oriented with camping being the theme. There were compass', whistles, fishing poles and chairs. Coats and socks for some and clothes for others. Then we and Santa had to appease the intellects with reading, mouths for flavors and eyes for seeing.
Max seems to like his sugar cookie scented chew bone that Santa left this year.
Likewise Jake seems to be making sure that his chew bone is safe from all others for the moment.



"I saw you move over there!"

Ivan got my adaption of the "Thorpe" by Kirsten Kapur. I've made so many of these over the last couple of years for members of our family. Maybe some day I'll be able to get those people together for a picture. I think I'm missing our family being together.

This last summer Bonnie and kids came down for a long wonderful visit and we went camping. (At the time we didn't realize that our battery was in the beginning stages of dying.) After packing up the car to head home, the car refused to start. Fortunately for us Bonnie was there with her vehicle. Better yet! Bonnie had a portable starter. We used it to start the "monster" and off for home we headed. All the way home David was Ooooing and Ahhhing about that portable starter. Determined to get one he checked the Internet and eventually life took hold and he forgot all about it. But look what his daughter and son-in-law didn't forget about! David finally got that portable starter that he Ooooed and Ahhhed over all those months ago all the way from chilly Minnesota! Thank you guys!

One of the things I think we all love the most about this Holiday is the handmade gifts that cross paths in the mail. Jessica is famous for her hats and scarves. The kids absolutely love them. Here is the group with this years hats! Thanks sis!

Christmas day this year found us developing a new tradition. I so wanted to do something different from the usual Christmas day fare of turkey, ham, roast beef with potatoes, green bean casserole, etc. So we purchased lots of yummy vegs, noodles, prime rib (sliced ever so thin) and seafood. This is our Authentic Chinese Hot Pot! You quite literally cook your own meal at the table. The base is a fragrant soup made from chicken bones to which you add ginger, green onion, salt and white pepper and white cooking wine. You use this soup to cook all of your food at the table.

As you can tell the Hot Pot is a hit. The only draw back was that the kids were eating so fast that the adults, who are more used to casual dining couldn't get to the hot pot before the next round of children were cooking.

Finally getting to start cooking his own meal, Ivan is a happy camper. He'd waited about 20 - 30 min's for me to finally call a halt to the kids' speed eating episode! and allow the other folks at the table to do a bit of participating. I think I'm going to purchase another hot pot dish and divide the table next time so that the kids can eat to their hearts content without the old folks slowing down the process for them.

Olivia made the move. She is finally in her own room and none to soon as far as she is concerned. We still have painting to do, but the carpet is cleaned and the room is, for the moment, to her liking.