New Year, New Adventures!

As it is now 2014, I can't believe I've been in Albuquerque about a month and a half. It doesn't seem like that long, but at the same time it seems so much longer. We're finally moved into our new place, though we I still have quite a bit of unpacking and organizing to do (the spare room door stays shut to ignore the mess when we have company over.) All the paperwork is turned in, finally got the mailbox switched over to our names and have the keys sitting on the counter, and there's food in the kitchen!

My first Christmas not spent at my mom's house went well. We met my sister and her family in Old Town on Christmas Eve to look at the luminarias which are paper bags filled with sand and a candle that are pretty at night (it's a New Mexico thing) and got some really tasty hot chocolate before heading back to their house for Christmas Eve festivities. My niece and I sprinkled "reindeer food" in the front yard, she opened a present, a new set of pajamas, which is a tradition in my brother in law's family, he read her Night Before Christmas, she put out a plate of cookies for Santa and veggies for the reindeer, and we tucked her into bed. My sister, her husband, Paul, and I watched the Trans Siberian Orchestra's Lost Christmas on DVD, which I fell asleep part way through, even though it was really good.

We came back the next morning, coffee in hand, and walked in to squeals form my niece that Santa left her the Monsters High "castle" (school) and then she told us Merry Christmas and asked her parents if she could open presents now that Wally and Paul were here. We had Christmas Day dinner with them, turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, similar to Thanksgiving, (I thought.) Paul and I celebrated with his family a few days after. Everyone brought a dish to dinner, I made a garlic and herb risotto and peppermint pie, Paul made dairy free scalloped potatoes, and we had smoked brisket as the protein. Everything on the table was homemade, from the meat to the rolls to the cranberry sauce. After dinner we exchanged gifts, his puppy was quite happy with the bone he got from us.

I broke in my new crepe pan the following week, using the speculoos I got in my stocking as filling, and more traditional butter and sugar for filling in the rest of them. I may or may not have eaten the speculoos with a spoon while making crepes. I had to make sure it was still good to serve Paul. I mean, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't try several spoonfuls of the amazingly delicious gingerbread like spread to make sure he'd like it before giving it to my boyfriend?

Slowly but surely we're settling in, making this place feel more like home. I'm getting photos hung on the walls, setting out things that remind us of family, and breaking in our kitchen with my first cake of the new year/new place.

We also have a new pet. His name is Pickles. He's a hedgehog. And completely hypoallergenic! His friend is Rico. He's a penguin.They generally hang out on the mantle above the fireplace.

Well that's it for now. Got to get back to making dinner. Baked zucchini with pasta. We're pretty excited. And white mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt for after! I hope everyone's staying warm!