Christmas Recap

This Christmas was my favorite one so far, I think. It was more about spending time with people and visiting than gifts this year. But that is what counts! I am so thankful for all the people in my life! ;-D
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Santa gave Sport a Canadian Goose-toy that honks. He loves it! He takes it everywhere with him, even in the car when we go for a drive. LOL.
Matt got a nice winter coat from me, and we bought ourselves a new printer/fax/scanner, this one is an HP and it really works (unlike that crappy one we had before). It also prints color so we can do fliers and photos. ;-D
Matt got me a beautiful fancy candle called Low Country New Orleans, and it smells DIVINE! Also the Hangover Movie, and Elf Movie.
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We got to visit with all of our friends and local family over the week and weekend.
Chris and Mina came over for dinner one night to try some of the Mollydooker Wine we fell in love with (from NYC) - we had greek steaks and yogurt sauce.
and then the next night Ben & Erika came over for dinner (Scallops in basil pesto linguini). and we did our gift exchanges.
Christmas Eve we went to a Bulgarian party at Chris & Mina's with their family and did gifts there. The meal was all vegan, they don't do any animal related food until Christmas Day, some tradition? healthy! Anyway it was super tasty stuff.
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Christmas Day, we went to Matt's Mom's house and did the ham/meal there, gift exchange, etc. Then we drove to Vanya's house (Mina's aunt) to celebrate Hristo's & Chris's "name day" which is always the same day as Christmas - tradition, and we had gumbo, and lots of other food and wine.
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I got to play with Ian (Chris & Mina's son who is 2 now), a lot. He is talking up a storm and says my name now! He likes to play cars, and dance. He's bilingual, so sometimes I have to figure out if he's talking to me in English or Bulgarian. Too funny.
Matt and I came home and watched ELF together. I love that movie, I was getting all sentimental so I cried. lol.
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Saturday we had leftovers (ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies, salad, etc) and Matt decided he wanted Wii Resort and Mario Kart, so we used our Target gift card,and bought those, and I watched the movie I had been asking for "Kiss Me Kate" - and then we found out our friend James (the White Russian) was in town visiting from Vegas, so we went to pick him up and he slept over, and it was an impromptu party at our house. Mostly we played Wii with everyone and snacked on the ham. Everybody had a blast!
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Sunday we had a nice big breakfast (turkey bacon, eggs over easy on pumpernickel toast, and garnished with green chiles) and then out of the blue…
Sport had 2 seizure-like episodes yesterday afternoon (he was sleeping in the sun, then woke up suddenly, freaked out, and was trembling, stiff, and eyes dilated). At first we thought he had a bad dream, but I noticed he was drooling. He does not drool. So I stayed next to him and petted him and talked softly, and he seemed to be calming down, and then it happened again, so we rushed him to the vet, but he seemed okay by the time we got to a doctor. My arm was wet from Sport drooling while I held him, but I didn't care, I was so worried about him. They did a full neurology exam on him, and he seems fine. They said to watch him closely so that is why I am working from home. It may just have been a food reaction, not sure, lots of holiday food around the house, he may have gotten into something. But just in case, I want to keep a watch on him and make sure he is okay.
I had already made Chile in the crock pot before Sport's emergency, so we snacked on that, and the ham again, during the day, and friends came over, and we watched The Hangover - Unrated Edition. Just before the movie, Ian came over with Mina & Chris (they were visiting James), and I had my nephew's toys here for him to play with. He had ball and didn't want to leave. too funny!
Sport has been super tired since his emergency yesterday, he sleeps and sleeps. He is very sweet though. He even licked Ian's face. LOL. Ian mostly ignores him, which is good because then Sport will like him more. My nephew used to pull on Sport's tail and fur, and Sport got frustrated with him. However Ian is better with animals, probably since he has 2 cats at his house.
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Today I'm just working at home and watching Sport to see that he doesn't have any more issues. We have been super careful with making sure no food falls on the floor. He is only stuck eating his dogfood (no fun for him, he is begging us for some ham, but I am not giving in).
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My co-worker told me that a long time ago his dog had a seizure from eating some chocolate. So maybe somehow Sport got some chocolate? I am not sure. there is no evidence that he did, but I do not know.
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That ham is still here, I'm getting sick of ham. Matt loves it though. I just cut up the rest of it and we are having butternut-squash ham soup and then THAT's the end of the ham. LOL. no more (thank God!).

Kick-*ss F*ckin Chile

2 cans Trader Joes organic vegetarian chile
1 can Trader Joes organic diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 big can plum tomatoes
1 small can green chiles
1/2 andouille sausage diced
4 strips turkey bacon crumbled
1/2 cup water

Pour ingredients into crockpot, stir and heat.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped ripe avocado, and crackers.

-- Post From My iPhone

Christmas Traditions

I'm feeling particularly "Christmasy" today, so I wanted to document my Christmas Traditions. Everyone had different traditions, here are some of mine:

1) Hanging the mistletoe around the house. We have 3 sprigs of it now, so I like to surprise my hubby with kisses in various doorways and hallways.

2) Jingle Dog - we have a red velvet collar with white fur and jingle bells on it, for Sport. At first he hates it, but since we leave it on him all month, he gets used to it. I call him my Jingle Dog!

3) Decorating the tree on Black Friday. Maybe it's weird, but I like to be respectful of Thanksgiving and not decorate until after. But the moment it's over, I start putting up my tree and decorations. Christmas is my fave holiday! I've got it down to a science, and usually all the decorations are done within 2 hours or so.

4) The Christmas Music Collection - I have been gradually collecting Christmas music for years now. I keep them in a case, that I pull out once a year. Then we rotate through all the CDs. New to the collection this year (compliments of Aunt Julie) are "Christmas with the Rat Pack" and "Diana Krall Christmas Songs." So far the Rat Pack is my fave, but I love them both.

5)Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee - I treat myself a few mornings before Christmas, and sometimes even buy a bag of the coffee beans to grind & brew at home, although somehow the store's brew always seems to taste better. If you haven't tried it, you MUST drink some at least once. Delicious!

6) The Ham. Matt insists that either Thanksgiving or Christmas (one of the 2) HAS to have a Honeybaked Ham. He goes CRAZY for it (almost as crazy as the dog). I like Turkey on Thanksgiving, so usually Christmas is the HAM. No exception this year either. I picked it up yesterday.

7) Wearin' O the Red & Green - Over the years people give me funky socks (Santa Socks, Grinch Socks, etc). So I try to use them in the month of December. I even have a pair of Red Shoes I don, with my Christmasy outfits. No, I do NOT do the ugly sweater thing, unless it's for an Ugly Sweater party. I'm more about solid colors, some patterns, and I have a Nutcracker pin I like to put on my jacket. Winter Scarves are definitely in - so long a they are real scarves, not the fru-fru old-lady-kind. Still gotta be the Sexy Mrs. Lane ya know!

8) Santa Hats - once in a while we'll put on the Santa Hats. Not for long though. Most of the time the are hanging around my house on various lamps, curtain rods, or on my stuffed Grinch (he who guards my Poang Chair in the den...). good party accessory!

9) The Annual Christmas Card - I start planning mine in October. no seriously. Being married to a photographer has its perks, but we like to choreograph the perfect card. We start brainstorming early. Also, considering the time it takes to order the cards, have them printed, delivered to us, address them all, stamp them, mail them, etc, it takes a few weeks. I usually have them in the mail the day after Thanksgiving, if I can. Not that it's a competition, but I like being the FIRST card people see (I know that is super silly) but it's my "planning-ahead-ness" and I can't help it. Then I spend the rest of November/December, enjoying getting cards in the mail all month long. We hang them on a snowflake/shaped iron thingie that I hang in the dining room so I can see them all the time.

10) Eggnog - Matt loves Eggnog. I like it too, but I like it to have a kick. I used to get Silk Soynog (which is still tasty), but it is not so good for mixing with other things. Now-a-days I like the "Evan Williams Eggnog" - it comes pre-spiked with whiskey/bourbon, vanilla, caramel, flavors. oooh yes! No mixing required, and since it's alcoholic, we tend to drink it in smaller portions, and I only end up buying the one bottle. Previously, we'd have 2 bottles of eggnog (non-alcoholic) in the fridge, and that's like twice the calories, ug. Let's just do it Evan Williams way!

11) Year-round Christmas Shopping - now this may sound silly to you, but I love it. Throughout the year, I buy or collect gifts that I may use for Christmas Presents. I like this for several reasons: my gifts tend to be more unique or special to the recipient, the cost is spread across 12 months, not just all in 1 month, I beat the holiday rush of INSANE-SHOPPERS, and I can have my gifts wrapped as soon as I want to instead of all at the end of the year. Also, once the tree is up, I can just put these gifts under the tree right away!

12) Calendars, Day Planners, and Schedules - oh my! Being a plan-ahead-kind-of-gal, I really love Christmas time, because I get to give myself a NEW calendar/day planner/etc. It helps keep me organized for the coming year. It's also a great time to have everyone send you their latest current address/phone so you can update your contact list. This year I am getting more digital and less dependant on paper planners/calendars. My contacts and calendar are both on my gmail account, which is backed up and synched with my iPhone. I also have backup copies of the contacts in my Outlook at work, and my Yahoo account. So check it out, never will I worry about losing the info! It's also a great time to look ahead at the next year and figure out when I tentatively may want to book vacations or parties. Gmail even has a feature in the calendar, where you can add an appointment or event, AND invite more people! Kind of like a mini-Evite. It's great for "Save the date" type actions. and the best part is, it's FREE!

13) Reuse & Recycle - Call me Thrifty, but if you gift me a gift bag and tissue paper... I typically will save it and reuse it next year. Yes indeed. Why not use that Gift Bag more than once? Straighten and refold that pretty tissue paper, let's reuse it! Heck it's GREEN friendly too! Of course I don't reuse the ripped or torn things, but that is rare these days. And yes, I'll admit it. I also re-gift sometimes. Not a lot, but once in a while. Sometimes a well-meaning person will give me a fabulous gift, but it just isn't my thing. So, I will find it a better home. Of course usually the giver will have no idea at all that this ever happened. I don't want to hurt their feelings. I used to feel a teeny bit guilty about re-gifting until I caught my Mom doing it. It must be genetic. Anyway, it's totally another way to recycle things!

14) Gift Cards - Every year, I ask for Gift Cards for Christmas. I don't necessarily need a gift, I just want the gift cards. Why? Because I like to shop. AND as you know, EVERYTHING goes on sale After Christmas and through the beginning of the New Year! So, Gift cards let me SHOP and SAVE, what's not to like? It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Supplement-IT Launch Party at Solstice Cafe

Our friends from SMAZEN Enterprises LLC and the E.K. Morrell Group are hosting a Holiday Happy Hour to celebrate the launching of Supplement-IT, and giveaway prizes and coupons for Erika's Massage Services.
Did I mention there will be drink specials, prize drawings, and a special appearance by "The Supplement-IT Girls" ? no? well check it out ya'll! THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18th at 7pm, SOLSTICE CAFE in Grant Park.

Supplement-IT is the FIRST dietary vitamin supplement, made for IT Professionals by IT Professionals. Check out their website for more information. http://www.supplement-it.com

E.K. Morrell Group's Site. http://www.erikamorrell.net

Promo Video for the Party from Bob Dylan.

FaceBook Invite for the Party.

New Year's Eve at Solstice Cafe

So far we have 19 people. I went ahead and put in a reservation for us. It's in my name and on my credit card, so if you need to back out, please let me know in advance. 38 hr cancellation notice is required or I have to pay (don't make me come find you, lol).

The Prix-Fixe Menu (scroll to bottom of this post) includes the Champagne Toast at midnight, and is $45 + 18% gratuity (due to the large party. aka $54.

So bring cash for your meal ($54/person). Other drinks are extra (recommend running a separate tab for that at the bar, keeps it more organized for the server.
Again you can bring your own bottle of something, but there's a $10 corking fee per bottle. Let's bring a few Magnum sized bottles of wine to share, right? ha!

New Years Eve 4-Course Dinner $45 at Solstice Cafe
Vegetarian option available (V)
Includes Champagne Toast
Please add 18% gratuity for large parties.
1st Course – Choice Of:
Carrot Soup
Braised Short Rib & Horseradish Cream
Chipolini Onion Brodo
With Mitake Mushrooms (V)

2nd Course – Choice Of:
Chopped House SaladGrilled Red Onion, Chic Peas, Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese, Tomato, Cucumber, Age Sherry Vinaigrette (V)
Solstice SaladStrawberries, Apples, Walnuts, Gorgonzola and Balsamic Vinaigrette (V)

3rd Course – Choice Of:
Pastrami Smoked Salmon
Horseradish Bilinis, Capers and Red Onion Marmalade
Potato Gnocchi
Chestnuts, House Made Fennel Sausage and Parmesan-Olive oil Emulsion (V)
Beef CarpaccioWhole Grain Mustard Aioli, Fried Capers, Parmesan, Smoked Sea Salt

4th Course – Choice Of:
Lamb Shanks
Confit Yukon Gold Potatoes and San Marzano Tomato Ragu
Tuna “Wellington”
Porcini Mushrooms, Spinach, Foie Gras and Red Wine Sauce
Filet Mignon
Rosemary Fries, Haricot Verts and Black Truffle Hollandaise
Butternut Squash Raviolis
Toasted Hazelnuts, Sage Whipped Mascarpone and Brown Butter (V)

Solstice Cafe | 562 Boulevard SE | Atlanta, GA 30312 | 404-622-1976 |

New York New York Pictures & Movie Links

NYC Movies: http://s283.photobucket.com/albums/kk303/vslane/NewYork2009/
Abbie has multiple NYC Photo Albums on her FaceBook Site. Look under her albums for the following:
1. New York Dining, Dogs, and Death by Culinary Ecstasy
2. Last Day in NY
3. Winters Eve 2009 Highlights
4. MoMA - Museum of Modern Art
5. Bar Boulud
6. NY Celebrity Sighting
7. Macys Thanksgiving Parade
8. Balloon Inflation
Matt's Photos: http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/10588422_tmaeF#735859682_KSikL
Abbie was a guest blogger for MyUpperWest, check it out: http://myupperwest.com/upper-west-side/winters-eve-recap/
Winters Eve Movies: : http://s283.photobucket.com/albums/kk303/vslane/Winters Eve 2009 Lincoln Square/

New York New York Last Day

Tuesday, December 1st -
Central Park morning
Lansky's Deli for another PLT
Flight Cancelled, but not
Last walk with Frank
Cab Ride home