Happy New Year!!

Well, I have been quite slow at the posting lately. We had a fun, but quick, trip to Las Vegas for Christmas-I have photos I need to put on here. Now we are in WA for the week and, other than our continuous colds, it has been quite enjoyable. We aren't going up to Seattle tonight for the celebration, but this is something of what we will be seeing tonight on the TV. That, and watching the sibs play Rock Band non-stop.

How Lovely

This past week I have been nannying two kids, Wyatt & Ella, at the Palace Hotel. They are moving out here next year from Oxford and it has been quite fun and, for the most part, easy peasy lemon squeezy (apparently a popular English phrase). I love listening to their lovely accents; it makes me want to have kids in England! We saw Alvin and the chipmunks last night, the kids loved it, although it's definitely a cheesy, slapstick flick. The Palace is gorgeous and in a great location by Union Square. I highly recommend checking it out during Christmastime, they have a massive tree in the middle of the Garden Court (with delicious food) and a gingerbread house display.

Straight from the hotel today, I'll meet Alex over in Oakland to head out to Las Vegas for the long weekend. We'll be back late Christmas night, so if I don't get a chance to post out there, everyone have a very Merry Christmas!!

A Festive Weekend

We had quite a weekend full of holiday cheer. First of all, Alex is officially half way done with dental school!! His last final was on Thursday, so we had a nice long weekend together without any studying!! Friday we did a marathon shopping trip to Costco with Susan and later went and saw Enchanted downtown. It was a cute movie, definitely cheesy but funny because it made fun of itself. Alex truly enjoyed it, I think more than he normally would just because he was more worry-free than usual. Here is a picture Alex took of Union Square. It is so gorgeous down there right now...we better enjoy it since next year will be our last! Saturday night we went to a Holiday Party at the Davengrosses. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures from it. We even brought the camera, but got too caught up in the fun to get any pics...oops. Susan and Mike are wonderful hosts and we loved all the food, smoothies, gifts and company-thanks again!!

After we left the party, I was in such a festive mood that I convinced Alex to go down to the Embarcadero/Financial District/Union Square to look around some more. Above is a picture of me admiring the Tiffany & Co. window. They are so classy and have the prettiest rings, I just had to stop and stare. Plus, I was still excited about my new Tiffany datebook that I just had to stop and appreciate (Susan, you're the best!:).

The Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero has the most beautiful Christmas Village display, along with a pretty Christmas tree. So of course I had to show it to Alex. Last year I nannied here and was lucky to discover it!

Finally, today we had a day filled with cooking and baking. We made beef brisket with cornbread that turned out so tender and delicious. I'd never had it before so I was quite impressed. Then we had pumpkin and chocolate almond pies for dessert. I love cooking!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, too!

Blissful Indeed

Yesterday when I checked the mailbox, I had a nice unexpected surprise- Blissful Brownies!! The nanny agency I work for sent them out, and however it's no Ipod Nano like my friend Danielle got from her job, I do have to say I was pretty excited. If you like fudgy brownies, these are the best I have ever tasted. As per their website, it looks like they are mainly a gift/mail order company. I received the classic chocolate, although I would've loved to have the pb, pumpkin, peppermint, etc....oh well, beggars can't be choosers! So, if you need a gift idea for an out-of-town friend, these are very tasty!!

My Dream Vehicle

This past weekend, Susan & Mike let us borrow their car while they were in Vegas. This is what it looks like and I love love it. My favorite part about it is the sunroof-it's huge! If you want an SUV and live in a big city, this is perfect. It seems just as easy to drive and park as a car, but has more room, of course. And I love all the little BMW luxury features that come along with it. Hopefully, by the time we're able to afford one of these, they will still be like they are now!!

Mmmm, donuts

Or is it doughnuts...?
On Monday, I bought a donut shape cutter and was quite excited about it, especially because it was only $2. Since then, all I have heard from Alex is how I need to make donuts. However, we already had brownies and I like to get rid of one homemade sweet before making another. Plus, I was kind of avoiding it because it sounds like so much work and I was not interested in frying. Well, Alex had enough tonight and I couldn't take his pleading much more, so we made them together. They were delicious!! I'll put the recipe at the end of the post:)

Here are the doughnuts in our pot of oil. It's very important to be watching the temperature all the time since it goes up and down constantly-and they cook quite fast! Our little apartment is quite potent of vegetable oil right now....

Us with the first finished product. It was tricky at first because they look done on the outside, but inside they were still a bit too underdone. So back in the pot this one went for a quick extra oil bath. They were crispy on the outside and chewy inside. Next time I want to try pumpkin donuts or some kind of yeast donut-with glaze as well!

Diner-Style Powdered Buttermilk Doughnuts (from www.foodnetwork.com)
Diner Desserts (Chronicle Books, 2000) By Tish Boyle, Photographs by Clark Irey

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vegetable oil for frying

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. In a medium bowl, soft together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the sugar and stir the dry ingredients with a whisk until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture into it. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the mixture forms a soft, moist dough. Dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough onto the work surface and lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently 5 or 6 times, or until smooth. Roll or pat the dough into a round roughly 10 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Transfer the round to a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, or until firm.
3. Using a 3-inch doughnut cutter (or a 3-inch round biscuit cutter and a 3/4-inch cutter or pastry tip for the hole), cut out 7 doughnuts and holes from the dough. Gather the scraps together, reroll 1/2-inch thick, and cut out 3 more doughnuts and as many holes as possible. Place the doughnuts and holes on a baking sheet or 2 plates, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while heating the oil for frying.
4.Pour the oil into a deep-fat fryer or large straight-sided saucepan to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. heat the oil to 370 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
5. Fry the doughnuts and holes in small batches, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the paper towels to drain, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
6. When the doughnuts and holes are completely cool, place the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Generously dredge the doughnuts and holes in the sugar, shaking off the excess. Serve the same day.

The New Hermey

I am watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer right now. Poor Hermey the elf; he wants to be a dentist and doesn't fit in with the rest of the bunch. Being the wife of an aspiring dentist of some sort, the show has a whole new aspect now! I'm having fun teasing Alex since he's short and is still a "future" dentist...hehehe, my own little Hermey:) The funny thing is, I only vaguely remember that part of the story, but it is one of the big storylines.
Can you believe this show is over 40 years old??

Sweaters

Last night the McDounough's threw an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party here at Housing and it was quite a treat! Michelle's wassail and hot chocolate was delicious, the photo backdrop was a work of art and the white elephant gifts were probably the most unique I have ever seen. It was a fun get-together and I hope we are able to continue the tradition next year, too!


Here is Mark modeling the display.

This was one of the white elephant gifts, an original portrait of Patrick Swayze. Also given was one of Elvis, that Paul ended up with. Other presents included inline skates, a perineal cold compress and homemade poi balls.

Alex and me cuddling in our sweaters. I just pinned on socks to mine (boring, I know), and Alex wore my sister Andrea's old sweater. He looked like he belonged down in the Castro.

Here is Pepper with her choice gift of the night. I wonder when she will get around to reading that one...hmmm, maybe never??

Eryn and Paul with his crazy eyes.