Happy New Year!

We don't go out on New Year's Eve, really don't like to drink, and stay at home with the family. I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve, whatever your preferred form of celebration. Ours was an early Superbowl Meat Banquet, since most of the kids aren't here on Superbowl Sunday any more. I'll give you the recipes soon, but we had sausage, La Brea Tar Pit Chicken Wings, Polynesian Meatballs, plain meatballs, Calzone and bread sticks with marinara sauce for dipping. Give me credit here, I didn't even know what a calzone is (although one cookbook helpfully informed me that in Italian it literally translates to "trouser leg"), but judging by the fact that about 15 pounds of meat disappeared here, we must presume that everything was satisfactory.

Everyone thinks about New Year's resolutions. I've never really made any, because I've always tried to live my life with a long term view of keeping my world in good order. However, here are a few short term resolutions for me to (probably not) live up to.

1. Sew one outfit every month.

2. Try a new kind of bread at least once a month. I won't burden you with recipes that don't work, I promise, but I'll offer good ones to you!

3. Cook something new, exciting or different at least twice a week.

4. Finish losing those pesky 5 pounds I put on over the holidays, which is better than last year, and try not to gain more than that at any time in 2009.

5. Maybe this will be the year I get my family room draperies done.

And, of course, like everyone else, laugh more, worry less, and enjoy every minute with my family.

Best New Year's wishes to each and every one of you who visits me. I am grateful that you all keep stopping by, and cherish every single comment you make. Happy 2009!