We had our Christmas dinner Christmas Eve. Everyone was present and it was a good family time. With my grandson and his girlfriend's help the house was decorated. I decided to venture into crock pot cooking and the pork roast with the cranberry apricot sauce turned out great. I have a feeling the crock pot will not be hidden away any more.

Merry Christmas Everyone!! Suzanne, I am glad that you got a chance to spend some time with your sister on her birthday. I love sitting in the quiet by candlelight too. something almost magical.. I just got contacts too! Maddie, I laughed so hard re those cookies. Sounds like something that would happen to me! I like Bj's suggestion about making a layered dish with them and vanilla pudding. What a clever idea! Relax and enjoy the bourbon.LOL Bj, I am not sure that I would have had as much patience if I had all that extra work sprung on me at what is always a very busy time. I would have helped you too, if I were there. In fact we could all have had a party! DeeMarie, the Good Carb Cookbook you sent is WONDERFUL!! I will be using it to plan my meals starting Monday. Thank you so much! Your Christmas party sounds like a lot of fun. I am making a large seafood platter for tomorrow as well: Jumbo shrimp, King Crab legs, scallops, crab salad served in a huge clam shell with bruschetta on baguette. I hope all is well with your DH and his kidney stones. No counting calories till Monday so don't worry about your MD appointment. Marci, I have been licking my fingers for 2 days! LOL How many cookies do you think we consume just licking those fingers, hmm? Raeanne, I am making bread today too. My kids got me a bread maker for my birthday and I am eager to try it out. I'll be thinking about you. I hope your package comes today... Enjoy the time with your DDs. Lynn, I like your positive attitude about that job! Life IS too short to be miserable. Better things are ahead for you I am sure (especially w/ such a great attitude) Patti, I can't believe that family won't climb over hill and dale to spend the holidays with you and Dave! I wish you were here to spend the day with us. We are going to church this evening as well and then on to look at some lights. Big hugs to Dave! Well, I am finishing the baking ( bread and cheesecake )and the wrapping. Almost done! I got DS tickets to see a concert up in San Francisco this March. He's never been there and I look forward to showing him around.These were very hard to get tix and he has no idea! I told his friend and he said "You are the COOLEST Mom!" Ha HA! I feel vindicated! After 2 weeks w/ no prednisone and a 5 day juice fast, I checked in at the Doc and am down 7 lbs!! I feel better than I have in a year. Wishing all of you, my friends, a wonderful and memorable Christmas ! Tikanas

Same here, we got a light dusting Christmas eve that wound up barely covering the grass. It was gone by noon on Christmas day. But, Mother Nature has a make up in store for us. Not sure it will make it to Minneapolis. I am 50 miles north of Madison, Wisconsin. ------------------- ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND SLEET...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * EXPECT A WINTRY MIX TO DEVELOP AROUND NOON MONDAY AND THEN DIMINISH AROUND 6 AM TUESDAY. * THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 3 AND 9 PM MONDAY...AND COULD BE 1-2 INCHES PER HOUR. * TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. A LIGHT GLAZING OF ICE COULD OCCUR MONDAY NIGHT. * WINDS WILL GUST IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE. LOOK FOR SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AT TIMES. * TRAVEL WILL BE TREACHEROUS BY THE EVENING COMMUTE.

I made our Christmas meal yesterday, since I am stuck at work today. Turkey tenderloins, chicken dressing, cranberry sauce (from the can) Mac and cheese, collard greens. I brought some to work with me to eat later, along with the absolutely sinful dark chocolate dipped pretzel sticks SO gave me for Christmas. I assume he will eat some later if he gets hungry while I am here at work. I made a pan of brownies this morning while I was getting ready in case he wants something sweet afterward. The dogs got the ham hocks from the collard greens for their Christmas present. My sister hosted some of her husbands family for Christmas Eve. A couple of his sisters, that's all. They always have tons of finger food for Christmas Eve and I made some of them for her and delivered them the day before so that I could have Christmas Eve all to myself and SO. Homemade salsa, olive bread thingies and sausage stuffed French bread. She said her kids did NOT want to leave Santa cookies. They left him cheesy olive bread and chip dip. (I guess they wanted to get a leg up on the other kids of the world. To be fair, I would rather have olive bread and chip dip than cookies any day)