HAPPY NEW YEAR

My resolution - post this blog on a regular basis. I'm always looking for pictures and I realized I can post without them, but not today. More Christmas party pictures today.

We stayed in last night. Really wanted to since this would have been the 13th year of celebrating New Year's Eve at the Casino at Billy Bob's. I had a weird feeling about it being the 13th year, mainly driving home with the once a year drunks. Until the Casino at Billy Bob's, we always stayed in. Now drive all the way over there and worse, back after midnight. But instead of that reason we stayed home because James Randall has a stomach virus and has been feeling terrible for a week. Took him to the Doctor Monday, Bob took him again Tuesday and the Doctor sent him to the hospital for x-rays. Final answer is a stomach virus. He's been on the sofa for days. He's never been to the doctor for anything other than a checkup. He's complaining he shouldn't be sick while school's out. Priorities.

I've been making soups, can you believe it? Sick child is the motivation. Got on Martha Stewart's website and started with her Big Batch Soup. That took me to the grocery store to buy vegetables of all kinds. Home and chopped them into little chunks. In a big pot with chicken stock (canned) and water and spices. Cooked a long time and then served with garlic bread (just had to heat). Bob and James Randall very complimentary. Next a broccoli soup and a tortilla soup. Then last night a butternut squash soup.

I had to call Martha (my Martha Dawn, not Stewart) and asked her what a Dutch Oven is. The butternut squash recipe called for one. I figured it was a crock pot or something. Martha said nope, just a big stock pot. Why can't they say big stock pot? Nothing but a conspiracy. I said I'd call her if I ran into trouble again. She said call on the cell since they'd be out. Only Martha Dawn would not mind me interrupting her New Year's Eve night with her husband and friends. I almost called her to say peeling a butternut squash is more than a human should be asked to do. The soup was surprisingly good, but I'll just be ordering that when I see it on a menu from now on. Lucky I didn't slice off a finger.

Don't get the wrong idea. The minute the kid's feeling better this cooking thing is out the door. I haven't been to the grocery store this often ever. Not to mention cleanup cleanup cleanup. Then you notice soup on the cabinet door handles, soup on the cabinet doors, soup on the floor - more cleanup cleanup cleanup. So believe me more grocery shopping, cooking and cleanup are NOT part of my New Year's Resolutions.

But posting more blogs is, so until tomorrow,

I wish you all a wonderful 2009.