Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve as well as a great start to 2010.

My New Year's Eve was spent at my brother's place with just a few of us nibbling on tasty bites, tossing back glasses of champagne, eating twelve grapes, and watching Mexico City ring in 2010 on Univisión because we forgot to turn the TV on at 11 central time to see the ball drop in New York. As much as I enjoy the ball drop, I'll take a piñata over Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest any day.

Kyle, my mom and I spent the afternoon cooking. When I get married I think I'll walk down the aisle with a Buddha's hand in lieu of a bouquet.

While we cooked we sipped on Kyle's homemade limecello. Yum yum.

Kyle made lamb/pork/veal meatballs and threw them in a crock pot with some onion/milk/sour cream/butter(?) sauce in an attempt to make Swedish meatballs. We all really liked them, but the cook was slightly underwhelmed. A perfectionist, that one...

I made soy chorizo and chihuaua puff pastry bundles. Even the naysayers who were suspicious of the meatless chorizo were won over once they hit their lips.

The dessert spread. Check out the New Year's petits fours marking 12:05.

The whole spread - veggies and dip, brie and blue cheese, crusty bread, spinach and artichoke dip, desserts, and chorizo bundles. The meatballs were hiding out in the corner.

On the first day of the new year I was able to hang out with one of my very best friends, take a walk down Michigan Avenue, and eat a Potbelly sandwich for lunch. I'd say 2010 is off to a great start. I hope the same is true for all of you! Happy New Year!