Christmas 2006 and updates

So this morning I changed the template and now it seems I have a blog again after all this time! BUT IT STILL WON'T LET ME UPLOAD PICTURES!!! Been a long time since I posted since I couldn't get the da*^ thing to work. I still have to spend a little time figuring out why it won't work nicely with Wo#@ Pre*^ :( V arrived home Friday night. J was nice enough to pick her up since she didn't get in until after 10. Left her a panini to warm up along with some Christmas cookies. Saturday night was our usual Christmas Eve (Eve) fondue dinner party with the kids. Yesterday was our usual Christmas Day (eve) dinner for the family of 20. The roast beast/au jus turned out well (spoon roast) and since V wasn't home for T Day I made Stuffed Artichokes Supreme and Stuffing. To round out the dinner I made garlic mashed potatoes and oven roasted asparagus with mushrooms and Hollandaise sauce. Phil made his awesome cheesecake and the fam brought along a variety of hors d'Oeuvres and desserts. Today will be low key as J, wife and son do the morning thing at her parents and will be here later in the day. They got me a Cuisinart Griddler and the plan is to make paninis, exchange gifts and pop in a movie or two. Last night after everyone left (at a decent hour of 7 or so compared to the 11:50 at Thanksgiving!) V, Phil and I watched Little Miss Sunshine a gift from C & S. A dysfunctional-family-road-trip movie, but enjoyable, none-the-less. We also got Capote and The Hunt for Red October (obviously not for me!). Last weekend we took a Christmas meal of ham, mashed potatoes and cheesecake, along with other friends apps and dessert to some friends who are somewhat housebound. Fun, but I don't think I've missed a weekend of major cooking since the grandson was born. I really haven't cooked this much in years it seems. On the knitting front I've been filling in my time with the Cloth KALs. Went back to work on the Clapotis, still working on the Fortissima 1776 socks, and KPS 991 sweater. November cloth was a turkey (Nov 13 entry) and the Mid-November was a Pointsettia that I turned into a towel. December KAL was an Rocking Horse and the Mid-Dec was a lace called Snowy Drops and I also made an illusion Candy Cane cloth. I also need to upload Christmas pics as soon as blogger will let me :( Did I also mention that I went to see Emeril Live in NYC? It was a deep sea fishing episode to be aired later in the year.