I really should have taken to my bed for at least 24 hours after the past few days, but I don’t have time. Soon I promise, maybe Wednesday.

The party was a success. The food was wonderful and there was plenty of it and I actually got to enjoy the guests.

Here are some of the tables just before most of the guests arrived.

Just Dessert. More YUM!

Today I made the tiramisu for tomorrows dinner with the family. Tenderloin at my sisters house.

My niece has a big old sweet tooth and loves to bake. She is a great baker too, I’m just glad they don’t live too close. Anyhoo, she also has allergies and I was looking for some ‘real’ marshmellows but every thing I found had a possible peanut warning on it. I then thought - just how hard could it be to make marshmellows? No too hard, as it turns out.

Slab o’ mellow.  It wasn’t hard at all, just sugar, water and corn syrup, vanilla, pinch of salt, and gelatin.  I used the French Laundry’s recipe found here.

Cut with scissors, dusted heavily with confectioner’s sugar and placed on waxed paper in a tin.

Of course they needed to be thoroughly taste tested.

Nothing is better than a cauldron o’ hot chocolate with homemade marshmellows.

This is what I did today, between taking DD to the mall. Yes, I actually went to the MALL on the day before Christmas. To be honest this was the first day I had even spent near a mall since before Thanksgiving. We actually found a parking spot fairly close to the door too. Everyone had presents and Grace had actually got most of hers, just not the ton of coal she should be getting after this past year.

I started to feel bad that I really had very little for her, so I decided to cruise Chez Target while she did what she needed to do.  I suspect my gift is coming from Spencer’s gifts…. LOL!

So shhhh- don’t tell, but I picked up a PS2 Limited Edition with the Super Singing Star or some such game and 2 microphones.  I also got one of the Guitar Hero wireless guitar and game - Extreme 80s edition.  It’s probably totally the wrong one, but what they hey, her friends can share theirs.   I think I finally figured out how to keep her from finding out what she’s getting (major snooper) - I just buy it the night before and hide it in the back of the SUV while she is shopping.   What is the saying about old age and trickery? hehehe

Merry Solstice, and a Happy Christmas to all.

No I didn’t finish all my knitting projects, thanks for asking.