In the morning, as is tradition, Carrie & I joined my family for a breakfast out on the town. This year, as it has been for many years past, we all went to The Village Inn in Federal Way. I had a chicken-fried steak scramble. Carrie, still recovering from tooth removal, had biscuits and gravy, and was actually able to eat about half of it.
After we came home the two of us spent the entire afternoon making cookies and straightening up. We made three or four types of cookies. Let's see:
- Chocolate Crinkles
- Mint Meltaways
- Lemon Squares
So only three. But we'd already made Candy Cane Cookies and Thumbprint Cookies, so we didn't do too badly.
Just after 4:00-ish the Tarbet clan came over (Linnea, JC, and Lena). We gave Lena her presents (a Cinderella doll, a Hello Kitty bath set, and a feather boa). Carrie gave Linnea a very pretty necklace, and the two families exchanged some cookies.
For dinner we went, as is tradition, to Mark & Viki's to join that entire family for New Year's Eve dinner. I met Missy's boyfriend, who also recently had a part of his digestive track removed. I gave him my card because he said his website sucked (he designes custom cabinets).
Mark is a French-Canadian and a very good chef. He printed off little menu cards and I managed to steal one. Here is what was on it (which is also what we ate):
First Course
- Soupe au pois:
- This was pea soup with crab meat in it. It's the only pea soup I've ever eaten that I've liked at all. And I like it quite a bit, so that's quite a feat.
Second Course
- Rôti de Porc Etoufée:
- Roasted pork tenderloin wrapped around apples and rosemary. Tender and delicious.
- Tortièrre:
- A beef pie that is gloriously saucy and good.
- Tarte au pèche:
- This is the fish equivalent of Tortièrre, with a lovely white sauce. Although "pèche" also means "sin" in French, so you could say this is sinfully good.
- Harocôts enrobée:
- Green beans wrapped with bacon. Man-o-man that's good stuffs.
- Pommes de terre écraser:
- Mashed potatoes (though "écraser" could mean "crushed" as well)
- Rutabegas écraser:
- Mashed rutebegas.
Viki made dessert, which was:
- Upside-down Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding:
- Made with croissants as the bread. It was very good, but Carrie & I were both so full that we didn't eat very much. Also, it was full of nuts, which I still am having a hard time handling. Soon, though...
Then it was on to the Fourth Family dealy, which was stuffing stockings over at the Hamm's residence. We didn't stay for too long there, due to Carrie's teef (or lack thereof) hurting.
We got home and got setup for bed, and Carrie & I opened one present each (ones that we gave each other). I gave her Steve Martin's The Pleasure of My Company. Carrie gave me the complete Freaks & Geeks.
We finally were able to catch 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on the Family Channel. Even though it was the one that edited out the whole "There's More to the World than Meets the Eye" song, it was still good to see.
