Christmas Day at the farm was perfect. Lovely drive, beautiful setting, great hosts (my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce) and guests (aunt Marge, uncle Jim, cousins Kelly, Kim, and Craig). And the KILL meal - salad with berries and almonds, roast prime rib with pan juices, mashed potatoes with sour cream (oh yeah, they're as incredible as they sound; recipe posted in comments, below), Harvard beets, roasted vegetables, challah, and Marge's pumpkin cheesecake with caramel sauce. After opening presents, we played a boys-vs-girls game of Taboo (girls kicked butt, of course), and then John and I drove home, enjoying the festive small town Christmas lights and remembering how incredibly bright the stars are when you get out of the city. Beautiful!

And now, oh ho ho is it time for the holidays to go! At least the over-eating part, ack. DONE! So long coffee cakes and cheeses and potatoes and steaks and breads and wines and cookies. Had you all! Enjoyed every bite and sip! But am also enjoying my return to salads and veggies and fruits and soups and teas and fish and nuts, aka Normal Eating. Like last night, when I pulled leftover simple tomato-garlic soup out of the freezer, stirred in chipotle chili powder, canned black beans, and a few diced tender turkey meatballs. NICE! And filling and healthy too.

Or like tonight - sauteed chicken, big salad, a mug of hot tea for dessert, and a family game night including rounds of Blokus and Scrabble. It's still vacation for the kids, but feels good to get back a bit of our usual groove, too.

Big plans for the New Year? Not here, a quiet night is in order which is damn fine with me! We're thinking perhaps Indian takeout, requisite glass of bubbly, more board games, and BED! After all the December celebrating, and my 40th in mere weeks, a low-key New Year's Eve breather sounds positively lovely.