Season's Eatings

I had a fabulous holiday season on all fronts, and of course, ate very well on our sojourns to Kalamazoo, South Bend and Chicago. A few Christmas highlights for this foodie:

Gathering with more than 50 of the dear friends I grew up with, thanks to a soiree that my parents hosted while we were home. They went all out, and all 54 of us enjoyed a fabulous spread (See what I have to live up to?) which is what you see in the photo above.

A Christmas Eve toast with homemade cranberry cordial, delightfully bubbly champagne, and some drunken (vodka soaked) cranberries, all provided as a Christmas gift from some very tasteful neighbors.

Unwrapping my new cookbooks under the tree: Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday (from my p's) and The Bon Appetit Cookbook (from my in-laws).

Lunch with my companion at Chicago's Atwood Cafe. We got to try their brown sugar cheesecake, a signature dessert. I first read about it in Plate magazine, a trade magazine for chefs that I've recently started writing for. It was every bit as scrumptious as I expected!

I don't usually make diet/exercise New Year's resolutions since I eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise, but I did purchase an 18-lb. bag of Texas pink grapefruit as a nod to starting the year off right! Happy New Year everyone!