Grilling our way into 2011...

"1-1-11"

Happy New Year friends and family!

I hope everyone rung in the New Year in a fun and safe fashion. Our celebration was nice and quiet and...at home! I needed that day to just be...and just catch up. I did get a lot done, not as much as I hoped to, but did manage to get all the laundry from the LA trip washed and put away; the Christmas tree & ornaments have been put away and the faux needles vacuumed up; bills and hockey forms have been filled out/paid/mailed; the house has been re-stocked with food and the boys were able to catch up on some sleep. And I even got to sit and stitch for a while...took out Family Sampler and put in about 30 stitches before taking a nap. Just one more thing that has to get done and that is make airline reservations for Matthew's hockey tournament that is coming up at the end of the month (probably will be "punished" with higher priced tickets due to procrastinating).

Last night, I fired up the grill and threw on some burgers and hot links per a request from the boys who were tired of pasta & coffee-maker hot dogs. Any time that I can get Matthew to eat some form of protein, I typically change it. The meat was done cooking around 6:15pm, tried to time it so that DH could catch the end of the meal for he was at *The Store* all day and was due home around 7:15pm.

When the boys were threw, the charcol was perfect for marshmallow roasting...not your typical winter-backyard activity...I know. But one of the Christmas presents the family got was a hot chocolate-s'more kit, which I thought would be fun to do on New Year's Eve.

We got out the kabob skewers and the boys went out into the backyard to roast their marshmallows...



Robert, who actually finished up his dinner first, got to try his hand at roasting the first marshmallow over the flames. He didn't do too bad...just scorched the top slightly, forgetting to brown the sides...



but it didn't matter what the marshmallow looked like, or that it wasn't quite as "smooshy" as it could have been - for there is nothing like smashing the gooey sweet thing between a piece of milk chocolate and 2 graham crackers.

Once Matthew finished up his dinner, he joined his brother in the fun. Something about sticking something in a flame that always excites boys...have you even noticed that? Anyway, Matthew was having more fun roasting than he did eating the s'mores or the roasted marshmallows...and after feeding DH everything he cooked, it was time for Matthew to give up his right to skewer any more marshmallows. (BTW...if you ever run out of graham crackers and chocolate bars, Chips Ahoy cookies work just as well).

After the kitchen was cleaned up, we all retired to our TV room upstairs - the boys had their traditional chocolate milkshakes while we watched the NY's ball drop on Time Square...at 9pm our time before heading off to bed around 9:30pm.

Nice to have a little family time, as that seems to have been scarce around the holidays this year - so I will take whatever I can :)

I hope your New Year's celebrations were full of fun, love, happiness and memories. Take care my friends and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

By the way...Plum Street Sampler has a freebie - Hares' New Year - it looks great!