Holidays 2008

2008 was an eventful year. It was my first year of marriage. There were births and deaths. I started a company. We elected a president I actually like. It hasn't been the year of hell for me that it was for many people, but it certainly was intense. Overall, I'm a lot more comfortable in my skin than I was a year ago, and I attribute that mostly to the necessity of letting go of control that comes with starting a business, and to my marriage, which has been a tremendous blessing.

This year we flew to Los Angeles on Christmas Day, and drove to Santa Barbara. I love not having to take multiple flights. We had celebrated my birthday with friends the previous Saturday, and Christmas with the Quimby clan on Sunday:

On Christmas day we flew to California and spent a few days in Santa Barbara with family and friends. Meeting my new niece Saraphina was especially fun:

Isn't she a doll? Speaking of dolls, check out Miss Maxine, now approaching the ripe old age of two:

It was foodie bliss at my parents' house, as per usual:

Beef Wellington with Celery Root Mashers and Port Reduction

Hoshigaki White Chocolate Truffles

Tortilla soup with fried shrimp

Cajeta Ice cream with Mexican Cookies

And we found some time to get out and do some nature photography:

Shaun and I (mostly Shaun) cooked a dinner for our parents' 40th anniversary:

Then it was off to LA for a couple days of sightseeing and catching up with friends. We had lunch at a dumpling house in Arcadia with Rheia and Dave:

And dinner in Hollywood with Elender and Bergen, who treated us to the Amazing Cat Show:

The next day we did some sightseeing, ate at a fabulous restaurant in Glendale called Carousel, and it was back home again.

We're happy to be home, and happy to be spending time with our Austin friends and family again. Happy 2009!

Belated Update

A few weeks ago David and I took a short vacation in the hill country. We stayed at a farm near Blanco, called Juniper Hills Farm. It was just what we needed - remote, peaceful, quiet, packed with plants and wildlife (there was a bird convention out our window) and included tasty baked goods. The little cabins have microwaves and fridges, so if you're resourceful, you can pack enough food in to avoid having to go out for all your meals. They also provide you with milk, juice, granola, snack mix, and hot baked goods in the morning.

I brought enough food to feed us for a week (we only stayed two nights), and discovered that all the non-chocolate products were in low demand. I did manage to kludge together dinner the first night thusly:

Kohlrabi Goat-Cheese Prosciutto Pasta

8 oz farfalle
1 lb kohlrabi (roots only)
1/2 c goat cheese
garlic
olive oil
salt
pepper

Pre-cook the pasta, drain, rinse with cool water, and lightly toss with olive oil to keep from sticking. Peel and cube the kohlrabi, and toss with minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on a parchment-covered cookie sheet for about 40 min (give or take) until soft and lightly golden.

To construct pasta: reheat both the pasta and the kohlrabi in the microwave. Layer thusly: pasta, crumbled goat cheese, kohlrabi, and finely sliced proscuitto or serrano ham, two slices per plate.

Nom!

We also went to Pedernales Falls, wandered around Wimberly, and had lunch at the the Silver K Cafe in Johnson City. It was a cool place, and the food was very tasty. And now, the photos.


View from the window of our cabin.


Juniper


There were lavender patches covered with butterflies.


Also, donkeys!


Lavender


Husband relaxing.




Pedernales Falls