A perfect Christmas weekend

I wasn't sure what to expect from Christmas this year, but decided go along with whatever came up. Christmas Eve, Steve and I had our own holiday celebration with an elegant dinner at Starkers, watching big snowflakes fall on the Plaza. We spent the rest of the night with my family. I knew this would be a hard year since my 27-year-old nephew, Jack, passed away in August. Christmas wasn't the same without him; we could all feel it, especially his mom and dad.

Even though I didn't decorate or put up a tree this year, I found my motivation in acquiring a good eggnog recipe. I made a total of six batches of Alton Brown's fabulous eggnog. It was perfect! Of course, a holiday cannot go by without making my sugar cookies. I made a few dozen for my brother, but he was snowed in on Christmas Eve, so we've been snacking on them.

Steve and I spent all of Christmas day lounging. We ate pistachios and sugar cookies, drank eggnog, and looked at the 12 inches of snow outside, feeling grateful to stay in. We made our Christmas dinner at 9pm: broiled lobster tails. On December 26, with the city still covered in snow, we finally left the house to meet up with others at La Bodega and ended the night with wine at Cafe Trio.

Someday I'd like to host Christmas brunch, so I practiced on Sunday with Ina Garten's French Toast Casserole. It's a recipe that's definitely company-worthy. We finished our holiday weekend at my sister's house for a Mexican-themed dinner. Our handmade margaritas were a hit, and I also made one of my favorite dishes, Chilaquiles Casserole.

This holiday was all about food, drink, and lounging. My astrological sign is Cancer and my Chinese zodiac is Pig. Cancer-Pigs love everything luxurious: good food and relaxing in comfortable surroundings. Yep, sounds like me. No wonder I enjoyed my Christmas this year! I hope yours was good, too.