Skipping to happy-new-year everybody who-starts-a-new-year, and also because, according to the Buffista Calendar, today is Susan W's birthday.

Happy birthday, Susan! With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!

Happy New Year! And Happy Birthday, Susan!

Boy, reading people's NYE menus is making me hungry. Luckily my upstairs neighbor does a NY Day brunch every year. I just have to settle for party left-overs and coffee until 11.

Dinner for me last night was a slice of pizza, because I was busy getting the party nibbles around. TJ's artichoke dip is great! I also had 3 kinds of cheese, olive dip, French bread and sesame crackers, and chocolate dip with ginger cookies, apples, and tangerine slices for dunking. There was also prosecco, a sparkling shiraz, sodas, and cider for drinking. And absinthe for after midnight, which seems to be becoming a tradition in my home.

We sent out for Chinese food from a new place and it turned out that they made acceptably yummy Hot & Sour Soup (not all places do) plus I made dairy-free cupcakes. Then I went to bed hours before midnight.

High times in the house o' Theo.

Happy New Year, Buffistas!

But! I did dress up, because I like dressing up, and I know I'll be wearing inside pants soon enough.

This was me last night. I wore the glorious shoes with a Cute Dress and tights. We dropped the kids off at their sleepover and went to Heirlooms Bistro which is right up the street. Relatively new place but it's an offshoot of an old favorite further up in town.

Menu was Bellinis
Salt and Pepper shrimp (which were like a tempura battered shrimp, each of which could have used their own zip code) (me) Smoked Duck Wonton (L)
Mixed baby greens salad with cranberries, candied walnuts, Maytag blue, and vinaigrette (me) Pumpkin bisque w/bacon (L)
Peppered beef tenderloin w/asparagus, Yukon Gold potatoes, and a horseradish cream (me) Sea bass with garlic mashed potatoes and a soy glaze (L)

Dessert was a chocolate hazlenut terrine with brandied cream and raspberry coulis & Irish coffees.

Best thing was it was a prix fixe menu that was $55.00 for each of us and the portions were generous. It completely rocked.

And then we came home, put on inside pants and watched The Dark Knight.

Very nice night.

Timelies all!

Happy New Year! Happy Birthday Susan!

My NYE dinner was at Roy's Place a legendary sandwich place(Over 200 sandwiches on the menu, with names like the Raunchy Raymond and the Bodaceous Beth Burger. Most are named after local folks.)Mmm, fried mushrooms...

Damn, that was stylin', Barb!

Hippo Birdies, Susan!

I find I am FUll OF New Year's resolution-feeling today, more so than I can remember any other year. Strange!

Happy New Year, everyone! And Happy Birthday, Susan!

So, my cunning plan was to go to Trader Joe's today, but it occurs to me that they will not have re-stocked from yesterday, and therefore will probably not have the mushroom turnovers I love. Not that that is all I'm planning to buy. Hmmmm.

TJ's let me down and didn't have any Snapea Crisps when I went there last week. Usually I stock up on a couple bags, because they usually price them at $1.49 (1.99 at Whole Paycheck!).

It's hard to describe Snapea Crisps -- sort of like if you made Cheez Doodles out of peas, but left out the Cheeze? Anyway, they're yummy, crisp, and chock full of goodness, and I bless the impulse that made me buy a random bag for a party on the basis that if I didn't like them, somebody else would.

Are they even open today?

2008 got one last kick in when the power cable on my laptop crapped out last night. Feh.

Are they even open today?

Ooh, interesting question. It never occurs to me that things will be closed ever. And after checking, they are indeed closed. Tomorrow, then! Thanks for mentioning it, because that would have been annoying.