Holiday inspiration

I had a marvelous Christmas. I got to relax for a week at my folks' house and be treated with homemade meals (and cookies) I'd been craving for months, like Graupensuppe (beef and barley soup), Oma's rolls, fondue Italiano (ground beef, mozzarella, tomato sauce, Italian seasonings, and a healthy glug of Chianti, served with crusty bread), chocolate peanut butter balls, pretzels from the cookie jar (they taste better from this vessel), as well as some new hits Mom decided to try while I was there, like herb-crusted sweet potatoes and this delicious arugula salad with sauteed pears and goat cheese.

Mom and I also decorated cut-out cookies, an activity I don't think I've done with her since early high school days. 

Among the sweetest gifts my parents have been giving us kids these past several years have been family heirlooms. This year, I received my Opa's schnapps glasses. They were likely a gift when he and my Oma wed in the 1930s. It's a neat design - the grooves perfectly fit your thumb and forefinger.

It all went by so fast. While it was sad to see it come to an end, I got to spend the drive home looking forward to getting back in my kitchen. I got four cookbooks, a griddle/grill/panini press and a gorgeous serving spoon that I was just itching to put to use. It was a good thing I had another week off to start having more fun. My next posts will likely be how I've spent the post-Christmas week, continuing to indulge with my new loot.