A brief review

I've been thinking that I need to spend some time to reflect over the last year to see how I've filled my time. Then I got all whiny that we didn't take a vacation in 2009 and all we did was work, but I sat down and looked through my photos and we actually did some fun stuff this year. Who knew?

1. I had a puppy party, or two, or three.

2. We replaced our very seventies kitchen floor with a new laminate floor and it was so worth it.

old floor, new floor, same dogs.

3. I gained a great sister-in-law.

my newest sister-in-law

4. I turned 30 and got a new camera.

birthday party and new camera

5. My sister came to visit, but I don't have a photo.

6. We planted a cactus garden with some really cool plants.

7. Thomas' nearly-90 year old granny came to visit us from England.

Thomas and his granny

All in all the year wasn't so bad I guess. Looking back on photos and blog posts not only helps me remember the fun things I've done but it gives me a lot to look forward to for the next year. What sort of home improvement projects will we do, what kind of work will I have, who will come visit, will I get off my butt and start the website I want? Maybe next year's December 31st post will answer some of these questions!

What about you? What are you looking forward to doing next year? Here's to a fun 2010!

What the?

That's what I said the first time I had these:

Yorkshire puddings

What are those? They are Yorkshire puddings. Yorkshire what? Yeah, I said that too. Don't the Brits call desserts puddings? Yes. So is that dessert? No, it's not. It's savory as those Brits would say.

roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding

Oh, and savory it is. So delicious. And so easy to make! I asked Thomas why we don't make Yorkshire puddings more often, not that his answer matters because I'm going to making these more often now that I have the recipe down pat. It's so simple, just a basic ratio of eggs, flour and milk. In a measuring jug break eggs, measure and tip into a mixing bowl. Measure the same amount of flour and add it to the eggs. Measure half the amount of milk, add water to match and add that mixture to the eggs and flour. Whisk to combine. Heat muffin tins in a 425˚F oven with either pan drippings or oil. Fill tins halfway and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Douse in gravy. Savor, eat and enjoy.

And what happens when you cook a beef roast? Here's a peek behind the scenes:

behind the scenes