Tis the season to be.... domestic.

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Not only because you get to be spoiled with lots of wonderful presents (new iPhone 4s for me! - Thanks Santa/Mom/Dad!) but you also get to be spoiled by lots of wonderful food.

The holidays are the time of year when it is acceptable for everyone to take on the role of housewife - regardless of their "feminist ideals". Personally, I don't get it - I would LOVE to be a housewife - why would you want to go to work when you could stay at home and cook all day?? As my little brother so eloquently put it when he was in preschool - "my dad is special because he does the dishes so much". I would love for my future child to say something along those lines - though preferably something like "my mom is special because she is so beautiful and a fabulous cook". HA! Well you get the point.

Anyways - the holidays are the time to be domestic. And I love it. This way, when I come home from work every single day for a week and just want to bake - it's not weird - it's totally acceptable. I think I used that excuse at least 3 times in the past few weeks.

Some of my favorite holiday treats that I have made over the past few weeks are of course the unnecessarily large amount of Christmas cookies that are still inhabiting my kitchen counter. I am not exaggerating when I say that between my mom and myself - we made 8 different kinds of cookies/treats.  What it comes down to is we have very lucky neighbors :) From what I hear the fan favorites are the "peppermint" bark that I made (note - the grocery store was out of candy canes, so I used spearmints haha - totally better!), the candied orange peels that my mom made, and the German sand tarts (topped with whipped egg whites!).

Of course holiday domesticity doesn't end with baking. We also prepared numerous feasts - especially because my daddy turned the big 6-0 on Christmas Eve!! Just to make all your mouths water... our menu was as follows:

Christmas Eve Dinner:
Maine lobster tails
Broccoli gorgonzola casserole
Roasted root veggies
Salad
Lots and lots of wine

Christmas Breakfast:
Poached eggs
Sausage
Bacon
Fruit - Harry and David Pears
Yogurt
Granola
Cinnamon Toast

Christmas Dinner:
Brie cruset with cranberries
King crab claws
Green bean bundles
Roasted root veggies
Yorkshire pudding
Prime Rib
Salad

And a partridge in a pear tree. Not really - but lot's of cookies!

Needless to say - I'm full. And ready to be a housewife :)

Happy Holidays!

Aly