It's pretty nice out - 50s and 60s, fairly clear, not
humid, and I'm sort of glad I'm out here rather than the
30s and snow and icy rain in the east. I do admit it's
nice having music, which is sorely lacking here.

For new year's dinner we had Cal-Mex food, she a couple
steak tacos, I a big fat beef, bean, rice chimi fried
at a bit over 400 in bacon grease, but it was hot enough 
so the choice of fat was pretty irrelevant. Lilli poured
herself a big glass of the Ferraio, which turned out to
be more than she could drink, so I had a few ounces 
instead of the beer I'd been planning on. It had gone
pretty flat, and I didn't hot spice my supper, so it was
actually not a bad combo.

I am hoping and trusting that the coming year is
better for all of us than the last one. I'm especially
hoping for something of a return to the rough and
tumble of normal life, giving our physical and mental
capabilities some exercise, lest, as I noted earlier,
our next generation turn into a bunch of eloi.

Something I'd not be likely to make but looks interesting:

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.07

      Title: New Year's Pretzels
 Categories: Snacks, German
   Servings: 2

      2 c  Milk
    1/2 c  Butter Or Margarine
      2 pk Yeast, Active, Dry
      2 ts Salt
    1/2 c  Sugar
      7 c  Flour, Unbleached
      2 lg Eggs
      1 c  Confectioners' Sugar
           Water
      1 ts Vanilla Extract
    1/4 c  Almonds, Chopped

  Heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees F.).  Mix yeast,
  salt, sugar, and 1 cup flour.  Slowly beat into warm milk.  Beat for 2
  minutes.  Add eggs and 1 cup of flour.  Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
  Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Knead until smooth and elastic,
  about 5 minutes.  Place dough in a greased bowl.  Let rise in a warm
place
  until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  Punch dough down and let rise again
  until doubled. (1 hour more).  Divide dough in half. Shape pretzel as
  follows:  Roll dough into a rope about 30 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in
  diameter.  Cross the ends leaving a large loop in the center. Flip loop
  back onto crossed ends to form a pretzel. Repeat with remaining dough.
  Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Let rise 15 minutes more. Bake
at
  375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire
  racks.  Mix confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla to form a thin icing.
  Spread icing on pretzels and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Makes 2 large
  pretzels.

  Source unknown

MMMMM