Goodbye 2023

Hello 2022. And 2012. And 2010. And 1997. And 1995.

You might say we’re in a rut, as we ushered in 2024 with a menu of greatest hits from multiple past years. We prefer to say we value tradition. Or familiarity breeds happiness. Or if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Plus, this year we had a different excuse for returning to shrimp dip, Steak Diane, spinach pecan salad, Julia Child scalloped potatoes, green beans and breakfast bacon, egg and sausage casserole to bid adieu to 2023/welcome 2024.

After talking about it forever, 2023 was finally the year we put together a book of recipes our families have cooperatively assembled over decades past.  When we discussed menu options for 2023/2024 festivities, Linda suggested drawing from the recipes in our cookbook, failing to realize this plan would lead to a wholesale repeat of last year’s feast. And all those other years, too.

So, yeah, we’re in a rut.

But we did bring a few new (mostly unintentional) twists to this year’s New Year’s Eve experience.

We had to carmelize the salad pecans twice, because Linda burned the first batch. Tom gloatingly took over Round 2, admittedly to perfection.

Tom and George nearly set us all on fire, flambeeing the Steak Diane sauce and the entire cooktop environment with an overabundance of brandy.  

Vonnie had to visit multiple stores in search of the canned shrimp called for in the shrimp dip recipe. Upon discovering that tuna-size cans of itty bitty shrimp apparently no longer exist, she settled on a small hors d’ouvres tray of shrimp-and-cocktail-sauce to prepare the previously simple dip. This entailed removing the tails, chopping up the shrimp and tossing out the cocktail sauce. Not as simple as it used to be. Although at our ages, not much is any more.

As the clock ticked toward 11 p.m. and our eyelids began drooping, we made a late-breaking decision to mark the turn of the year in New York vs Kansas City time. As a result, Tom camping out on the sofa was the only one who witnessed the televised ball-drop, because the rest of us were still in the kitchen popping the cork on the celebratory pink prosecco.

Oh well.

Maybe next year, we’ll pretend we’re in Fiji, which is in a time zone 12 hours ahead of Kansas City. We can enjoy a lovely brunch and a mimosa toast at noon, then watch a football game or two instead of Ryan Seacrest and celebrities we don’t recognize participating in cringe-worthy antics on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. We can thus be safely in our beds to slumber through the moment 2024 becomes 2025 in these parts, and spend the first day of the new year somewhat less sleep-deprived.

Or maybe we won’t change anything (except maybe not try to flambee the house down). It’s warm and comfy here in our rut, and as long as we’re in it together, it’s a very nice place to be.   

Back at it

It's been a minute. Or in fact, more like 1,051,200 minutes since the previously sacrosanct, multi-decade Clarke/Odell New Year's Eve tradition was waylaid by a virus that swept the globe, sending many to their graves and the rest of us to deeply unsatisfying Zoom calls.  

It's also been 3,153,600 minutes, more or less, since Linda roused herself to chronicle the events of year-ending celebrations that actually did occur - a cautionary tale for anyone who presumes retirement means personal pursuits will get more timely attention. Turns out, when one has all the time in the world, procrastination can take hold. 

But if the past couple of years have taught us anything, it's that there's no such thing as "all the time in the world," and one must get things done while one still can. 

So here we are. Back at it. Both the doing, and the summation of said doing.

This year, we really *did* scale back the appetizers, simplify the menu and modify our definition of midnight, all improvements we had previously discussed but never implemented. A block of cream cheese topped with raspberry chipotle jelly and a charcuterie board (aren't we trendy?!) sufficed for pre-meal treats. Ice cream Drumsticks from the freezer provided a yummy, hassle-free dessert. And because our bodies now say "time for bed" without regard for time zones, New York City's televised ball-drop was good enough to inspire our 11 p.m. toast to usher in what would soon become 2023. 

Mission accomplished. It only took 40 years to turn our intentions into reality.

For New Year's Eve dinner and the following morning's breakfast, we went with greatest hits from the past. Steak Diane. Julia Child's Gratin Jurassien (scalloped potatoes) was as spectacular as ever, even though half the cream spilled into Linda's lap on the drive to the Clarkes' home. Buttered green beans with lemon juice. Spinach Pecan Salad. Egg and sausage casserole. Fresh pineapple, toast, Kahlua and coffee. Frank Sinatra as the musical background. 

Good food, good friends, good times. 

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve felt like blast from the past too. No Dick Clark, of course - he died a decade ago - but his branding remains, and the performers and street revelers are just as uninhibited now, and as curiously outfitted, as their predecessors were when we first rang in a new year together, 

But of course, time does march on, and upon us as well. Since our last New Year's Eve reporting, the Clarkes welcomed grandbabies Charlotte and Teddy, laid Vonnie's mother to rest and bought a condo at Lake of the Ozarks. Both families relocated from long-time houses with too many stairs to more age-appropriate homes, bid farewell to beloved pups, and contributed to the fortunes of physicians and pharmaceutical companies. 

Conversations that were once about favorite musicians, restaurants, local happenings and kids' school events have evolved, or perhaps more accurately, devolved, into discussions about the merits of Medigap plans and tips for dealing with body part replacements from those who've been there (Vonnie's knees) to those who will experience them in the near future (Tom's hip). 

The kids we have worried about since their birth now worry about us. Not without reason. 

But such is the circle of life. And here we are, still living it, and beginning another new year together. 

We close with a photo from the never-reported-on 2017 event, a highlight of which was a sampling of Dom Perignon, a gift from Becky to her mom and dad. Dinner might have been beef stroganoff. Or not. We don't remember. The champagne was awesome, though. 

And here's a scene from one of the New Year celebrations in Blue Springs years, when Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve actually included Dick Clark, and in which we see both that we weren't always old and why Linda's hair should never again be permed. 

And then, a link to one of the YouTube videos we watched together at Vonnie's behest as 2019 gave way to 2020. Little did we know it would be our last New Year's Eve extravaganza for awhile, but then, as now, it pretty well sums up this long-running celebration of friendship, with all its ups and downs and sorrows and joys over the course of 42 years: 

Perfect. 

May all the minutes in the year ahead be happy for you and those you love. 

38 time's the charm

You could say we’re slow learners. We prefer to note that with age comes wisdom.

Either way, in the 38^th Annual Clarke-Odell New Year’s Eve Food-Gorging Festival, we may have found the answer for an age-appropriate celebration to kick an old year to the curb and welcome the possibilities of a new one.

It is, in a (hyphenated) word: make-ahead.

It seems every year we’ve done this, somebody has been under the weather. This year it was Vonnie’s turn, and that proved to be the catalyst for our discovery of the joys of make-ahead. 

Well before the big evening, Linda went to work on Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. Vonnie assembled a breakfast casserole that would require little of the morning beyond taking it out of the refrigerator and putting it into the oven.

Despite George’s adventures in heart surgery over the past couple of years, Linda also reprised Julia’s scalloped potatoes, which are worth every milligram of cholesterol. Vonnie also assembled appetizers, put the salad together and bought the Catalina dressing to put on it and fabulous little personal bundt cakes for dessert, thus illustrating a secondary learning: why spend hours making something you can simply go buy?

Voila! No muss, no fuss New Year’s Eve dinner and morning-after breakfast.

A down-side of the make-ahead approach, or maybe given our ages, an up-side: we finished eating, with table cleared and dishes rinsed, by 8 p.m., leaving Linda to check where in the world it might already be 2017, in case we wanted to do an out-of-time-zone toast and call it a wrap.

Ultimately, we hung on for awhile longer, and a fifth guest joined us: Amazon Echo’s Alexa. While we watched the Clarkes’ recording of the Tony Bennett 90^th birthday concert (check out Leslie Odom Jr’s swoon-worthy rendition of Autumn Leaves,”) and later as New Year’s Rockin’ Eve proceeded, we discussed various issues of the day and when a question came up, tossed it to Alexa, who responded with aplomb and apparent accuracy.  

Sadly Alexa could do nothing to save Mariah Carey’s live televised performance of… we’re not sure what because she didn’t perform it, apparently due to technical difficulties. But the artificially intelligent voice from a speaker is knowledgeable about many things. Alexa’s responses to such inquiries as “when did Eddie Fisher die and at what age?” added a dimension of educational enrichment to our post-meal/pre-toasting activities.

Stimulating the brain is important when you’re 38 years into anything.

Sometime before 10 p.m. we declared 2017 underway and popped the cork, so we could all be snug in our beds long before our respective neighbors’ fireworks announced the actual turn of the year in our time zone.  Make-ahead apparently leads to go-ahead, which is just fine.

Breakfast the next morning was similarly stress-free and completed in time for the Odells to return home, where Tom had a date with a yard rake and an enormous pile of sweet gum spiny balls before settling in to watch the Chiefs win a football game.

Thus, we entered 2017, with all its fears, possibilities, uncertainties and blessings. We are alive and well, so are our families, including two new Clarke grandbabies since last we blogged – the precious Sophia Graece Tunley and her brand-new cousin, Quinn Rose Urbanowicz. The old folks may be somewhat scarred by the combined forces of wear, tear and gravity, but as long as we can enjoy our times together, it will be a very good year indeed.

Check the links embedded above for some of our recipes and see below for Vonnie’s make-ahead breakfast egg, sausage and bacon casserole.

Breakfast Casserole (Vonnie's adaptation)
1 lb pork sausage
1 lb bacon
10 eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
8 slices bread, cubed
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown sausage and bacon, drain well. Chop bacon. Beat eggs, pour into buttered 9x13 pan, add rest of ingredients, then meat. Let stand overnight, covered, in refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

P.S. If you’re looking for a summary of New Year’s Eve 2015, and we're sure you are, you’re out of luck. Never got around to chronicling it. Maybe someday, Alexa can fix procrastination, too. For now, though, getting stuff like that done, or not, is still up to the humans.

2014: Small ear holes and popscicle toes

Part of our annual New Year's Eve ritual involves retiring after dinner to the Clarkes' great room, collapsing on the sofas while we wait for the Times Square ball to drop into the new year, so that we can clink our champagne glasses and trundle off to bed by 12:03.

Some years we scroll through the televised offerings, usually populated by Hot Young Headliners we have never heard of and wouldn't mind never seeing again. This year, however, we explored Pandora playlists based on back-in-the-day favorites like Janis Ian or James Taylor. From there we moved to YouTube videos of young 'uns recommended by Tom, ranging from Holly Williams, daughter of Hank Jr., who we liked; ZZ-Somebody, who we found acceptable; and PJ Harvey, who is utterly awful despite what Tom thinks.

This all led to conversation topics including the size of Tom's ear holes, which are insufficient to allow him to listen to music from a mobile device (too small, apparently); why Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" speaks of being tied to a kitchen chair (we have no answer to that); and whether the lyrics to Randy Newman's "Short People" refers to "popsicle toes" (no, per Google that honor belongs to someone named Michael Franks....)

Not exactly thoughtful discussion about the state of civilization… but comfortable conversation among long-time friends, interspersed with a showing of the latest photos of Colton and Sophia Graece, the grandchildren who joined the Clarke clan in 2014.

Plus, judging from what we see televised from Times Square and friends' status updates on Facebook, we may be among the classiest folks out there.

Tom and Vonnie toast our 36th annual New Year's Eve dinner together.

This year's menu featured new items: Julia Child's beef stroganoff, apple crisp and a New York Times recipe for Creme Brûlée-ish French Toast for the following morning's breakfast.  We might be getting too old for all this rich food within an 18-hour period. But gracious, it's good….

Julia Child's Beef Stroganoff

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
3 Tbsp. minced shallots
1/4 tsp salt and pinch of pepper
2 1/2 lbs. filet of beef (which might be too much!) sliced 2" across and 1/2" thick
1/4 cup Madeira or dry white vermouth
3/4 cup brown stock or broth
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. cornstarch blended with 1 Tbsp of the cream

Saute mushrooms for 4-5 minutes to brown lightly. Stir in shallots and cook a minute longer, add salt and pepper and set aside.  Dry beef. Saute a few pieces at a time for 2-3 minutes per side, to brown the exterior but keep inside rosy red. Set aside & discard sautéing fat. Pour wine and stock into skillet and boil down until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup. Beat in cream, then cornstarch mixture, simmer 1 minute. Add mushrooms, sauté 1 minute more. Season beef with salt and pepper and return to the skillet along with any juices that have escaped. Transfer everything to a serving casserole.

Julia recommends peas with her stroganoff, but we opted for green beans, to avoid cries of anguish from the pea-hating boys.  

Linda's Grandma's Apple Crisp 

4 cups sliced tart apples

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup (or less) flour

1 cup sugar - granulated or brown

1/3 cup butter

Place apples in a buttered 10x6x2 baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeat, salt and water. Rub together flour, sugar and butter. Drop mixture over the apples. Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 6.

Apple crisp may be the poor cousin of pie, but it's a lot easier. And really, really good. 

Creme Brûlée French Toast 

5 large eggs + 2 egg yolks (or 6 eggs)
2 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
3 Tbsp. dark rum
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 loaf challah (we used brioche) bread, in 1" slices
1 cup packed light brown sugar
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Whisk eggs, milk, cream, rum, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Spread bread in one layer on 11x17 (or so) rimmed pan. Pour custard mixture over bread and soak at least 4 hours, overnight if possible. Turn once  halfway through.  Heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk sugar and melted butter. Pour into another rimmed baking sheet. Spread an even layer. Place soaked bread onto sugared baking sheet, on top of the sugar layer. Bake 25 minutes or until tops are golden and sugar is bubbling. Serve immediately.

And don't forget to renew your prescription for cholesterol medicine…

2013: The more things change...

In preparation for our 35th annual New Year's celebration,  Linda took a look back at previous years' memories, as best they can be chronicled, by way of this blog.

She discovered the following:

1. We always talk about planning our menu ahead, and every year "ahead" means about 24 hours before. At best. 
2. We always say we'll do something simple. Sometimes we mean it.
3. We always say we get too full on appetizers and next year will prepare fewer of them. We never mean that. 
4. It's been five years since we first gave Julia Child's Gratin Jurassien a try. Who knew how good a few simple (cholesterol-laden) ingredients could be? The menu has been built around this heavenly dish every year since. You don't mess with fabulous. 
5. The faces may change, but the tv view of people in Times Square -- the revelers and the hosts/guests of the rockin' eve extravaganzas -- consistently offer an interesting anthropological study.
6. We routinely discuss doing the next New Year's Eve on a cruise. And yet, here we are.... 

One year long ago, while watching Linda Ronstadt sing in a strapless sequined gown on a tv special, Vonnie and Linda pledged to similarly outfit themselves on a cruise for the 25th anniversary. It is a blessing to the cosmos that the 25th anniversary came and went sans strapless sequined gowns.  We're still talking about the cruise, and can only hope the strapless sequined gowns remain an unrealized aspiration.

You might call this being stuck in a rut.  We prefer to call it honoring tradition. And a beautiful tradition it is:

Our 2013-to-2014 table. Gratin Jurassien potatoes front and center, where they unquestionably belong. It was good to have Vonnie's mom, Doris, join us.

Last year's menu was a success, so we repeated most of it this year: Cotes de Porc Poelees (Julia Child's pork chops), fresh green beans and salad.  Preceded by cheese, salami, crackers and lavosh, stuffed mushrooms and bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, then topped off with coffee kahlua, pre-prepared creme brulee, and a champagne toast at midnight. 

Tom wields the blow-torch to carmelize the creme brulee topping.

Waddling to the family room we tuned in the televised Times Square festivities, catching a glimpse of Jenny McCarthy in a giant lips-and-tongue costume and a large photograph of Kim Kardasihan's needle-studded face promoting the joys of acupuncture.  That was enough of that, and as the clocked ticked toward midnight we opted for a re-run of Doc Martin on PBS instead. We'll leave the anthropological study to someone else. 

The New Year's Day breakfast was straightforward and delicious. Scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, toast, leftover potatoes and mimosas.  On Vonnie's mom's pretty Christmas plates. 

You'll just have to imagine the hot cinnamon rolls that were inhaled before we could get the cell phone cameras out.

No new recipes to share this year, but here's a look at 35 years of source material: 

Someday, Linda will add a few of the tasty finds in these favorite tomes. Just not today. 

Truth be told, 2013 was no picnic, and we're all glad to put it behind us. We can't know what lies ahead but we'll hope and plan for the best.  A new grandbaby for the Clarkes, yes.  Possibly a reconfigured kitchen as well. That New Year's Eve cruise? Maybe. Strapless sequined gowns? Probably not.  New trials and new joys? Most likely. 

But whatever else 2014 brings, we will hold dear the bonds of life-long friendship that withstand change over time and help us greet each new year with fresh expectations. 

And full bellies. 

2012: Hog Heaven

Every year we commit to confirming our New Year's Eve menu in advance.  Every year we find ourselves further and further from that goal, and this year we pushed it to the limit.

Like elected leaders in Washington approaching the "fiscal cliff" deadline without a plan, we, too, hurtled toward the New Year's Eve grocery shopping deadline with no resolution to our menu quandary.  We discussed Steak Diane, but when Vonnie returned from an advance run to Costco with news that the requisite beef would set us back $80, thus over a fiscal cliff of our own, we changed direction.

In the end, we found a solution close to both home (big fat pork chops in Tom and Linda's freezer) and heart (our trusty Julia Child cookbook, with "bien!" pencilled in the margin by the book's original owner, Tom's deceased brother Don).

With a snow-and-ice forecast for the end-of-year eve, the minimal extra shopping required was a blessing. And as we ushered in 2013, we proclaimed this year's feast as one of our finest ever, with less complication and far less cost.

Guess we're not like elected leaders in Washington after all.

As always, we began with appetizers, and changed it up just a bit, foregoing the cream cheese with raspberry jalapeno sauce and Tom's favorite shrimp dip in favor of stuffed mushrooms and artichoke squares.

Then on to the Julia-and-Donny-inspired main course: Cotes de Porc Poelees, or Casserole-Sauteed Pork Chops.  We paired the pork with two past favorites, a Spinach Pecan Salad and Julia's heart-stopping (literally)  Gratin Jurassian (Unbelievably Wonderful Scalloped Potatoes) and fresh green beans.

We repaired to the Clarkes' family room to sit by their new gas-log fire with kahula-laced coffee and a light chocolate mousse, and caught up on DVRd episodes of X Factor and Doc Martin.

When the clock struck 12, warm and toasty inside as the snow fell softly beyond, we toasted the new year and each other with midnight mimosas and agreed that the evening had been... well... bien.

Tres bien, in fact.

Artichoke Squares

#2 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 loaf thin white bread (like Pepperidge Farm)

Remove crusts and cut bread in four 1-inch squares.  Mix other ingredients and place on squares.  Freeze. Then bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Cotes de Porc Poelees

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

6 pork chops, cut 1 inch thick
3-4 Tablespoons rendered pork fat or cooing oil
2 Tablespoons of butter
Optional: 2 halved cloves garlic (we forgot to bring the garlic)
1/2 cup dry white wine, vermouth or beef stock


Marinade (per pound of pork) 
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme or sage (we used thyme)
1/8 teaspoon ground bay leaf
Pinch of allspice
1/2 clove garlic, mashed

Rub marinade on both sides of pork chops, marinate for at least 2 hours (6-12 hours is better). Turn them periodically.

Dry the pork chops on paper towels. In a heavy 10-12 inch fireproof casserole heat the fat or oil in the casserole until it is almost smoking, then brown the chops, 2 or 3 at a time, on each side for 3-4 minutes. As they are browned, transfer them to a side dish.

Add butter to the casserole and the optional garlic. Return shops, baste with the butter. Cover and heat until the meat is sizzling, then set in lower third of preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (we did 28 minutes and thought they were slightly overcooked). Turn and baste the chops once or twice. They are done when the meat juices run a clear yellow with no trace of rose.  Put chops on heated platter.

The chops will have rendered about 1/2 cup juices during their cooking. Add the 1/2 cup liquid (wine or stock) and boil rapidly until you have about 1/2 cup concentrated sauce. Pour over the chops and serve.

2011: Cholesterolized

In our 33 previous New Year's Eve dinners, we've always lamented preparing SO much food. So this year we tried something a little different -- soup as the main dish. But with plenty of hors d'oeuvres, just in case. And a killer (literally) chocolate dessert. And enough cream, butter and eggs to negate any lightening-up we intended to accomplish. Oh well.

Becky and Justin were in town and joined us for appetizers and sharing of a bottle of Chocolate Ale, my Christmas gift from my Boulevard Brewery boy Rob. The girls in particular were enthusiastic about chocolate-flavored beer and it gave us a toast-worthy start to a filling evening.

In addition to annual favorite shrimp dip, little smokie hot dogs in crescent rolls and olives rolled in cheese dough, Vonnie tried something new: parmesan cheese straws. They were a hit, with potential to not just be an appetizer, but also the bread for a meal:

Parmesan Cheese Straws

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg + 1 Tablespoon water, mixed together for "egg wash"

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 Tblsp white sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 425. On lightly floured surface roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry into 12 x 14" rectangle. Brush off excess flour, then brush entire surface with egg wash. Cut in half to create 2 pieces that measure 7x12". In a small bowl, mix together parmesan & Italian seasonings. Sprinkle evenly over 1 piece of dough. Top with the other piece of puff pastry, egg wash side down. Press firmly to make sure the layers will adhere to one bother. Then using the rolling pin, lightly roll the whole length of the dough to make sure that all the air pockets have been removed. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut pastry into 14 strips. Twist strips three times to make a spiral and place on ungreased cookie sheet. press ends down firmly so that the straws remain twisted during baking. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake on middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

- - - - - -

I'll be honest: the lobster bisque wasn't my favorite NYE entree. But since I'm not much on seafood, that's probably more about me than it is about the dish, the recipe for which follows. Plus, Tom took care of the entire process while the rest of us watched. That was okay too:

Lobster Bisque

2 small cooked lobsters, about 1 lb each

8 Tblsp butter, divided

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups water

6 Tblsp floour

3 cups milk, heated

1/4 cup cream

1 Tblsp sherry

1/4 tsp paprika

fresh thyme

Remove meat from lobsters and chop fine. Reserve shells. Heat 2 T butter in a heavy kettle. Add 1/2 of the chopped onion and the chopped carrot. Saute over medium heat until softened, 10-15 min. Add lobster shells and bodies, increase heat to medium-high and sauté 4-5 min. Add bay leaf, thumb, wine, water and any collected lobster liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a clean bowl. Discard shells and vegetables. Measure out 2 cups broth. In a soup pot melt remaining 6 T butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk 2-3 min. until golden. Add hot milk all at once, stirring with whisk until smooth. Stir in lobster broth. Simmer & stir over medium heat until soup thickens. Stir in lobster meat, cream and sherry, paprika, warm through and garnish with thyme.

- - - - - -

The strawberry spinach salad, on the other hand, was a winner, and with a really pretty Christmas vibe due to the deep red of the strawberries and deep green of the spinach. Look for this one to turn up in the future:

Spinach Strawberry Salad

2 Tblsp sesame seeds

1 Tblsp poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1 Tblsp minced onion

10 oz fresh spinach - rinsed, dried, torn into bite size pieces

1 quart strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Whisk together seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worchestershire and onion. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Combine spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Refrigerate 10-15 min. before serving.

- - - - - -

"A Taste of Decadence" is what the headline read over this recipe saved from a recent Star Magazine. Decadence indeed. As I was pouring this stuff into four small dessert cups, I hoped everyone wouldn't feel cheated by the tiny portion of dessert. But about 3 spoonfuls into eating it, I wondered if I could possibly finish it.

Which of course I did. In fact, we all finished our whole servings, even George, who usually declines anything this rich. Maybe it was Mariah Carey's tv outfit, which we discussed at length, that made all that artery-clogging goodness go down so smoothly.

Chocolate Pot au Creme

Place 5 oz. finely chopped dark chocolate in a double boiler or non-reactive metal bowl placed over a simmering saucepan. Stir until just melted. Add 3 Tblsp sugar and 1 cup cream. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat.

Lightly beat 3 egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly add small amounts of chocolate while whisking - too much too fast will scramble the eggs. Place the combined mixture on the double boiler on a gentle simmer. Whisk 5 minutes more or until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 Tblsp brandy or Grand Marnier and a pinch of salt. Pour into small coffee or dessert cups and chill until firm. Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream. Serves 4-6.

Hair of the dog

We haven't spent much time talking about morning-after breakfast, but there always is one. This dates back to the days when Odells spent the night, when there weren't teenage children to be sure came home or dogs to be let out for the evening. Toast from the previous evening's leftover bread, skillet fried potatoes, bacon and/or sausage, pineapple and some version of eggs, with Mimosa chasers, are the staples of the first meal of the new year. This year Becky and Justin and Megan and her boys (always a treat!) were home for breakfast, and the whole crew enjoyed the egg casserole Vonnie had made the day before:

Egg Casserole

1 lb bulk sausage, browned and drained

6 slices white bread, crust removed

2 cups milk

4 beaten eggs

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1/4 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese

Lay slices of bread in baking disk, mix remaining ingredients and pour over bread. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 12 hours. Cover with foil, bake at 355 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 1-15 minutes more before cutting.

- - - - - -

So now, it's back to reality. Who would have guessed, when this tradition began back in 1978-to-1979, that we'd still be breaking bread (and a large portion of fat!) together in 2011-to-2012? Yet here we are. And with any luck, and maybe some Lipitor and a diet of whole grains and carrots the rest of the year, we'll be back for more.