christmas present shout-outs ::edit::

since i shouted out paul's family and rachel for their christmas gifts in the last post, i thought i should make a more complete list of all my continuing enjoyment of christmas presents

i'm using my mini vera bradley wallet-on-a-string from mommy k as my main "purse" now, except when i need a real bag, at which point i throw it in the big floppy eddie bauer bag that ninny got me for (i think) christmas 2005.

i use my aveeno chapstick daily (stocking stuffer from the 'rents)

paul and i had a delicious cassarole for dinner last week made of needed-to-be-used eggs, bread, milk, cheese, and onions and baked in my very first le cruset piece of kitchenware, a mini cassarole from aunt judy

i've cooked pasta three times so far in the pasta pot we exchanged for the waffle iron that ninny got for us (we already had a waffle iron, but we LOVE the pasta pot!)

of course the delicious pizza from the last entry, the pizza stone is the best part of that kit, it's nice and big and beautiful. we also used the alton brown DVDs megan got for paul to make an AMAZING batch of baked macaroni-and-cheese that was the perfect companion for the succulent pulled pork paul made last weekend.

of rachel's gift we've so far eaten the tortilla chips in the salsa verde and used the tapenade for the pizza sauce, which worked really perfectly.

i have a picture of greer above my tv in the cute little doggy picture holder han got me in france

i used my borders gift card from paul's family to get a much-needed dictionary to keep by my bed for nighttime reading when i don't feel like getting up to use the computer to look up words

i haven't yet used any old navy gift certificates...i'm waiting until there's an article of clothing that i really need, because i need to be spending as little money as possible for basically the rest of 2007, so hopefully the gift certificates will come in handy to satisfy a craving.

also haven't used the amazon gift certificates...tried to use mine to purchase a friend's long-overdue wedding gift from amazon.co.uk, but it wouldn't work, i assume because they're only good at amazon.com.

well that's all i can think of at the moment...let me know if i forgot anything. time for bed. past time for bed, in fact, but we had a late dinner after doing laundry and walking all the way to hollywood video, browsing the store for two movies (buy one get one free this week!), and walking home, then taking 90 minutes or so to cook beef and barley soup. ok so good night!


::edit::

paul just used our new full-sized food processor (also from his family) to make the best hummus he's ever made! he's only made hummus a couple other times, but this time is far superior...it is probably a combination of the experience and the food processor...the full-sized fp is definitely the reason it's much smoother and a better texture this time. Yay food processor!!