Tuesday, February 8, 2011

THE BEGINNING OF 2011



                        First of all, we had the best winter ever in St. Louis since I moved here. Lots of snow and more predicted to come and I love it. So far I have gotten pretty good exercise shoveling snow for the past few weeks.
The view from our garage

Hard at work with my little helper

Very enjoyable work in this weather

Just about done


Other exciting things have happened already this year, like Donna`s Birthday, the Australian Open, the Super Bowl, baby-sitting Nitro, and the main event, Tony and Amy’s visit all the way from Panama City Beach.

I love to feed the birds when it snows

Close-up





Regrettably, not everything went my way, I was very disappointed when my boy Roger Federer lost to the joker in the semi-final, and also, my favorite, Steelers had to take a loss against the Packers. Well, I guess I have to live with it.


Jacob and myself still had hopes for the Steelers at this time

Even Luke started to get in to the game


Brian was stressed out for nothing, his Packers finally won

Luke lost interest in the game and put the final touch to his wolf sculpture



Everything else went great. Tony and Amy arrived on Wednesday night, the day before Donna`s Birthday. They woke up to 11 inches of freshly fallen snow. I believe shoveling snow was the last thing on Tony’s mind, but he helped me and ended up doing most of the work.


Amy and Tony's welcome platter

Good looking fruit for being in the middle of winter


Donna took off from work and we celebrated her birthday with good food, drinks and in good company with Daniel and Eric. Gina (prior engagement), Karla, (work), and Brian and family were missing the party. By the way, we did not see Brian all of January, being busy plowing streets and parking lots for his snow removal company.


Great conversation between two super ladys



Except a tiny trip to a local bar for 3 hours we spent the next 3 days at home, eating, drinking, dancing, playing cards, playing the wii and taking care of the dogs. Great Fun!! Times like that pass really fast and sadly Tony and Amy left us Monday morning. Can't wait for our next reunion.

Let the card game begin

Russian rummy

Happy winners

The score keeper

The dancing begins


Dancing queen

Good time


Tony got in on the action



It can`t get much better

Amy relaxing with Lola and Tahyo

Tony looks content



Tahyo and myself needed some rest




Beginning February Gina and Daniel spent a week vacation in Acapulco and we spent that time baby-sitting Nitro.


Nitro never rests around me


but is an angel with Donna


Nitro


I believe he had a real good time over here, roaming free and tasting some gourmet table food! I saw a tear in his eye when he had to leave to go back home.



Thursday, February 3, 2011

NEW YEARS EVE PARTY


                         Our fifth annual new years eve party started off great, with some cocktails, hors d'oeuvre, fresh salsa, guacamole and tortilla chips. Also, for the first time we had a 4 course gourmet sit down dinner, everybody seemed to enjoy.



Menu
*
Maryland Crab Cakes
fire roasted pepper and lobster sauce

Montricher Salad
with cucumber, hearts of palm and beets

Fillet Mignon and Scampi
port wine sauce and garlic butter
julienne carrots in beet juice
spinach soufflé
swiss gratin potatoes

Personalized Coup Monte Carlo
vanilla ice cream
fresh berries with fruit sauce and
Grand Marnier


Main course

Fresh baked Swiss Zopf


Preparing the dessert

Final product

Donna and Windy enjoying the coup



                       The first 2 hours after dinner where full of fun and laughter. Soon after, our entertainment directors lost control of the party, due to tremendous alcohol consumption. Lets face it, the WII dancing challenge is fun until everybody has had their turn, but after 2 hours it started to get pretty boring.

Instructions from Eric

Full action dancing challenge



                        So we decided to play a card game, but it took a while to relocate to our playing table down stairs, so some people started to play pool and others gave darts a try. When we finally settled down to play cards it was too much of a challenge. We gave up and played darts for a while but soon we drifted back to the good old dancing challenge to 3:30 in the morning. I guess, I was wrong about the boring part!

Trying to get a card game together


 
                        In the mean time we enjoyed the midnight champagne toast and snack of a variety of canapés.



Midnight Hors d`oeuvre

New Year Toast


Last traditional picture of the old Year


Starting the New Year

Everybody had a great time all night

Eric, Joe and Sara

Donna and Nitro


Gina

Brian

Windy


Karla

Windy and Myself

Observing the dancers


Daniel, Gina and Nitro

Brian and Windy in conversation over parenthood




Overall a great success.



Friday, January 28, 2011

FINAL MONTHS OF 2010 (Part 2)


                       Next on our agenda was Thanksgiving. Donna and I where invited to spend thanksgiving with Windy and Brian and we gladly accepted, for once I did not have to cook.
                       I am not very critical about other peoples cooking and pleased very easily, but I was incredibly surprised with the feast Windy served us. Either I trained her very well or she gained all this experience cooking for three men every day. The food was cooked to perfection and nicely presented. Well, maybe the Turkey could be carved a little thinner, instead of half pound chunks. (Windy let Brian carve the turkey!)

Brian, the master turkey carver


Check out this spread

Great food

A real thanksgiving plate

Indulging the dessert

                      After lunch the woman went Christmas shopping and of course  the men watched football


It looks as I had a little to much food

                      Next on my busy end of year plan came Gina and Jacobs birthday. We celebrated with lots of cocktails, snacks and a heavy duty card game until early hours. Everybody had lots of fun, especially Eric and Daniel. 

Getting ready for card game


Close to midnight - lots of cocktails


Eric and Daniel still thirsty


                    Christmas is approaching fast, only 3 weeks left, so it was time for me to produce some Christmas cookies. I made 1200 off them, 7 different kind. If anybody likes a recipe just let me know. You also find some of them in my blog entry from last Christmas.

Brunsli

Gelee Ringli

Makaroenchen

Chocolate Wheels

Cinnamon Horns

Mailanderli

Pecan Diamonds

Jacobs creations


Luke fully concentrated

Good Job for a 6 year old
                         Donna organized some nice Christmas boxes, filled them with Cookies, decorated and labeled them and after we give away 20 or so boxes we had just a few left for our own enjoyment.

                        My next assignment was butting up the Christmas Tree and start wrapping some presents.
Pretty good work for an old man

                         Christmas has arrived and the whole family got together in our house to celebrate. I took Donna's suggestion and prepared on easy meal. Shepherd's pie and a nice Montricher salad was on the menu. Everybody liked it or so they said. The kids could not wait to open up the presents and we had to please them. After we played the new Wii dancing game until late at night. We had a real nice Christmas.

Daniel got me a new lab top

Small problem with the bottle opener

Nitro, Gina and Daniel's new baby

Luke and Jacob love Christmas
Everybody`s turn to open presents
Jacob
Luke

Brian

Gina

and myself

Donna in action

Only 8 pm and everybody looks a bit tired

Merry Christmas 2010