My lasting holiday memories revolve around the meals I share with loved ones. I started this Christmas with my parents, older sister, & Dre enjoying an amazing Italian 7 Fish Dinner at Trattoria Da Pino in Secaucus, NJ.  Pino always delivers on food, portions, & service, especially this Christmas Eve. The night turned into 4.5 hours  of savoring 14 delicious Italian dishes, 5 bottles of wine, & wonderful company!

Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, & Roasted Red Peppers at Trattoria da Pino - Dish 2 of 14

The food love showed in my xmas gifts, too! My parents got me the Perfect Brownie Baking Pan and two boxes of mix. I may even make a batch tonight while I blog. Dre’s gifts to me were true to the food theme, as well. I’ve been in the market for a simple home deep fryer and planned to rely on a trusty ol’ Fry Daddy model that my mom used. I guess now that it’s 2010, it’s time to step it up with the amazing Cool Daddy Deep Fryer that I received. As soon as we decide on the right thing to fry first, we’ll certainly be christening it!

I give Dre a near heart attack weekly with my clumsiness in the kitchen. My hands are drawn to all things sharp and scalding, but now I’ll have a little protection (and he’ll have some peace of mind!). I LOVE the electric blue silicone fingertongs and two bright red lovehandles from Fusion Brands that he gave me. I was even more stoked when I opened a matryoshka doll. The Russian nesting doll called M-Cups from Fred Flare functions as a set of dry measuring cups, with each half doll ranging from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Looks like I have a new kitchen mascot!

Matryoshka Measuring Cups

Dre also graced me with a gold Chef’s Knife Necklace from the trashydeluxe store on Etsy that I’ve been coveting through half of 2009. It hangs on a long, wispy chain and reminds me daily of what (and who) I love most. Twas a very foodie xmas… and finally a new year!