Good food, fast.

A Christmas gift from my ever thoughtful mother-in-law, the new Nigella Lawson cookbook, Nigella Express, is everything I hoped it would be. I've always adored Nigella and her dreamy pandering of delicious foods. I love to watch her television show, shot in her home with clever camera angles and lots of blurry, dreamlike views. Nigella is not pretentious when it comes to describing what she's cooking. She's not in a big, well lit studio with everything at arms reach. She's running around her kitchen grabbing what she needs while telling a story about memories of her mother making the same heartwarming meal, then at the end of the show they show a dark kitchen and a nightgown clad Nigella sneaking to the fridge to lap up some leftovers. Talking through the entire show, it's as though you're right in the kitchen with her and you're going to get to taste that amazing looking pasta that she's dishing up for her children.

Slightly exhausted of our recent bread and brie regimen (we bought cheese at Costco so we will be eating the brie for the next 10 years), I cracked open my new book. Inside I found the same unpretentious, inspiring advice about fitting time into each night to not only make dinner but make a dinner we would actually want to eat. Tonight I served up Red Shrimp with Mango Curry over a bed of Japanese rice. It was quick and easy to make and I will make it again soon.

There's a lot more exciting recipes too. A few that stand out in my memory are Broccoli and Stilton Soup and Instant Chocolate Mousse!

Nigella Express

Cute little tiny Lola teeth

What fun would his life be without me to brighten it up?

On our way out the door for some breakfast at the Beach Break Cafe, Thomas was ready to go and I was not moving as quickly as he would have liked. He muttered something along the lines of, "Get your 12 colored outfit in the car!"

Sitting down behind the wheel, I glanced down at my ensemble. "It's only 11 colors," I mumble.

"What's that? No, I don't think so. Look here, I can't count five shades of pink just on your raincoat. Then there's one, two on your scarf, that's seven. Your shirt, cardigan, and jeans, there's three more. Oh, and your shoes? Eleven and TWELVE!"

The dog whines and we get in trouble

...because we're doing our best to spoil, Sweet Pea, this perfectly named puppy.

Christmas Questionnaire

Colored lights or white lights? White lights for me. I like the ornaments to be the color and pop, not the lights.

Real tree or fake tree? Real. My dad has sold Christmas trees with his local Optimist club for as long as I can remember. He can pick the most beautiful tree just by hugging it.

What is your least favorite thing about the holidays? Not having the right gift for someone.

What is the one thing that you would like to see under the tree this year? A MacBook. (I know it's not going to happen, but a girl can dream, can't she?)

What is your favorite thing to do/build in the snow? Jump in the car late at night and drive around on the untouched snow.

What is your favorite holiday drink? A warm glass of mulled cider that my sister ladels up from a giant pot on the stove.

What is your favorite holiday smell? Christmas tree.

Who is your favorite reindeer? Rudolph.

What is your Christmas Eve ritual? Open presents that arrive from far away places, we usually save the presents for each other for Christmas day.

Are you a Friday after Thanksgiving shopper? I always somehow make it out on Black Friday, whether it be my brother-in-law dragging me to the mall at 6am without coffee or breakfast or my husband insisting we go to Fry's Electronics JUST TO SEE THE CROWD, I still have fun.

What is your favorite holiday food? Irish coffee my dad makes on Christmas eve.

How did you find out that Santa wasn't real? A friend from school told me when I was 10.

Who do you want to be under the mistletoe with? My new husband!

Have you bought all your presents yet? Most, not all. There are a couple odds and ends to gather, but there's still plenty of time.

Do you spend Christmas with a lot of family? I have 3 siblings and so does Thomas so there's always a whole lot going on.

Do you still make snowmen and snow angels? I haven't been in cold weather in four years and I don't think I've seen snow in five...

Do you still have snow ball fights? Somebody always needs to get pelted in the back of the head, don't they?

What's your favorite Christmas movie? Rudolph.

What do you plan to do for New Year's Eve? Come home and hang out with my puppies that I won't have seen for two weeks!

What's the most expensive thing you've ever gotten for Christmas? Skis and a Kitchen Aid mixer.

How early do you wake up on Christmas morning? No later than 6.30 because I have to sit and look at the presents in cold quiet, alone.

What do you usually get in your stocking? That's usually where Thomas puts all my gifts if they'll fit.

What is your favorite religious Christmas carol? O, Little Town of Bethlehem.

What is your favorite non-religious Christmas song? I like them all.

How long do you leave up your Christmas decorations? Until the tree dies and the dogs are getting pine needles uncomfortably wedged in their fur.

Consider yourself tagged!