!Feliz Navidad!

Hope all your Christmas' were joyful. So joyful that you took off your shoes and jumped! We did. Although, this photo is from 2006.

The Jensen Christmas was delightful. Lilly made a 4-layer Devil's Food Cake and Apple Pie and Rita cooked salmon with shallots and fennel which made everyone happy and full. We watched Arrested Development and Keeping up with the Kardashians as a family and opened gifts - some of which included a baby iPod, kitchen supplies, Tiffany bracelets, a box set of The Grateful Dead, and painting classes for Poppa Mike.

It's been a whirl and I'm sad to say that it's coming to an end. Lilly leaves tomorrow afternoon, Mike & Rita go back to work and Evelyn will continue to chill with her homeslices. I will be stuck here without a car, a fluffy pillow to sleep on, or hair conditioner. But I'm okay with that.

Holiday Party

Last week we had a mini work Holiday Party. It was a splendid time - a lot of dips, dranks, charades and BOOGIE! on wii. Also, I turned into a roller skating nun! Wow!

The moment I slipped on those sparkly pink (too small) roller skates, I was transported back to my childhood. Not to the days spent playing fairies, falling out of trees or swimming for long periods of time in Lake Superior, but to the times spent roller skating in circles to The Chipettes record in the laundry room. Lil was always Brittany (the hot one) and I was always Eleanor (the fat one). I always wanted to be Brittany, but thinking back to Lil's claims at why I was "so Eleanor" totally make sense now. She ate a lot and had white hair.

The World Wide Web: My Favorites

As of one hour ago, this was my favorite Web site. My Momma introduced it to me years ago and I was immediately hooked. I'm not sure what makes it so appealing - my love for Peter Pan or for creepy weird people that make costumes and then take pictures wearing them.

Pixie Man was good, but I have found something even better. I bring you, Sugar Bush.

Happy Monday!

There's no better way to start your week than by sitting across from a man on the subway at 7:45 AM who throws up on himself, lights a cigar and then asks you, personally, if you'd like some of his Dunkin' Donuts coffee with skim milk.

Jensen Girls in SF: A Photo Essay

Orphan Thanksgiving: San Francisco

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Long ago, or sometime in the early 80's, the parentals started their own tradition of spending this holiday with their friends rather than the relatives. They called it the Orphan Thanksgiving. Over the years, the variables have included the location, menu, guest list, and activities. But one thing remained constant for all but one year. We always spent the holiday with Wendy and the Jensen Girls.

This year, three of us branched off for our own small celebration in San Francisco. MC arrived on Tuesday, Hannah arrived Wednesday morning, and we attempted our first Orphan Thanksgiving without our mothers. Although we had their support with recipes and tips, especially for the stuffing. This is always a key element to our Thanksgiving celebration.


We joined about 10 other orphans at my friends' apartment in Lower Haight. Emily impressed us all by successfully roasting a 20 lb turkey, and Natalie introduced us to a favorite new dish: sweet potato casserole with toasty marshmallows on top. Us Jensen girls made the signature prosciutto and pine nut stuffing, and a delicious green apple and blue cheese salad. There was a ridiculous amount of food, including these highlights:






I also attempted two apple pies. Unfortunately, the crust fell off the first one, but since my oven is too small to fit two pies in at once, I was able to correct the second one before it was baked. Although it didn't look so pretty, the mangled one still tasted fantastic. Just ask MC and Hannah---the three of us ate the entire thing in less than 36 hours. Starting off the weekend binge with a bang. And a major sugar high.




We ate until we were stuffed, cuddled on the couch, watched some bad reality tv, ate some more, admired the view of Golden Gate Park from the roofdeck, played some cards, made fake mustaches, danced a little, and then headed out to the bars, ending the evening at a karoake bar in my neighborhood where I found myself performing "Family Tradition" with Emily and Natalie. I had never heard the song before, but these girls knew it very well. They are from Mississippi, after all.

And so, our family tradition of the Orphan Thanksgiving lives on with the next generation. We've decided that next year we'll head to the other coast for Thanksgiving in NYC. Maybe we'll even attempt our first Turkey. Better have the moms on speed dial for that one...