2017 is already a banner year

There were not many leftovers...

I have lost count of the number of New Year's Open Houses we have hosted (22?). But this year's was the largest ever and we prepared the least perhaps. It was loads of fun and with a hard-drinking, fast-talking Irishman in our kitchen, it really was "from 2 pm till the last guest leaves"!

13 bottles of wine and many many well-selected beer

Seb's punch was the talk of the party (plus those incredible homemade truffles)

 However, before New Year's Day came New Year's Eve and we were hosting Mona and David and family - repaying a fraction of the hosting that they have kindly offered us.

Seb's lovely fried potato wedges

There were some great moves at the family disco

Seb's salt & pepper rimmed virgin mary

Cinderella stayed in the kitchen

Ice cream buche for the kids and Mabel's delicacies for the adults

Can you say friends?

Opening her New Year's pyjamas

The 2nd present haul

And on January 1st we somehow snuck in some present-opening...

Opening a 3-way gift