Had a really good Christmas this year: stayed in my jammies most of the day, eating like a horse and spending good, quality time with my family. Went to my dad's on Monday for breakfast - it was so nice to spend time with him. He's got this great little house with a bundle of land in north west NH. I'm looking forward to a spring or summer visit to see his garden in full bloom. This is a photo of a chair he has on the side of the house, facing the mountain view. As you can see it was misty and overcast that day, so I didn't get the full view. I was trying out the "Bright Snow Scene" setting on...my new digital camera! Yes, Santa pulled through this year, so get ready for lots more visual stimulation on the Mannequin. Thanks Santa!

I got my mom The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook for Christmas, which is not only full of recipes, but is also a cool little culinary history of the state. Coffee Milk is the state drink! I had my mom make me a "coffee cabinet," which is coffee ice cream, milk, and coffee syrup mixed up in a blender. According to the book, "Most people believe the name cabinet comes from the wooden cabinets behind the counter that held the old-time mixers." Whoo Whee does it pack a buzz!

Today my mom took me to lunch at Peter Christian's Tavern in New London. They are known for their mustard sauce, which is too sweet for my taste, but I still like to dip a few mini pretzels into it just for a taste. The atmosphere of this place is so cool - the ceiling is really low, and it's a maze of wooden booths with hand-carved-looking tables and a teeny-tiny bar with like five stools. New London is one of those classic, picture-postcard New England towns and I always love going for a visit when I'm home. Next time I'm up I want to check out the Flying Goose Brew Pub. Their selection sounds pretty cool, and all the taps are painted, wooden goose heads, which look pretty neat.