I hope everyone had a very merry holiday, filled with fantastic glorious food to eat!  We spent ours in a cozy chalet high in the Swiss Alps, remote and cut off from the world (not even cell signal or internet) – a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.  We went snowshoeing, sledding down mountains, drank homemade hot chocolates, played silly games of Uno, and had a roast duck feast for our Christmas dinner with friends

A perfect week to celebrate the end of a perfect year.  The world may not have ended on Dec. 21st, but 2012 was certainly an eventful year nonetheless.  We were thankful for the new blessing in our lives, our baby girl, our good fortunes, and the opportunity to see some dearly missed family and friends.  And so, this year, rather than go somewhere grand for the holidays, we packed our bags and hung out in a chalet with a few friends, enjoying the snowy weather, the snowshoe trails, and each other’s company.

The baby may be a bit too young to remember searching the stars for Santa’s sleigh this time, but we will make sure to let her know about her first Christmas, high in the Alps, looking out over the mountains.

So what better way to celebrate this past year than with a drink?!  I’ve made kir royale several times before, and it continues to be one of my favorite aperitifs.  A little cassis, a little bubbly and voilà, a fantastic cocktail.  I hope your 2012 was as eventful (or uneventful) as you wanted it to be, and wish you the best we as all join to ring in deux mille treize – 2013!