auld lang syne

Less than two hours to go until midnight. Yawn. I hope I make it.

Last year we had friends over, which was fun. This year we're celebrating en famille. Watching Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii (1973) has been the highlight so far.

We like to do a fondue on New Year's Eve. It's easy to put together and there's something for everyone. Several years ago we switched from using oil in the fondue pot to cooking various bits of meat and fish in broth. Works just as well and is much less fatty and messy. I always start with a well seasoned homemade vegetable broth featuring onions, leeks, carrots, celery root, parsley, thyme, a bay leaf and a peppercorn or two.



Of course the chocolate mousse we're having for dessert will cancel out all that vitamin-y goodness, but who cares, it's New Year's Eve, right?


As anyone living in Germany knows, Germany are crazy for fireworks and my big German and two smaller ones are no exception. I swear this is only a third of the booty and they're just itching to set everything off come 12 a.m.




I'm a bit worried about them ripping into this package of scary looking firecrackers. If you wake up tomorrow in an alternate universe, you'll know who to blame.




I stay inside during all the mayhem, happy with quieter things like wimpy party crackers (which for some reason appear here at New Year's instead of at Christmas) and Bleigießen - a form of fortune telling where little lead figures are melted in a spoon over a candle and then plunged into cold water to see what symbols come up.



And oh, just as an aside - no matter what I do, I WILL NOT watch Dinner for One this year, and you can't make me. No you can't.

There'll be a "my 2008 in a nutshell" coming up tomorrow but for now I'll wish you all a

Happy New Year and all the best for 2009!