Brenda found a new recipe for a cake that she wanted to try out.  So this weekend we made this Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Cake with White Chocolate Grand Marnier mousse filling and Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.  It was soooo good, I can't wait to get home and have another slice.  Check out the recipes, it was worth the effort!

It's amazing that I don't weigh 500 pounds when there is always something good cooking in our house.

Remember when you were a kid and the school assignment was to write a report of what you did on vacation?  Well, here goes...

Brenda and I decided that we needed to redo the countertops that had to be trimmed to get the new stove to fit.  So before Christmas we ordered the supplies to laminate new countertops. 

The day after Christmas we headed to the lumber yard to get the particle board to build the countertops, and got started.  Here are some before and after pictures.

After the wine bar was done we moved on to the larger counters...

Then of course there was a bit of a distraction when a guy on a bike went riding past on the lake... a little odd.

Back to work, and on to the hardest part.  installing the under mount sink, and the countertop with the stove cutout.

We finished in time to celebrate the new year!

And we made some home made cavatelli.

Not a bad vacation... I need a rest though ;)  Happy 2012!

I captured this image from the tuppercam yesterday.  A little dusting of snow on the newly frozen lake.  Maybe we will have a white Christmas

Goodbye old friend.  You served us well for 13 years... even if Matthew did call you a crappy old stove.

Hello new shiny sexy friend.  I hope this relationship lasts a long time.

But wait... already you try to hurt me... why doesn't it fit?

It's okay.  I can make some adjustments.

Time to celebrate!

Oh and we put up some Christmas decorations too.