I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to the New Year! Friday night (the 23rd), we had almost all of my dad’s side of the family over which totals up to 35 people. Unfortunately, 11 of those 35, including myself and my brother, spent Christmas day in bed with a horrible, horrible stomach flu.

I won’t give you the details.

However, I was spry enough (I’ve been watching too much “Bad Santa”) to open gifts from my family Sunday morning, including a beautiful, incredible Nikon D200. It looks like this.

I am still drooling over this beauty. I’m currently teaching myself all that there is to know about it (which is a lot!) and I’m planning on posting some fun things next week! It’s just so incredible. I think that I’ve used the word “incredible” a few too many times for one blog post.

If anyone has tips on how to operate this camera- especially for food photography! -tips are so welcome! Leave a comment or e-mail me at aducksoven@gmail.com.

Who’s gearing up for a weekend of bowl games? Honestly, I’ve hardly even thought about New Years Eve because I’m just trying to soak up the last bit of football before I have to spend another spring and summer waiting for this magical time to roll around again. I’ll be sharing some new football concoctions with you Tuesday, but here are a few excellent staples.

Salmon Dip. I make this for just about every occasion I can find an excuse to nowadays.

 
Pulled Pork. Need I say more?
 
 
 
Bleu Cheese Stuffed Burgers. My absolute favorite way to eat burgers is with lots of bleu cheese and caramelized onions, and here’s how I do it.
 
 
Teriyaki Chicken Legs. These babies continue to knock my socks off and they’re one of the more memorable things I’ve made for football parties. This recipe comes from my mom, like all good recipes do.
 
 
Happy bowl season! And, er, New Year and all that stuff!