wind at our backs: CHRISTMAS DAY IN SCOTTSDALE,AZ

Well, Traditions being what they are, you really can't do anything else except follow them! One of mine is to start the day with a hearty breakfast....
Champagne and OJ with a little shot of Grand Marnier is soooooooo goood! The GM just smoothes everything out. We also tried Champagne with Pom juice and GM....both good but I am a stickler for tradition, and like the Mimosa with GM best! As you can see, we had very fresh squeezed OJ to enjoy with the breakfast this Christmas morning. (Picked right out of our friends yard in Scottsdale)

I tried a new recipe this year for the potatoe part of breaky. I sliced some russet potatoes very thin, then heated some grapeseed oil in the pan and added fresh thyme from our winter garden

My winter tomatoes are just looking good now!!!!
So, place the potatoes around the pan in a nice little circle and then a little salt and pepper, and once they have browned nicely you can try and flip them!!! LOL. well, you can see that I am not that good at flipping spuds! Anyways, they are very tasty little crispy devils.

And then of course, Eggs Benny! So good and decedant! You know those traditions, can't break them or you know what!!!!

And of course, the most important tradition for me is the Christmas day motorcycle ride. GOTTA TELL YA, ALOT WARMER HERE THAN I AM USED TO!!!!! Loved it. Rode up to Frank Lloyd Wrights school of Architecture to have a look around and found that they were closed on Christmas day! Oh well, great ride for us! Left there and headed out to Fountain Hills and then west again to our little part of the world!
We got a lovely invite to longtime friends of Daniels for Christmas dinner and got a very nice treat. Great dinner and got to meet some new people. Here is Catherine and Rogers Christmas dinner table. They were very graceous hosts and have a lovely home. Good friends and such a nice family...Thank you Catherine and Roger.
Catherine on the left, "Martha Stewart" in the middle and myself!
ps: great kitchen too