I am feeling very accomplished right now due to a culinary victory. I made mushroom bourguignon from a recipe I found on  Smitten Kitchen and even The Sweetie, a meat eater, approved. Initially he said it was cruel to serve a meat eater something called bourguignon without meat,  but he had to concede that it was rich and yummy and satisfying. Served on egg noodles, it made a super cozy winter dinner, and I have been smug ever since.

Despite the vapid nature of award shows and my aspirations to be above celebrity fawning, I am a sucker for all of it. I love when the National Enquirer comes out with their worst bikini body issue and cackle gleefully at celebs and their cellulite. I get misty eyed and clap every time a winner gets choked up thanking their spouse. Needless to say, anticipating last night’s Golden Globe awards was the highlight of my week.

Snacks are crucial for my flannel clad armchair star gazing and bashing. I decided I’d try to make Martha Stewart’s Caramel-Almond Popcorn. I was intimidated by the idea of using a candy thermometer, but it is a new year and one of my motto’s for 2009 is “feel the fear and do it anyway”. Besides, if a small underdog of a brilliant movie like Slumdog Millionaire can go head to head against Brad (yawn) Pitt, the least I can do is dust off the old thermometer and try my hand at some caramel.

In the end there was too much caramel, difficult as it is to believe that there could ever be too much caramel on anything. Overall, however, I think it is safe to say that I am now a caramel corn goddess.

I have conquered my candy thermometer fear, and Slumdog Millionaire won best picture.

Victory abounds.

Once again I successfully avoided horrid New Year’s Eve parties, with their forced joviality and overabundance of cheer. Phew.

The Sweetie and I enjoyed our annual New Year’s Day tradition of Dim Sum with friends at the Bright Pearl in Chinatown. I gorged on dumplings and crispy mounds of yumminess in preparation for tomorrow when everything will be different and I will eat nothing but salads and clear broth to atone for my gluttony during Shortbread Season.

I realized that things need to change while trying on Lululemon pants in Victoria. Lululemon’s workout gear is known for magically sucking in all the wobbly bits and the excessive price can be justified for the sake of looking fit without having to actually go to the gym. No one looks bad in Lululemon pants. Or so I thought. Unfortunately something went terribly wrong when I was in the change room. There was no mood lighting to cushion the blow and somehow instead of admiring my Lululemon clad apple bum, I was horrified to face a spandex wearing sausage. Apparently a month of eating cookies and fudge wreaths the size of my head has consequences after all.

As a result, my first New Year’s resolution for 2009 is to cut back on the fudge wreaths and re-introduce vegetables into my life.

In order to spare myself unnecessary temptation tomorrow, I will finish the remnants of my holiday cookies and a bottle of wine tonight while working on the rest of my list.

In order to put off getting organized for Christmas, the Sweetie and I decided to brave the blowing snow and get ourselves some chocolate at The Distillery District instead. Why clean the house or get ready for Christmas when there are steaming cups of hot chocolate to be had?

The Distillery District looks really magical right now, with little fairy lights strung everywhere and the brick streets lined with evergreen boughs. I actually had a moment when I thought winter could be pretty.

I quickly came to my senses and pulled us into Soma Chocolatemaker for some warmth and their magical Mayan hot chocolate elixir. Bravo to the Mayans for building pyramids and their astronomical advances, but the true accomplishment is discovering that chocolate and chili’s go so well together. I had a big cup with steamed milk, while The Sweetie opted for a short cup which was a gooey thick mass of pure heaven. My fuzzy head felt instantly clearer, and all was right with the world again.

Nothing like a nip of chocolate to put everything in perspective and take the sting out of winter, at least temporarily.

Damn you California Sandwiches, I can’t quit you. Why do you have to be so tasty? And so cheap? $6.00 for a delicious gooey eggplant sandwich, smothered in cheese and hot peppers, how am I supposed to resist that?

Regardless of my proclamations that I will work on the ever inflating inner tube attached to my waist these days, I just have to picture your saucy goodness and my steely resolve flies out the window. I don’t stand a chance.

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant on College Street is absolutely scrumptious and a bargain eater’s delight. You can stuff yourself and have a beer for less than $20.00 and the atmosphere is cozy and inviting, perfect for whiling away a couple of hours with friends. It’s a perfect date place as well. There is something wonderfully sensual and intimate about eating with your hands. The only drawback, unfortunately, is that all of the waitresses are gorgeous. Really really gorgeous. And friendly. My girlfriend and I had planned on going with our sweeties. We purposely opted for a Friday night, figuring that all the really gorgeous waitresses would be out on dates. We hoped that there would only be plain waitresses left, leaving our men free to gaze upon us adoringly and undistracted.

Alas, no.

Luckily we were able to take comfort in the delicious food and despite the gorgeous waitresses, we’ll be back (maybe for a girl’s night).