The Hyatt Regency Austin Gingerbread Village

In case you haven't had a chance to look at my Facebook or Twitter account - here are some pictures from the unveiling of the Gingerbread Village this morning. Chef and his crew went above and beyond your average gingerbread house and created this gorgeous recreation of the UT Tower, Capital and the Hyatt. It really looks so incredibly life-like - with little people figurines, a moving train and a lake.

Here is the story:
The Story of the GingerBread Village at the Hyatt Regency Austin


We started to build the village in October…

It is composed of the following buildings:
Capitol Building
Hyatt Regency Austin
UT Tower
Chef Javier’s Chateau House

The total time it took to build the village is over 200 hours,
Time worked by our Engineering, Stewarding, and Culinary teams.

The village is comprised of:
50lbs of icing
80lbs of assorted candies
Jelly Beans
Candy Canes
Tropical Punch Pop Rocks
Strawberry Punch Pop Rocks
Watermelon Pop Rocks
Swirl Lollipops
Mini-Pops
Psychedelic Pops
Spree
Mike & Ikes
Key Lime Mints
Peppermints
Over 200 trees

Holidays Schmolidays

With the upcoming holidays comes impending doom for a newlywed couple. Basically this means the new couple wants to share in the fact that they now have an inviting adult house. One of the many ways to show off your home, besides throwing lavish parties, is to invite your family to your humble abode for Thanksgiving dinner.

In the moment, one does not think about all the preparations that loom - for instance, finding open space for all family members, which also includes a few days of heavy cleaning. This type of cleaning sometimes involves things you may not do on a regular basis - for instance cleaning the ceiling fans, hiding the bong and boxing up the sex toys.

I haven't even begun to touch upon the cooking debacle that looms. Good thing my husband is an excellent cook. I basically put cookie dough on a cookie sheet and expected it to bake in the oven. (See December's cookie blog fail.) The part I have played in the planning is compiling a list of recipes. Matt chose the ones that would be most appetizing. I give my seal of approval on all the choices and I haven't even tried them. Are you curious? Wanna see what is on the menu at the Mitchell's this Thanksgiving?

Stuffed Mushrooms

The Maple Roasted Turkey

Buttermilk and Dill Mashed Potatoes

Green bean Casserole


Of course I expect a few random sides in there, but this is the jist of it. ANNNND I even bought a cute apron from Etsy for the occasion.
I plan on being in the kitchen and trying my best to lend a hand. It may get burned, mangled or cut, but that is the price I will pay for being hostess.

Hi i hate the holidays how are you?

Yes you read that right. I hate the holidays. I'm just in a grippy mood because I'm pulling a 50 hour work week. That would make anyone pissy right? Yep. That's me. A grinch.

Let me tell you what I am tired of:

*my job
*the economy
*talk about how bad we have it it in for us (via economy)
*the thought of a pay cut
*not buying gifts this year
*not spending time with Matt
*my drunky co-worker
*this yo-yo weather
*no food at the house
*cracks in the ceiling

What I am happy about:

*matt
*my family back together
*heather getting married next year
*not being fat
*having a job
*almost no credit card debt
*not being at work


So there are my irks and perks in a nutshell. Next week should be better. I can handle 2 and a half days of work. We are flying to the panhandle on Wednesday night to visit Matt's mom. I haven't been so this should be fun fun fun! I'm crossing my fingers for snow.