Oh hello, 2010.

And good morning to you, brand new decade.

It is so nice to see you both.

The holidays were lovely, full of good eats and old friends and singing in the car with my sister (my number one favorite New York activity. One of these days we are going to take our act on the road). We saw White Christmas in town with my dad. I ate the most delicious walnut and sun-dried tomato pesto courtesy of my uncle. And my mom remains the world’s best sous-chef, always one step ahead of me, always right there to help out. Thanks for a very merry, family. All things considered, you’re pretty okay.

As if that wasn’t aces enough, as soon as I got back to Boston two of my most beloved girlfriends dropped in right out of the sky, ready to drink wine and make chicken soup and shop the Semi-Annual Sale. We cuddled and baked and told secrets and watched movies and figured out how to use my new food processor (holy moly, you guys, it has a juicer) and generally spent a lot of time loving on each other. How did I get so lucky, to have so many amazing women in my life? I must have been very good somewhere along the line.

And now, ten spankin’ new years to write on. How sweet is that? There are resolutions (of COURSE there are), and delicious new recipes to tell you about, and a quick recap, before we get too far ahead, of everything that was incredible about 2009.  There are books to read and letters to write and boyfriends to kiss. There are songs to sing in the car at the top of my lungs with my sister on snowy roads.

I’m a grownup in this decade. I am facing it in my best, most hopeful, most powerful pair of grownup shoes.

Actually, right now I’m facing it barefoot in my pajamas. But you know what I mean.

Happy January, loves.