Alas, I have never grown to like turnips -- it's one of the few vegetables on which the spouse and I are in agreement. But parsnips and carrots and almost any other root crop, I adore, especially roasted.

I wonder how, when, and why banana bread became such a holiday staple. It's not Christmas morning in my family without it.

We made it down to Worcester for most of New Year's Eve with Chris and Sue and Gail, but didn't last until midnight thanks to a pair of bad colds. Good to hear that you had a merry time! :-)