The holidays are always packed with events, and this year was no different. Last week, we spent almost every night out – the Chandler conference dinner which I helped organize, dinner with the meeting speaker, Melody’s department holiday potluck, and my neuro-op professor’s holiday party. Coincidentally, the last two took place on the same evening, just two doors down from each other on the same street in Newton. With their tight budget and upcoming salary cuts, it was no wonder that BMC had to resort to a potluck of home-cooked dishes, which contrasted sharply with the catered holiday feast with waiters and cocktails at my boss’ home. Despite the exhaustive string of shindigs, we both had Christmas weekend off. Rather than going to visit our families, we decided instead to stay home and veg out – which turned out to be our best decision yet, as the first noreaster of the season blanketed Boston with more than a foot of snow. As a new tradition, I cooked up a steaming pot of hearty bun rieu noodles while Melody baked several batches of different cookies – including a new recipe for mouse cookies courtesy of Serious Eats. Happy holidays to all!