One of the things I hate about post-Christmas is the disappearance of shiny things. I texted my daughters that I wish twinkle lights were appropriate decor year round. Maggie replied that if I lived in a dorm room they would be.
Since I don’t, I like to try to think of what will cozy up our home after Christmas and not leave it looking so bare. Candles, soup, snowmen, mittens, fires in the fireplace… I’ve collected plaid scarves on sale to use as a runner down the middle of my table, and cross-wise instead of place mats.
Tonight I’m trying a recipe for Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup. If I don’t kill anyone I’ll share it next week, but for now…
I didn’t ever try brussels sprouts til a couple years ago, but I adapted a recipe at Thanksgiving and could probably live on it alone all winter. Here you go, and you’re welcome!
Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- 6 Slices Bacon
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Rosemary, fresh
- 2 shallots chopped
- Balsamic glaze from Trader Joes (buy in bulk 🙂 )
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, season brussels sprouts, bacon, and garlic with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and toss until combined.
- Bake until brussels are tender and charred, 30 minutes.
- Drizzle balsamic glaze over roasted brussels sprouts and serve.
We saw several movies over the holidays, including Lion, based on the true story of a boy in India who gets separated from his family as a 4-year-old. It is intense and slow towards the end, but also very moving and beautiful. Michael Gerson wrote a fantastic article here on the story and its parallels to spiritual homecoming.
I’m trying hard not to buy as many books this year, so one of the eleventh-billion books I got on reserve is Wonder.
Loved this book that is really probably for pre-teens, but is amazing – about a 10 year old boy with a facial deformity. One of my favorite quotes from this book is:
“Everyone deserves a standing ovation once in their life.”
Another book I have on hold at the Library (that I’m still waiting for) is Chip and Joanna Gaines, The Magnolia Story.
I loved this blog post that Chip wrote about living a restoration story!
If I misjudge people and am wrong, I want to be wrong having assumed the best about them. Chip Gaines
I wrote Tuesday (?) about my One Word for 2017. If this is something you’d like to explore further you might take a look at the YouVersion 4 day Bible reading plan around discovering your word for the year.
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