Christmas is an emotional time. Depending on what your childhood was like, your work situation, your health and that of your loved ones, it can be a real mixed bag this year.
Finances seem to come heavily into it too. Enough? Too little? For what? This is a good time to face your reality, and set out to enjoy things, no matter what blocks seem to be in the way. You really don’t need to spend a lot for folks to like you. |
Thanks to our traumatic move this year we will be able to share our Christmas celebration with our family members, and it is such a special thought. The other good thing was that I’m completely unmotivated to feel pressure in gift giving this year. The move saw to that!
Some things are treasured by family, no matter how humble. This is a good time to dig them out, and look at them in the light of day. One of them in our family is the old button box.
All gift-giving was of “stuff” that someone else could use and enjoy. I have given some money to those who seemed to really need it, and for those who live out of Canada. Simply no point in paying huge postage bills, and adding to the landfills with wrapping.
Fav dishes
Yes, my kitchen still begs to have the renovation begun, but I don’t think that will happen until the workmen have recovered from their Christmases, and the municipality experts have given our condo project their blessing.
But thanks to my beloved pressure cooker I will be contributing some rather nice-looking Brussels sprouts to our feast. I had prepared myself for a huge uptick in their price, but wow, the first thing I spied in the supermarket was a huge pile of them at a special, very low price.
Just in case you might like to try this fabulous way of preparing them, I’m sharing this old recipe with you! It does need a slow cooker/ crockpot, so I hope you have one.
First step ingredients
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
About 1 tsp ground pepper
Keep for later on!
1 ½ cups feta cheese ( crumbled and divided)
(Oh dear, forgot to include the feta in the above ingredients pic! Must have been thinking of my son-in-law, who hates it!)
After this first time, the sprouts need a gentle stir with a metal spoon.
At the same time, you’re going to put the cranberries in to the mixture, and if you wish you can also add half the crumbled feta cheese.
Continue cooking unti your test poke shows the sprouts are tender all the way through.
When you want to serve, add the reserved feta crumbled on top. This dish is best served warm, but it is easy to reheat, either in the microwave or on the stove top.
I believe you’ll have great enjoyment from your company with this simple dish.
To all my dear friends and readers throughout the world - please know how much you are appreciated!