Merry Christmas!

The H was a wonderful elf this year. In addition to many running-related goodies, he also got me The Best of Clean Eating Magazine Cookbook, AND a cookbook holder to keep kitchen messes off of it. :) Sweet, huh? I'm so excited to snuggle up with it and a pack of sticky notes and start planning some new menus.

We started the day with coffee while we opened presents with the little guy, then made the 2-mile trip to the in-laws' where we had gingerbread waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon before opening more presents. With a little downtime in between, we then trekked out to The H's aunt and uncle's house for an early dinner; my plate was loaded with turkey breast, wheat-free cheesy potatoes, green beans with slivered almonds, two deviled egg halves (I made these, using plain Greek yogurt, yellow mustard, and horseradish for the filling), and a scoop of green Jell-O something-or-other with pineapple and pistachios, which I was told was a staple for that side of the family. Oh, and then I indulged in dessert(s)...

Today was pretty busy for us and not very typical food-wise. But I enjoyed everything I ate and don't regret a bit of it, and I'm thrilled to have spent the day with loved ones. I hope you had a warm and relaxing holiday, too.



Stay tuned for some tasty new recipes!

DDC #2: Holiday dinner #3

One of my self-chosen Dark Days Challenge rules was to make local-food items for family gatherings or potlucks as much as possible, so when our third family dinner in as many days rolled around I knew I wanted to contribute local ingredients to the table. With co-op pickup handily scheduled for last Tuesday, I was prepared to make parsnip mashed potatoes (using this recipe) and an apple crisp (using this recipe) today. Both got rave reviews, I'm happy to say. And though they are not the greatest, I took two pictures I have of the dishes--parsnips keeping warm on the stovetop, and apple crisp waiting to be baked 'til bubbly.

The parsnips were sweeter than potatoes, but very similar in texture. Even without cream or butter, they turned out so creamy and pleasant. My only change from the recipe linked above is that I doubled it and added one extra potato, so my ratio was 8 parsnips to 3 (large) Pontiac Red potatoes. Both the parsnips and taters were locally grown. I also made roasted broccoli, for the second time ever, using this recipe again. It was also very well-received, though not made with local ingredients. Does broccoli grow in west Michigan? I don't even know!

Due to The H's wheat allergy, I made the crisp with gluten-free flour. I love how the apples caramelize in the filling, and a crisp, sweet crumb topping is one of my favorite dessert components. I accidentally told my sister to add to much sugar to the apples (gotta love help in the kitchen, though!) so it was a bit sticker and sweeter than it's been other times I've made it... glad I was able to get my long run in this morning!

Merry Christmas!

It's been a day of indulgence for sure, but I am looking forward to a good long run in the morning if the rain we're getting doesn't ice over too badly. Merry Christmas to all of you; I hope you have been enjoying the holiday with friends, family, and whatever makes you happy.