Glazed Carrots and Brussel Sprouts with Mustard & Brown Sugar
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Makes 8 servings
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1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped (slices)
1 lb. Brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup coarse-ground mustard
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Cooke/Steam carrots and sprouts in a pot of boiling water until fork-tender, 3 - 5 minutes; drain.
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Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Stir in sugar and mustard; cook until syrupy, 3 - 5 minutes.
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Stir in carrots and sprouts until coated; season with salt and pepper.
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Classic Cranberry Nut Bread
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2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
2 tbsps. shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup chopped nuts.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
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Mix flour, sugar, baking power, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.
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Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, removed from pan and cool. Wrap and store overnight.
Christmas!
What a delightful time of year! This year all of the kids were home. And we had Tessa's boyfriend Parker joining us as well. We went to Allegra and Shawn's new house on the 23rd for a lovely dinner. What fun to see their Christmas decorations and the house all set up with their new sofa.
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The 24th was our usual traditions of opening up some gifts before dinner and then church. This year after the kids exchanged their gifts, I brought out the Advent Calendars that I had made for them; replicas of the one my mother had made for me.
We had dinner at a restaurant in Princeton, Mezzaluna. Then attended the 9:00 pm service in which Keith sang in the choir. We encountered Ben Johnson, Sue Ellen Page's son, and learned he had no plans for Christmas day. We invited him to our house for Christmas day.
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The week before Christmas our new mantle arrived and was installed, allowing stockings to be hung. Christmas morning began around 9:00 am with opening of stockings, eating the traditional egg bake and then opening gifts from Santa. Quickly 3:00 came and the arrival of Lauren, Jeff, Grandma K, Justin, Arianne and Ben Johnson. The conversations filled the house with a festive sound. We all held hands standing in a circle in the kitchen to sing the Kettlekamp grace. Dinner was served buffet style and included these 2 recipes that complimented the Rolled Rib-Eye Roast with herb filling. Aunt Lauren brought a corn bake, and kale Caeser plus cranberry nut bread (recipe also included here), rounded out the meal. It was a lovely time and went all too quickly.
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I feel so truly blessed to have the best family in the world!!! Thank you God for all you have provided to me and my family.
Sour Cream Mashed Red Potatoes
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Makes 8 servings
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4 lbs. red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup diced shallots
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. parsley
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Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until fork-tender, 10 - 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Cook potatoes over medium-low heat, stirring to remove excess moisture, 1 - 2 minutes.
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Saute shallots in butter in a skillet over medium heart until softened, 3 minutes.
Add milk, sour cream and shallot mixture to pot. Crush potatoes with a potato masher to desired consistency; stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.
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About
Welcome to JG. My father used to call me JG, short for Joanie-girl. While some friends from my youth still call me Joanie, JG is the oldest nickname I have had. This blog is where I will share recipes, stories, tips and advice for running the marathon of life while raising kids. This is based on my life experience having spent the past 30+ years doing the most important and rewarding job in the world - parenting.