Good morning, luvs! I’m writing to you from VERY snowy Amsterdam. It’s wicked cold and absolutely gorgeous. We’ve had such fun getting bundled up and going for walks along the canals, through the parks, then dashing home to warm up with hot food, cozy afghans and great movies with popcorn.
Hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are. 🙂
PS – My article on Montengro is up at The Travel Belles today! Click here if you have a moment to discover a little bit about this beautiful little country.
Good morning, dear ones! I can hardly believe this day is actually here. My bags are packed, lists checked and double-checked, and all I have to do is run a few errands for last minute bits and bobs before I head to the airport. By Saturday afternoon I will be in Amsterdam, groggy, bleary-eyed, dying for a shower and a comfy bed, and overjoyed to see my family.
I get to see these dear folks: My brother Ryan and his girlfriend Melissa
And these dear folks: my brother Evan and sis-in-law Kendra
Accompanied by these dear folks: my Pops and Mums
I have my trusty little camera and journal to jot down our adventures and am so excited to begin.
Hello luvs! Phew. What. A. Week. It’s been good but golly, I’m tired! Tomorrow cannot get here fast enough. Normally the idea of a 9 hour flight seems a bit daunting, but right now it sounds like pure bliss. 9 solid hours of just sitting there, sleeping, reading, watching movies, someone else doing all the cooking and clean-up. Ahhh, I can’t wait!
In the meantime I’m giving my frazzled self a visual break with these wondrously peaceful photos of a pond near my house.
No matter what time of year I stroll past, it is always beautiful, utterly serene, an oasis of calm just minutes from downtown Lynden. I love it.
After leisurely rambles on chilly afternoons, I love coming home to something hearty and savory like Chicken with Bacon Gravy. This is by no means a low fat dish, but it is delectably salty and delicious, something you don’t mind indulging in after a mile hike.
I’ve always made it with bacon, but this time I tried it with crispy bits of prosciutto instead and oh my! I think I’ve been converted. While bacon is marvelous, it does lose its crispness if you don’t eat it all right away. I’m a big leftovers fan, and I prefer cooking things that reheat beautifully. Using prosciutto does the trick nicely AND it’s much less fattening than bacon yet with all the flavor. It can be served by itself with some veggie sides or over mashed potatoes.
Do you have a peaceful spot you like to walk to when life gets crazy?
Chicken with Bacon Gravy
Ingredients:
1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh, chopped 4 chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 inch strips 1/2 package bacon, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces (I used 1 package of prosciutto)
Gravy ingredients:
Left over flour mixture 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Directions:
Shake flour, salt, pepper and thyme together in paper bag. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time, tossing to coat. Save remaining flour.
Add bacon to saucepan and cook 1-2 minutes, add chicken and cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy and chicken browned.
Transfer chicken to platter.
Add flour to very crisp bacon in saucepan, stir until white color disappears. Add chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen any bits. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens.
The night was cold and drizzly as I loaded up ingredients, purse, and slippers, and dashed from my car to my friend Don’s house for cooking club this week. We were a small group since most folks were busy with family and last minute work projects, but it ended up being one of the best nights yet.
We had great talks, about all sorts of things, laughed ourselves silly over a particularly rousing game of Pictionary, and soaked our aches away in the hot tub while cold rain fell. I sure love those folks.
The food was magnificent! We chose a global theme with everyone making something from their cultural or family background. We started off with delicious California red wine and cold dilled green beans like the ones my Mums used to make when we were kids.
Don is a grilling king and made us scrumptious skewers with tender chunks of seasoned beef and lightly charred veggies.
Darren made some of the best soup I’ve ever had, a hearty Irish stew simmered with bacon, chunks of tender potato, and frilly strips of Savoy cabbage.
Jon provided the perfect accompaniment with his inspired twist on traditional quesadillas: adding tiny nuggets of sun-dried tomato. Delish!
I wrapped things up with my family’s traditional Christmas dessert: Danish Almond Rice Pudding with Caramel Sauce. It is one of the most heavenly dishes I know of, pure comfort in a bowl. I’m going to share the recipe with you in a week or two because I want to tell you more of the history of this dish, and the quirky tradition my family has involving one whole almond and a special surprise.
What is one of your favorite dishes from your background?
Warm seas, hot sand, salty breezes. These are the things that occupy my dreams when frost coats my windshield and icy winds find cracks to blow in through my house. At such moments I can close my eyes and remember the bounce of a catamaran over the waves just off the coast of Fiji or the feel of blazing sun warming my skin as I swam the crystal clear waters of Cozumel.
With such fancies dancing through my mind, I was delighted when my friend Cailin of A White Picket Fence invited me to join her in a blog challenge featuring warm winter escapes.
I’ve not had many winter getaways in my life, but oh how I cherish the ones I’ve had!
Walking the beach in New Zealand was glorious. Flowers dotting the sand dunes charmed me no end and I loved sitting there, gazing out to sea, letting the breezes toss my hair while the waves lulled me into sleepy peace.
Cancun was a wonderful escape. Traveling on the off season I spent hours on the nearly deserted beach swimming, resting, napping, looking, walking, just soaking it all in. Here’s a video I took with my phone that will give you a little visual escape to white sand and turquoise water.
Cozumel was one of my favorites. As soon as we left the main town, life slowed down beautifully and I loved driving the back roads, discovering flower-filled neighborhoods, deserted beaches, and lusciously cool waves crashing onto craggy rocks and dazzlingly white sand.
Next month I’ll be wending my way to Fiji and Australia for a true winter getaway with dear friends. It will be my first time to Australia and I can’t wait to explore that amazing place with people I love to bits.
What is your dream place to get away to?
Be sure to stop by Cailin’s blog today for excellent tips on planning a winter escape to the Caribbean. Click here to visit.
