On Christmas Vacation!

Thank you for taking the time all throughout the year to stop by and read our blog.It gives me tremendous joy to share part of our lives with you.  From recipes and menu planning to old family photos and stories, the weeks are made memorable through the gift of sharing.

I'll be taking some time off from the blog until after the first of the year, but I promise to post a full wrap up of our Christmas week and activities.

Please follow me on Instagram for pictures throughout the holidays.

sdarebrady

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Much Love,

Stacy

Old Photo Friday: Happy Birthday, Pop

WHO: Pop and Stacy
WHERE: Sea Lion Caves, Florence, Oregon
WHEN: 1977

This picture brings me such joy and such sadness.  It was taken shortly after my parents separated when my father was first tackling the challenges of raising a daughter as a single parent in the late 70's.  He did an amazing job and for that I am eternally grateful.

Happy 75th Birthday, Pop!

Much Love, 
Stacy

Christmas Month (Recipe of the Week): Baileys French Toast

Holiday brunch plans?  This decadent french toast recipes sounds too good to be true and just perfect for the holidays.

Do you know that some people in some parts of the world call french toast, eggy bread, gypsy toast or poor knights of Windsor?

The earliest known reference to french toast in in the Apicius, a collection of latin recipes dating to the 4th and 5th centuries.  A 14th century German recipe used the name "poor knights".  In French cooking it's called pain perdu or "lost bread".

Most recipes call for day old bread to be soaked in a mixture of beaten eggs, milk or cream with added sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Alternatively, the bread may be soaked in wine, rosewater or orange juice.

In Portugal, France and Spain it is a traditional Christmas dessert or breakfast.

I think dipping it in Baileys sounds wonderful (save some for your coffee too).

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy!

Stacy

Baileys French Toast

Ingredients:

Whipped Cream

1/2 oz Baileys original Irish Cream

4 oz whipping cream

2 teaspoons confectioners sugar

French toast

2.5 oz Baileys original Irish cream

2.5 ounces whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

2 eggs

2 slices of thick bakery-style bread

1 teaspoon butter

fresh raspberries, chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Whisk together the 1/2 oz Irish cream, 4 oz whipping cream and 2 teaspoons confectioners sugar.  Chill and put aside for topping finished french toast.

Combine in a shallow plate, 2.5 oz. Irish cream, 2.5 oz whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and two eggs.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dip the bread into the cream/egg mixture and fry the piece of bread until golden brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side).

Top with pre-made whipped topping and if desired, fruit and or chocolate chips.

50/52: Enchant(ed)

After a terrible storm hits the North Pole, Santa wakes up to find all of his reindeer are lost inside Enchant, a hidden pocket of invisible magic.  Inside the world's largest Christmas light maze, Enchant invites you to explore and help Santa find his nice missing reindeer in time to save Christmas.

We found them all, thus saving Christmas.  Thanks!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Pulled Pork Sliders

Old Photo Friday: Crowe Family Christmas 1980

WHO: Lowell Crowe, Evan Crowe and Nick Manley
WHERE: E. 27th Street in Eugene, OR
WHEN: Christmas Eve, 1980 (best guess)

Bittersweet memories.  Lowell and Evan have both been gone for many years as is the family matriarch, Wilma who passed away at the age of 100 a few months ago.  Little Nick is married with two daughters of his own.

No Christmas Eve was complete without a visit to Evan and Wilma's (my father's second family).  I get goose bumps when I think of the year that our good friend Sten, dressed up like Santa Claus and in the middle of the Christmas Eve celebrations...threw open the front door, let out a loud, "ho ho ho", handed Nick a Christmas presents and disappeared.

You see.... in the end, all we are left with are the memories of love, joy, family and friendships.  These are closest to our hearts at Christmas Time.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Christmas Month (Recipe of the Week): Crock Pot French Onion Soup

Do you have a Christmas Eve meal tradition?  When I was a kid, Christmas Eve was all about the Clam Chowder.  A big steaming bowl of chowdah was a mainstay in our home on Christmas Eve.  I've met other Pacific North Westerners who also enjoy a bowl of soup on Christmas Eve.

Let's face it.  Soup is easy to make and is great for a crowd so if you have an open door policy on Christmas Eve and don't want to spend your entire evening in the kitchen, soup is a great item to have ready to go.

One of my favorite winter soups is French Onion.  It's actually quite easy to make although a bit time consuming.  What if you found a recipe that you can make in the crock pot?  It's also easily adaptable for drop in guests.

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Crock Pot French Onion Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

6 springs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

6 cups beef stock (veggie stock can also be used)

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 French baguette, sliced

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions

Place onions into a 6 quart crock pot.  Stir in butter, brown sugar and salt and pepper.  Top with thyme and bay leaf.  Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or until onions are caramelized and browned (stir every hour to 90 minutes, as needed to prevent burning).

Stir in beef stock and wine and season again with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours.  Remove thyme stems and bay leaf.

When ready to serve; preheat oven to broil.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and place in oven and broil until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Set bread aside.

Divide soup into oven proof bowls.  Place on baking sheet and top with baguette slices to cover the surface of the soup; sprinkle with cheeses.  

Place in oven and broil until golden brown and the cheeses have melted (about 3 minutes).

49/52: All things Merry and Bright in Seattle

Friday Night date night at Katie Downs in Tacoma. Cheers to the weekend and a yummy Hawaiian Burger!

Festive decorations fill our home, which make me very Merry!

Saturday evening in Seattle spent with friends spreading holiday cheer.  I always love seeing the space needle all lit up.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Middle of the Month of December 2018

Welcome back, Monday!

Time this month is flying by and I am trying to enjoy each day the month of December brings.  The last thing you want to worry about is cooking, grocery shopping, last minute meal plans and spending too much time in the kitchen (unless of course it's by choice).

This month, find recipes that are quick and easy.  Prep ahead on Sunday.  Cut up fruit and veggies for quick snacks.  Hard boil eggs for an easy breakfast.  Make one pot meals so that prep and clean up are easy.  Hearty casseroles are wonderful this time of year and provide abundant left overs.

All these tips will save you time for baking cookies, sipping on hot buttered rums, wrapping presents and after work Christmas shopping.

Remember to head on over to Laura's site for more planning ideas

Enjoy!
Stacy

SUNDAY: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Salad
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (Go Hawks): Deluxe Potato Skins and Leftover Salad
TUESDAY: Turkey Curry over Jasmine Rice
WEDNESDAY: OUT!  Going into the city to see the lights, Gingerbread Village and the Christmas Tree

Old Photo Friday: Merry Christmas, 1980

WHO: Stacy Dare Brady
WHEN: December 1980 (I look to be about 11)
WHERE: E Street in Springfield, OR

Clearly I am not happy.  If you recall this Christmas classic, then you know why.

I also think that this was the year my Dad bought me a training bra for Christmas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Christmas Month (Recipe of the Week):Crock Pot Rosemary Carrot Parsnip Mash

I've been making my Thanksgiving mashed potatoes in the crock pot for several years and it is a tremendous time saver.  This side dish is healthy, paleo and gluten free.  It's seriously no stress and no mess and (potentially) vegan friendly.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Crock Pot Rosemary Carrot Parsnip Mash

Ingredients

3-4 parsnips

3 large carrots

1 tablespoon olive oil

203 fresh springs of rosemary

1 cup almond milk (if you don't care about vegan, then feel free to use regular milk)

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

1/4 cup coconut cream (or real cream)

2 tablespoons ghee, vegan butter or regular butter

optional - Parmesan cheese

Directions

Wash and peel the vegetables.  Steam carrots and parsnips until completely cooked.  Chop into smaller pieces then add to crock pot with milk, oil, rosemary springs, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cover and place on high.  After about an hour of cooking, skim the browning milk on the sides of the crock pot and mash the vegetables.  Continue cooking for another 90 minutes while continuing to monitor the browning milk on the sides of the crock pot.

After 2 1/2 hours, place crock pot on low and remove the rosemary springs.  Leave the leaves that have fallen off.

Add butter and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

To make more creamy, add the coconut cream or regular cream and mash to desired consistency.

Place on warm until ready to serve.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

48/52: It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

The holidays are in full swing.

Celebrations and decorations!

I went to Brew Lights at the Oregon Zoo last Wednesday and had a blast!  Beautiful lights and a dry evening made sipping wine/ciders and brews in the zoo a memorable evening.  A must do Christmas activity for anyone who loves lights!  The highlight of the evening was my 8 minutes zoo train ride.  The last time I was on the zoo train I was three year's old.

Brian and I started off welcoming December officially, last Friday night at 13 coins.  We had a lot to be thankful for as we reached a milestone in our business that deserved a cheers and a nice glass of sparkling wine.

Saturday we picked out our Christmas tree, but I struggled with a neck and back issue which kept me immobile and in some pain most of the rest of the weekend.

We managed to find the most perfect Fraiser Fir at Home Depot and decorate most of the house on Saturday evening.  

Luckily, I flew home from Seattle on Sunday afternoon which cut my normal travel time in half.  I treated myself to a 10 minute chair massage which made my neck/back feel 100 times better.

We flew over a sun capped Mt. St. Helens on route to Portland, which was stunning.

Our weather turns clear and cold this week.  More holiday happens on the way!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Welcome December, 2018

Welcome to the last month of the year!

This week is tricky as I am cooking for one for the first few days until Chick returns from Mexico.

Cooking for one can be challenging and I also like to prepare some of my favorites when she is away. 

Here is our plan so far and remember to check out Laura's site for more planning ideas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

SUNDAY:  Spicy Italian Sausage Fettuccine
MONDAY: Leftover Yellow Curry Zoodles with Jumbo Shrimp
TUESDAY:  Cheeseburger Salad
WEDNESDAY: Grilled Chicken and Salad
THURSDAY:  Turkey Curry