I know I'm running out of time. My kids remind me everyday as they count down the days to their most favourite day of the year. "Only seven more days!" they excitedly proclaimed this morning. I pretended to be as excited, but inside I was mentally running through the lengthy list of to-dos I still had to conquer and trying not to panic. Don't panic - if it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done, I tried to remind myself after I had a bit of a freak out. Because freaking out kind of defeats the purpose of the season, no? Freaking out takes so much precious time away from all of the joys of the holidays, like meeting up with old friends, and crafting with my kids, and just sitting and reflecting on what an adventure this entire year has been.
Once I came to this new realization, I stopped everything I was doing, took some extra time to make muffins with Nate, snuggled on the couch with my two boys to watch A Christmas Story, and took some time to edit pics from the boys' Christmas concert last week. That face is just what I needed! I couldn't help but laugh out loud at my little Grinch - boy, do I ever wish I knew what was going through his head at that very moment!
And I took some time to feel good about what I have accomplished - like the annual homemade Christmas jammies!
And a few yummy treats I can't wait to gift!
Orange Chocolate Hazelnut Bark
12oz dark chocolate
1 C hazelnuts chopped
1 tsp organic orange flavour
Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or a boil over a pot of boiling water. Stir in orange flavouring and spread 3/4s of the chocolate onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle nuts over chocolate and drizzle remaining chocolate over top. Refrigerate about an hour - until firm.
Roasted Chick Peas
1 can chickpeas
1 tsp olive oil
1.5 tsp cajun spice
Drain and rinse chick peas. Pat dry before placing on baking sheet. Coat with oil and spice and bake at 450F for about 30 minutes - stir a couple of times during baking.
