Roasted Butternut Squash and Pearl Onions with Olive Oil and Thyme

Ready for some veggies? After all the chocolate and cookies and cakes, all I'm looking forward to between Christmas and the New Years Eve bash is some veggies. I've made these a few times in the past month and they are mine all mine. I say that cause there really are certain things that are just mine.

I don’t have to share them with anyone else.

Being the only female in a house filled with testosterone can sometimes have its challenges. Ask me how many times I’ve almost fallen in the toilet in the middle of the night cause no one puts the lid down? Go on…I’ll let you…lots of times!

There are some perks though:

No one ever borrows my clothes, or mixes their underwear up with mine. I don’t have to worry about anyone taking my nail polish, or wearing my sandals.
I'm treated like a queen on Mother's Day.

Since I'm the only crier in the house, they instinctively bring me tissues when I'm watching Oprah or a sad movie.

Sometimes it’s nice being the only girl.



Since I live with a bunch of picky eaters, I don’t have to share certain food with them either. Some of the food that are mine all mine:

Cabbage
Pomegranates
Chestnuts
Squash - of any kind.
Eggplant
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Bakala (salted Italian cod)
Rice Pudding

The list could go on and on. The nice part of not having to share is that I get to make some dishes just the way I like them. No catering or worrying about anyone else eating it but me.

This is one of those dishes. It’s simple. There really is no recipe but I’ll write down how I prepared it for you. It's the perfect chilly weather food too.



I love to pop this in the oven, and let the aroma fill the house. Then I selfishly sit wrapped in a blanket and eat every single bite.

No sharing.

Sometimes that’s a good thing.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pearl Onions with Olive Oil and Thyme
1 medium butternut squash, but into cubes
1 package frozen pearl onions (I got mine at Trader Joes)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (I got mine in the garden, lol, the frost hasn't killed everything yet)
Enough olive oil to coat
salt & pepper to taste

Grab a big bowl and toss in your butternut squash. Nuke the onions a little so that they are not still frozen, but not completely thawed either. Mine felt a wee bit cold in the center. Toss those in the bowl too. Add in the fresh time. Now drizzle the olive oil all over until everything is nicely coated but not drenched. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 450 for to ...... or until the edge begin to caramelize. Cool slightly (just enough so you don't burn your tongue off, not that I've ever burnt my tongue trying to eat food that was too hot!). Eat. Don't share unless you want to.

Right Now.....

Time: 8:59pm

In my mug: cold tea that I didn't finish.

Outside my window: Twinkling Christmas lights and snow pouring down like rain. It's a blizzard! Really. We might get 20 inches!

In my belly: Chocolate Caramel covered apple. It was a Christmas treat and greatly enjoyed.




Beside me: a snoring Moose.

In the fridge: Both of them are filled with leftovers!

In my ears: John laughing at Worlds Dumbest something.

On me: Comfy red t-shirt that says "Let it Snow". I felt it was appropriate for the day. Yoga pants (even though I have never done yoga) and comfy socks.

Looking forward to: Planning and shopping for our New Years Eve dinner.

Grateful for: All the great stuff I got for Christmas. I scored Jamie's & Ina's new cookbooks!

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas~

Hope it's filled with all the people you love.

Be good to each other.

Merry Christmas!

With much love, Lisa

Wordless Wednesday ~ Say hello to my little friend.

Betty's Date Nut Balls

There is something about figs, and dates and nuts that just screams holiday to me. Maybe it's because they are ingredients that make me think of my Nonna and the way she baked Italian holiday treats for us. One of my favorites is one that my Aunt Paula makes. It's a fig cookie coated in a hard frosting and sprinkled with little nonpareils. My absolute favorite cookie of all time. No one in the family can make them the same way my Aunt does. She's in her 80's now, so I really need to spend some time with her and learn.

In the meantime I decided to to try to make something loaded with all the ingredients that I love. I saw this recipe on a food board I frequent, so many thanks to Patty who shared her Mom Betty's recipe with me and let me post it here.

I think it's going to become one of those "must make" cookies on my holiday baking list, so thanks again Patty.



Sweet, sticky little balls filled with dates, nuts, rice krispies and rolled in sweet coconut.

The perfect little package.



Betty's Date Nut Balls
¼ cup butter
1 lb. chopped dates
1 cup sugar
1 egg – unbeaten
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetened flaked coconut

Cook first four ingredients in large saucepan over medium heat for 12 minutes. (I only cooked mine for 8 minutes. It seemed like the mixture was going to burn if I kept it on any longer, so just watch this while it's on the stove).

Remove from heat and add nuts, Rice Krispies and vanilla. This mixture is very sticky so have some cooking spray or butter handy so you can re-apply it to your hands and the spoon as needed.

Roll the mixture loosely into small balls (1 teaspoon) and then immediately roll in flaked coconut.

Yields approximately 5 dozen.

Vera's Candied Pecans

For the last two year my in-laws have mailed us a package containing the most scrumptious treat......Candied Pecans! Let me tell you, they are more addictive then potato chips, or M&M's or Oreos. We could just sit and eat the whole jar full.

Sweet and crunchy goodness!

We have the big container sitting on the kitchen table and I swear that lid gets lifted every time someone walks by.

Unlike the usual candied pecans which are usually hard coated, these are light and covered with powdered sugar.

The Vera in this recipe was a friend of John's Grandma's. I'm so happy that my mother-in-law and I will keep this recipe alive.

Vera's Candied Pecans
3 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 lb. pecans
1 stick of butter
Powdered sugar

Melt butter and pour on baking sheet. Beat egg whites until stiff, add vanilla and gradually add sugar. Coat pecans with egg white mixture. Bake 325 for 40 minutes. Be sure to turn them every 10 minutes with a spatula. Very important step!

Cool slightly and shake in powdered sugar until coated using a large zip lock bag. Keep in a sealed container.

Prim Stockings

Is this the busiest Saturday of the year or what? Are you in the kitchen baking cookies? Did you venture out shopping? Bleh! Thank goodness I'm done with that. Maybe you're wrapping presents or planning your Christmas dinner? Whatever is keeping you busy today, I hope you're not stressing yourself out too much about it.

I've actually got it together this year. My presents are wrapped, grocery shopping is all done, meal(s) are planned (Christmas Eve & Christmas Day), and my crafting is just about complete. I have just a few finishing touches to make.

Every year I make a home made ornament. I guess you could call it a tradition.

I do have to admit, it's getting harder and harder for me to come up with new ideas.

I am no where near as talented as some crafters out there, so I'm limited as to what I can make.

I've done clay ornaments, and salt dough ornaments, sparkly snowmen, and even doggy bones over the years.

This year I decided to make some little primitive stocking.

I bought some white infant socks, coffee stained them to really grunge them up and make them look like they were just pulled out of a chest in the attic.

I rusted up some safety pins and bells, filled them with soft stuffing and tucked some Sweet Annie in the top.

One of my favorite things is to walk into the house of a friends or family member and see my ornaments hanging on their tree.

When someone tells you "I think of you every time I hang that ornament on my tree" it just fills your heart up.