'Twas the Week before Christmas...

Hey, friends! I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted last. My dad passed away this month, and to be honest I found I had nothing worth writing about. I didn't feel like cooking, or experimenting, or even being in the kitchen. We ate out quite a bit here in my city before we left for the funeral, and of course when we were away we also ate out quite a bit. There were a couple of memorable meals at a few places while in Victoria, British Columbia.

This week, however, is the last week of school, and the kids are excited to be off school and very excited that Christmas is just a week away. I know I have to get myself back into some semblance of normal, so tonight is a #testkitchen night. The kids are familiar with the homemade dinner routine, and I know they've been feeling out-of-sorts while I've been less than my usual self.

About a year ago, I went out for dinner with my mom and cousins, and I enjoyed an amazing meal at Branches, the in-house eatery at Greenland Nursery in Sherwood Park. I've been dreaming of it ever since. It involved butternut squash pasta, chorizo sausage, and a brown-butter and sage sauce.

Tonight I attempted to recreate a similarly themed meal. I had some butternut squash mezzaluna (an exciting Costco find) to work with. I purchased some mild italian sausage, and some fresh sage leaves. My aim was to build the flavours together so that the sum total was better than each individual ingredient. Out of our whole family, I enjoyed it the most, although I did find it a bit bland. I've got one more package in the freezer to play with, and I know exactly how to up the ante and make this truly delicious.  And I felt better being back in the kitchen, creating a meal for my family, using my time to cook as my time to contemplate in the solitude of my mind.

I hope you find your week before Christmas an exhilarating and enjoyable time together with friends and family. So many of us get stuck in the rut of expectations during the holiday season, but all of that is thrown off for me this year, and I find I'm not unhappy about that. Cherish your time with the ones you love, and let them know you love them. Merry Christmas, friends, and happy new year. May 2016 bring you peace, health, and joy.

​Stacy