Lego my Prego

Nicky mentioned that she hadn't seen any recent pics of the prego Lizzard.  So, here we go:

Don't forget to R.S.V.P. regarding Lizzie's shower by today!  Have a wonderful weekend, ladies!

Happy New Year! Secret Santa was a success I believe - Abs, I'm going to send a picture of where I've got your photographs, they're so sweet! And that chocolate lasted 30 secs, yay! Thanks so much!!

Winter Abundance Bowl by My New Roots

By Sarah Britton, My New Roots, 01/02/2014

Tokar, I'm glad you decided to share your recipe because I was just contemplating sending out an email about this one and this is a much better idea. The only change I made to it was using unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds (same amount as recipe). I still gave them a quick browning in the pan and then let them cool before adding them to the sauce. IT WAS SO GOOD! This made enough for dinner for two and lunch the next day for all three of us.

Favorite pictures from this year's festivities:

Miss you all and love you and of course... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Having a Stewper Winter

Hi cutie-patooties:

From what I've heard, everyone had a magical holiday season, and I was blessed to share mine with most of you.  (Abs: your holiday card was almost unbearably adorable.)  So, now it's winter.  That doesn't mean too much in Texas, other than sporadic cold fronts followed by temperatures in the mid 70's--snow is pretty much off the table.  This is a photo I took in our neighborhood on New Year's Day that showcases our seemingly endless autumn:

So, I've been keeping myself seasonally engaged by cooking things that make me feel like it's January.  I'd love to expand my repertoire with some of your favorites, so long as they're not too challenging.  Abs's famous split pea soup?  Some noodle-based concoction of Lizzie's?  Something English?  Something featuring Virginia-farm fresh ingredients?  A picture of Erin drinking beer from a dutch oven?

I'll start by sharing this epicurious recipe that we made earlier this week, which was stewper tasty and easy:

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 cups chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (from 1 small bunch)

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-Chili-with-Butternut-Squash-and-Swiss-Chard-234146#ixzz2pY329BuO

So, what's on your stove or in your oven (we know what's in Liz's)?