I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2021
EATING | this delicious and nutritious (slightly adapted) white bean-kale-chicken sausage skillet. I recommend you try this. It’s super-creamy but has no cream or half-and-half in it. It’s magical.
DRINKING | lemon-ginger tea.
BAKING | these beautifully soft and fluffy yeast men with raisins for St. Martin’s Day. I used my sweet yeast-bread recipe.
BUYING | some goodies for the Secret Santa (Mug) Swap and another Holiday Exchange I signed up for. I love these types of events for the holidays, and I love picking out gifts for people. Gift-giving is not my primary love language, but it’s also not NOT my love language if you know what I mean.
ENJOYING | the free Tchibo Coffee that came in the mail last week.
FINISHED | the Power Zone Pack Fall Challenge. It’s been a fun 8-week adventure with a great team of Peloton Streakers. I can’t wait for the new challenge to start in the new year.
LOOKING FORWARD TO | Thanksgiving weekend. Jon and I will be by ourselves, but we’ll cook a nice meal and I’ll probably get the Christmas stuff out, as it’s the first of advent on Sunday. Have you decorated yet?
READING | The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Second round. I didn’t finish it the first round (not because it wasn’t good, I just didn’t have much time to read) and had to wait again for it to become available through my digital library.
LOOKING FOR | the little things in daily life; like this heart-shaped leaf on my run.
ENJOYING | the fall skies in Northern California.
WATCHING | Dancing with the Stars. I haven’t watched that show in forever, probably the last time when Joe McIntyre was part of the show in 2005 – ha! But since Cody Rigsby (Peloton Instructor) is participating this season, I had to watch. Obviously.
FEELING | kinda indifferent about the fact that we’re going to have another pandemic holiday season. Jon and I are no strangers to being by ourselves for the holidays. I’ll be able to take a few days off between the years and we’ll make it nice. But I truly wish I could be with my family.
TRYING | to come up with a game plan for our holiday cards. Are you sending cards this year? (If you’ve been around, you know I’ll be having a roll call a little later this month (so I can gather and/or update your addresses!)
LOVING | this time of year with the darker evenings, blankets, candles, and soft lights. I’ll soon be using the fake TV fireplace, for sure.
What is currently going on with you?
Charlotte
November 22, 2021 at 8:25 amI’m going to try that white bean sausage skillet but wondering if I can make it with vegetarian sausage. I don’t see why not! It looks super comforting for this time of year 😊
Also I’m getting a bit weird about the holidays. It’s just us with my parents this year and I miss the big get together but seems no one wants to (I mean, for obvious reasons) but it’s still a bummer. Most of my family hasn’t met Mila and it feels… weird. I hope you guys have a cozy time in and that you create a delicious menu! Since I started following you, I have no doubt everything will be delicious 😊 we haven’t started decorating yet. Will do it day after thanksgiving tho!
San
November 22, 2021 at 10:09 amYou can absolutely make this bean dish with vegetarian sausage. We adapted the recipe, too. It’s still going to be delicious, I am sure!!
Yeah, another weird holiday season. I can imagine it must be even weirder for you as you have Mila and some of your family hasn’t even met her. That is so tragic, as she’s growing up so damn fast. I hope you can still enjoy the holiday season, friend. <3
Elisabeth
November 22, 2021 at 10:38 amI love these round-up posts.
I decorate a little at a time. It sounds weird, but I really like it that way. It never feels too daunting and things never get too cluttered. I’m pretty minimal. Right now there is torrential rain and wind outside, but when the kids get home, I have the mantle swag all up and ready to decorate. I’m excited to have Christmas lights up on the main floor now.
You just keep posting drool-worthy recipes. This looks SO good for a cold winter night. Adding yet another recipe to my “have to try” list.
The Midnight Library is on my to-read list…
We are sending holiday cards; I just finished addressing and stamping them today. I’m really early this year, but I’m rolling with it. It feels nice to get them out and it’s a great way to connect with people each year (I’m not on social media so, as old-fashioned as it may sound, a primary mode of communication with some older friends is via Christmas cards)!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
November 22, 2021 at 12:01 pmYes to all the ginger-lemon tea. I add a bit of mint and some black pepper too. I also have a rough draft on my Christmas card schedule. But she many other things need to get done before. Like the mug swap. the Christmas child boxes I am. doing, the work laid, new advent wreath and some baking. Where does the Tim go.
I wonder what you think about midnight library once done. I enjoyed it.
NGS
November 22, 2021 at 2:19 pmWe do send holiday cards. My goal is to get them ordered over Thanksgiving weekend, get them addressed, and then send them out by the end of the first week of December. That does seem ambitious, but surely I can accomplish ONE holiday-related task on a long weekend?
Jenny
November 22, 2021 at 2:52 pmI love this time of year so much! I love all the cozy- sounding recipes and teas, Christmas cards, decorations… it’s so fun. That recipe does sound delicious and easily vegan-izable, and that book sounds really good.
We will get out our Christmas decorations on Friday and put up the Christmas tree! I can’t wait.
Tanja Jordan
November 22, 2021 at 10:31 pmGooo Booo! Hope Cody is going to take the trophy home tonight! #pelotonfamily
Of course I’m going to send Christmas cards this year again. That’s part of the holidays and I will not let Corona take that away from me!
xo
Nicole MacPherson
November 23, 2021 at 4:04 amI love that Coffee and Cardio shirt! I am decorating this weekend, which feels a bit LATE for me, I can’t wait. It’s not like it’s that late, but I am just eager. I always send out cards, it’s one of my favourite things! I liked the Midnight Library but I didn’t LOVE it, I will be interested to hear your thoughts!
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
November 23, 2021 at 9:45 amThat skillet recipe sounds so good! I’ve bookmarked it and will try to make that in the next month or 2.
We put our tree up on Saturday. We used to do it the weekend of Thanksgiving but have put it up early the last 2 years, I think because I need the warm glow of a tree to offset the heaviness of life?
And my cards should arrive by tomorrow. I am planning to mail them next Monday. I like to get ours out early so it’s off my to do list!
Stephany
November 25, 2021 at 8:54 amI kept forgetting to watch Cody on DWTS! Darn it.
I don’t send Christmas cards, but I do love receiving them. It’s so lovely to fill up my home with cards from loved ones. <3
ShootingStarsMag
November 30, 2021 at 6:16 amI got the Christmas decorations out over the weekend, and it’s nice to have some lights and fun goodies. I don’t really see much extended family so this year’s Christmas will be a bit better than last year, since we’re vaccinated, but still kind of strange!
Heather
December 5, 2021 at 10:18 amOh, saving that sausage skillet recipe to Pinterest!
I brought out all the heated cat beds for my kitties and they spend most of their time in them now, ha. My tortoise is a bit cranky and did try to come inside the house. Well, not tried, he DID but I managed to get him back out.
I’ve been taking morning foggy walks on Sunday with my brother and his puppy. I love seeing all the fall leaves and Christmas decorations people are putting out.
Anne
December 11, 2021 at 12:53 pmMy coffee came! I can’t wait to try it. I have to finish the package I’m using now (which, to be honest, is not as good as I remembered…) and then I will start through the Tchibo options. I am saving the dark roast for last, hoping it’s the answer to my dark roast prayers. ;)
Midnight Library has been on my list forever, as has the House on the Cerulean Sea. I need to just read them! (I tend to wait to read books I REALLY want to read for… no apparent reason. Hm.)
It seems as though Advent is more of a celebration in (Western) Europe than here in the US. Would you agree? And if so, I wonder why?