Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

This has been my family’s go-to appetizer for as long as I can remember as it is incredibly easy to make and tastes wonderful. The ingredients are basic and it takes less than 15 minutes to prep and then you can leave them in the fridge for a day or two until you’re ready to serve. There’s nothing better!

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Serves 10-20 people

Ingredients:

- Package of bacon

- Can of whole water chestnuts

- Soya sauce

- Toothpicks

Directions:

1. Lay water chestnuts in a shallow container and cover in soya sauce. Let sit while you cut the strips of bacon in half.

2. Remove water chestnuts from soya sauce and cut in half.

3. Roll a piece of water chestnut in a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

4. Lay tinfoil over a pan and place wrapped water chestnuts on it. You can store this in the refrigerator or cook immediately in an oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Lesson of the Day: Going with the flow

Let’s face it, I think the majority of us are planners. Not necessarily big picture planners – not everyone has their wedding china and first child’s name picked out by the age of nine. But I would guess that the vast majority of people plan out their day the night before. What time they have to set their alarm for (and then what time they have to quit hitting the snooze button and actually get out of bed), what they’re going to make for dinner, and all the little things in between. And sometimes, having a wrench thrown in those plans can really really stink. Having to rearrange your whole day in the blink of an eye is often a major bummer. And that is exactly what happened to me today.

I had my whole evening planned out. I was going to finish work at 5:30pm, go to a 6 o’clock hot yoga class, get home at 7:30, make myself a nice salmon dinner and relax. But at 5:26 (4 minutes before my shift finished), a collision occured and a boiling hot water wound up all over my wrist and hand. The scalding was so bad that when I pulled the sleeve of my sweater back I could see the imprint of the knit burned into my skin. I had to cover it in burn ointment, pack it in gauze and tape it into a glove for safety. Needles to say, spending the better part of 60 minutes in downward dog was no longer in the cards for me. And I was not happy about it.

All day I had been looking forward to a relaxing yoga session and now I had to deal with the possibility of going to the hospital in order to avoid scarring. Not cool. But instead of freaking out I took it one step at a time. I got home, I called telehealth to see how serious it was and whether I had to go to the hospital. They said that I would be okay to stay home so long as I iced it and called a doctor if it got worse. So with that settled my roommate and I embarked on a night of Wii Fit and TV show watching to cheer me up from my wound and her from an illness she has been dealing with. It was just what I needed! So even when fate steps in and kicks you in the toosh – sometimes all you can do is make the best of it – and often, things will turn out just fine. Or in this case…better!

Roses & Thorns – Day 3

Well, it’s day three of roses, thorns and toot toots – I’m well on my way to making this a habit so that’s good. Today was an excellent day. I love reflecting on excellent days.

 

Rose: My mom and I went fabric shopping to get all the supplies I need to make a new coat. I’ve never done a sewing project this complicated so it was a huge joy to have her help me get started.

 

 

 

 

Thorn (with a silver lining): I had a hunger melt down haha. Have you ever had those? Where all of a sudden you’re so hungry that you are absolutely miserable? After fabric shopping I had a couple of errands to run and by the time I got home I was starving. I had a ton of groceries and bags to get in the house and they were all so heavy. And because of my hungry state I let out one of those ridiculously hideous whiny groans as I tried to balance two purses, several fabric loaded bags and a basket of groceries. Not a shining moment. But then I ate half a tub of yoghurt and all was right again in the world. (Side note: If you ever need a pick me up – try Liberte Mediteranee yoghurt – it will change your life.)

 

 

Toot Toot: I buckled down and sent out 12 packages to agents! Will one give me a call? Probably not. I still have a lot of real world experience to get. But I put in the effort and got myself out there so that’s what counts!

71 Days!!

Nothing makes me feel the holiday season quite like watching Christmas movies. I can’t not get into the spirit when I’m curled up watching dancing elves singing Christmas carols. And so I share with you my top 5 favorite Christmas movies of all time:

1. Mrs. Santa Clause

My absolute favorite movie to watch Angela Landsbury in. It was a made for TV movie so I don’t know how hard it is to get your hands on it. I watch a version I taped on my VHS back when I was 10 or 11 but it usually airs around Christmas time so you should definitely check it out.

 

 

 

 

2. A Christmas Carol (In all its forms)

My personal favorite is the 1984 George C. Scott version. But the Muppets one is also excellent if you’re looking for something less traditional. And I’ve also heard excellent things about the Ducktales one. The story is such a great one so I love seeing it retold in different ways.

 

 

 

 

3. Home Alone

Both 1 and 2 are absolutely excellent. You can’t help but laugh out loud with all shenanigans a little kid can get himself into. And the hilarious ideas he comes up with to thwart the bad guys are the best. Can’t be missed!

4. The Family Stone

Now, I must admit, I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews on this one but I absolutely adore it. It’s the perfect blend between super Christmasy and general everyday appeal. The characters interact so well and there are some really funny moments. Definitely give it a try!

5. Love Actually

Such an entertaining and heart warming seasonal movie! The performances are spectacular and the story lines are really unique. By far my favorite modern Christmas movie!

When it comes down to it I will watch absolutely any Christmas movie but these are just some of my all time favorites. Stay tuned for next week when I will share some of the best Christmas TV specials…because there are a lot of them! If you have any Christmas movie recommendations – please share! I am always on the hunt for more holly jolly movies!