Planning the Menu and Basking in Blessings

Along side the wonderful Christmas bird you undoubtedly enjoy many (many) side dishes.  Most people have the traditional mashed potatoes among them.  If you have a weight-conscious crew that does not want to pack on a lot of extra pounds, or if like me, you have diabetes, there is a healthier alternative to potatoes.  If you substitute cauliflower in most of your mashed potato recipes, they not only look just as good, but they taste just as good also.

I like simple food that is quick and easy to fix.  With a wonderful blend of cauliflower, butter, garlic, onion, milk, chives and freshly cracked pepper, this dish is sure to be a hit!  You won't even miss the potatoes!  At our house we call them "pretend potatoes".  I don't have an exact recipe - but I sort of just feel my way through it.  It's a consistency thing, and everyone has different tastes when it comes to consistency.  With food, texture is everything! 

As I sit here thinking about how close we are to Christmas day, the string of gently blinking lights on the Christmas tree have drawn me in and made me think of all the great Christmas days we used to have and the wonderful Christmas days to come.  It's a time to reflect and be thankful.  Oh, I know everyone thinks we already did that at Thanksgiving - but there's no expiration date on gratitude!  An attitude of gratitude is always in vogue! 

I read somewhere that if you have five good friends throughout your lifetime, you are blessed.  I guess I'm probably the most blessed individual ever!  I'm so thankful for all of God's blessings in my life.  He's been so good to me - and I am going to spend the rest of my life paying all of His goodness to me forward just as often as I can. 

We're here to learn to love - love God - love each other.  We're just six short days away from Christmas, and I want to spend the day just basking in my blessings.  The shopping is done and the gifts are under the tree.  Now I sit and wait - because Christmas is on its way in four more days.

This is a video - how to make "pretend potatoes".

http://youtu.be/ews2GlhbSxg

If you have not decided how you can make Christmas special for those less fortunate than yourself, here is a great idea.  Today is GO CAROLING DAY!!!  We all have friends who love to sing, don't we?  Find a few and go to a care home somewhere and sing some Christmas Carols for some folks who seem to be forgotten by everyone.  Sadly, some of those people never receive visitors.  You might make someone's day today - you never know!