Nacho Soup

Daniel's favorite dinner is nachos. He loves to carefully arrange each chip {so it gets the maximum amount of cheese}, carefully dollop refried beans, and spread black beans, olives, and cheese over all. After it comes out of the oven; if there has been a sale; we put sour cream or avocados on top.

Afterwards, there  is usually half a can of everything left over, so last night I threw everything in a pot and made nacho soup.


I started with a box of chicken stock, whisked in refried beans and cheese {coat the cheese in corn starch first or it will not melt into the broth, just sink to the bottom}, and added black beans, olives, and chunked turkey. We had crushed chips and avocado to put on top. Daniel likes chunky soup, but if you want it smoother, you can send it through the blender

Bowls from Anthropologie

 

Bowls from Anthropologie bought with a birthday coupon. The plates I had didn't have bowls, so Daniel was very glad to finally be able to eat cereal out of bowl instead of a mug

New China

{Not pictured: the pasta bowl} I found eight place settings of this china {Mikasa Cameo Platinum}with a platter, serving bowl, and creamer and sugar at the thrift store. We had not gotten any of the china we had registered for, and this pattern happened to be our second choice! We are going to buy the Waterford Ballet Ribbon plates to mix with this set of china.

Daniel fell in love with this Pottery Barn pocket watch clock and was considering saving up his own money for it until I found this clock at T J Maxx with a cool stand, too!

 

Merry Christmas!

Dollar Tree Ornament, Painted

How Lucy Became a Saint

My name is Lucy (means light), and it is the year 303 AD. Christians are experiencing the worst persecution yet, and I am one of them. Not satisfied with just taking food to the hungry, I gave all my money, including my large dowry, to the poor. My fiance was furious. He turned me into the Roman magistrate, who ordered me to burn incense to the Emperor. When I refused, they plucked out my eyes. When I still refused, they tried to take me away, but I was stuck fast to the spot and light shone from my eye sockets; so they beheaded me on the spot.

Italian missionaries brought my story, the story of Santa Lucia, to Sweden. My feast day of December 13th was long thought of to be the shortest day of the year. Swedes fell in love with my story and with the celebration of light on the darkest day of the year.

Growing up, my mom turned the celebration of Santa Lucia (getting up early and serving coffee and Lucia buns) into a Swedish dinner. When we got married, Daniel and I started hosting one for our friends as well. On the menu: Swedish meatballs from Ikea, Swedish flat bread, lingonberries, pan roasted potatoes, squash medley (because I happened to have it in the fridge), peas and broccoli. And for dessert, rice pudding and dairy free rice pudding (made with vanilla almond milk: it was my favorite), ginger cookies from Ikea, krumkakes, and Swedish Fish!