2020 Holiday Lights

I love looking at holiday lights because December has such little light.  This year we saw a few houses that I want to highlight.  Here is an article about the lights in Saugus, MA.  Here is a second article.

The house below had a ONE NIGHT ONLY display of Chanukah Inflatables in Newton, MA.

This house below is on Puritan Lane in Saugus, MA off the Lynn Fells Park Way.

    

This was on a side street also, but I can't remember the exact address.

Then the huge two house display is at 403 Lynn Fells Park Way, Saugus, MA.

 

Massachusetts Conference for Women - Manage Your Mindset for Maximum Success

 I attended a session with Mel Robbins and she was great.  The take-aways for me are

• No sleeping with your phone - this is something that I live by.  Mel said you would not invite all of your Facebook friends into your bedroom.  Just put the phone away.  If someone "NEEDS" you, they will call and you will hear it.
• Create a Morning Routine - how you set up your day, is how it ends
• Wake up and see joy.  Find a photograph, picture or object that makes you happy.  For me, my room has family photographs, and that makes me happy.
• Hear - Without the phone or the TV what do you hear?  Sometimes I hear NOTHING, which is great.  Sometimes I hear a train go buy, and during the summer I hear the birds.
• Smell - awaken your senses!  Some people use candles.  For me the smell of shampoo is always welcome!  Coffee helps awaken my senses
• Taste -Eat or drink something that serves you.  Maybe a bit of a fresh baked donut
• Feel - feel your body move - Exercise 20 minutes and feel your body come alive!
• Identify the one thing that you need to make progress on for the day.
• Get out of bed immediately
• Make your bed as a gift for yourself
• Identify the one thing that you are going to do for yourself for the day - WRITE IT DOWN

Delicious Easy Dinner

 Yotam has NOT disappointed me!  Just made his ONE PAN ORECHIETTE PUTTANESCA and all four of us thought it was delicious!

5 T Olive Oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried

1 t paprika (I get mine from the Spice House in Evanston, IL)

2 t cumin (again, from the Spice House)

2 t tomato paste

salt

2 c parsley, chopped

1 t. lemon zest

3 T capers, drained

3/4 c green olives, pitted and cut in half

10 oz grape tomatoes

2 t sugar

1 t caraway seeds (from the Spice House)

9 oz orecchiette pasta - dry

2 cups vegetable stock

3/4 c water

pepper

In a large sauté pan (that has a lid) combine 3 T olive oil, garlic, chickpeas, paprika, cumin, tomato paste and 1/2 t salt and cook over medium heat.  Cook for 12 minutes, uncovered, stirring every once in a while.  Remove 1/3 of the chickpeas and reserve in a bowl for later.

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest, capers & olives.  Add 2/3 of the parsley mixture to the pan, with the grape tomatoes, sugar and caraway seeds and cook for 2 minutes on medium-high heat, and stir.  Add pasta, stock, water and 3/4 t salt and bring to a simmer.  Decrease heat to medium, cover and cook for 12 minutes (see if the pasta is done, and if not cook another two minutes).

Stir in remaining parsley, 2 T olive oil and chickpeas.  Add a bit of pepper.

Serve.

Weekly Dinners

 As some of you know, I am a planner.  I like to plan our meals and buy what we need at the grocery store once a week.

Friday:  Baked Cod with Ritz Cracker topping from Ina Garten's new book and roasted portobello mushrooms for the vegetarian.

Saturday:  Orchiette Putensca from Yotam.

Sunday:  Burgers/Vegetable burgers with new potato recipe

Monday:  Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Tuesday:  Homemade Pizza

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday: Order Out