The days between Christmas and New Year’s are sometimes a blur for me. I’m usually stuffed full of cheese and bread, in a food coma and exhausted.
Why you ask?
Well, for one I’m a single mom who just created a Christmas miracle getting everything baked, ready, wrapped and done. From plays to carpools to baking for school and baking professionally oh, and cleaning and keeping up with the everyday life with the pets and the home. It’s a bunch!
I usually run so hard I get sick ( which I’m a bit under the weather as we speak)
On Christmas Day I crashed like many moms, I’m sure. But the week leading up to the new year, I do try to reflect on what went great, what didn’t, and what I could do to make the following year even a bit better. What few tweaks I can make in my own personal life habits to make it a bit more rewarding and fruitful.
One thing I think I got pretty close to accomplishing this year was not focusing on gifts or spending. My daughter and I tried to focus on Joy. Yes, there was a little bit of stress but mostly joy.
I tried daily to focus on Jesus and the advent leading up to his birth and the joy of God becoming a child and his rescue plan to save us. Emmanuel, "God with us"… The true joy of that is what I tried to celebrate this year. Even when it became very stressful and overwhelming, I really tried to concentrating on what Christmas really means. I would stop, take a breath, and reset and find the joy of Christmas and what it’s all about.
The coming year is upon us. Yes I have goals and dreams and things I want to accomplish… but my main goal is to keep the spirit of Christmas every day and remember on the days I get stressed that I can stop, take a breath and remember that Emmanuel means God is with us!
Blessings to you and your family this Holiday Season. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR every Monday for more commentary and recepies by Gigi with many surprises.
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
~this is perfect for a holiday dish or anytime. Sweet potatoes are so good for you!
Preheat oven at 350*
INGREDIENTS
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 Tbs of butter
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 4 Tbs brown sugar divided
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups of mini marshmallows
Bake sweet potatoes for 50 mins at 350* on a flat baking sheet
Cut in half, scoop out most of the potato and put in bowl.
Place half potatoes on a baking sheet.
Mix potatoes with all ingredients except marshmallows.
Then refill potatoes with a big spoon. Place marshmallows on each individual potato and broil low for 5 minutes until marshmallows are toasty brown.
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer.
Recipe courtesy of Gigi Butler Copyright 2024 Heartland Journal, LLC
