The Most Wonderful Time of the Beer

Christmas is nearly upon us. As we let the food in the fridge dwindle with the holiday approaching there are not quite as many options as we would normally be blessed with. However, the leftovers from Canadian Thanksgiving are still the most populous residents in our small freezer.



I took some chicken breasts, butterflied them, and pounded them flat, then lined them with strips of bacon and defrosted stuffing from the Canadian holiday. Then I sprinkled them with cranberries leftover from Jen's holiday baking.



In another pan I browned some crushed garlic and vidalia onion in a little butter and olive oil. Then I threw in some peeled, chopped sweet potato, stewed that down for a bit, and tossed in some kale that I'd chopped in ribbons. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and finished it with a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.



I spotted this item at the store the other day. It was $16.99 and I had one more person I hadn't gotten a Christmas present for yet: me. As a fan of Belgian beer fan I figured how could I go wrong and for less than $20? I was prepared for this to earn me a healthy helping of disgust from Jen but she was surprisingly accepting of the purchase. Even though most years she gets upset with me if I buy so much as a replacement pen for myself within three months of Christmas.



I must say this Christmas Ale from Corsendonk is truly one of the favorite beers of all time. What can I say? I'm good at picking out presents for me.



Jen spent pretty much every waking moment of the weekend baking cookies, breads, and bars. This is just a small assortment of some of the treats she made.

And just a small example of why it's so easy to get stomach aches this time of year.