Living overseas makes the holidays a tad bit tougher. Shopping online just isn’t the same as strolling through a mall with one hand clenched to your purse, apologizing every time someone runs into you, smiling at sales clerks who hate their jobs, and finding that perfect gift that the receiver will never use and will eventually re-gift. Waiting on overseas packages has just about the same fun-factor.
This is my 7th year living overseas and you’d think Id have it nailed by now. I don’t. I usually pride myself on writing in each Christmas card and getting those cards out by December 1st, to ensure my kids faces will be displayed at the top of each receivers beautifully decorated card display. Not this year. I blame it on shutterfly. It’s the 28th of December and I still havent received my cards!
Christmas disappointments aside, we had a beautiful Christmas this year! On Sunday we had a small “family” dinner. The husband and I each cooked a prime rib: his was garlic and herb, roasted on the weber with mesquite chips; mine was seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted in the oven. I also made a salad, ginger-honey carrots, roasted brussel sprouts.
His:
8 cloves of garlic cloves, minced and rubbed onto all sides of roast
2 T each: basil, rosemary, thyme (fresh) & olive oil (plus a bit salt & pepper) minced rubbed onto all sides
Fat trimmed, banded and indirectly roasted for 3 hours (until internal temp was 135)
Carrots: sliced 1/4 inch, boiled for 7 minutes then drained and put back into hot pan with 2 T honey and 1 t ground ginger & a dash of dried thyme
Roasted brussel sprouts: sliced and tossed in 2 T olive oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper; roasted in oven at 350 for 40 minutes
Mine prime rib was tasty but didn’t qualify for a photo shoot. Yes, the brussel sprouts beat out my prime rib! Meh, better luck next year!
At the last-minute my husband mentioned that one of our guests didn’t eat beef. The horror!!! Cue panic attack! Since I have a paleo refrigerator, I have no shortage of left overs! Yes, I fed one of my guests left overs for Christmas dinner. Thank goodness I had one of my tastiest meals as my non-beef eaters Christmas dinner!
This recipe is one that my MIL shared with me over the summer!!
Italian sausage and peppers:
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2 packages of italian sausage (mild)
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4 bell peppers of any color, sliced thin
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1 onion, sliced thin
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1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 T tomato paste (the commissary doesn’t sell this in a tube, which would make sense…. so I use the smallest can and then put any leftover in a tupperware with saran wrap on top)
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2 T minced garlic
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2 T minced fresh basil
brown the sausages in a large pan over med-hi heat
once they are nice and brown, add: wine, chicken broth, tomato sauce and garlic; mix well
then add the peppers on top of the sausage, lower heat to low and cover 
Cook on low for 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes to make sauce thicken. Add chopped basil and serve.
I don’t post many recipes because honestly I don’t come up with my own stuff. I like recipes. Especially if they have few ingredients, are easy to make and taste amazing!
Now that 2012 is coming to a close, I’m starting to look at 2013. I’ve never been big on New Years Resolutions, but this year is going to be different! I’ve dabbled in fitness for the past few years, but this year I’m going to narrow it in a bit. I’m starting off the new year with going to the Crossfit Level One Certification. Not because I want to be a trainer, but to expand my knowledge and to better educate myself and my family on fitness. The following weekend I’m going to go to the Crossfit Kids Certification!
My goal for 2013 is to lower my sons BMI from 22.3 to under 20, learn a choreographed dance, write more hand written letters and quit smoking. More on each of these in the 12 months to come! Wishing each of you a healthy, happy and safe 2013.
jess
pacificallypaleo 