Some Thoughts On The New Year...And Some Food!

I thought I would recap the food we had on New Year's Eve. These little bites would be great for Valentines Day as well!

One-Bite Baked Brie with Grape-Pecan Compote

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake 2 cups of small red grapes and 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil for 25 to 30 minutes, until they burst and are very soft.

Combine grapes with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest...and a pinch of Kosher salt.

Cut brie into cubes and place in phyllo tart cups.

Bake 5 minutes.

Mix toasted pecans into grape mixture. Top brie with grape compote!

We love our appetizers for these special get togethers!

Roasted Shrimp!

Fresh Granny Smith apples and Bosc pears for the Gouda-Beer Fondue.

Gouda-Beer Fondue, fresh fruite, pimento cheese, chicken salad, Savory crackers, homemade cocktail sauce and  roasted shrimp. And The Veggie Tray!

Can you tell that we are a cooking family? Mom's counter-top is full of spices, oils and  tea bags in case someone calls for a quick pitcher of Sweet Tea!

And here is a good idea...

This pic is from Christmas. I thought this was an interesting idea. My sister-in-law used a strip of festive wrapping paper as a table runner! Fun idea!

Well, friends, we are well on our way into 2015. 

The Lord is bringing healing and peace to me as I seek His Face in the New Year. I'm not necessarily asking: what does He want me to do, or wondering: what do I feel I should be doing...but rather, just Him...just seeking Him.

I was working with a group of teens last Spring and asked them: What would change (if anything) if you knew that you were completely loved? One student said: Everything. 

The group talked about how they would be more generous, more gracious to themselves and others. 

This makes me think...What would change in me if I believed that I was completely loved by Someone (big "S")? How would I be changed, when I believe that God loves me?

Generous, gracious, patient, kind...all the fruits of the Spirit!

I'm praying "That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!" 

Ephesians 3:18-19 AMP

Feasting on the Love of God...that is La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Quick & Easy Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Honestly...I'm not sure this could be any easier!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour, 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar, 4 cups medium broccoli florets, 3 cups frozen brown rice (thawed), 1 rotisserie chicken (skinned, white and dark meat shredded), 1/2 cup Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour and broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until it comes to a boil. Continue whisking and boiling until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and whisk 1 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Add the cheddar and whisk until melted.

Add broccoli florets and stir to coat.

Mix shredded chicken and thawed rice in a large bowl. Pour broccoli mixture into chicken mixture and mix well.

Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and pour mixture into dish.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the mixture.
Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until browned, 2 to 5 minutes.

Oh My! Look at all of that cheesy goodness!!!

This was so easy to make! It had protein, brown rice and a veggie all in one!

I hope you are all having great year so far.

I think I mentioned that I don't make New Year's resolutions. I keep feeling like I need to stay "present", to stay "with myself"...not running ahead or looking over my shoulder at the way things used to be. The Lord has provision and blessing for today, at this moment. What a joy to receive those gifts in the present.

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

Double Berry French Toast Bake- Cheers to the New Year!

This is delicious!

It is a great way to say HELLO to the New Year!

Hello , Double Berry French Toast!

This is a variation on a recipe with the same name in December's Coastal Living.

Marinate raspberries and blackberries in 2 Tbsp of sugar and 2 Tbsp of Grand Marnier for 30 minutes.

Drain the juice from the berries into a bowl with 10 ounces of softened cream cheese. Mix well and spread over 16 to 20 slices of french loaf.

Place 1/2 of the french bread loaf slices in a 13 x 9. Top with marinated berries.

Top berries with the remaining french bread slices to make sandwiches.

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 5 large eggs (lightly beaten) and 3 Tbsp of sugar.

Pour egg mixture over french bread sandwiches.
Cover and refrigerate over night.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

We served ours with applewood smoked bacon, syrup, and a pomegranate mimosa!

Ring in a Happy New Year with this delicious French Toast Bake.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but rather approach the the New Year with a sense of openness to what The Lord has in store.

I'm praying for a blessed New Year for each of us!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!