I love the fact that its colder outside and the Christmas tree is up and sparkling.  Even if I AM recovering from a cold.  I have presents to wrap under the tree. And, I don’t know why but I haven’t been able to find the porcelain figurines to go in my Nativity set.  Right now I just have an empty manger waiting for baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the three Wise Men.  I know I’ll find ‘em.

After all, the Christmas tree is beautiful and I love my little Santa doll I got in Paris a few years ago that sings “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby. (I am NOT making this up.) But the nativity set and the story of Jesus being born in the manger in Bethlehem is really what the season is about, right?

In the midst of all the holiday events and the craziness, we eat a lot of regular meals, too.  It makes sense to make them reasonably healthy because we’re eating so much rich, decadent foods.  At the same time we want something hearty and stick-to-your ribs because baby it’s cold outside.

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There’s nothing that quite warms the cockles of your heart like a gorgeous bowl of chili.  I’ve been excited about making and eating hearty soups since our temps here in Vegas dropped into what’s probably considered balmy for most folks but chilly by our standards.  After all, it’s over 100 degrees for about four months of the year. This recipe originated from Epicurious.com but I made a few changes.  Their version was all white cannelini beans – I mixed it up a bit.  Their version called for beef broth – I used a combination of white wine and chicken broth.  I also had about four ounces of smoked chicken sausage left over from the Carmelized Onion Pizza so I tossed it in to add a little bit of smoky flavor. You could do the same with cooked, crumbled up bacon if you’d like. Or not. Read the rest of this entry »