This and That.

What a dingbat, forgot to post this once again. Must be what comes with being an old dragon grandma.

Bowling good again if not quite as good as last Monday.  Matt bowled pretty well too except for his first game.

It is incredibly windy at the moment. Last night I was having trouble sleeping with the whistling wind howling round the building and it has been blowing all day long. Think we saw a few snow flakes, but not quite sure.
Had our first Christmas card today. Friend is on a cruise so I guess she figured she would get them out before she went. Talking of cards, I posted one to a friend who lives locally. Her birthday was Wednesday a week ago and she still hasn’t got the card. Checked the address with her today, it was correct so I have no idea why she didn’t receive it. I went to the post office to replace my stamps for the US and checked on postage to Mexico. I was very surprised it was the same rate as for overseas, i.e. Australia, Africa, England and so on. I thought it would be the same as for the US.

Many people don’t like Brussels Sprouts, I always loved them, but have been looking for a change for a while and this one from Closet Cooking by Kevin Lynch sounds as though it would be perfect.

Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Bacon in a Mustard Cream Topped with a Parmesan Crust

Brussels sprouts baked in a creamy mustard sauce along with smoky bacon all topped in a crispy golden brown parmesan crust.


Servings: makes 4+ servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
• 4 ounces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup Reggiano Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Blanch the Brussels sprouts until just tender and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in a pan, set it aside and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.
3. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt and then bubble.
4. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Mix in the flour and let simmer until it just starts to brown a little.
7. Mix in the milk, nutmeg, mustard, salt and pepper and half of the cheese and heat until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
8. Mix Brussels sprouts and bacon into the sauce and pour into a baking dish.
9. Mix the bread crumbs and the remaining cheese and sprinkle on top of the Brussels sprouts.
10. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until it is bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 15-20 minutes.

Have a great day