Catching cold on Christmas

I've been struggling with a head cold this past week, my first cold in more than two years. It's been quite a doozy. I'm still feeling a little under the weather. I spent Christmas Eve at home, mostly on the couch.

The doorbell rang in the morning, and I was suprised to see a boy scout delivering the popcorn I ordered a few months ago. I was even more surprised to see I had ordered Iowa-grown popcorn.


I absolutely love this label on the package. Such a wonderful description of what makes Iowa great.


When my husband got home from work, I dragged myself off the couch for my first-ever attempt at making Norwegian rosettes. I bought these rosette irons at an antique store in La Crosse, Wis., last summer.

I dipped the irons in batter, then dipped them in hot oil. The result: a crispy funnel-cake like treat.

These rosettes didn't quite turn out the way I remember. They should be thinner and crispier. I need to practice my technique a little bit more.

Later that night, my husband made beef stew for Christmas Eve dinner, since our freezer is filled with a quarter of beef we recently purchased from a local cattle farmer.

I decided to try a recipe from "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I was in the mood for a crusty, chewy bread to dip in the stew. The bread turned out amazing! So glad I invested in a pizza stone.

Hoping I wake up tomorrow feeling much better. It's a bummer to finally get some time off work, only to be too tired to do anything. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday break!