Smokey Paprika Chicken and Vegetables

Mr. H. gave this smokey paprika chicken nine and a half stars. ;-)

It was really yummy!

I used chicken breasts instead of thighs,

so it didn't have to cook quite as long.

The chicken was SO moist and flavorful!

Wintertime Hot Cocoa Bar!

I had such a hard time putting away my Christmas decorations this year.

Much more so than usual.  I tend to be chomping at the bit by New Year's Eve and 

New Year's Day usually finds all the decor safely tucked away and a cleaning spree in process!

But, this year I just seemed a bit more reluctant to start putting things away

and would you believe January 3rd! was looming on the horizon by the time 

all things Christmasy had been stored away for another year. 

I had planned to keep my hot cocoa bar up through New Year's Day,

and then put it away,

but I thought, "why not leave it up all through the winter?"

So I did!

I removed all the red and green and just created a simple array of hot cocoa fixings 

to look nice with my "winter" china. 

"Winter is the time for comfort,

for good food and warmth,

for the touch of a friend's hand 

and a talk beside the fire;

it is the time for HOME."

~Edith Sitwell

And, then, on Sunday, after evening worship, a sweet lady from our congregation

gave our family a care package of marshmallows, hot cocoa packets, popcorn 

and these incredibly cute mugs!

It was like it was confirmation that I should keep my hot cocoa bar up just a little bit longer! ;-)