Merry Christmas to All

I'll keep this brief, since I imagine most of your online time will be spent shopping, at this point! Retailers will hate me for saying it, but wouldn't it be lovely if Christmas were more like Thanksgiving? Just food and family and decorations, and no presents???

Notwithstanding my Grinchiness, I did receive this lovely offering from a neighbor who has since moved:

That would be my very own rosemary plant, since I'd always had permission to clip her rosemary and mint and basil when she lived next door. (And, in all honesty, I had continued to sneak over and furtively snip more sprigs even after she moved out because the new neighbor has not yet moved in.)

My latest guilty foray had been for the double batch of Rosemary-Cayenne Cashews I toasted up for my husband's team at work.

If you still have to come up with some little gifts and are tiring of sweets, try this last-minute recipe.

Rosemary-Cayenne Cashews (courtesy of S. H.)
1 lb roasted, unsalted cashews
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like it
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp salt (reduce if using salted cashews!)
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spread cashews out on a sheet pan. Toast until warm, about five minutes.

In a large bowl, combine spices and melted butter. Toss with warm cashews.

Cool completely and serve or package.

I personally love rosemary, so I would even go for a little more than 2 Tbsp for fellow rosemary fans.

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a good holiday season. In the New Year I hope to post my experiments with recipes from this new cookbook I've received:

But, of course, that will probably have to wait until after we've gotten through Sugar-Free January...