Brussels Sprouts Holiday Branch: Let the Revels Begin!

"Oh brussels branch, oh brussels branch..."

Here is a project that has been on my to-do list for years, ever since Trader Joe's began carrying veggie-laden Brussels sprouts branches as a holiday special just before Thanksgiving every year. The Brussels branch is a prime candidate for a new holiday tradition and of course, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, every element of the holiday Brussels branch is edible.

...how lovely are thy branches...

For those of you from around the world who don't celebrate this gluttonous holiday feast, feel free to incorporate the Brussels branch into your holiday festivities however you wish — as an alternative, edible Christmas tree, as a symbol of hope for the new year, as a pagan post for your Druid dances in the forest.

Tips and how-to advice:

• The upper, horizontal stalks provide supports for hanging decorations. The lower part of the branch remains solid sprouts.

• This holiday branch incorporates strung, fresh cranberries and bird silhouettes fashioned from tangerine peels. In less than a week I will be adding a how-to post to this blog about making your own orange and tangerine-peel silhouette decorations. You may, of course, decorate your own Brussels branch however you wish.

• The pot shown here has no holes on the bottom. It contains a little water to keep the branch fresh. More importantly, it contains a few big, heavy rocks to anchor the branch and offer it a little positioning support.

And now, enjoy some close-ups of my lovely Brussels branch and feel free to hum along to the classical holiday tune, "O Tannenbaum," substituting the phrase "Brussels branch" for "tannenbaum."

For truly dedicated revelers who are curious about how to go about actually eating their holiday branch once the festivities are over, here is a recipe for Cranberry Clementine Brussels Sprouts with Brown Sugar Glaze. Bon appétit - and stay tuned for the next posting on making orange and tangerine silhouette decorations.