I don't believe in New Year's resolutions

Today I had a tasty lunch. I've been trying

to track what I eat each day because I mindlessly

eat all the time and I'm aiming for better habits.

The holidays are about to be over so the

treats are starting to slow down in my life.

This morning I checked my fridge to see

what I had on hand. Quorn frozen chicken

pieces, almonds and craisins. I made some faux

chicken salad with sliced almonds, craisins,

miracle whip and cinnamon. It's so tasty

I served mine with some melba toast and sauerkraut.

Nice lunch!



I wasn't feeling great when I got home today

but I still hoofed it to the gym. I walked

on the treadmill for 30 mins. Better than nothing?

New Year's is upon us. I have to say something:

I HATE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS!

Why you ask? Too harsh of me?

I personally don't like them but for lots of people

it works. I think every single day is a day to tackle something you

are afraid of. Or face a new challenge. Why put off

something until tomorrow when you can do it

today? (I think that's a Garth Brooks song).

I'm sorry if you love them. I just think we should

all take a good look at things in life we want

everyday and go after them today. Not tomorrow.

Do you have a resolution? Do you like them?

Have you ever seen a reindeer fly?

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating today!

And if you aren't- Happy Holidays!

Today was a fantastic day! I slept in until 8:30ish which to

me means- I'm getting older. I can remember waking up

at 4am each year. Not anymore.

We started by cooking for today. I made Red Velvet

Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting! The idea came from

Julie over at PB Fingers. 

Here are the ingredients:

Brownies:

1 box of red velvet cake mix

3/4 cup melted butter (I didn't use all of the butter

and I used faux butter/margarine.)

1 egg 

1/2 cup water

mix butter, egg and water first.

mix in cake mix til fully blended.

put in greased(pam spray) pan and bake at 325 for 25-30 mins

when they are done- let them cool. 

I put mine in the fridge. I couldn't wait to test them!

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package fat free cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

tsp vanilla

mix until smooth

frost the brownies. I also put green sprinkles

on for the holiday.

They were a hit. But I only had a nibble because I

wanted to save all the space I could for the main event.

I really like baking and doing new recipes but I also

try not to eat a lot of sweets. I heavily rely on others

to eat my creations.

We opened presents.

Lily definitely had the most! She got a whole new barbie

princess dream house and 4 dolls to go with it. The

list goes on.

We all had some dinner together.

I think Lobster should be the Maine tradition from now

on. we also had prime rib and all the fixings. We had a fantastic day 

and now everyone is passing out while we watch the 

Santa Claus.Absolutely one of my favorite movies.

"Have you ever seen a reindeer fly?"

"No- have you ever seen a million dollars? Just because

you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

My first Hanukkah

Merry Christmas Eve! While this comes

every year, it really snuck up on me. The time

is just flying by. A little too fast I think.

Before I celebrate Christmas, I had my first

Hanukkah dinner. I hope it's not my last!

Brandon cooked a serious feast. It was ridiculous.

There were latkes, challah, roasted veggies, a vegetarian

field roast, Kugel and more. But before we could dig in

we had to say the prayer and light the candles.

I had the honor of lighting of the candles. And drinking

the wine. It was fun to learn about a new religious

tradition. And trying some new food. And wine.

We had some drinks and then it was time to eat!

Brandon really out did himself. The spread was

unreal. And freaking tasty.

I ate too much Challah. Then I read what it's made of.. yikes!

But it was tasty. All of it was good.

I enjoyed my first Hanukkah and I can't wait

to celebrate again next year. Or just cook all

the tasty food. 

I'm in Maine now celebrating the holidays

with my family. Honestly- I'm making a dent in the couch

watching every Christmas movie/show known to man.

Now I'm spending time with my dogs and debating

a Wii workout or taking the dogs for a walk. Tough choice.

Cherry Almond Protein Shake

The latest shake/smoothie creation from my

kitchen is a good one! It can be made in a few ways.

I've been having mine as a mid-day snack.

 I present my...

Cherry Almond Protein Shake!

Ingredients:

1 cup almond/soy/cow's milk

1/3 cup 0% Greek yogurt (for protein)

4 or 5 ice cubes

1 tsp almond extract

1/3 cup frozen black cherries

Blend and devour!

Also if you have more of a sweet tooth try a

 Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake.

add 1 scoop chocolate protein powder

Fancy Feet and Christmas Miracles

I'm in the holiday spirit kids!

Tonight I tried my fancy feet out on the ice.

At Frog Pond to be exact! It was my first time

going and it was great.

The frog was watching the ice!

I jumped on the ice and was ready!

No falls on my end. I did try to do some serious tricks.

AKA extend one arm and one leg.I was pretty good. But I

got a little cold and it was time for a hot cocoa break!

My face was bright red from exhausting myself on the ice.

Ok- it was really due to the extreme cold.

We hit the ice again but Jillian fell soon after.

We decided to call it a night because of her

injuries. Yikes! Hope you're hanging in there girl.



Then I came home to a Christmas miracle. An insane

awesomeness swept through our apartment.

Santa (aka Katie) gave us our favorite new books

for Christmas. You can see the vast differences in us by

our choices. Katie is a seriously wonderful, generous and good

woman. I'm hoping she gets her own Christmas miracle ;) I have

a good feeling some seriously cool things are coming her way.

Ok- seriously though. This morning I went to boot camp at my

gym. Real name- Hell. It included spinning and weights. Intervals.

I have a good feeling I'm going to hurt like heck in the morning.

But you know what they say- no pain no gain! I hope you all

are getting after it this season as well.

I leave you with the awesomeness of Lily this evening.

Peppermint Patty Meringues

Meringues! The perfect cookie. It's versatile and fun.

But it can be a b*tch to make. I made this batch for my

family Christmas party.

I present my peppermint patty meringues!

A few tips:

Use glass or metal bowl. I used glass.

Patience is your friend. Don't rush it.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1 tsp of mint extract

1cup choco chips

1/4 almond/soy/cow's milk

Steps:

pre-heat the oven to 300

1- get all 4 egg whites in one bowl. Be sure there is no

yolk. If there is- it's not gonna work.

2- beat them starting on a slow speed. Slow and steady

wins this race. After 4 minutes or so they should start

to form stiff peaks. I think they kind of look foamy.

3- start adding the sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla. again- slowly. Don't rush it.

4- the peaks should continue forming nicely. Keep mixing slowly for

a few minutes

5- once everything is added and beaten together and the mix is somewhat stiff-

stop beating and fold in the mint extract.

6- you can either pipe the mix onto parchment paper or just spoon it on.

I'm not much into piping so I just used a spoon to place mine.

7- bake for about 40 minutes. Don't open the oven during this time.

8- once they are done let them cool. I put mine in the fridge for 20mins.

9- melt chocolate and mix in the milk. Should thin it out.

10- dip the cookies into chocolate and let them rest.

VOILA! Amazing seasonal cookies at your service. You can

definately make so many different flavors of meringues so

enjoy coming up with your own creation!

  

The killer kool aid is killer.

The last 48hrs have been crazy!

I've been to my work holiday party, my family

Christmas party and a welcome home party.

Friday was my work party. It was a 1920's theme

and it was at the Fairmont Copley. So beautiful!

The 20's was a cool theme and everyone looked awesome.

Including me. I was rocking the red lips. Seemed like a

good idea until it was staining everything.

Saturday morning I woke up before the sun was even out.

I hit the road for Maine. I had a family party first.

The kids passed out gifts and we all just got together

to celebrate the season. It was nice. I snapped a few pics of

Lily being Lily.

Then it was off to the rest of my weekend. We had to

welcome Adam home from Iraq! I got a little

shin dig together to surprise him. It worked and

we all had a super fun night with way too many drinks.

We drank too much killer kool-aid. It's a real drink

and it really was killer. It was really a killer this morning

when I had to function like a normal human being.

I'm still trying to be human again at 9:30pm. Better luck

tomorrow. Warning: The Killer Kool-aid is killer.

Good news though- this is a short week and Christmas

is almost here :)



My mad smoothie skills

Tomorrow is Thursday.

Then it's Friday. Which means- Our work party.

The theme is 1920's. I have been attempting to

get the perfect red lip. I think I finally got it today

in Sephora but you'll have to wait for pics from the

party to see.

I will say I love all the Too Faced products.

Mostly this post is dedicated my mad smoothie skills.

I love smoothies. I love them for breakfast and dinner.

Sometimes as a snack. So today I present you two new

recipes for smoothies. Get crazy and get creative!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1 cup almond/soy/cow's milk

4 or 5 ice cubes

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 scoop protein powder (you can use chocolate or vanilla)

pumpkin pie spice

Mix it up!

This was so creamy and delicious. It was a perfect breakfast!

I've seen people use yogurt as well for extra thickness.

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

1 cup almond/soy/cow's milk (I suggest choco soy for extra

choco flavor!)

4 or 5 ice cubes

1 scoop of choco powder (I added a little extra for the

extra choco kick)

1 tablespoon of PB

1 banana

You could say I really enjoy chocolate :)

This baby will be breakfast in the morning.

On another note- we are in the full swing of the holiday season.

This means a few things for me.

-I still get in workouts almost daily. I'm fighting that

holiday weight gain.

- eating healthy. Getting my veggies in to prevent getting

sick and just to stay healthy.

- being thankful and thoughtful. Tis the season after all!

- staying positive. I'm constantly trying to remember all that

I have and the wonderful people in my life.

What are you trying to do this holiday season? What are

you thankful for?

Cookies and Beer

I'm back in action in Boston. It feels good to

be back. I got back Friday. I thought I'd be too

tired to move. I made peanut

butter cookies instead. I didn't take a picture because

I ate them. Sorry- I'll try harder next time.

Saturday I was ready for life again! I tried to go to

the SoWa Holiday market but the line to get in was

30 mins long. Me and Brandon went to Sarah's and

decided to make cookies instead. Check out these meringues!

 I can't wait to share the holiday recipe soon.

Saturday night I met Laura for a couple bev's. We

started at Lucky's and then to Drink.

I loved it! It's a cool place and the menu is small. You

basically tell them what you like to drink and they come

up with something new. In my case I said - I love

vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey and beer. They couldn't

come up with something with everything from my list but

I did get a tasty drink with rum. It was good.

Well you can imagine where this story is going. We

then went to Lord Hobo. Place Rocks! Then we went

to Druid where we finished the night. The details are blurry

but it was a good night. I warn you- don't have the

Druid Fluid.

I finished my weekend out in Jamaica Plain. I took a little

stroll around Jamaica Pond with Alex and Brandon. It

was a nice day for a stroll and I really needed to get

out of the house for a bit. You could say that my weekend

consisted of cookies and beer mostly. Real Healthy. It

didn't involve enough exercise.

I also got to try something else new this weekend! The good

people of International Delight and Klout sent me the new

International Delight Iced Coffee.

It won't be in stores until January but I can tell you that

it's really good. It's creamy and the right amount of sweetness.

I don't like drinking a whole glass full but I do like

putting a splash in my iced coffee each morning. So in

January- buy this good stuff if you like the hard work

done for you. Pour it over some ice... work the day

away.

*

I was given a free product or sample because I'm a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

Paula Deen is my homegirl

I'm in the lovely Savannah, Georgia y'all!

Last night I went to a show at the Savannah Theater.

I highly recommend a visit if you are town. I thought it

was going to be hokey. But it was pretty good. Lots of

laughs for sure.

I also went to the infamous Olde Pink house. Also-

highly recommended by me! Get the praline basket.

Today was another busy day. Some work and then free time.

I did a little trolley tour of the city. Savannah happens to have

the largest historic district in the US. Crazy right? It's also

considered to be the most haunted city in America. EEK!

But most of you know that Savannah is home to one

really awesome person. 

PAULA DEEN!

I adore this woman. I didn't see her around town but

I did ask every single person I met about her. I learned

today that her products and restaurants bring in around

300 million a year. SHOOT! Not bad for a butter loving lady.

I made a visit to her store... 3 times.

All I bought was a Christmas ornament. But I wanted

everything this place had! I had to get out before I went

crazy.

I  made a detor for ice cream at the world famous

 Leopold's Ice Cream!

It was rated in the top ten best ice creams in the world!!!

I went with butter pecan & amaretto. I was in heaven! If you

know me- you know I love ice cream as much as

mexican food. Maybe more.

This is a terrible photo of me but I'm risking it for the readers.

It was a whirlwind day of the sights. I love Savannah!

This evening I did a Ghost tour. Savannah is indeed the most

haunted city in America. It's a freaky place where things

happen!

I finished the night at Belford's. I tried to have a salad

but the travel has official taken its toll. I'm feeling a little

under the weather and took a few bites and called

it quits.

So it's so long Savannah! I'm heading out of here tomorrow.

While I'm definitely ready to be home, I really love the south.

It's a fantastic place and people should get down here. Especially

to Savannah.

And if you see Paula Deen- say what's up for me! She is

my southern home girl.

Low Country Livin

Hey y'all!

I'm checking in from Jekyll Island, GA.

This place rocks!

But let's start from the beginning. I landed

in Charleston, SC on Sunday afternoon. A guide

that works for the company spent the day with

me showing me around. It was beautiful weather.

I was sweating when I got off the plane!

I walked the streets and took a carriage ride.

We saw the alley way where they had shoot outs.

I also had a minor car accident. A woman hit the back end

of my car and then tried to blame me. Solid. But look-

my car is totally fine. Mystery!



I hit up Boone Hall. The Oak Trees are famous.

It was absolutely beautiful!

I finished my Charleston trip with non-traditional food. Pizza.

Today I made the trek to Jekyll Island. This place is unreal.

I'm 5 ft from the beach and I'm running out there in a minute.

I grabbed a bike from the hotel and road the trails.

This place is so beautiful. I'd like to take a for real vaca here.

Not do work.

I saw this sign. I pulled over but the place was closed.

I'm enjoying the trip and the south is for reals

beautiful. Make the journey.

On another note- I won a trip to NYC. I got an email yesterday

and I won a contest I entered online. I get to fly there with a guest.

Stay at a hotel in Times Square, a $1000 shopping spree at

Bloomingdale's (which doesn't go far there), tickets to the MoMa,

tickets for a dinner cruise around the island. I'm taking my Mom.

Now we just have to pick dates.

And they say nothing good comes from being an Internet junkie.

Enjoy your day! I'm heading down to the beach!