Recap of 2014 Goals

So did you get to do everything you set out to do?

My resolutions were all over the place- let’s see how I did!

Read 10 books– I’m up to 8. Can I bang out 2 more? I sure can!

Perfect the charcuterie board– Check! I did this as our Valentine’s Day dinner and my husband loved it! What’s a charcuterie board? It’s just a super fancy way to say  a meat and cheese and bread board- like antipasti

No shopping for 1 month– I made it for 3 weeks and count that as an accomplishment!

Get 6 manicures/pedicures– you’d think this one would be easy but this was a fail! I got 2. I hate going to the nail salon… Maybe I’ll get one more for NYE

Get a personal training certification– this one I’m going to tackle again in 2015.

Buy a lottery ticket and 2 scratch offs– check!

Ride a horse– when it got to be the summer- my sched got too busy and some other stuff happened so this did not occur. I’ll keep it in the back of my mind but it will not be returning to my list as a must do

Go hiking, camping, snowboarding and wine tasting- Again, some family and body drama kept these ones from happening. I’m not sure if these will be back on the list

Complete 30 days of the 30 Day Shred– I did not do this but it will be back on my list for SURE

So I didn’t do all that well but I did do some stuff! My 2014 was really rough and I’m looking forward to wiping the slate clean with 2015.

How about you? Did you do the things you wanted to do?

Tandoori Salmon

Do you all do the ‘Seven Fishes’ dinner?

We do it at my husband’s parents house and I love all kinds of seafood so I feel like that meal was made for me. Now as I cleanse out the indulgence of the holiday- I look towards fish as a light and filling protein to my meals. Today I have a twist to a fish dish that you may have never thought of- Tandoori Salmon!

The first time I made this, I fell in LOVE. And it’s super easy because I’m a cheater! I don’t have the room for all the spice (nor time nor will to make the blend myself) so I use Kikkoman Tandoori Chicken Seasoning Mix. It’s just the blend that I prefer. I’ll cut salmon into chunks, thread through skewers and either pan fry or bake in the oven! Make sure you have lemon  to squeeze over the top and I’ll serve this with quiona and veggies!

So easy and so good.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates

What a mouthful right? (pun most certainly intended)

I made these for Prithmas and it’s a simple, decadent and kinda fancy appetizer that you might consider for tonight’s or tomorrow’s menus.

1 package Medjool dates

1 package bacon (maple or honey bacon is even better)

1 package goat cheese

Remove the pits from the dates by slicing a slit into the dates but don’t go all the way through. Then stuff with some goat cheese and wrap with bacon (I used 1/2 slice for each) and set on a baking sheet. When they’re all done- pop them in the oven for 10-15 min or until the bacon is cooked through and that’s it! It’s sweet, salty, creamy and slightly crunchy (from crispy bacon) which makes it the perfect bite for me! I’ve also had them with a marcona almond in with the cheese and blue instead of goat cheese. You could even use laughing cow if you wanted to!

Holiday traditions

What kinds of things do you try to do yearly for the holidays? I have a few things I love which include seeing The Nutcracker and walking around
Rockefeller Center to see the tree.

I would love to spend the holiday with just me and my husband creating more new traditions that we can continue fe years to come but with family obligations, it’s not possible. So we do the next best thing- we celebrate Prithmas!

Prithmas is usually a day or two before Christmas and is just with me and him. We sit to a fancier than usual meal and open our gifts to each other while a Christmas CD (She and Him) plays on the stereo and the yule log plays on TV. It’s a little cheesy but it gives us a chance to be with each other.

This year- Prithmas dinner will be kind of like tapas! I’ve decoded that we will have a few tastings of different foods and of course wine too.

Here’s the menu:
– bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese
– ricotta crostini with sauce
– baked general tsos chicken
– craned spinach (green giant so it’s healthy)
– skirt steak with caramelized onion and laughing cow cheese

A lot of little things.

I’ll post some recipes on here after I cook up a storm on Prithmas!

What are your traditions?

Giveaway

it’s giveaway time again!!!! When I hit 100 likes on facebook- I’ll be sending out a really lovely Yankee Candle Holiday Candle Trio Set. Let’s get to 100 likes!

Chia Pudding

With all these holiday luncheons throwing my eating schedule off, a healthy breakfast is desperately needed.

Enter- Chia Pudding!

and it’s so. so easy…

Take some chia seeds and soak it overnight in some almond milk. Then stir in some greek yogurt and honey the next morning nad viola! Chia pudding! you can top with berries and/or granola – or anything you want!

Party Hairstyles

While getting ready for a party, the last thing I want to worry about is what my hair is going to look like! This has become more of an issue for me since I cut my hair shorter so I just use the basic idea to make a variation that fits my face.

Here are my go to party hairstyles!

1. A high sleek ponytail. It’s youthful, sexy and gives you an instant facelift! It’s also a little unexpected but SO, so easy to do.

2. A braid. There are so many variations of a braid and they are all so chic! A french braid can give you that same lift that a ponytail gives, a fishtail is always beautiful (see below) and now that I have short hair, I’ll even to a braid that goes along my face and tuck it under the rest of the hair, almost like a headband. They all look fancy but are easy too.

In case you haven’t mastered the fishtail, check this tutorial out! It’s spot on.

3. Curls. Now this requires some time but always is worth it. When I had longer hair, the trick for me was to make sure that after I curled a section, it immediately was pinned up in the same shape, so as to cool into the curl. With short hair, I find I don’t have to do that because the length doesn’t pull the curls out. These were done with a flat-iron!

What are your go-to hairstyles?

Ugly Sweater 5k

Are you guys looking for a way to stay fit through the holidays?

How about a 5k showing off your (wonderful) Ugly Sweater!!!

Check out the Ugly Sweater Run happening on Dec. 20, 2014.

Bonus! Registration includes a beer and hot chocolate at the end! Plus some other goodies! I won’t be around this weekend but if I was- I’d definitely be taking part in this!

Easy Mushroom Soup

It was snowing here yesterday! and yes- I stuck my tongue out and caught a snowflake!

When it’s cold out, there is nothing I want more than a hot breakfast but I’m not really a fan of oatmeal. I’ll eat it, but I don’t love it. Instead, I like having soup for breakfast! It might sound weird but it’s hot, gives me veggies and/or protein and fills me up!

Here is the EASY soup I made for breakfast:

When I say easy- I really mean EASY.

Ingredients:

1 packaage mushrooms, broken up or diced

1/2 onion diced

1/4 butter

4-5 cups Low Sodium Broth (I used chicken)

Thyme and Salt

Heat the butter in a stock pot. When it’s all melted, add the onions. When the onions are translucent, add the mushrooms and thyme. Stir that all til the ‘shrooms are lightly browned and then add the stock. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and add salt if needed. AND THAT’S IT!!!

You could also blend it all if you like it to be more smooth than chunky and if you have truffle oil, you could stir a bit of that in! (I left my chunky and added the truffle oil)

It is SO good! and has been my go to breakfast for the past few days. It’s hearty and satisfying and warms me up before I venture out into the cold. I most likely won’t make it for dinner because my husband doesn’t like mushrooms but I will definitely make this breakfast again.

I hope you try this recipe too!

How to Survive a Work Holiday Party

‘Tis the season for holiday parties! Now I don’t know what this says about me but nothing gives me anxiety quite like an office party. Here are my few tips to make it through the event without becoming office gossip!

 

1. Sorry but it’s NOT a Party. It’s work! I know that sucks but it helps. You might not necessarily want to get too real with some co-workers or your boss but a buzz does blur that line of what we think we should and should not say.

2. Alternate drinks. Sip on something non-alcoholic between the boozy drinks. It will help keep you just on the right side of buzzed and help you not descend into drunkdom. It’s about having fun but you don’t want to be that girl.

3. Eat something! This is a multifaceted rule. It helps with absorbing the alcohol and also shows that you’re not just there to ‘party.’ The food is also probably really good since it’s a work party! Also, never trust someone who doesn’t eat. It’s just creepy.

4. Have fun! Use this opportunity to see old coworkers and meet new ones!