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Tuesday is the New Monday

December 27, 2011 By Laura

 

It’s hard to believe it’s all over!

 

Christmas seems to have flown by.  While I’m always ready for the rush to be over, it’s a little sad too.  I love the lights and anticipation… and the baking. 🙂

 

I have to go out of town unexpectedly this morning, so today’s is a photo recap.  I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, or Merry Un-Affiliated Holiday Weekend!

 

Christmas Eve Breakfast - Toad in a Hole with white truffle salt and greens

 

Bacon Spread = new favorite WF discovery

 

The best cake I've ever made

 

Round 1 of desserts

Mom, we're out of 'nog!

The calm before the storm Christmas Morning

My favorite present

Too much excitement for this tired puppy!

____________________________________________________________________________

The fitness recap is a day late too… but I managed to NOT take a day off this week.  Saturday was a little light, but I still got moving.  That’s sometimes the hardest part this time of year – making the time for yourself to get out to do even a little fitness.  Once I do it I’m so happy I did.  It’s true what they say – you never regret a workout!

Two things to highlight:

  1. I’m still digging Body Rock – it’s a great resource when you only have a few minutes to squeeze in a workout
  2. I went running for the first time in a month – the worst part about not running is how very hard it is to get back out there.  My legs felt like sandbags.  I won’t be taking that much time off again!

Workout Recap (12/19 – 12/26)

  • Monday – P90X Biceps/Back, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – This BodyRock, Kickboxing, Legs
  • Wednesday – P90X Triceps/Chest
  • Thursday – This BodyRock (again), 4.5 mile run, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – Kickboxing, Elliptical
  • Saturday – All 3 of these BodyRocks, 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – This BodyRock (again), P90X Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
  • Monday – TRX suspension class, 100 push-ups

____________________________________________________________________________

Later this week I’m going to share Christmas brunch and the details on that cake… it was insane.  I wish I could take credit for that recipe!

What was the best present you received?

Are you a little relieved the madness is over?  Maybe just a little sad too?

 

Filed Under: Baking, Core, Fitness, Products, Recap, Running, Weights Tagged With: bacon, Christmas, dessert, P90X, running, workout

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies

December 23, 2011 By Laura

You know you need one more cookie recipe.

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut CookiesOk, maybe 2.

I made about 100 cake balls as dessert for last Saturday’s holiday party.  If you recall, about a month ago I created 2 varieties:

  • Red Wine Cake Balls
  • Sparkling (Champagne) Cake Balls

For the party, I made both again.  Variety IS the spice of life.

Upon polling the crowd, I confirmed my theory that the one you like best depends on whether you prefer dark or white chocolate.  I like dark.

Since it was my first catering job, I was extra-paranoid about running out of food… so I baked cookies too!

I thought Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies were the best thing ever… but Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies may have ousted it.  *Gasp*

These are a shortbread cookie – thick and buttery.  I love the texture of shortbread (hence these rosemary-lemon and olive-basil cookies), yet I rarely make them without a savory component.

I’m so glad I tried it – the hazelnut with the brown sugar-y Biscoff spread was like buttah in my mouth (in a good way… I realize a mouth full of better isn’t for everyone Paula Deen).

Cookie #2 was my mom’s favorite: Coconut Macaroon Cookies.

With just 4 ingredients, these are the easiest things you’ll ever make.

If you love coconut, make these ASAP.  Recipe found here at Pearl and Pine (Sarah’s photography rocks, btw).


Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 18-20 mins

Keywords: bake dessert biscoff hazelnuts cookie

Ingredients (24 cookies)

  • 2 C flour
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 C salted butter, room temp
  • 1/3 C sugar
  • 1/3 C firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 C Biscoff spread
  • 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
  • Fleur de sal (for topping)

Instructions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.

Cream together butter and sugars with mixer until well-blended and whipped. Add vanilla extract and egg, mixing to combine. Combine Biscoff spread with into egg mixture, again mixing until well incorporated.

Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined – careful not to over-mix. Fold in hazelnut bits.

Roll dough into a log about 3 in thick. Place the log on the edge of wax or parchment and roll it up in paper. Chill at least 2 hours in fridge until firm enough to slice. (You can also freeze until you need them.)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slice log into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking trays (leave room for them to spread just a bit). Lightly sprinkle fleur de sal salt onto each round.

Bake 18-20 mins. Cookies are done with they turn a light golden-brown color. Allow cookies to cool completely before moving.

Note: You can sub any nut butter for the Biscoff (but if you haven’t tried Biscoff spread yet you are missing out!).

Powered by Recipage

***

 Happy Holidays, Everyone!  

I hope you all have a fun, happy weekend full of deliciousness.

Filed Under: Baking, Recipes Tagged With: Biscoff, cake, Christmas, cookies, dessert, entertaining, wine

Christmas Pesto

December 22, 2011 By Laura

Christmas shopping should be an olympic sport.

 

Really.  You must prepare in the following ways:

  • Condition – I spend all year training 😉
  • Psychological – I stockpiled all my patience that day
  • Endurance – I’d already been to kickboxing (though I decided to leave the gloves in the car)

 

I walked into the mall on a mission.  I left victorious.  Sorry mom – not revealing any secrets!

What I can share is the stuff I bought myself.  Anthropologie was having a sale… I couldn’t help it!

 

A duvet cover for just $50 (it was $228!)

 

A bowl for $1 (was $6)

 

Bad-ass necklace (not on sale... but did I mention it's bad ass?!)

Guilt of self-shopping must have taken over because I have already wrapped the presents.  This is usually a Christmas Eve activity, as I hate wrapping and procrastinate.

That's a wrap

____________________________________________________________________________________

The next party-food chapter is: A Tale of Two Pestos

 

One bit different, one more traditional.  A little country  and a little rock and roll , if you will.

 

The second meat dish I served was a chicken pinwheel.  One filled with green pesto and one filled with red.  Festive, right?

I never cook meat at home.  Truth be told, it grosses me out to touching it.  So you can imagine the sight of me trimming and tenderizing $50 worth of raw chicken was comical.  I had chicken spread out on every available surface (on paper, of course).

Needless to say, I sanitized every inch of my kitchen after this. 

 

After pounding them all, I spread each breast with one of the pestos and shredded mozzarella.

You’ve actually seen the green pesto before – it’s this Basil-Walnut Pesto I posted about last week.

 

 

Sneaky me made these in advance and then froze them.  Pesto is convenient like that – you can put it in a container and freeze it forever.  It’s a great way to use up excess herbs.

Tip: If you freeze it in ice cube trays, you’ll have individual servings you can easily pop out and heat.  If you freeze it in a baggie, you can thaw a batch quickly by placing the bag in hot water.

 

The red pesto was my favorite with the chicken.  It’s base is sun-dried tomatoes, resulting in a stronger flavor that I loved in the two-bite sized pinwheels.

 

 

It was also a thicker pesto, which I love.  This is one you can make a spread on a sandwich like hummus.  The sun-dried tang with the nuttiness of the parm and walnuts, combined with the richness from the balsamic was a great blend.  Don’t be shy with that balsamic if you’re using the good stuff!

Now that I think of it, this would be amazing blended into hummus!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

  • 2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I used dried, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes.  Be sure to reserve the “flavored” post-soak water)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 C yellow onion
  • 1/4 C grated parmesan
  • 1/4 C walnuts, toasted
  • 1 T Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 C olive oil
  • S+P, to taste

 

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor begin to blend adding oil slowly.  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.  Consistency will be paste-like (you may need to add water or more olive oil).  

Store refrigerated for up to one week or much longer in the freezer.

Makes ~2 cups.

 

 

Pesto Pinwheels

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Pound out chicken breasts until about 1/2 in thick.  Spread pesto evenly over one side of breast.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Roll into logs and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.  Place on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 mins.

Allow to cool a bit before unwrapping.  Remove foil and slice into rounds to make pinwheels (don’t worry – the foil wrap will have caused them keep their shape).

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

***

It’s hard to believe Christmas is this weekend… tomorrow look forward to the best cookies of the season (as if we all need more cookies).

Are you done with your holiday shopping?

Is anyone else craving matzoh ball soup?!  Happy Hanukkah!

 

Filed Under: Dip, Recipes Tagged With: Anthropologie, chicken, Christmas, entertaining, pesto

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

December 20, 2011 By Laura

Stuffing has never excited me.

Who knows what possessed me to decide to make it for last Saturday’s catering event!  Never say never – this stuffing was by far the crowd’s (and my own) favorite at the party.

At the height of the party, I couldn’t replenish these plates fast enough!

Sweet and savory always wins.  Apple with the chicken sausage and fresh herbs was the perfect combination.  The balance of flavors was impeccable.  The ciabatta bread gave the dish a rich chewiness, and the occasional walnut crunch was a pleasant surprise.  Next time I’d probably add even more walnuts!

As I was making this on Friday night I could barely keep myself from eating the whole pot!  A little “tester” bowl won’t hurt…

This made a TON of stuffing.  As in, I stuffed 210 fillo shells.

Halve the recipe for a smaller group.

Kroger is now OUT of fillo!

I’d love to make it again for a holiday sit-down meal to be served as a side dish!

Recipe at the end.


I haven’t forgotten Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday!

As this is getting lengthy (and this stuffing is 100x better than anything I ate today), my day of eats are lumped in collage form.

Don’t forget to hop over to Peas & Crayons to see what everyone else has been indulging in this week!


Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

  • 3 C bread cubes (I used 2-day old ciabatta bread)
  • 6 T salted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 C celery
  • 1 C parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 T + 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 C roasted chestnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 2 apples, chopped (I used red delicious)
  • 1/2 C fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 C vegetable broth
  • 6 links chicken apple sausage
  • Fillo shells (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Prepare sausage by sautéing in a skillet until outside becomes browned and temp reached 145 degrees.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, remove crusts from the bread and cut  into small cubes.

On stovetop, melt butter in a large pot over med-high heat.  Add the celery, onion, parsley, herbs de provence, nutmeg, and pepper.  Sauté until tender.

Add in black pepper, chestnuts, walnuts, garlic, apple and 1/4 C of the sage.  Sauté until tender.

Stir in vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer for 2-3 mins for flavors to combine.

Gently fold in bread cubes.  Add these in gradually, adjusting amount depending on the dryness of your bread. You can always add more cubes or broth if it’s too watery or dry.

Finally, fold in your sausage bits and the remaining sage.

If using fillo shells:

Allow mixture to cool before spooning 1-2 T of the stuffing into each shell.

Stuff the shells directly in the containers.  You can re-cover and box them for storage in the freezer.  (These are great to have on hand for impromptu parties, or as a make-ahead option!)

Pre-heat oven to 325.  Place stuffed fillos on baking sheet, sprinkle each with a bit of parm, and back from 15 mins.  Serve warm.

***

 If you haven’t solidified your holiday meal plans yet, consider making this stuffing.  Trust me.  My only regret is that I didn’t get better pics!

Do you like stuffing?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Filed Under: Bites, Recipes Tagged With: breakfast, Christmas, dinner, entertaining, lunch, oats, pumpkin, snacks, WIAW

Pumpkin-Pom Endive Boats + Rosemary Bean Dip

December 20, 2011 By Laura

Moral support is key to any new adventure.

Me, Mallory, and Mom

Lucky me – I had my mom and my best friend with me for my venture into the land of food service.

Mom actually walked in 5 mins before the party began with a dish to bake the Jacked Up Brie.  The problem with starting out in catering (and being a minimalist when it comes to server-ware) is a lack of resources.

The second set of “appetizer-like” munchies was a white bean dip and endive boats.

No party is complete without a veggie tray and dips!  The dip I made was a rosemary-laced chickpea dip that used rosemary-infused olive oil and Greek yogurt.

The best part about white bean dip is its simplicity – throw everything in the food processor and hit “start.”  Lemon and garlic are must-haves in virtually any bean dip I make.  They keep the Mediterranean spirit of the hummus and were perfect with the rosemary.  You could use any olive oil here, but I liked the added punch of flavor achieved by using the rosemary-infused.

Next up were the endive boats.  Theses were voted the second favorite food item of the night!  It’s funny how the simplest things can be so good!  Endive is a sturdy leaf perfect for creating bite-sized salads.  (This dish was originally going to be a giant salad with arugula, but the hostess didn’t like the idea of a non-finger food.)

Into the boats went pumpkin bits (from a Sugar Pie Pumpkin I’d roasted and diced a few days in advance),  pomegranate arils (I found whole pomegranates on sale for $2 each!), and goat cheese.  After plating the boats, I drizzled them with a champagne-pomegranate vinaigrette.  It was amazing how much of a difference the dressing made – it was just the right amount of tang to bring the flavors together.

I’ll be making these boats again for get-togethers at my house.  With the lettuce base, the possibilities for filling are endless.  These would make a great vessel for chickpea salads, tabbouleh, or even a deconstructed guacamole!


Rosemary Bean Dip

  • 2 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1/3 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 T olive oil (I used rosemary-infused)
  • 3-4 T rosemary
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • S & P, to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides and adding more liquid as necessary.  Don’t be afraid to let the processor run for several minutes – it will only make the dip more smooth and delicious!

Makes 2.5 cups.


Pumpkin-Pomegranate Endive Boats

  • Endive leaves
  • Crumbled goat cheese
  • Pumpkin, roasted and diced into even squares
  • Pomegranate arils
  • Champagne-Pomegranate Vinaigrette (see below)

Trim endives, separating leaves.  Fill with goat cheese, pumpkin, and pomegranate arils.  Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Notes:

– I didn’t include amounts since there wasn’t any real measuring going on, but 6-7 good-sized whole endives will make boats for at least 15.

– You could use any vinaigrette here, but I would recommend using one that is light in color if the boats will be on display for a while.  A deeper color will stain the endive and make it less visually appealing.

Champagne-Pomegranate Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 C champagne pomegranate vinegar (found at Whole Foods)
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 T sugar
  • S & P, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

***

Tomorrow is going to be the “greatest hit” food item.  I’m a little in love with them.

What would your ideal endive boat be filled with?

Do you have the rest of the year off of work?  I’m counting down the days ’til Friday.

Filed Under: Bites, Dip, Recipes Tagged With: entertaining, hummus, pumpkin, salad, snacks, yogurt

Catering Survival + 2 Holiday Cheese Dishes

December 19, 2011 By Laura

Recipe Googling isn’t necessarily sophisticated inspired.

Google’s Zeitgeist (a yearly report of the most searched items), inspired Bon Appetit to research the most-Googled recipes in the US for 2011.  According to their article, Americans are pretty dull in the kitchen.

  1. Chicken
  2. Meatloaf
  3. Banana Bread
  4. Chili
  5. Pancake
  6. Lasagna
  7. Pork Chop
  8. Guacamole
  9. Cupcakes
  10. Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ll give you the cupcakes because they are awesome, but meatloaf?!  Gross.

How is pizza not on the list?  It appears people prefer to have theirs made for them.  In the most searched restaurants category the top 3 restaurant searches were: Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa John’s.  In that order.

Maybe the next party I cater will be a pizza theme… People need to know there are better options than Pizza Hut!


Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the well-wishes for my first catering job.  I am proud to announce that I survived the party!

There will be more to come on the whole experience.  Today I’m still recovering and swamped at work, so this is a short one to report that everything went swimmingly despite me waking up at 5am multiple days in a row having mild panic attacks.

What I didn’t expect was how gratifying it would be to watch people enjoy food I made.  Listening to their comments/conversations about each dish was so much fun!  Thank god they were positive comments.

Over the next week or so I’ll be sharing recipes from the event.  Today I’ll start at the beginning – the cheeses!

Often the most-eaten items at a party, I planned 2 different cheese dishes.

The first was inspired by my friend Jenn @ Peas & Crayons.  She made this Pumpkin Basil Cheesecake Spread a couple of months ago and I’ve made it 3 times since she posted the recipe!  For this party, I made a Pumpkin Rosemary-Basil version of this spread.

My modifications:

  • Add 1T of fresh rosemary 
  • Increased the basil to 10 huge leaves
  • Used 1/2 tsp of palm sugar
  • Didn’t make the Ritz crust

Like every other time I’ve made it, this spread was a hit.  It’s a great, savory cheesecake–like spread that is wonderful with some salty crackers.  The addition of rosemary was a good one – I may try it again with just rosemary and sage!

The second was a simple sugar-nut-whiskey baked brie.  Yes, its old school.  Be honest though – who doesn’t love warm, gooey, decadent brie?

What I love about the whiskey is the melted caramel-like texture (think ice cream topping caramel) is takes on when heated with the brown sugar.  No need to use fancier spirits here (not that there’s anything wrong with Jack) – the sugar takes the edge of the alcohol taste and leaves you with the underlying sweet-smokiness.

Recipe after the Monday fitness re-cap.  Much-needed fitness after that brie. 😉


Google’s Zeitgeist also looked at how people worked on their fitness.  The most popular workout search was the Thor Workout and the top diet was the Dukan Diet.  I must be out of touch – I don’t know what either of those are!

My hectic week forced me to take 2 “rest” days… but I have absolutely no regrets about it!  Here’s what my week looked like:

Workout Recap (12/12 – 12/18)

  • Monday – This BodyRock, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – This BodyRock (again), Kickboxing, Legs
  • Wednesday – 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – Bis/Back with 1.5 miles in intervals, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – Kickboxing, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – Elliptical intervals (60 mins), Shoulders, 6 min planks


Jacked Up Brie

  • 1 round (14 oz) brie
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/4 C pecans, chopped
  • 1 T (heaping) Jack Daniels (or other whiskey)

Combine sugar, nuts, and whiskey in a small bowl.  Cover and place in fridge, allowing flavors to combine overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place brie in an oven-proof dish and bake 7-8 mins, until softened.  Remove from oven and pour topping over the brie.  Return to oven for 3-4 mins.

Serve with bread, crackers, and apples.

***

After being so focused on this party, it felt weird to be sitting on the couch without any food prepping to do last night!

What is your favorite cheese or cheese dish?

What has been the best food/dish you’ve had at a holiday party this season?

Filed Under: Core, Dip, Fitness, Recap, Recipes, Running, Weights Tagged With: brie, Christmas, entertaining, Jack Daniels, whiskey

Holiday Wine-ing

December 16, 2011 By Laura

As we approach the holiday season, planning becomes more important.

We all get insanely busy and it’s necessary – for me at least – to have a play book.

My calendars are coordinated (work and personal), “to make” items are noted, grocery lists are written (in excel, if you’re a dork like me).  Lastly, drink pairings are solidified.

Drink pairings are important.  In order to get a good deal you need to shop NOW.   Wine “specials” wane (at least on the stuff you’d actually want to drink) as Christmas nears and the price of champagne/sparkling wine increases just in time for New Year’s Eve.

What should you buy now?

  • Beaujolais – This wine has been overlooked for years.  The French red is not overly complex; it’s a fruit-forward, drinkable wine is what I think is nice about it for parties.  2009 was a great year for Beaujolais-Villages, and you should be able to pick up a satisfying bottle for under $15.  You can even find a Cru (Cru is a designation meaning it came from one of the 10 best Beaujolais-Villages) for less than $20.  Plus, it sounds fancy when you say it.
  • Champagne/Sparkling Wine – The wine that was made for celebrations!  Significant discounts will end about 2 weeks before Christmas.  Plan ahead for NYE and pick up a few bottles of bubbly this weekend.
  • Wines from up-and-coming regions – You know how you can get clothes or art for great prices if you catch the creator before they really hit it big?  It’s no different with wines – you can find some wonderful bottles on the cheap if you branch outside of the norm.

A Few Specific Suggestions:

Beaujolais

As I said above, 2009 was a great year for Beaujolais.  The 2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon is a great choice for a holiday meal.  it is light in structure, with lots of red fruit and a slight earthiness.  You can drink it with your pre-dinner charcuterie, a roast chicken or pork dinner, and a chocolate tart.

Also good is the  2009 George Debouf Beaujolais-Villages.  I picked up a bottle for just $10!  This wine is a well-balanced red with subtle berry notes (think currents and raspberries) and little herbiness that is perfect with a variety of foods or on its own.

Interesting side note: It is against French law for Beaujolais producers to release the wine before midnight on the 3rd Thursday of November.  No one remembers why.

Champagne/Sparkling

My latest affordable find is a 2009 Argentinean Sparkling Malbec from Ernesto Catena’s Alma Negra(translation = black soul) line.  It’s a beautiful salmon color with notes of rose petal and strawberry.  Not too sweet, the finish is smooth and elegant.  The price for this bottle is about $16… not as cheap as Cooks, but your head won’t be pounding in the morning. 😉

Side note: Catena also makes one of my favorite, affordable Malbecs.

Up-and-Coming

This recent article picked up by Reuters lists the Top 10 Up-and-Coming Wine Regions.  I remembered reading this article when I picked up this bottle from Portugal:

Portugal has long been known for sweeter whites, but it’s the dry reds that are gaining notoriety.  This 2005 Alentejo Roquevale Redondo is one of the regions successes.  Smooth in the mouth without compromising structure.  It’s a figgy, a little dark, and perfect for red meats or game.  It is a blend largely comprised of Tempranillo (Aragonez in Portuguese) and it was a steal at $12.

If nothing else, remember this helpful piece of advice:

Or you could always buy some of wine in a can.

***

Christmas came early – I made the FoodBuzz Top 9 with my Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal!!!   Thank you everyone and welcome new readers!

What is your favorite wine to serve/bring to parties?

Do you ever buy bottles because they are “pretty?”  No shame – we’re ALL guilty.

Filed Under: Wine Tagged With: Beaujolais, champagne, Christmas, dinner, entertaining, FoodBuzz, Portugal, wine

The Christmas Spirit

December 15, 2011 By Laura

I worked until 11:30p last night.  

And I went to the dentist for a filling.  And I didn’t get the prep done that I had planned for the catering gig this weekend.

This was well-deserved:

What had happened was…

I was wrapping up my work when I saw Rufus’ blog post titled “Christmas in a Glass.”  My curiosity was piqued and 5 minutes later I was making myself a reward-in-a-glass.  The only change I made was to use unsweetened almond milk rather than heavy cream.

Next time you need a little something to take the edge off of the holidays, I do recommend this deliciousness commonly known as a Brandy Alexander.  Don’t skip the nutmeg.

An additional recommendation is making a midnight snack of cereal in the same glass.  Without rinsing it.  

Raise your hand if you think I’m even more weird now!


One thing I did get done was a MASSIVE trip to the Dekalb Farmer’s Market.  Cooking will begin in earnest tomorrow.  In the meantime, check out my weaponry groceries:

This isn’t everything I need for a party of 40, but it is a big portion.

On the menu:

  • White Bean Rosemary Dip
  • Baked Brie with a Pecan-Bourbon Glaze
  • Grape and Blue Cheese Truffles
  • Rosemary Bread
  • Endive Boats with Pomegranate, Pumpkin, and Champagne Vinaigrette
  • Apple Sausage Chestnut Stuffing in Phyllo
  • Pesto Chicken Wraps
  • Pumpkin Fudge
  • These Champagne and these Red Wine Balls

Can I pull it off?  You’ll have to keep reading to see.  Don’t you love a cliff-hanger?

***

I fell victim to the craziness and missed a workout for the first time in I don’t know how long.  It was a good steak.

Are you staying on track this holiday season?

What is your favorite holiday drink?  (Other than eggnog ’cause I don’t like it 🙂 )

Filed Under: Fail, Fitness Tagged With: Christmas, cocktails, entertaining, groceries, snacks

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