Month: December 2011

christmas menu – breaking the rules

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Just like I did at Thanksgiving, I’m trying to lighten up our dietary restrictions for these days around Christmas. Drew’s blood sugar has been excellent lately as we’ve re-introduced a little bit of grain back in so I feel comfortable “letting go” a little bit.

My biggest concession so far has been my decision to keep the tradition of cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. That’s right: super-processed, in-the-can, pop-em-in-the-oven cinnamon rolls. I’m going to try to balance out all those carbs with a big pan of scrambled eggs, though. The rolls will be fun, and the protein from the eggs will hopefully keep everyone from getting too hungry before everyone gets here. (Of course trying to keep my boys from snacking constantly is what I imagine it’s like looking for cheap furniture stores in los angeles — impossible!)

As for the big meal, I plan on serving roast turkey breast (cooked in the Crock Pot), gravy (I’m cheating and buying it — again, cutting myself slack to save my sanity), sliced smoked ham, hassleback potatoes, roasted asparagus, cranberry sauce,  roast mushrooms with rosemary and parmesan, and maybe cole slaw.

My mom is bring her amazing dill dip and veggies so I am not sure whether or not we need the slaw. I’m also thinking of making devilled eggs because really, I could eat eggs all day I don’t care if I had them for breakfast. I’ll also have a plate with  goat cheese, cream cheese with my homemade tomato jam, crackers, dried apricots, and pecans. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend is bringing cookies and I have pie crust, so I’ll probably make mini apple pies.

I just want to serve food that is mostly healthy, that won’t make me crazy to prepare, that everyone will eat, and that won’t create a ton of leftovers. We’ll see what happens!

{product review} caveman cookies – rainforest flavor

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It’s been killing me to see all these delicious-looking cookie recipes posted on blogs this month. After all, December is the month of cookie swaps, homemade gifts, and treating yourself. Still, I am trying hard to resist the temptation and avoid as much flour and sugar as possible. So when I read an e-mail about Caveman Cookies, I was intrigued. Paleo cookies? That I don’t have to make myself? Why yes, I would be very interested in trying those!

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Caveman Cookies are made with Paleo-friendly ingredients including nuts, honey and berries. They are certified Kosher, gluten-free, and dairy-free. I was sent a package of the new Rainforest flavor for my review. The flavor is described like this in the marketing material:

The cookies feature an exotic combination of Brazil nuts and chewy dried cherries, with a kick of cayenne pepper. The other ingredients are honey, almond meal, chopped almonds and nutmeg.

Drew and I both tried them before we read the ingredients and thought there had to be ginger in the cookies – we were very surprised there wasn’t! There’s a definite kick from the cayenne and I guess when combined with the nutmeg, you get that taste of ginger.

We also had very different opinions on the flavor. Drew didn’t like them at all, I am sorry to say. I thought they were interesting and I kind of like them. They are very different from your standard chocolate-chip cookie, or even one made with coconut flour, but I found the slightly sweet taste and sticky texture enjoyable. The cookies are also available in original (similar to oatmeal-raisin), Alpine (carob and hazelnuts), and tropical (coconut and macadamia nut).

Here’s a peek at the nutrition facts:

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A bag of 12 cookies costs $9.95. While that seems pricey, the ingredients are expensive and they’re not loaded with the junk found in most other mass-produced cookies. They’re not that big, but I found one was plenty to satisfy my sweet tooth, and technically the serving size is two cookies, so if one doesn’t do it — go for the second one!

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You can purchase different sized bags (including sampler bags) on the Caveman Cookies website. Each cookie is individually wrapped in a cello bag to preserve freshness (which also means you don’t have to eat the entire bag as soon as you open it). As I read through the reviews on Amazon, I noticed that there is some argument as to whether or not these cookies are really Paleo. There seems to be a lot of bickering lately about what, in general, a Paleo diet means, but as far as I am concerned the ingredients meet the definition. (Of course, I am not a strict Paleo person by any means, as evidenced by the milk in my tea in that photo at the top of this post.) At the very least, these are certainly a great choice for those following a GF diet.

To sum it all up: I love the idea of a healthy cookie that I don’t have to bake myself. And although the Rainforest flavor is a little spicy for my taste, I’d give another variety a try without hesitation.

 

Disclosure: I received one free bag of Caveman Cookies in the Rainforest flavor to review on my blog. I did not receive any financial compensation for this post. The opinions expressed are my own.  This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

over-decking the halls

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We were out tonight and while driving through a neighboring town, I was amazed by how nutso some people go with the Christmas decorations on the outside of their homes. I’m definitely a minimalist. White lights strung along the gutter. Candles in the windows (usually – though not this year because L. would be grabbing them). Our Christmas tree in view through a front window. And that’s about it.

Now, I know everyone has their own decorating tastes, but some people… well, I have to ask myself, What are they thinking??? And I’m not just talking about the inflatable decorations or the ancient light-up Frosty in front of the metal building you live in. There’s one house that has — I kid you not — a full, electric, light-up American flag in the middle-top of the house, a light-up Santa on the bottom right, and a light-up Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on the bottom left. All it needed was a “USA!” sign blinking in the center of it all. How about you pick either Santa or the nativity. It all just seems a bit much to me. Of course, I’m sure people drive by my house and think that it’s pathetic that I don’t go all out, LOL!

What about you — are you all about the expressive lawn art, the projected Christmas messages on your garage, the Clark Griswold experience? Or do you prefer to keep it simple?

{closed} nescafé peppermint mocha review & giveaway

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I love fancy coffee drinks, but I do not love the coffee shop prices or the calories. Peppermint mochas are popular (and so yummy) at this time of year, but the desire for a tasty treat doesn’t have to derail your diet or empty your wallet.

Over a month ago I heard about Nescafé’s new instant Peppermint Mocha. We always have a jar of their decaf Taster’s Choice in the cupboard (it’s D.’s preferred coffee), so I was eager to try it. And when a Nescafé rep kindly asked me to review the product on my blog, I was happy to agree.

Each box contains 20 pre-measured peppermint mocha packets, so all you have to do is empty a packet into your cup and add 6 oz. water (be sure to measure, because the first time I just filled up my mug which resulted in a very weak brew). Personally, I prefer to add 5 oz. of water and 2 oz. of steamed milk (I use my handy dandy Aerolatte to froth it all up). Then I top it with whipped cream and sugar-free chocolate syrup.

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Nescafe’s Peppermint Mocha is sweetened with sucralose, so there are only 5 calories per cup. This was great news for us since we try very hard to avoid sugary drinks. If you don’t add milk or cream, there is that typical artificial sweetener aftertaste, but I find that with the addition of a little dairy it’s not even noticeable. I have been enjoying these mochas as a little afternoon treat, or sometimes later in the evening when I get a craving for something sweet.

Win A Box Of Nescafé
Peppermint Mocha Instant Coffee!

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The folks at Nescafé would like to send a box of their Peppermint Mocha instant coffee to one of my readers (and I really think you’ll enjoy it!). I know the samples on their Facebook page have been going like hotcakes, so here’s a chance to get an entire box all to yourself! Just  leave a comment on this entry for a chance.

The Rules:

Prize: One (1) box of Nescafé Peppermint Mocha Instant Coffee

Fine Print: ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER HOUSEHOLD and IP address. Open to continental U.S. addresses only. Must be 18 years of age and over. Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Comments not meeting requirements will be deleted. Giveaway ends at 12:01 a.m. on 12/16/2011.

Disclosure: I received a free box of Nescafé Peppermint Mocha Instant Coffee beverage to review on my blog. I did not receive any financial compensation for this post. The opinions expressed are my own.  This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

friday favorite finds

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It’s Friday! So that means it’s time to link up with Finding Joy in My Kitchen‘s Friday Favorite Finds. All the Christmas cookie pins are killing me, but luckily I’ve been able to track down several yummy, healthy recipes that I can make with ingredients I already have.

Here are my Pinterest food finds for the week.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

 

Guacamole Salad – How delicious would this be with some lime-grilled chicken?

 

Low Carb Peanut Butter Thumbprints

 

Egg-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Decadence – I can’t wait to make this! It sounds too good to be true.

 

Salted Caramel Mocha – This recipe uses sugar, but I think it would be easy enough to substitute another sweetener.

 

Be sure to head over to Finding Joy in My Kitchen and see what inspired everyone else this week!

2011 radio city christmas spectacular

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When I was a little girl, I’d watch the Rockettes in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and wish I could dance like they do. Alas, I am terribly uncoordinated and can’t really dance at all. So I simply hoped to see them live at Radio City Music Hall someday.

Back in 2008 we had the opportunity to take Jake (who was then in 1st grade) to see the show and I think I was more excited than he was! It was everything I hoped it would be. So this year I wondered if it would still be magical for me, having seen it so recently. Well let me tell you, it was even better and totally blew me away!

Before I get to the photos of the show, I just have to share this pic of the chandelier in the lobby. I asked Drew if we could get one like it for our dining room.

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How beautiful! The entire theatre is gorgeous and makes me think of old-timey New York. Love it! The show itself is just bigger than life. At the risk of sounding super cheesy, it took my breath away. And being the sap that I am, I found myself getting teary randomly during the numbers. I don’t really know why, but yeah — I was one using her sleeve like a tissue because I forgot to take actual tissues.

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The grand finale is the living nativity and it gave me chills and — yes — made me cry again. You don’t have to be Christian or even believe in God to get emotional during this last act. (At least in my opinion.) With the live animals (including camels!), the slow movement, the music, the lighting… it’s just breathtaking.

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It’s not a cheap day out, I’ll be honest, but it is worth every penny. They boys loved it and to hear their ooohs and ahhs and see them riveted during certain scenes… well, you just can’t put a price on that. I’m already looking forward to Laura’s turn 🙂

rockefeller center tree and sak’s window display

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Sorry I didn’t get this up yesterday! (Though I doubt anyone was really waiting for it, LOL!) It was just one of those days and we’ll leave it at that. Anyway, the next leg of our NYC trip was taking the boys to Rockefeller Center.

We were there on Tuesday and the tree wasn’t going to be lit until the next day, but since you can barely see the lights during the day it didn’t matter much. The tree this year is really fat. I have to say it looked prettier in some of the night time photos I’ve seen than it did when we were there. Nevertheless, it was very impressive!

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The area was bustling with television techs getting the area ready for the lighting. I pretty much just tried to stay out of their way. Across the street we saw Radio City Music Hall. I love the neon any time of year, but it’s extra pretty with the lights and trees.

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Sak’s Fifth Avenue is right there, too. Their window displays are always so inventive and, well, gorgeous! This year’s display tells the story of a little girl named Holly and a magical discovery of the Bubblemakers.

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I was rushed through by some little old ladies, so my photos aren’t the greatest, but hopefully you get a hint of how beautiful it is this year!

I’ll conclude tomorrow (really I will) with the absolute highlight of the day: the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!

i ♥ new york (especially during the holidays)

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Last week, the kids had two half-days of school to allow for parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon. We decided to keep them out of school on one of those days (I know, I know…) in order to take them into New York City for the day. This would be Noah’s first visit there! When Jake was in 1st grade we took him to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, so of course we had to do the same for Noah.

We kept it a secret from them, as we are known to do. Poor Jake was stressing out because normally I’d be rushing him out the door to get to morning Math Club on time and he couldn’t understand why we weren’t in the car. So Drew just told them we had something else in mind.

First they thought they were spending the day with Grandma because we pulled into her driveway. But when we simply dropped off Laura and headed to the train station, they began to seriously wonder what was up! Both guys were so super excited when they found out what our plans were! Noah has been wanting to go on a train ride for such a long time 🙂

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When we got into Grand Central, the first thing we did was show them the ceiling and Drew explained how when he was in high school, it was so black he never even knew the constellations were painted on it. Then, when we were engaged and he was working in the city, they were doing the restoration and he said how unbelievable it was to watch the transformation. Next up was the Whispering Wall — always so cool, no matter how many times you’ve done it!

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Normally we would have walked up to Times Square, but it was pouring rain, so we took the subway. The boys had a blast at Toys R Us and couldn’t believe that there was a ferris wheel inside. I think this was the first time I’ve ever been on an indoor ferris wheel!

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We looked at the Lego section at least 25 times.

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And Noah was in “Hot Wheels Heaven” as he put it!

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We let the boys pick out a small Lego set and also got them one of these Myachi things someone was demo’ing (think: Hacky Sack for your hands). When we left the rain had let up so we grabbed a hot dog on the street and started walking up to Rockefeller Center. (I only wish I’d had the common sense to wear some sensible womens wide shoes instead of my heeled boots, but that’s the price we pay for beauty, LOL!).

I’ll continue tomorrow with Part 2 of our day in the city!

happy homemaker monday, {12.5}

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The weather in my neck of the woods: Today it’s sunny and mild ~ in the mid-50s as I type, but I believe it’s supposed to turn colder later in the week, which is OK with me. I think I need it to feel a little more Christmas-y. I wouldn’t complain if there was a dusting of snow, either 😉

Things that make me happy: Cozy socks, fleece sheets, and the new Blu-Ray player my husband bought so I can fall asleep in bed while watching Netflix instead of on the couch, LOL!

Book I’m reading: No time for reading lately. I think I’ll have to return my library books and pick them up another time.

What’s on my TV today: Tonight we’re letting the boys pick a Christmas movie to watch after dinner. I’m also strangely fascinated with the show “Prison Wives.” What are some of these women thinking?

On the menu for dinner: Homemade pizza for the kids (the dough is churning in the bread machine as I type). I’m going to attempt to shape it like a snowman ~ we’ll see how that works, LOL! The grown-ups are having coconut chicken curry, already in the slow cooker. Also splurging on some jasmine rice for that yummy sauce.

On my To Do List:
~ Write out Christmas cards
~ Finish up the last of the holiday shopping
~ Make a few gifts
New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Pesto and mozzarella-stuffed chicken breasts. I plan on making these later this week!

 

In the craft basket:
~ crochet dishcloths
~ sugar scrubs

Looking forward to this week: My brother-in-law and his girlfriend will be visiting from N. Carolina and we all are looking forward to seeing them this weekend!

Tips and Tricks: Sorry, I’ve got nothing this week!

My favorite blog post this week: If you’re looking for a cute and simple hairstyle, check out this post: The Double Side Twist

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers): Hopefully I’ll have one to share soon, but I’ve just been keeping up with my current reads.

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
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Lesson learned the past few days: An oldie but a goodie: When you assume you make an ass out of U and ME.

On my mind: Finding a balance between the way we want to eat and the way we can afford to eat. I think we’ll be working back in a little rice, pasta, and bread. I do feel better not eating a lot of carbs, but it’s just too expensive replacing them with other things. I’ve thought about this a lot over the past couple weeks, and my priority is sugar-free (obviously since Drew is diabetic). I will continue to focus on vegetables and protein, but work in small portions of the other stuff. I really do buy into the theories behind the Paleo diet and the book Wheat Belly (which I did finally read), but with three growing kids to feed, all of whom eat a lot, it’s just not feasible to eliminate the grains completely. So the solution I’m happy with is making as much as I can on my own, using whole grains and whole-wheat flours, and not making them the primary portion of our diet. This is something I will continue to struggle with, I’m sure, and since every day there’s something new that is great for you or horrible for you… I figure as long as I’m cooking with whole foods and avoiding the processed stuff, we’ll be doing OK.

Favorite Quote or Verse: “Our greatest battles are that with our own minds.”

 

Be sure to visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom to link up!