High Five for Friday

My dessert plate at my company party. That little holly leaf and tiny lemon slice are so cute!
Also, if you can't have four desserts at Christmas, when can you? 

Happy Friday, y'all! I've managed to banish my Scrooge-like attitude and have fully embraced the onslaught of holiday activities coming my way. Thus, this week's High Five is pretty Christmas-centric:

1. My company's holiday party was last Friday, and it was so much fun. Great food, cocktails, a white elephant gift exchange (where I scored a Vera Bradley wristlet!), and super-cute desserts. And it was great to spend some time with my co-workers outside of the office.

2. Gingerbread Oreos – tough to find, impossible not to binge-eat. Track some down, because they are delicious. I kinda want to go buy more now that I'm thinking about them.

3. The pug puppy version of Home Alone. So adorable!

4. I am done Christmas shopping and 90% of the gifts are wrapped and ready to party. I like to get that out of the way early so I can spend more time enjoying activities as the holiday approaches.

5. The arctic chill we'd been experiencing has finally worn off! It was downright frigid for about a week there, but the forecast is calling for highs in the 40s and 50s for the rest of the week. Not having to worry about your exposed flesh freezing when you go outside is definitely preferable.

So that was my week. Tell me about yours! As usual, linking up with the lovely ladies below.

Things I Used to Love: The Baby-Sitters Special Christmas

Ah, memories. This is exactly what my copy looks like, but I think it's tucked away at my parents' house somewhere, so this stunning visual is coming to you courtesy of Etsy. 

We're going to continue the holiday theme for Things I Used to Love with a real gem: The Baby-Sitters Special Christmas!

The Baby-Sitters Club started out as a YA (or even pre-teen) book series in the mid-'80s. It centers around a group of middle-school-aged friends who start a baby-sitting club. The Baby-Sitters Special Christmas is one episode of the TV show made based on the books, and it came out around 1991. I'm not sure how I came to own this VHS, but I'm assuming my parents saw it, knew of my obsession with the books, and thought it would make a great gift, which it absolutely did. I'm kinda surprised the tape never broke, because we watched this on repeat from Thanksgiving to Christmas for years.

The Special Christmas episode focuses on the baby-sitters as they prepare for Christmas, and hijinks ensue. Kristy, the president of the club, wants an expensive new baseball mitt and agrees to do extra chores around the house to help pay for it. The girls are also planning a party for the children at their local hospital to celebrate the season. And everyone goes Secret Santa shopping at the same store AT THE SAME TIME. But things take a serious turn when the focus switches to Stacey. She's diabetic, but she's been sneaking sweets and Dawn starts policing her behavior because she's concerned. Also, the younger Pete from The Adventures Pete & Pete is it is as a mischievous baby-sitting charge, so there's really something for everyone.

I'll admit, watching this as an adult I have to call it what it is: a total cheesefest. It's overacted, there's dramatic music to signify something bad has happened, and the plot points lack subtlety (to put it nicely). But it does have a good message (embracing the Christmas spirit and spending time with your friends and family above getting gifts). And it's only 29 minutes long, so you really haven't killed much of your life if you want to watch it. And since the entire Baby-Sitters Club series is available on Netflix, you can watch it anytime! Be sure to thank the sweet baby Jesus for that Christmas miracle.

High Five for Friday

My familia. This photo is somewhat misleading in terms of our respective heights, but a good shot nonetheless.

After taking last week off due to a stuffing-induced inability to function, I'm back with another High Five for Friday! There's lots of good stuff going on these days; it was hard to choose a top five. But here's what I've narrowed it down to:

1. It was my sister's birthday on Saturday and we all got together for lunch, then ended up goofing around and taking photos in the parking lot afterward. It was great to spend a relaxed afternoon with my family.

2. I met with my trainer on Wednesday after taking about a month off, and she kicked my butt! But in a totally great way. I've missed the extra motivation she provides to really push my limits.

3. Speaking of working out, I started a new gym playlist and I'm loving it. All of the songs are the perfect tempo for my jogging speed, and I find myself mouthing the words on the treadmill. If I wasn't out of breath, I'd probably break out in song.

4. The Elf for Health community – I haven't really forged a bond with my elf buddy, but I love the Facebook group. At first I didn't see the point of communing with strangers via the internet, but yesterday was makeup-free day, and it was awesome to see everyone's smiling, natural faces and the support everyone had for each other. So sweet.

5. I sent my friend Val a little Hanukkah care package last week (including these cookies), and her reaction upon receiving it warmed my heart. She had to walk to the post office to pick it up when it was -9 degrees outside and still sent me an exclamation-filled text about how much she loved it. The recipient's excitement is definitely my favorite part of gift-giving.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Linking up with Lauren and Jennie this week!

Things I Used to Love: The Muppet Christmas Carol

I thought for this week's Things I Used to Love I'd switch it up from TV shows and make the leap to ... a movie! Quite a stretch, I know.

I'm pretty sure The Muppet Christmas Carol is the first holiday movie I ever saw in the theater. My sister and I were spending the day after Thanksgiving with my grandparents in Boulder while my parents attended the CU-Nebraska game (back in the day, when CU played Nebraska and actually had a decent football team). We arrived at at the theater early and waited with my grandma while Grandpa tried to find a parking spot, stopped at the concession stand, and made our way into the packed auditorium. Nowadays, that kind of crowd would drive me crazy, but for 8-year-old me, it just added to the excitement and novelty of the day. We spent many a gameday with my grandparents growing up, but this outing sticks out as one of my fondest memories of that time.

The movie is a take on Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Muppet characters – in case you couldn't infer that from the name: Kermit and Miss Piggy are the Crachits, Gonzo is Charles Dickens (who narrates the movie), Statler and Waldorf play the ghost(s) of Marley, etc. There's a few non-puppet characters as well, most notably Michael Caine as Scrooge. It stays fairly true to the original story, but it also has SONGS! I love me some musicals, so this is icing on the cake.

While the Muppets were my first exposure to A Christmas Carol, I try to watch a rendition every year. The Denver Center does an annual production that is great, if you're into live theater. I also watched the CGI Jim Carrey version that came out a few years ago, although I'm not crazy about it. But no matter the delivery, I love this story and think its message is particularly relevant this time of year. It reminds me to be thankful for what I have, and of the importance of goodwill.

If you're looking for a festive film this year, Amazon has it on Blu-Ray, DVD and streaming video. Although I loved this movie as a child, I still think this is a fine holiday film for the whole family. But I know that's a pretty crowded field, so I'll open it up for discussion: what was your favorite Christmas movie growing up?

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

Now that it's December, I feel the holiday season has officially begun (I know it's already been Christmas for several weeks for some people, but I always like to hold off until after Thanksgiving to give turkey day its due). My weekend activities would certainly reflect that: I watched a couple of Christmas/winter movies (Frozen and Elf), put our Christmas tree up, ate some peppermint sticks, and started shopping for gifts.

Typically, I love Christmas. I spend a day baking around 10,000 cookies, and I plan out holiday shows and choir concerts to go to every weekend. I really like getting people gifts, particularly the excitement of picking out something I know they'll enjoy. And I love spending time with my family and friends who come home for the holidays. But as much as I want to be excited about this holiday season, I'm not. Maybe I'll get there as it draws closer, but right now I'm not really into it. I'm doing things I usually enjoy in hopes that they'll get me pumped about what's to come, but thus far it's not working.

Possible reason for my lack of Christmas spirit.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm getting a cold and not feeling awesome, or my dread of freezing temperatures (highs in the teens here starting Wednesday!). Or maybe I'm turning into a curmudgeon in my old age. But my Christmas spirit is definitely MIA. I'm hopeful I'll find it at some point in the next three weeks, but until then, I'll try to keep the Scrooge-like behavior to a minimum. If you have any tips on getting into the holidays (or you feel the same way and want to get together and shout "Bah! Humbug!" at people), please feel free to share. Happy Monday, y'all!

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

My plate from last year's feast. All vegan, all delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving eve! In case you haven't noticed, I love me some food, so I thought I would compile some of my favorite recipes for this holiday that centers around it. So if you're one of those crazy people who hasn't ventured to the store yet, here's some ideas for you. :)

What I'm actually making:
We're headed to my uncle's house for Thanksgiving this year, so I'm only bringing one thing: vegan stuffing. Stuffing has always been my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, so I had to find a suitable replacement once I stopped eating meat. This stuff more than meets expectations: it's moist, flavorful, and so tasty. Plus there are a few other veg-heads on my mom's side of the family, so I like to bring a veganized favorite.

Vegan stuffing
1/3 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
5 cups soft bread cubes (I usually use a loaf of French bread)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup (or more, I make sure it's good and saturated because I like it moist) No-Chicken broth (this is great stuff, made by Imagine. But you can use vegetable broth, too.)

In a skillet, melt Earth Balance. Add celery and onion and saute until tender. Toss in remaining ingredients and bake in a greased casserole dish for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

What I've made in years past and loved:

Sweet Potato Apple Bake - from Aunt Stephanie, not sure of the original origin
2 large sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3-4 coriander pods
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup raisins
4 tart apples (like Granny Smith)

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Mix salt and spices with apple juice. Combine juice mixture with popaties in a lightly greased 9x13" pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes. While potatoes are in the oven, peel, core and dice the apples. After the 50 minutes, add the apples and raisins to potatoes. Stir, cover and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for a final 10 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole - from my sister Lindsay, not sure of original origin
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups No-Chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 14.5-oz. cans of French-cut green beans (or you can use frozen, which I prefer)
1 2.8 oz. can French-fried onions

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine over low heat. Add the flour and whisk it continuously for 1-2 minutes until it forms a roux. Add the broth, soy sauce, and garlic powder, whisking continuously for 1-2 minutes until thick and bubbly. Add oil and nutritional yeast; whisk again until smooth. Pour sauce into small casserole dish, add beans and stir to coat. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Add onions and bake for 10 more minutes until browned and bubbly.


What I'd like to make:
- This Sweet Potato Pie recipe from Joy the Baker looks divine. I don't love pumpkin pie, so I think this would be a great alternative. I might end up making it this afternoon, but that would mean going to the store and I'm not sure I'm willing to take my life in my hands.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with friends, family, and food. My gym is hosting a 90-minute Turkey Blast Off kickboxing class tomorrow morning, so I'm hoping to get a good workout in before the feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lazy cookies

These no-bake cookies are super simple, take less than 10 minutes to make, and I typically have all of the ingredients on hand. I call them my lazy cookies, since I make them when I am too lazy to make anything more complicated. Follow these steps and you, too, can  be enjoying delicious treats in no time!

First, gather your ingredients.

The oatmeal means they're healthy. ;)

I like to measure everything out ahead of time, because once these get cooking, it goes quickly. Also a good idea to lay out your waxed/parchment paper surface in advance.

Patiently waiting their turn.

Put the first four ingredients in a saucepan.

Sugar, cocoa, Earth Balance and almond milk.

Bring to a boil, stirring often.  Boil for 1 minute.

It might be time to wash my apron. Possibly.

Add the rest of your ingredients and combine thoroughly.

I'm not a big fan of oatmeal (as a breakfast food), but this I would definitely eat.

Drop by tablespoon (or an ice cream scoop with a release, if you're super lazy like I am) onto waxed paper. The cookies will set as they cool. 

The finished product. They're not so shiny once they set.

Not only is this recipe easy, it's also adaptable. I made this batch for my friend who has dairy sensitivities, so I used Earth Balance (vegan margarine) and almond milk instead of their traditional counterparts. She's also not big on wheat, and I thought these flourless cookies would be easier than dealing with chickpea flour or what have you to make her some treats (which is not to say they are gluten-free; she just tries to avoid wheat when possible so these are acceptable in her case. Those with gluten allergies should definitely investigate further). There are variations of this recipe all over the internet but I have no idea where I got it, so my version is below. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

1/2 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats (I used quick oats)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Put first four ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in rest of ingredients and drop by tablespoon onto waxed paper. Cool to set.