What're you having Christmas morning?

Ahh Christmas morning.  Less than a day away.

Opening gifts while in pajamas.

Sipping holiday tea and eating a leisurely breakfast.

Having a nice relaxed morning listening to the "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" CD.

Have I mentioned I grew up with brothers?  

Here's what I'll be making tomorrow morning:

Banana Bread French Toast
Ingredients
-Your favorite loaf of banana bread (or use mine)
-4 eggs
-1/4 cup milk
-2 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 bananas, sliced
-Maple syrup (optional)

Bananas Bread
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 cup all purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup butter (softened)
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs, lightly beatened
-2 1/3 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Make banana bread and let completely cool.  Even better- make it the day before.  Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees.  Spray with nonstick butter-flavor cooking spray.  Slice bread into 1" thick pieces.  In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milks, and vanilla.  Dip each slice in mixture, flipping to coat.  Grill until golden brown.  Serve with sliced bananas and syrup. 

Christmas Eve mass tonight then family time tomorrow.  With Mr. Hankey.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas detox

A bowl of caramels.

Boxes of chocolates.

A giant tin of popcorn.

Plates upon plates upon plates of Christmas cookies.

This what my workplace break room has been like for well over a week now.  Sure I love sweets as much as anyone, but there gets to be a point where you've...just...had...enough.

This recipe is for such an occasion- when you *don't* want a spike-then-crash from sugar.

Honey Cashew Chicken adapted from Cooking Light, May 2012
Ingredients
2 cups instant brown rice
1 pound boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1" strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil (or canola oil)
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli (frozen would work in a pinch)
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1/4 teaspoon jarred garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce


1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a large resealable bag.  Add chicken and shake to coat.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add chicken mixture, and sauté for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Increase heat to high, and add broccoli and the next 4 ingredients (through red bell pepper). Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews.

4. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat. Serve with rice.  Makes 5 servings.

Per serving: 330 calories, 32 g carbs, 10 g fat, 28 g protein, 9 g fiber

Mmm...veggies and protein and fiber...

Bright copper kettles vs warm woolen mittens

I prefer doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles.

Wait, what is schnitzel?

I do have my favorite things.  Oh sure there are also my favorite people, favorite songs, favorite colors.

(Victoria Beckham, "A whole new world" from The Little Mermaid, and indigo, in case you're wondering)

Taking a break from food, I thought I'd post my current favorites, a la Oprah, though unlike Oprah, I will not actually be giving out these things.

Benefit boi-ing concealer.  I call it my spackle.  Covers up anything and it lasts for hours without getting dried or peely.

Nature Wick candles- $10 at Target.  A friend gave me one of these and I liked it so much I bought a second scent (this one is "fireplace" or something).  They have a wooden wick and make a crackly sound when burning.  Mmm...homey.

Trader Joe's cinnamon holiday tea.  It smells like Christmas in a cup.  Or Hanukkah in a cup.  Your pick.

Trader Joe's lavender salt scrub.  Who knew TJ's made bath products?  This jar costs only $5.99 and it is awesome for wintertime.  Smells amazing and it's super moisturizing.

Lancome face moisturizer.  Expensive, but worth it.  This little jar has lasted me 11 months now.  It's got SPF 30 but doesn't smell sunscreen-y like other creams.

A rosemary tree.  This cost me $10.  Anytime I need fresh rosemary I can just snip off a sprig.  I can't say I've *ever* needed fresh rosemary in my kind of cooking, but hey, at least it's a nice looking plant. And no, that's not an actual picture of my actual tree in my actual kitchen.  I wish.

Fresh sugar rose lip balm- at Sephora for $20.  Twenty bucks for chap stick?  Yes.  Worth it.  One tube lasts forever, plus it actually smells like roses.  I've had the same tube for over a year 'cause this stuff lasts for hours. 

And my most favoritest thing of all?  Dresses and shirts and leiderhosen made out of ugly bedroom curtains! 

Easy Mediterranean

One of the best meals we ate in NYC was at a Mediterranean restaurant.  Hummus was their specialty.  If you're  like me, you're thinking "mushy beans?  I could take it or leave it."  But their hummus was awesome- chunky with chickpeas and filled with garlic and spices.  I ordered that along with a chopped salad. 

Wanting to sort of re-create that meal at home, I came up with this:

Mediterranean Pitas
-4 whole wheat pita pockets (2 whole pitas)
-1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
-1 container pre-made hummus of your choice
-1 large cucumber, finely diced
-2 medium tomatoes, finely diced (I removed most of the mushy guts & seeds)
-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1/2 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
-1/2 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine garbanzos with hummus.  In another medium  bowl, combine chopped cucumber, tomatoes, seasonings, citrus juice, and olive oil.  Stir to coat.

Fill a pita with a spoonful of hummus dip and add veggies.  Serve immediately.  Simple!  Easy!  Delicious!

Per pita: 400 calories, 52 g carbs, 17 g fat (heart-healthy fats), 16 g protein, 17 g fiber (!)

Now my husband wants me to re-create the big greasy pepperoni and sausage pizza we ate on our last night.  Better that than the pig stomach I suppose.

It's Christmas time in the city

Last night my husband and I returned from a long weekend in New York City.  It's always been on my bucket list to go to NYC during the Christmas season.  Ok, well not always- more since I was 8 years old and saw "Home Alone 2" for the first time.  Seriously what is it with me and the Home Alone movies?

We had a great time- beautiful decorations and lights, lots of sightseeing, some shopping, and lots of eating.

No soup for you!

Pastrami is the breakfast of champions.

After I mangled this cupcake in excitement, I realized I'd forgotten to take a picture.  Peanutbutterchocolatecupcake!

My husband ordered an entree of pig stomach in Chinatown.  Rubbery...

Went to the Today Show and saw Matt Lauer & crew.

I AM EXCITED TO BE HERE.

Went to a taping of the Late Show.  Heyyyy Anne Hathaway.

1-lb Reese's cups @ FAO Schwartz.  Mmmm...obesity epidemic.

And then to cap off our trip, a huge dose of Minnesota reality.  

I'll be posting a NY-inspired recipe later on today.

Christmas Comforts

Have you noticed yet that ABC Family's "25 Days of Christmas" started like the day after Thanksgiving?

I'm not complaining though.  I swear I will never grow tired of Buddy the Elf, Rudolph & Yukon Cornelius, the Whos in Whoville, Melissa Joan Hart in "Holiday in Handcuffs" and...

Kevin McCallister.  This is my house- I have to defend it!

Don't think my little 8-year old self didn't pay full attention to his anti Wet Bandit strategies.

The Micro-Machines-on-the-floor.  Classic.

The more inventive hot-iron-on-the-doorknob.

And my favorite: the sticky-tar-on-the-stairs.

Actually I lie.  My favorite is the glue-on-the-face-then-a-fan-blows-feathers-all-over.  I just don't have a picture of that scene. 

To me, "Home Alone" is the Christmas equivalent of chicken noodle soup.  Or mac & cheese.  Or spaghetti.

Spaghetti with upgrades
-1 large jar marinara sauce
-1 pound lean ground turkey
-2 large tomatoes, diced
-4 fresh basil leaves, torn up into smallish pieces
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 package frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
-2/3 box whole wheat spaghetti noodles

1. Saute turkey until no longer pink.  Turn down heat to medium-low.  Add marinara sauce, tomatoes, garlic powder, basil, and spinash.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add noodles and boil until tender.  Drain.  Serve immediately.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you want.

Makes six servings.  Per serving: 206 calories, 35 g carbs, 3 g fat, 12 g protein, 6 g fiber

Oh yeah- keep the leftovers, ya filthy animal!