The Everyday Dietitian: Well that went by quickly

I set a (super sad) record yesterday at Christmas:

I took down the tree and decorations. Already.

Whomp whomp.

But really we had a fantastic Christmas weekend. It’s just that the weather outside was so frightful and the fire was so delightful and what goes with a cozy day better than cleaning?

Right.

We kicked off the festivities with Christmas Eve candlelight church then dinner with family and friends. I brought mini pies- calorie bomb for sure, but with the pre-set portion you’re more apt to keep it in check.

Mini Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pies

2 premade pie crusts, thawed for 20 minutes

2 cups pecans, toasted

3 large eggs

¾ cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

3 tablespoons bourbon

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

*Disclaimer: I adapted this from an online recipe and I did not adjust the quantity. These amounts will leave you with extra filling- I just dumped mine, but if you wanted to make extra mini pies, you could probably get another 6-8 out of the recipe- you would need additional pie crust. I had 2 12-cup mini muffin tins.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the premade crust. Using the top of a cup, make circle imprints in the dough. Tuck each circle into the well of a mini muffin tin. You could also use a regular muffin tin if desired. I got 9 circles from each crust, so I balled it up, rolled it up, and made 3 more circles from the scraps.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extra, melted butter, bourbon, and salt until well combined. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Spoon into the crusts.

Bake for ~20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely before serving. Per single pie: 140 calories

Setting out Santa’s cookies and milk was VERY exciting for this dude. He kept obsessively checking the cookies to make sure they were just right…and at first he didn’t notice that as he turned, he tipped the cup of milk.

“OH THE HUMANITY! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!”

“No no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

I assured him that with some fresh milk, Santa would still come. WHEW.

What misshapen mutant lips left this impression on those kissable cheeks?

I woke up like this. BWAHAHAHA.

Santa got too lazy to slap bows on the gifts.

Santa brought me a new fur trimmed coat. And a fresh chin zit.

My in-laws came over for breakfast and my hubs and I whipped up some chorizo-black bean hash with eggs and vanilla brioche bread pudding with peach Champagne sauce and whipped cream. YOU KNOW, the usual breakfast for us.

Come dinner we were not exactly in the mood for feasting anymore. Salads it was!

Sweet potato & Goat Cheese Salad

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½” cubes

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups mixed greens lettuce

2 oz goat cheese

2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toast walnuts for 3-5 minutes. Set aside. Combine sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper on that same baking sheet. Roast for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.

To assemble salad:

Toss lettuce with walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, potatoes, and dressing.