Skip to main content

Party Recap and Fun Facts Friday - Christmas Memories

Party Recap
Last night's Christmas Eve Eve Brunch was a success. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, even the Vegan Veggie Frittata. I was sort of thinking I'd be the only one eating that one, but to my surprise, everyone wanted to try it and actually liked it. Seal of approval has been given to this one. The next time I make it, I will likely add in a bit more color with red bell peppers and maybe green onions.

Vegan Veggie Frittata
Ingredients:
1 package extra firm silken tofu
1-2 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Splash of soy or almond milk
To taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder, nutritional yeast flakes (approximately 3 tbsp)
1/4 orange bell pepper, diced
1/4 white onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 small yellow squash, diced
To taste: salt, pepper, parsley, basil
Vegan cheese (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In food processor, puree tofu, mustard, vinegar, milk, and first set of spices until thick and creamy - almost like a mousse.

In non-stick skillet, saute remaining ingredients until soft.

Prepare a small springform pan or glass baking dish with a non-stick spray (baking spray suggested). Poor the veggies into the bottom and spread around then pour in the tofu mixture and smooth out evenly. Top with the vegan cheese. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until begins to brown.

So, here are some pictures of the spread. Not super pretty because I have to put everything on the counter out of the reach of nosy, sneaky dogs.
Vegan Coffee Cake
White Chocolate Almond Cranberry Bark (aka crack)

Free No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Greek & Mexican Style Fritattas

Vegan Veggie Frittata

Veggie Sausages

Part of The Spread

Fruit Salad

 And of course a few people pictures. I sort of failed on that this time.
 

Leg Day
This morning I went with legs from STS Meso 2, Week 4. I wasn't super motivate to do a leg workout, in fact, I opted to pluck my eyebrows first ;-) In the end, I had a good leg workout and time flew by once I got started. The workout is done with 3 sets of trisets done 3x10 at 80% of my 1RM.

TS#1
Step ups
Rear leg slide back lunges
Wall squats

TS#2
Deadlifts on step
Side sliding lunges
Narrow stance squats

TS#3
Front lunges (supposed to be 45-degree angle but too hard on IT band)
Alternating plie squats
Low-plane lunges (start low and do 10 counts of low-end pulses)

Single-leg calf raises on step

I added in 2x18 of weighted donkey kicks and roll-ins/hip lifts on stability ball.

After legs, I decided to go with MMA Boxing for some cardio. Then it was stretching, rolling, stretching, and rolling.

Fun Facts Friday - Christmas Memories 
I got cleaned up, but stayed in yoga pants and warm fleece shirt for the day. I had a lot to do in the kitchen today and that always demands comfort. I had to finally make and jar my spaghetti sauce as well as bake bread. The sauce is literally an all-day affair. From start to finish it is about 7 hours. But, the sauce is just part of Christmas for me. It would almost feel wrong not giving it to friends and family now.

That brings me to Christmas memories. Most of my Christmas memories are great, they make me smile and are what I think of when I think of Christmas. Not all of our Christmases were ideal of course, but I try to remember all the great smiles, memories, and family time... and some gifts of course.
  • I Dream of Genie PJs - they were red with chiffon. We would stand and strike "Genie" poses in them.
  • A pair of cowgirl boots. My shoe fetish started very early.
  • Baking cookies with my sister.
  • Icing cookies with mom and sister. 
  • Waiting up for my cousins to get to my grandmother's house - I would guess the time of arrival based on what time they were leaving Missouri. 
  • Enjoying the traditional manicotti dinner. 
  • Sitting in the floor in PJs opening presents with Jason. 
  • Watching my niece and nephew open their gifts.
  • Spending the day with family.

What are some of your favorite or most special Christmas memories?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Love in Photos

In honor of Valentine's Day - Love in Photos Husband Family and Furbabies Friends Even if you're not a fan of Valentine's Day - I hope you have a wonderful day and remember the loves in your life.

Hump Day and More Pineapples

Full-Body Workout  I'll readily admit that getting up this morning was quite painful and almost didn't happen. I forced myself out of bed though not exactly excited about tackling a full-body Pyramid workout. Sort of daunting at 5 am really. I did the warm up from Shock Cardio Cardio Core Circuit (cardio only premix) then hit the weights. It was a pyramid up only so I increased my starting weight. I topped it all off with the first 2 1/2 drills from the cardio workout. I ran short on time and was basically spent. Squats into Plie Squats Step Ups (seriously hate these especially at 5:30 am) Incline Chest Flyes into Chest Press Pullovers into DB Underhand Rows Step Ups (freaking again) Static Lunges Overhead DB Press into Lateral Raises Deadlifts Kickbacks into Overhead Extensions Hammer Curls into Alternating Curls Calf Raises I am so excited to report that my new cross-trainers and running shoes arrived today. Can't wait to test both of them out. I waited way way way too

Hitting the Gym and Lazy Means Creative Tex-Mex Creation

Sunday, Gym Day Why do vacations and min-vacations go by so quickly? Just doesn't seem quite right. Anyway, we left Branson around 9:30 am to head back home. It was a pretty uneventful drive back, which is usually a good thing. We got home and unpacked, then I headed up to the gym. I started with a 10-minute treadmill run to warm up before hitting the weights for back and light legs then abs. I went with a giant set for back then supersets for legs. GS - 4x8 Underhand barbell rows Pullovers Double-arm rows SS#1 Rear-leg elevated lunges (Bulgarian Split Squats) - 3x8 Calf raises - 3x20 SS#2 - 2x8 Walking lunges Plie squats with low-end pulse Single-leg deadlifts - 2x8 I did some ab exercises, stretched, and called it quits. Lazy = Crazy Dinner I may have made it to the gym and washed a few loads of laundry, but I never made it to the grocery store - lounging in the pool trumped grocery shopping. This meant getting creative with dinner. We had another package