It feels like Christmas!

This past weekend I finally found the time to decorate my apartment for Christmas. Despite always being a "silver" kind of girl, I went with red and gold this year for a colour scheme.

I tucked away the picture frame that normally hangs here and swapped it for a big beautiful wreath. I made it with a wreath form ($8) and ribbon ($3) from Michaels, along with some plastic gold balls that I picked up at the dollar store ($2). Not too shabby for only $13!

I used some of the extra ribbon to tie some bows on the Candle Holders I made this Fall. I also gave my beloved Maltese Falcon his own little Santa hat.

I originally had planned to purchase a live tree, but then I realized how little I would get to enjoy it over the next month as I drive back and forth from family events up north, so I gave in and bought a new artificial tree from Canadian Tire (On sale, $70). Its an indoor/outdoor Fraser Fir with prestrung lights and cute pinecones glued onto it, so I figured that I can use it again in the future for an outdoor decoration when I get a house.

I decorated the tree with gold and red Christmas balls in various sizes, red fake holly and little handsewn gingerbread men ornaments.

Spinach Parmesan Dip

 

With Holiday parties in full swing these days, I was looking for an easy, yet healthy appetizer that I could easily make ahead and take with me to parties. This spinach dip is loaded with nutrients and uses fat free yogurt, reduced fat cream cheese and parmesan to get that creamy flavour without all the calories. But at the same time it doesn't have that "healthy taste" due to all the wonderful fresh flavour from the spinach, garlic and basil. I served it up with homemade whole wheat pita chips, but you could also use fresh cut veggies.

What you'll need:
1 tsp Olive Oil
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp Salt
1 (10oz) package of fresh Spinach
1/2 cup Basil Leaves, loosely packed
1/3 cup Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, softened
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1/3 cup Plain Fat-Free Yogurt
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

In a skillet over medium-high, heat oil and saute garlic for 1 minute. 

Add salt and spinach, saute 3 minutes or until spinach wilts.

 It may seem like a lot, but it will wilt down.

Its all gone to the dogs: Winter Woofstock

Yesterday the boyfriend and I took Whiskey to Winter Woofstock, a big festival for dogs in Toronto. I've always wanted to go to the Summer one, but have always been out of town when it is on, so it was nice to finally go. It was a perfect way to spent a chilly November afternoon indoors.

We arrived a few hours after it started and there was still a line to get in. The place was packed with tons of people and their dogs. See all those beautiful trees that we around the whole venue? I can only image how many dogs marked those.

There were lots of displays of toys, treats, beds, food (free samples!) and leashes.

There were also rows upon rows of dog clothing, including plenty of Christmas themed pieces. Think Whiskey could pull off a miniature Santa Paws outfit?

Some of the treats looked good enough for even humans to eat, but thankfully I was able to resist.

Gift Ideas for Her 2010

When picking gifts I look for something that is unique, luxurious or personal or ideally all three. Here are a few of the gifts this year that could fit the bill for some of the lovely ladies on your list.

Emma Monogrammed Teapot (Pottery Barn $49.00)
With antique-like beaded detail and beautifully hand glazed, this teapot (paired with the mugs below) makes a great set for the tea lover in your family.

Emma Monogrammed Mug (Pottery Barn $16)
A lovely addition to the teapot would be these beautiful monogramed mugs. With beaded detail and hand glazed, these mugs give the look of a personalized antique set. Perfect for a big hot chocolate on Christmas morning!

 Cashmere Robe (Red Envelope $249.95)
Nothing says warmth and luxury like cashmere. Its expensive, but darn, doesn't it just feel so good!

Monogrammed Cube Candle (Pottery Barn $29.00)
A beautifully monogrammed all-natural candle is a great gift for the home.

Silver Lockets (birdsNbeez $22, lifedream $13, Enchanting Lockets $22)
I'm a big fan of Etsy and the wonderful jewelery you can find on it. I've always loved antique lockets, so when I found these reproductions online, I instantly fell in love. These pieces look like beautiful family heirlooms. The two on the ends would be perfect to give a wife, mother, or sister with a picture of them and you or their child(ren) inside. The middle one is actually a clock inside.

Paula Deen Signature Wood Round Salt Box (Paula Deen, Amazon, $14.95)

An elegant way to store salt, gourmet salt, herbs or any other favorite seasonings. Made of beautiful acacia wood in a natural tone. Not only is this handy, but it is also beautiful when left out on the table or counter top.

Gingerbread Pancakes

I'm sure that many of you are taking advantage of the Black Friday sales today. I'll be enjoying them myself from the comfort of my computer, away from the crazy lines and crowded stores. Even still, I felt like I needed a little bit of Holiday cheer to get me going, so I whipped up a batch of these Gingerbread Pancakes.

What you'll need:
2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix (Regular or HeartSmart)
1 tbsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp Ground Cardamon
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Molasses
2/3 cup Milk

Add all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Blend together well until there are only a few lumps of Bisquick left.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, molasses and milk until well blended.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Happy American Thanksgiving!

This has really been a great year, with so much to be thankful for. It may not be Thanksgiving up here in Canada, but I have been taking time today to reflect on all that I am thankful for. And of course I have been daydreaming about delicious turkey dinners :)

All this talk of turkey this week got me thinking about one of my all-time favorite clips from the beloved British show Mr. Bean. Up here in Canada, his Christmas special is always on television every year during the Holidays and this is one of the best clips from it:

And of course this scene went on to inspire another great comedy show's Thanksgiving episode. Remember the time on Friends that Joey got the turkey stuck on his head?

Hopefully no one else had any accidents like that (besides, who would put their head in a raw turkey to begin with? Ewww!)

Have a happy (and safe) Thanksgiving to everyone in the US!

Fall Fitness Challenge Week 13 : Finding the Time

Sometimes I find it impossible to find the time to fit in some physical exercise, whether its work, plans with friends or just being too tired. I've found three ways to help motivate me to find the time to work out and I thought I'd share them with you:

1) Schedule: First and foremost, I try to schedule my workouts like any other meetings that I have. Usually at the beginning of the week I'll look at my schedule on my blackberry and try to plan out one good time every day to do some cardio, fit in an Office Workout or catch a class. On the days where it doesn't work out for some reason, I'll do Bedtime Yoga and some pushups before I go to bed. And if I'm too tired to even to that? I just let myself off for that day and plan to put in extra effort the next. As long as I get in at least 4 days of activity a week, I'm happy.

2) Make Plans with Friends: Why not accomplish two things at once and meet your friends to workout? I have a few girlfriends who I like to make plans with to go to fitness classes and we usually catch up before and after the class. Working out with other people also helps motivate me to try harder, because I'm not going to slack when my friends are there.

3) Break it up: If I don't have the time to do it in an 30-60 minute chunk of time, I'll break my workout into two 15-30 minute sets. My favorite combination is to do my cardio in the morning on the bike and then doing the Office Workout on my break at work.

Savoury Stuffed Acorn Squash

We Canadians may have had our Thanksgiving back in October, but that doesn't mean that we aren't up to having it again alongside our American neighbours in November! For years my father worked in the US during the week, which meant that he got the American Thanksgiving off and we would celebrate it again. Who can say no to another big turkey meal? Not me :)

Now that I'm in my little apartment in the city, I don't exactly have the space to have a big Thanksgiving dinner, but the boyfriend and I decided to have a mini one the other night and make cornish hens. It seemed like the perfect time to test out this Savoury Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe that I found in the Fall addition of my beloved Food & Drink magazine. It remined me alot of stuffing, but much creamier and smooth with the squash added in.

And of course the cheese. How can I forget the awesome cheese. This would make for a great hearty vegetarian option at Thanksgiving. The recipe was originally for 12, but I cut it down to 2 servings. The 12 serving version is avaliable for printing at the bottom of the recipe as well.

What you'll need:
1 Acorn Squash
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Unsalted Butter
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1/2 a McIntosh Apple, chopped
2/3 of a stalk of Celery, chopped
1/2 tsp Dried Sage, crumbled
8 tsp Breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil

I used an acorn squash that I got at the very last Farmer's Market of the season. I'm going to miss picking up fresh produce every week.

Cut squash in half lengthwise (stem to tip) and scoop out seeds.

Gift Ideas for Him 2010

I don't know about you, but I find that men can be the hardest to shop for. If they want something, they just buy it for themselves and when you ask them what they want, their usual reply is "nothing". Maybe thats just the men on my list, but either way, its takes some creativity to find things that they will enjoy opening on Christmas morning. Here are a few things that I found while online shopping (which is so great for those of us who don't have time to hit the stores very much).

Tank Mug (Fred & Friends, Perpetual Kids, $11.99)
Although I may not be a coffee drinker, I can appreciate what it must feel like to be running on empty. Thats where this coffee mug comes in handy, with fun heat sensitive printing, which shows when you've got a full hot cup.

XM Satellite Radio (Amazon, $40.13)

A few weeks ago I was in my friend's car which had satellite radio and I was mesmerized by all the great stations that were offered. Have a man on your list who is a big commuter? Help make his daily drive to/from work a little better with plenty of entertaining stations to keep him going.

Bottle Opener Key (Urban Outfitters, $8)

I don't know if it is the vintage feel of this key that I like to much, but its classic design and fun function make it a winner.

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern (Barnes & Nobel $8.79)

Based on the twitter feed by Halpern, this book led to the new tv show starring William Shatner. Full of great anecdotes and plenty of "he said what?".

Holiday Decor Ideas 2010

Every year I look forward to looking at all the Holiday decor thats available and I start daydreaming about how I'm going to decorate my apartment. Decorating while listening to Christmas music is one of my favorite parts of the season and I look forward to it all year. Here are a few of the ideas that have caught my attention this year. None of these suppliers are endorsing this post and I'm just showing what I like. And yes, I'll admit it, I have a bit of a Pottery Barn addiction, as you can see by the photo above. First off, I would LOVE to have a house that looked liked this and if I did, I would absolutely go all out like this photo above. Garland up the pillars, wreaths on the picket fences, lanterns down the pathway...its like looking at a Christmas card!

Outdoor Ornament Pine Wreath (Pottery Barn $79.00)
I love the colour and texture of this faux pine wreath, with beautiful clusters of metallic glass balls.
Its a welcoming festive sight and I'm looking at a way to incorporate this into my own wreath this year.

Canadian Tire Home Decorator
This is a really fun app that Canadian Tire has come up with this year: an online home decorator to test out how all their different lights and display pieces look on your home. Its fun, interactive and practical at the same time. They also offer plenty of tips such as using stringing lights to highlight the architectural features of your home, by going along peaked roods, wrapping around columns or using them to frame windows. Be sure to check it our and have some fun with the displays!

Santa's Sleigh Door Mat (Pottery Barn $29.00)
Now that you've got your guests have seen the light displays on your house, what better way to welcome them in than with a night natural weave rug printed with Santa and his reindeer.

Outdoor Ornament Pine Garland (Pottery Barn $59.00-109.00)
Once inside the house, the first things guests may see is your mantelpiece. I'm a big fan of mantel displays, and this dramatic garland stands out. This is the same garland that was used on the front door at the top of this post, so its strong enough to withstand the harshest weather. 

Giant Cardboard Taxidermy (Urban Outfitters, $52)
What to have above that mantelpieces? Well, even PETA members can have a nice deer head above their mantel with this cardboard one that you put together yourself. You can paint it whatever colour you like to go with your decor.

Spinach and Cheese Puff

For the past five years, my sister has been a vegetarian, which means that whenever we have a big family dinner (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc) we try to come up with a new vegetarian dish to try out. This year at Thanksgiving we turned to none other than Martha Stewart for this Spinach and Cheese Puff recipe. Not only was it filling, but it was a good source of iron and protein for non-meat eaters. It was also easy to make ahead and pop in the oven along with the other side dishes.

What you'll need:
Butter, to grease baking dish
3 packages (10 oz each) Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups Half-and-Half
3 large Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyere Cheese (about 6 oz)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish.

Make sure to squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as possible!

In a large bowl, combine spinach, half-and-half, eggs, 1 cup Gruyere, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg.

Fall Fitness Challenge - Week 12 : Surviving the Holidays

With American Thanksgiving only a week away and Christmas shortly behind it, there are plenty of opportunities for Holiday indulgences to sneak in on our regular healthy eating. Being prepared and proactive before the mayhem even starts will make it easier to not only enjoy the treats of the Holiday, but come out of it without that tired old New Years resolution to lose weight.

Image Source

Don't skip meals

It may be tempting to not eat breakfast to "make more room for the good stuff" as my cousin says, but this may backfire on you. When you let yourself get too hungry, you may end up eating over indulging in more unhealthy food later on.

Make sure to stick to your normal eating schedule: Breakfast, light snack, lunch and another light snack before you go to the dinner/party. Keep your snacks between 100-150 calories and focus on protein and fiber-rich vegetables. They'll keep you full longer. Eating these foods that will keep you full longer will help you feel less deprived later if you're cutting back on calories at the party too.

Woman's Day has a great ideal pre-party day of eating in their October 2010 issue.

Breakfast: Egg-white omelet (4-5 egg whites) stuffed with tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli or nonstartchy veggies of your choice; an orange or half a grapefruit

Lunch: Large tossed salad with unlimited nonstartchy vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, celery, etc) topped with 5-6 oz chicken or turkey breast or shrimp, and tossed with 2 tbsp light salad dressing

Snack: 1 apple (or orange) and a part-skim string cheese.

Inevitably, most of the food at holiday events are high calorie, and you'll end up eating hor d'oeuvres before dinner, etc. Save your calories for these high ticket items by focusing on eating lean protein (chicken, fish, turkey, etc) and veggies earlier in the day, eating more food with fewer calories. Stay away from fat, sugar and startch as you'll be getting plenty of them later.

Image Source

Drink lots of water.

Wth all the mayhem of the holidays, it is easy to get dehydrated and often times mild dehydration can be mistaken as hunger. Drink plenty of water before and after a meal. As a general rule, I drink 1-2 glasses of water before a meal. It starts to fill you up before you've even taken your first bite. You'll be less inclined to go back for seconds.