Happy New Year! (Plus an Appetizer Recipe)

Happy New Year, friends!

I hope everyone had a great Holiday. I am particularly enjoying another 3-day weekend to the max. 

First, I have to show you the miserable picture below from Friday @ work. My co-worker and I decided to take a walk despite the chance of rain, and about half-way into our 10 minute walk, we were hit with a sudden torrential downpour! Lucky for her, she had a scarf to protect her, but I only had my hands! I sent this photo to my boyfriend so he could feel sorry for me and tell me that I didn't look like a street bum (even though I did).

Anyways, back to NYE... We decided to go to a friend's house this year rather than braving the crowds and I think we made a great choice! I wore a silver 20's inspired dress from Forever 21, but you can't really see it in any of my pictures, especially since I wore a sweater most of the night. Guess I was more concerned with champagne than capturing any moments!

Now for the best part! I pulled a recipe for Hot & Cheesy Roasted Red Bell Pepper dip from my FAVORITE blog ever, How Sweet It Is

I basically stuck to the recipe, but I wanted to make a double batch, so I doubled almost everything except for the Asiago & Parmesan because the containers I bought were 5 ounces (I would have used 8 ounces if I doubled the recipe exactly). I used a can of roasted red peppers and cooked the dip in 4 smaller ramekins I had on hand.

I think it helped that everyone was intoxicated, but the dip was devoured by the end of the night. It's hard to go wrong with melted cheese. Sorry I failed to take any photos with my real camera, so the iPhone version will have to suffice! You can see some amazing pictures from the source of the recipe above.

You should probably make this on a random Friday night and drink champagne just because you can. My boyfriend says I can only make it for him because it's too good to share with anyone else :) Oh, the flattery!

Here's to a healthy & prosperous 2012 (free from any correct Nostradamus/Mayan/whoever else thinks the world will end predictions)!

Things I LOVE Lately

Here's a quick list of some things I adore these days!

1. Polyvore

OMG. So, I thought I was obsessed with Pinterest, and then because of Pinterest, I became obsessed with this site! Basically, you create your own looks using tops, jeans, dresses, shoes, accessories etc. It's incredibly inspiring and fun! I wish I was like Alicia Silverstone in Clueless and had my closet in this system. Getting dressed would be WAY more fun and easy if I could plan my outfits like this! Here are some of the looks I've created:

So Fun!

2. Starbucks has Sugar-Free Peppermint Syrup!

As a sugar-free syrup devotee, I love when any company broadens their offering. I was so excited to see that Starbucks added this new flavor to their Holiday menu. I've tried adding it to my non-fat lattes, to a Mocha Frappuccino Light & to a Coffee Frappuccino Light... All of which were amazing!

3. Tasty Protein Bars

Well, I am a serious bar-lover when it comes to breakfast and snacks, so I'm always looking for new ways to spice up my fare. Lately, I've been loving Balance Bar's Cookie Dough bar for breakfast. It's pretty tasty and has a great texture (not chalky like a lot of other bars).

I've also been loving Snackwells' Protein Snack bars for an afternoon pick-me-up. They have 8 grams of protein and 140 calories. I particularly like the Peanut Butter Flavor, but all 3 varieties are great!

4. Nike Training App

So, I've had this app on my iPhone for a while, but I've just started using it recently and it ROCKS. My body has been consistently sore from it, but that's a good thing! I love that you can choose a workout based on your goals and level of ability. Each workout is 30 minutes, and a lot of the programs incorporate cardio into the interval training. It's seriously like boot-camp! The best part of all is that it is FREE. I seriously can't believe it. I'd highly recommend this one.

Hopefully some of my favorites can become yours as well. Let me know if you have anything that's tickling your fancy lately :)

Skinny Caramel Apple Cider

I love the Holiday Season and I love all of the food/drinks that come along with the cooler months! When I used to work at Starbucks, I fell victim to many Caramel Apple Ciders (SO good), so in a bout of nostalgia, I decided to make a healthier version tonight!

Skinny Caramel Apple Cider

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Packet Sugar Free Apple Cider Mix

1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Caramel Syrup

8-10 Ounces Hot Water

2 Tablespoons Fat Free Redi-Whip

1/2 Tablespoon Caramel Sauce

Directions

Add the Apple Cider Packet & Caramel Syrup to a mug. Swirl to incorporate and add hot water. I used my Keurig Brewer to pour my hot water (the largest cup setting) and stirred as the water dispensed into my mug.

After the hot water is fully poured to the level of your liking, stir well. Add 2 Tablespoons of the Fat Free Redi-Whip & Drizzle with 1/3 Tablespoon of Caramel Sauce. There is a sugar-free version of the caramel sauce, but it had 90 calories per 2 Tablespoon Serving, so I went with the real deal at 100 Calories per 2 Tablespoon serving.

Ohhhh yes.

Nutritional Information

45 Calories

0g Fat

11g Carbohydrates

5g Sugar

Enjoy!

Holiday Inspiration

Why, hello! It's been a long blogging hiatus, but I'm back for a post due to some Merry creativity :)

I can thank Michael's, general Holiday excitement & Pinterest for the sudden urge to craft (mostly Pinterest). I had no idea how motivated I could get just by looking at pictures of other people's DIY talents! If you don't have Pinterest and feel like being inspired (and spending a LOT of time browsing the site), you should sign up! You should also follow me so we can share our Pins:

http://pinterest.com/lindseyhoag/

I have all kinds of plans for upcoming crafts. Some of them are a little bit to intense for my time/skill-level, but I can still hope for one day! The craft I'm going to try tonight is yarn trees. I'll definitely post later if they turn out.

In the meantime, I have a few simple Christmas ideas:

1. Large Vase + Branch elements + Ornaments

It's always great to have a staple vase to match your decor. I bought the vase below on Sale at Pier One about a month ago (I think it was $30), and I plan to trade out the contents of the vase per season.

When I went to Michael's tonight to pick out some Holiday craft supplies, I found some snowy/crystalline branches that I thought would be the perfect height for my vase, but I was wrong. I had to get a bit creative to give the branches some height. I just took an empty wrapping paper roll (pretty abundant around most houses this time of year) and stapled 3 times horizontally down the middle to create two small openings:

Once I inserted the branches, they had a stopping point around the crystal portion, so I was able to give them about a foot of extra height.

To give a bit more holiday flair, I decided to add some small ornaments that I also purchased at Michael's. I didn't use ornament hooks; I just took the loop at the top of each ornament and pulled the branches through:

2. Ornament Stuffing!

My mom always used ornaments as a decorative element in her garland, and I am definitely following in her footsteps! Ornaments add a great dimension to garland. You simply remove the top of the bulb and stuff the garland branch into the opening:

This also works really well with wreaths. Michael's is a great place to find glittery decorations for a custom-wreath. It's much cheaper to make your own, and it's nice to be able to say you did it yourself:

3. Roasted Pecans

Nothing is better than roasted pecans still warm from the oven, especially in the cooler months. I was given some raw pecan halves recently, and I decided to roast them in the oven with the following additions:

Light Butter Spread distributed over all of the pecans (I left a tiny dollop on each half). You could absolutely use regular butter instead. I used the light spread because I had it on hand. If you do use something more solid, it would probably be best to melt and mix the nuts into the melted butter before pouring onto the baking sheet.

Garlic Salt distributed generously

Bake the pecans at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring twice while cooking

It's important to watch the pecans as they can burn easily. Just take a look at them every 5 minutes or so to see how they are browning. Once they are toasted, remove from the oven.

So good! 

I'm off to attempt some crafts. Let me know if you have any fun Holiday ideas!