With 2015 drawing to a close, I love looking back at the year and thinking about all of my favorite travels and adventures, as well as my most memorable recipes and workouts of the year. I thought it'd be fun today to take a look back and highlight those memories. Let's get to it! My Favorite Adventures & Travel... Wine Tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley Bachelorette Partying in Miami A Trip to Lundberg Farms During their Rice Harvest August Adventures Back Home in Jersey (my birthday, hubby's birthday, best friend's wedding & more!) Ladies' Night in NYC with my fellow foodie friend Danielle Visiting Solvang, California’s Taste of Denmark Anniversary Celebration in Temecula Wine Country Weekend Escape to Big Bear Lake My Favorite ... [Read More]
Archives for December 2015
Easy Orzo Vegetable Soup {vegan}
Soup, oh how I love you so. All throughout autumn and winter, I'm a soup eating machine. Some nights I know exactly what I'm making; other nights I just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and see how it turns out. It usually turns out well, and that my friends, is the beauty of soup. It's warm, comforting, filling, and can be super easy to make. Today's soup recipe was deemed winner with a capital W by my hubby, who claimed that I "outdid myself" with this recipe - proving that sometimes simple is best. And the best part? From start to finish, it's ready in 30 minutes flat. While I'm enjoying time with my loved ones on the East coast for the holidays, I thought it'd be a perfect, cozy recipe to share with you guys. In fact, my parents hosted Christmas Eve this year, and I made this ... [Read More]
5 Healthy On-the-Go Snack Ideas + Big Slice Apples Giveaway!
Hi friends! Today I'm traveling cross-country to be with my family in New Jersey for the holidays. I'm looking forward to lots of time with loved ones and fun! Speaking of being on-the-go, today I wanted to share my top picks for on-the-go snacks as of late. Since I'm big on eating small meals frequently, it seems like I'm always eating in the car. An ongoing joke that I have with my hubby is that I'm constantly trying to get food stains off the seat of my car. Nearly every week there's a new protein bar stain or smudge of some sort. I guess I'm a messy car eater! The basic requirements for snacks to be in the running to become a favorite of mine are simple. They've got to be 1.) healthy - must pack a nutritious punch, and 2.) tasty - I won't eat it if it doesn't please my ... [Read More]
The Work-Off-Those-Holiday-Treats Cardio Workout
'Tis the season to be jolly... and to be faced with many options of sweets and treats to enjoy! I'm all for indulging in moderation, but to avoid weight gain and feeling low-energy during the holidays, I try to offset those extra drinks, desserts, and heavier food than I usually eat by making sure to fit my workouts in. In the spirit of active living throughout the holidays, today I'm sharing a workout that you can do whenever, wherever - no equipment required. I laughed a little when I titled today's workout, because I don't really like when the instructors at this barre studio I take classes at from time to time make comments about 'working off that drink/dessert/bread you had last night.' I workout because it makes me feel strong, healthy, and happy, and that's what I like my ... [Read More]
Double Chocolate Peppermint Brownies {vegan}
It's Friday in mid-December, so it's only right that we celebrate with a holiday-ish dessert recipe, am I right? I am pretty excited about this recipe my friends! I have been mildly obsessed with the combination of chocolate + mint all year long, but it's gone into overdrive over the past month. Mint is a holiday season favorite, and let's be honest: chocolate is a favorite every damn day. I'm also psyched about this recipe because I've been craving brownies for awhile now, and when I finally came up with a brownie recipe, it was a yummy success... a vegan success at that! There are no eggs or dairy in this recipe whatsoever. Although I eat dairy sometimes, I wanted to challenge myself with coming up with a vegan brownie recipe. And this is my first EVER brownie recipe posted on ... [Read More]
Ice Skating Along the Coast at Hotel Del Coronado + Dinner at Il Fornaio
Happy Hump Day friends! Hope that you all are having a lovely week. Christmas is in just over a week, and I can hardly contain my excitement! I'm like a little kid when it comes to the holidays. And on the topic of the holidays, let's back it up a few days to talk about a very holiday-ish activity that I did over the weekend: ice skating! My hubby surprised me on Saturday with a date to Hotel del Coronado for... ice skating on the coast! I didn't even know that this was a thing until last weekend. I thought it was super sweet of A to plan a date because 1.) He knows that I love all things related to the holidays, and 2.) I'm most definitely the planner out of the two of us. I love being the planner, but it was nice to have him plan something and totally surprised me. ... [Read More]
