A Leisurely Celebration

Amidst the chaos of the Christmas season, from frenzied mall adventures to last-minute cookie baking, the peacefulness of Christmas Day always takes me by surprise. I always appreciate the slower pace of the holiday; it gives me a chance to truly enjoy the company of my loved ones, without worrying about the next item on my Google Calendar. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some leisure time yesterday:)

As the family's foodie and health nut, I received several presents related to healthful cooking and fitness. Check 'em out:

Each member of the Yoder clan has a matching stocking, knitted by my Aunt Susan. They're extra large (and stretchy) to make room for plenty of candy, socks, and underpants!
A few books: Simply Organic Cookbook, Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven, and a book about my fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn.
A new pair of Air Pegasus running shoes.
My very own waffle maker!
A Christmas teapot. Also note my lovely apron--the top part reads "Eat Your Veggies"
I also received a heart rate monitor and a Wii Fit. May this year be my healthiest yet!

In this time of festivity, I got the chance to try a few new recipes...Enjoy!

Wednesday
It's a family tradition that we enjoy Stouffer's lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner before attending the evening church service. I had picked out a vegetarian baked penne recipe to prepare for myself, but unfortunately, time slipped away from me, so I relied on my good friend Amy. I heated up the Garden Vegetable Lasagna and served it alongside a salad and my first glass of wine as a 21 year old. The lasagna was perfect--the veggies amazingly retained their fresh taste, and there was just enough cheese. Yum.
When we returned from church, my sisters and I decided to use up some leftover cookie dough by making "Rudolph" cookies:
Before heading to bed, I whipped up another cherry smoothie: frozen cherries, soymilk, cherry Spirutein, and PB granola.
Thursday
My sister prepared quite the indulgent spread for the family on Christmas morning: biscuits 'n gravy (with sausage), bacon, and fruit salad. A crustless tofu quiche was on the menu for me, featuring tofu, tahini, soy sauce, garlic, broccoli, and mushrooms. Essentially, I put all the ingredients I use for scrambled tofu into a blender and baked it in the oven. It turned out delicious!
My brother-in-law Major wanted me to take a picture of him thoroughly enjoying his bacon:
My family takes turns opening presents on Christmas morning to ensure that we all appreciate each gift we're given. With 7 people and 5 dogs, our present-opening session took 4 hours! After that marathon, I needed a little fuel before heading out to see Marley and Me. I opted for "Better Bunny Salad" with a simple salad and whole wheat pitettes.
For the big dinner, I prepared a lentil loaf with lentils, onions, pasta sauce, and oats. I was in charge of the salad again (as I was for Thanksgiving), but this time I used field greens, pomegranate seeds, and Alabama pecans. The salad was served with Annie's raspberry vinaigrette. I also had green beans, cranberry sauce, and a few sips of white wine.
My shake of the evening was particularly festive, as it featured Egg Nog Spirutein (which incidentally includes no eggs). I combined it a frozen banana, soymilk, nutmeg, and a gingerbread man.
Friday
After a fantastic morning run at my high school's track, I refueled with a blueberry-rice milk smoothie and a Rudi's bagel with cashew butter.
My mom and I headed out to do a few returns and check out the sales at Banana Republic. I ended up with 3 shirts for $44! Score! Anyway, when I returned, I was famished and cold...chili it was! I combined diced tomatoes, chili beans, onion, cumin, oregano, and cayenne for a hearty winter stew. I topped it with mashed avocado and served it with greens, whole wheat pitettes, and a plum.
Although today seems strangely like a Saturday, the weekend is just beginning. How are you all spending your time off this weekend?

Enjoy your evening!

Jingle Bells and Gingerbread

Tonight I write to you from the couch, as I sip gingerbread tea and peruse the Williams-Sonoma catalog. Ah yes, life is good.

I had my last exam this morning, and I have been in celebration mode ever since. I finally got to enjoy my little reward that I have been saving all week--the latest issue of Clean Eating. This issue contained plenty of ideas for the next few weeks; I am so excited to get cooking!

Anyway, as a result of waning motivation to study, I've been quite creative in the kitchen these past few days. Check out the goods:

Wednesday
I decided on a tropical smoothie this time: strawberries, pineapple, Nutribody protein, soymilk, and coconut. Delish.
Thursday
After observing my multiple struggles with the pomegranate, my roommate suggested that I try to make purple oats with pomegranate seeds. Genius! I have yet to experience purple oats in my quest to "taste the rainbow" via my oatmeal bowl. Rather than using the pom seeds as a topping, I added them to the oats during the cooking process, in hopes of achieving a vibrant purple hue. The end result was more of a "lavender," but it was a pretty bowl of oats, nonetheless. I also added some almond butter and wheat germ. Lunch yesterday consisted of a "burger salad" and spicy sweet potato fries. I chopped up an Amy's Texas burger and placed it atop a bed of spinach with mushrooms and tomatoes; I used a few tablespoons of Woodstock dressing as well. For the fries, I seasoned some strips of sweet potato with chili powder and garlic salt, then baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 375*; I used organic ketchup for dipping. That's a dish of strawberries on the side.
For dinner, I attempted a new flavor combination with my mozzarella-spinach-apple-onion panini. After browning up the onions for a few minutes, I piled all the ingredients on some whole wheat bread and grilled it on my George Foreman. It turned out to be a delicious sandwich! I had the apple remnants and a salad with pecans and more onions on the side. YUM.
The shake last night featured one of my favorite flavor combinations: chocolate and coconut! Into the blender went: frozen banana, strawberries, chocolate rice protein, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, and soymilk.
Monday
I woke up bright and early for my exam this morning and fired up the blender. Banana Blender Cereal! I used almonds this time. I have discovered that I enjoy this dish most when it's not quite pureed--the unexpected chunks of nuts and banana make breakfast so much more enjoyable:)
I packed a lunch for my airport exploits today. I made a simple Sunbutter sandwich and packed it with some carrots and hummus. For a snack, I munched on a big red apple and a Vega bar. *Potential Product Review Alert*
Once I returned home, my stomach was beckoning, full force, so I just made a quick wrap. Remember the Turk'y roast I had for Thanksgiving? I froze the leftovers before I left for school, so I heated that up and wrapped it up with avocado, field greens, and cherry tomatoes. On the side, I had a salad, broccoli, and a bowl of leftover fruit I found in the fridge.
Now I must decide on what to wear for the (multiple) graduations I am attending tomorrow--one sister is graduating from nursing school and one is receiving her MBA. Suggestions? Do you have any favorite outfits lately?
I shall return later on Sunday for another feature post. Enjoy your weekend!