It's That Time Again!! Foodie Fridays

Heeeeeeey Bloggies!

It's FRIDAY!! And it's also the Friday before CHRISTMAS!! Which means a few things. First, that I must go back to the store and get all of the ingredients for dishes I am making for Christmas that I picked up the other day, but have now already eaten because I could not wait . Second, that I will start burning my holiday candles( fresh balsam, home for the holidays, winter, etc) pretty much all at the same time in an attempt to make my home smell like a winter wonderland. Third, that Brian is inching closer to completely shedding his Grinchy exterior and perhaps, maybe, dare I wish it? Actually enjoying the holiday!

You see, Brian isn't exactly a holiday nut like I am. It's not that he has anything against it, it's just that he isn't obsessed with this time of year the way that I am. I literally jumped out of the bed this morning because I was just so darn excited that it is actually coldish outside today and that means I can turn on the heat and make some hot chocolate and wear my snowflake pj's without sweating. Well, Brian may argue that me waking up didn't exactly go that smoothly. He may say it went something like this:

Brian: **putting away dishes and making coffee at 7:30am like a normal person**

Me: **still in bed** What are you DOING??

Brian: Happy Friday!!

Me: **Throws pillow over head**

Brian: *sneaks into room* Hi sweetie, what time do you need to get up this morning?

Me: I have an alarm set! *Throws pillow back over head*

Brian: Ok, love you!

Me: harumph!*snoring*

He is so dramatic sometimes.

But anyways, what I am getting at is that I am always completely filled with the joyous magic of the holidays from around October 31st through February 14th, and Brian feels it somewhere between now and the end of New Year's Day. But that's ok, I have enough holiday spirit for us both. Except, perhaps, for the mornings when I haven't had my coffee. Or, ya know, before 8am. But whatevs.

But you did not come here for stories about Brian's dramatics, you came here for reviews and recipes. Unfortunately, this week, I have no reviews for you. I just didn't eat anywhere that I thought was worthy of your time hearing about it, and certainly not anywhere that I would want you to go and spend your money because I recommended it. So, in exchange, I am going to give you two recipes! I have not forgotten that I promised a recipe from my Holiday Party, so I will post that, and also the recipe for Sausage Balls, a sacred recipe in my family as my Mother makes them every year and it is just not the holidays until the first batch has been made. Since I am married and no longer living close enough to my Mom to just walk on over and demand food from her, I had to make the first batch myself this year. They were delicious, to be sure, but just missing that special Mommy touch. Perhaps she will make them for me on Christmas Day if I supply the ingredients? *Hint, Hint, Mom....Mom? Please?*

Sausage Balls

What you will need:

1 tube sage sausage(I like Jimmy Dean)
1 pouch bisquick biscuit mix(original flavor)
1 8oz block medium cheddar cheese, shredded(you have to shred your own, don't use the pre-shredded stuff because it has some kind of flour on it)
Approx 1-2 tbsp hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, preferably a non-stick sheet.

Mix the sausage, biscuit mix, cheese and hot sauce together. Now, the reason for the approx measurement of the hot sauce is that it's really up to the person making it. It's an eye-balling situation. My Mom and I go by how the mix feels. We use enough hot sauce to make it easy to mix, because it is a dry mixture and your fingers risk breaking off if you don't moisten it enough with the hot sauce. Or, if you don't want it that spicy but need to make it more moist, add a few drops of water. Either way, mix it all together until it is just combined.

Roll into whatever size balls you want. This recipe calls for them to be a little smaller than golf balls. Place them all on the baking sheet, and spread them out a little because they will puff when they bake.

Bake for 20 minutes, turn over, and bake for another 15-20 minutes until just cooked through. Move to a paper towel-lined baking sheet when they come out of the oven, and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!


Bruschetta with Arugula and Prosciutto Salad

*This was a HUGE hit at the party. It seems like a lot of work, but it's really not, and it will be the first thing to go. People go crazy for it.

What you will need:

1 thin baguette
8oz fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
4 tbsp pesto(I buy the pre-made stuff)
4 cups fresh arugula
6-8 thin slices prosciutto, cut into ribbons
1 half lemon, or 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp(approx) olive oil
salt and pepper

Turn oven to high broil. Slice the baguette open so it is butterflied(longways, like you are making a sub sandwich). Spread each half with 2 tbsp pesto. Place the cheese slices on top of each half evenly,place the bread on a baking sheet and place in the oven. WATCH IT CAREFULLY, it will only take a minute or two. You want the cheese melted, but not browned.

Take out of the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Cut the bread into 2 inch slices, and transfer to a serving platter, or plate, or whatever you have on hand to serve it on.

Pile the arugula in the center of the platter, then arrange the prosciutto on top. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the lemon over the salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. Enjoy!!

I hope you love these recipes as much as I do. I think they are things that most people really enjoy eating, but might not make for themselves. I, personally, always end up making about five to ten batches of the sausage balls at the holidays. They keep really well, and re-heat really well in the microwave(no more than 40 seconds!) for a quick snack, or even to have for breakfast.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, or for the rest of the tribe, a wonderful time at the movies with your Chinese food. What? You don't sneak it into the theatre? That's just me? Hmmm.

I will probably be back next week, but just in case I'm not, have a healthy, safe New Year and I will see you in 2013!!!

Tidings of Joy,
Shana

Fa-la-la-la-la La-la la la

Happy Monday Bloggies!!!

So, I am here today to share so many pictures from the holiday party! It was a huge success. Granted, more than half the people invited didn't RSVP or show up, DAVE, but the people who did are amazing and it was the perfect party just for them being there. Our friends are the best ever, and they brought with them so much Christmas/Hanukkah spirit and cookies that it made me get all watery-eyed.

Also, the sweaters ROCKED. I mean, honestly, I could not have imagined in all my wildest dreams of Christmas tricks and peppermint sticks that the sweaters would be so crafty and lovely and all-around amazing. But let me not try and describe it in words. Pictures are needed.

Katie and Mallory. I don't know if you can tell, but Katie's tree LIGHTS UP. Seriously, I think we all knew who would win the contest when she walked in.

Katie. I'm not sure she was expecting this photo?

 

Me and my Mommy!! She made so much delicious food, and then just as soon as she was there, she left to go to another holiday party. She is such the social butterfly. Also, all the food she made was the first to go. I totally gave her credit for it.

 

Does this snowflake make me look fat?

The crafters. Notice the yule log on the TV in the background. It's the little details.

Me and my Brian under the kissing ball. He even wore the reindeer antlers I bought us!

 

Kristin and I under the same kissing ball. There are about 20 photos of us in various poses under it, but I thought this one really captured our love for each other.

 

Me and my cousin Lisa! I think you can really see the resemblance in this one. Also, I think I may have been cleaning my teeth when this was taken? Brian wasn't the most patient of photographers.

 

I love this one!!!!! Mal might get mad at me for posting it, but I'm willing to take that chance.

 

BFFs! 11 years of love right there. And Kristin, photobombing :)



The four of us are pretty fond of each other. And the food.

 

This is obviously already framed and hanging above my mantel. Thanks BRIAN for photobombing it.

 

That's handmade awesome sauce right there.

 

 Me and my cousin Zach! I'm pretty sure he missed his work party for this, and it was a very fancy one because he is a super important trader at Deutsche Bank.

 Brian is such the ladies man :)

 

Let me break this down for you: a nativity scene with Darth Vader as the angel, Tommy Pickles as Baby Jesus, Power Rangers as Mary and Joseph, and Smurfs as the three Wise Men. I think that says it all.

 

A very classic Christmas scene on this one. We were all concerned, because let's just say that Kristin operates on a different wave length than the rest of us. "Thinking outside of the box" doesn't really describe her creative process.

 

Katie and her light up sweater, complete with snowman pocket and elbow patches, and reindeer shoulder pads.

 

My sweater was a snowman in a winter wonderland setting, with color- coordinated snowflakes.

 

That's a whole lotta creativity right there.

 

It was just an amazing night. We loved seeing our friends and family, and sharing fun stories with everyone. I think the moment that confirmed it was a success was when people I do not even know starting "liking" and commenting on the pictures Katie was posting on facebook in the middle of the party. Not gonna lie, I felt sort of famous in that moment.

 

Mallory and I agreed at the end of it that we would have to start planning NOWNOWNOW if we even hope next year to top Katie's sweater. Perhaps I could pull off a depiction of Santa's sleigh, with moving reindeer? Or am I just posting that to throw Katie off the scent? We will have to wait and see.

 

This Foodie Friday I will post the recipe for the most popular dish at the party.

 

 

 

 

Love,

Shana

 

 

 

 



Oh Target, You Tempting Mistress

Top o' the Mornin' to Ya Bloggies!!

How is everyone? I hope the answer is, "Fantastic!"

So, I am yet again going to post about my party this weekend. I am just SO EXCITED, I cannot even tell you. I have so much new, shiny stuff to use, and all of our friends will be here(well, most of them, HERB), and it just really promises to be a magical evening for all.

So, the sweaters. I know you are DYING to know about the sweaters, and the craftiness, and the magic of what mine will be. Well, sorry, it's a secret. Only Mallory knows. She and I went shopping yesterday for our sweater supplies, and let me just say this: we were gone all day. Seriously, like seven hours worth of sweater supply shopping.

However, as Brian might point out(thanks, BRIAN), I did ransack Target, and not just for sweater-making. I went nuts on the decor aisle. Mallory witnessed the carnage. This is pretty much how the trip to Target went:

Me: I am only here to shop for sweater stuff....these napkins are adorable. I need them.

Mal: Ohhhhh, these snowflake ones are pretty, too. You need them.

Me: And there's matching plates! I need them.

Mal: And a matching tablecloth! You need it.

Me: A "Happy Hanukkah" sign! I need it.

Mal: And dreidels! And gelt! You need them.

Me: And candles and stockings! I need them.

Mal: I think you just pretty much need the entire holiday section.

Me: Pretty much. Where is a clerk? Wrap it up.

It was on like Donkey Kong yesterday, because I knew I needed decor and party favors and plates and napkins and forks and spoons and knives, oh my! But I just hadn't realized HOW MUCH I needed until yesterday. So, the store is stocked. My guest room looks like a party-supply room. Which Brian keeps reminding me is also his office. Which I keep reminding him has nothing to do with my stockpile of tinsel so HANDS OFF.

But back to the sweaters. Mallory and I both got everything we needed to make ours, and Friday she will be coming back over to craft with me! I will just say that Mal's sweater might just be the most adorable thing ever. If she weren't my BFF, I might have to wait until she finished making it and then smother her and steal her sweater. Oh, what? Did I just type that?

Anywho, it's just really very exciting to plan this party and build the anticipation of the grand holiday sweater contest and I cannot wait to share photos with you all! I promise that as soon as Monday hits I will at least have some of the pictures edited and ready to go.

Also, I will do my best not to forget about Foodie Fridays tomorrow. I am going to go plan it now so I have my notes ready bright and early.

Wrapped in tinsel,
Shana

Get Your Sweater On

Good Afternoon Bloggies!

SO, Christmas sweaters. I am planning on making some. As you may know, this weekend is the Inaugural London Holiday Party, and the theme this year is ugly holiday sweaters. So, naturally, I couldn't just go out and BUY one. That would be too simple. I am making my own. But the great thing is, now it has turned into a contest. Everyone coming is making their own!

I am currently in a text convo with my BFF Mal regarding said holiday sweaters since we are going to have a craft day tomorrow to bust these suckers out and dominate this contest. Mal, by the way, always sends the funniest texts EVER. A sampling of various texts over the past few weeks:

Mal: (picture of sweater leggings) You must get some!

Me: What are they???? They look glorious. Are they leggings?

Mal: They are sweater leggings. So, sweattings?? They have improved my life by 100%.

______

Me: Let's go dancing this weekend. Girls' night!

Mal: That is exactly what I need to erase the memory of my horrible date last night. Shana, he had a Fergie tattoo. Wtf? What do you even say to that?

Me: Well, what did you say?

Mal: I didn't, I just got up and left.

_______

Mal: I'm thinking my sweater for the party will have a Baby Jesus theme.


Oh, she keeps me in stitches. So, tomorrow, Mallory and I will be hitting the stores to find some sweaters, and some crafty items to hot glue onto them. I'm thinking a tree theme for mine, with bells and ornaments? Too predictable? I'm really interested to see how she pulls off the Baby Jesus theme. Perhaps with a baby doll and some tissue paper?

My Mom always laughs at me and Brian and our friends. She says we are all like big children that somehow manage to be responsible and have our own homes and jobs and pay our bills and do all the things adults need to do, but outside of that we are all pretty much 12 at heart. And I agree! I have never understood people who reach adulthood and suddenly think the fun is over and they are never allowed to indulge in child-like wonder and hilarity ever again.

I think the best part of being an adult is that you can really be a kid when you want because there is no one there to tell you not to, like when you were a child. I can spoil my dinner all I want with cookies! I can wear reindeer pajamas all day if I want, and even to the grocery store if the mood should strike. I can take myself to see the Lion King 3D every day for an entire month if I choose. My friends and I can have sleepovers and stay up as late as we want and eat an entire gallon of ice cream and be loud and watch movies with R ratings...not that we would ever do that, *cough, cough*, because, you know, it's not healthy to eat that much ice cream and we obviously need our sleep to go to work the next day. And we would never watch the official documentary on the Back Street Boys or anything if we DID have such a sleepover. No, that would never happen. We are dignified and watch serious, foreign films with subtitles *cough, cough*.

I promise to post pictures of all the holiday sweaters and the party and possibly some reindeer pajama pics. :) I also promise to post my wedding pictures which I have been talking about for almost a month now, but I am still waiting on them and I am starting to itch and bite my nails to nothing because I want them NOWNOWNOWNOWNOW...but again, I am a LADY and an ADULT and will practice patience.

What? No, that doesn't sound like me at all. I will instead leave hinting, nagging comments on my photographer's facebook page until he gets sick of me and sends me the photos.

In his defense, he did have to photo shop two HUGE pizza slices off of me, since that is what I chose to eat two days before my wedding at Vinny Van Go-Go's in Savannah, GA. I wasn't exactly "watching" what I ate in the weeks leading up to my wedding. Well, that's not true. I watched my food intake. I watched it go from my plate, to my fork, to my mouth. And then I watched myself repeat the process like 40 billion times.

Until then, is it just me? Do you have any child-like habits or activities that you like to do now that you are an adult? I want to know!

Love,
Shana

Photo Evidence of My Weirdness

 

Hi again Bloggies!

 

Because I love you all so much, I decided to also post for your viewing pleasure some various photos from the last few weeks that demonstrate how wacky things got for me. I hope you enjoy.

 

 

 

 

O.M.G. Crazy story. I have been following this dog, 50, on facebook for a few weeks. Then, the day after my wedding, in Savannah, I ran into him!! And his delightful Mommy! She let me take a picture, and then 50 let me feed him my hashbrowns.

 

Me and Max when I decided to buy Christmas costumes for the animals. Doesn't he look amazing?? Kristin took this photo, then we sent it to Brian. He told me the torture must stop. I told him to call the photographer.

 

 Max, the night we came home from Savannah. He missed his cuddles. This picture is just too cute to even be funny.

 



The crazy crab hat I bought in Savannah!! My Mom told me she would buy me a hat while we were there before the wedding, but then I picked this one out. She decided to go in a different direction and got me this totally awesome dragon hat. But I still purchased this one. This is why I work people. To be able to wear crabs on my head.

 

Me and Brian the day after our wedding. In front of a London phone booth :) I think the pose speaks for itself.

 

 

So, there you have it.

 

 

Yours in crabs,

Shana



OOPS!

Ok, Bloggies, I lied.

The last post was not my last post as a single girl. This is.

I just wanted to make sure I did this one early enough to get momentum. I am doing a holiday giveaway. I will send one lucky bloggie a giftcard and one special holiday surprise right after Thanksgiving. Unless you need it FOR Thanksgiving, in which case all you have to do is tell me that in your comment and I will make sure it happens.

Just tell me your holiday preference(i.e. Hanukkah, Christmas, Festivus, Thanksgiving, etc.) and I will send you a surprise for that holiday.

On a somewhat related note, I also want to try and start a holiday miracle. If you are in need of help this holiday season, or want to help others but are not sure where to start, I am going to play Santa/Hanukkah Harry. Just email me or tweet me or comment me and I will match you up with help. Everyone deserves a wonderful holiday, and I am going to do my best to make sure it happens. I know it's early, but there's no time like the present.

Best of luck bloggies, and I will see you on the other side!

Love,
Shana

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...Unless You're A Hater

Happy Monday Bloggies!

I hope you all had fabulous weekends! Here in Florida, it is just starting to get coldish outside, and so I may seem more perky than usual because like my dog, Holly, I get all kinds of tail-wagging excited when it drops below 70 degrees(which, to all of you northerners, is a HUGE deal here in the Sunshine State).

So, I wanted to share with you all the struggle I go through every year around this time regarding Christmas, and the holidays in general. You see, I am Jewish. I wasn't raised in a strictly Jewish household, and we celebrated Christmas every year because my Mom is Christian and my Dad is Jewish. But I myself am a Jew, it's what I have always identified with and it's the religion I practice. To me, being a Jew is as natural as having my unruly, curly hair that I lovingly blame my Aunt Beth for (Hi Aunt Beth!). I could not imagine myself without it.

But, I love Christmas.

There, I said it. I love Christmas. And by Christmas, I guess I should clarify to say that I love the music and the snowflakes and the smell of Balsam trees. The magical idea of elves and a north pole and presents that come wrapped in glittering paper with huge bows. So, it really is the non-religious part of the holiday that I love. I don't go to Church or celebrate Baby Jesus' Birthday, although I totally respect that others in my family do and I think that's wonderful.

I myself light our Menorah every year, and Brian and I say the Baruch together and lovingly watch as the wax melts each night, reminding us of the miracles of perseverance, belief in the impossible, and the wondrous lights of Hanukkah. Since we live so far away from the rest of our own tribe, it is just the two of us each year, but that's enough for now, and eventually we will have our own little clan to light the candles with.

But I also jump out of bed the day after Thanksgiving like a little elf myself and immediately start putting up the tinsel and dusting off the Christmas village I am collecting every year, hanging the wreath on the door and fastening the shining snowflakes to the eaves of our china cabinet (so my kitties don't eat them), and then going out and picking the perfect tree (we are getting one this year BRIAN) to bring home and drape with the ornaments given to me by my Mother, and her Mother before her, and her Mother before her.

**Side note, Brian doesn't have a problem with the tree itself, but we live in a second story condo, and guess who has to drag the 100lb monster I picked up the stairs. :)

So, what is the struggle, you ask? The struggle is that I always get people who want to rain on my proverbial Christmas parade. They say I can't have Christmas because I am a Jew. "It's not right" they say.

Well, to those people, I say, "Haters gonna hate."

Don't hate on my amazing holiday display! Just because my Christmas village has frighteningly realistic snow-covered trees and real street lights that twinkle and I put little incense cones in my houses so that smoke comes out the chimney doesn't mean you have to be all bitter about it and give me crap. I put on my Michael Buble Christmas songs CD and light my Balsam candles and get my holiday on like no one's business!

And in the words of Kat Williams, "Don't say my hair isn't luxurious when you know it is, bitch."

Instead, my hair is my tree, and it's magnificent rather than luxurious. Well, the tree can be rather luxurious. Aren't you my beautiful fur??

But, is it just me? Why do people have to hate on how others choose to celebrate the holidays? I'm not asking these people over to partake of my AMAZING cranberry stuffing or enjoy my DELICIOUS baked brie with real fruit preserves and homemade sesame crisps. I'm also not asking them to come see my beautiful Menorah collection or my super cute Hanukkah cutting board for delightful bites of yummy-ness.So, what do they care?

How about you, bloggies? Do you have traditions that other people don't understand or try to tell you are wrong?

Either way, you get out there and be the little holiday elves I know you can be! 

This is a pic of my holiday ducks that my Grandmother gave me. They were hers, and I had wanted them for years. Now they are mine, all mine.


Much Love,
Shana