New year resolution 2012: Quit the gym

Each year I set up an ambitious list of new year resolutions, many of which are completely unattainable for my life/schedule/personality (i.e. read War and Peace) and they fall away after about three weeks.

So this year I'm simply re-emphasizing the good habits I already have and eliminating the stuff that doesn't work for me. One of those things being the loud, obnoxious gym I've been going to for the past three years.

For a long, long time I only considered something a "work out" if it made me feel like I was going to collapse and die mid-way through. Oh, what fun. That changed when I started doing yoga.

Last year I tried Vinyasa yoga at Cranston, RI-based Studio Exhale and it changed my entire view on fitness. Yoga is a way to be physically, mentally and spiritually fit. I feel so healthy in every way after a yoga class that I can't see myself going back to those intense cardio classes at the gym where instructors scream at me for an hour as I torture myself under unflattering flourescent lighting. Plus, I'm already thin (thanks, genetics) so losing weight is not a goal. If I need to do cardio, I'll go for a walk or run at the park. Far more appealing that running on a treadmill at the gym.

Here are a few other 2012 resolutions:

Support local farmers and businesses. I already do this as often as possible, but watching Food Inc. supercharged my resolve to become a locavore. Organizations such as Farm Fresh Rhode Island make it easy to find local farmers markets and suppliers.

Be a great wife to my fabulous husband. He deserves it.

Don't become a hermit during the winter months. Bundle up and get out there.

Create more art. I love to paint, photograph, and draw but don't make the time to do that nearly enough. Hopefully, this year I will.

And if I don't fullfill these resolutions to the fullest, I vow not to mentally beat myself up. (That's the toughest resolution of all).

Happy new year!

Bella's Biscuits

Every Christmas we run around from store to store searching for the perfect gifts to show friends and family that we care by giving them discounted merchandise. It's a stressful time that should be pleasant for many people.

But coming home to our wonderful, adorable dog is an instant de-stresser this time of year and every day.

So, I always bake my girl cookies and make enough for some of our other favorite pups. One of Bella's favorite homemade treats comes from the Healthy Doggie Biscuits Book by Jonna Anne. I adapted one recipe using apples by switching in bananas (which Bella loves) to make these healthy dog treats:

Oatmeal-Banana-Peanut Butter Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup Rolled Oats

3 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1 large banana (or two small bananas)

1 cup of cold water

Place oats and whole wheat in a bowl, then add peanut butter and sliced banana. Blend it all together and add the cold water. Blend it together and add a bit more water until it becomes a thick batter.

Roll out the dough on a floured counter (or on parchment paper) and cut out cookies - about 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until crisp. Let cool and serve.

Our best friends deserve these treats! Especially for being good sports about our need to dress them in embarrassing holiday attire.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas cocktail: Rosemary Cosmo

I made up this Rosemary Cosmo today, just in time for Christmas. Cranberry, vodka and rosemary simple syrup screams holidays. If you love rosemary, this is the cocktail for you this time of year.

Rosemary simple syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Put ingredients into a saucepan and boil for about five minutes. Let cool.

Rosemary Cosmo


1 part vodka

2 parts cranberry juice

1 Tbsp Rosemary simple syrup

Sprig of rosemary for garnish


Mix the vodka, cranberry juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker full of ice. Pour into a martini glass, garnish and enjoy.

If you want to be fancy, you can make sugared rosemary sprigs, which look gorgeous in the martini.




I simply wet the rosemary, rolled it in a saucer of sugar crystals, and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.



I also froze some fresh cranberries in an ice cube tray to put in drinks as an added garnish. Christmas in a glass. Have one - or two - and you'll have no choice but to be merry and bright.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

We had friends over this weekend for an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Such a great time!There are some hilarious sweaters on websites such as Tipsyelves.com but I made ours on the cheap by getting two sweaters at Savers and adding iron-on flair from a craft store.

My guests were way more creative though.

The sweater on the left won the "best of" prize, mainly because of the 3-D blinking Ruldolph nose and the cotton tail on his behind. There are also two strategically placed jingle bells...

Another couple bedazzled their sweaters with gingerbread men, Christmasy pom-poms and garland. Other people bought their holiday sweaters from hell on ebay or borrowed them from their mothers. (Each mom reportedly said, "This sweater is not ugly").

Our menu included a roasted pepper and eggplant dip, chourico and peppers, meatballs, chicken wings and a family friend's Ruben dip that everyone died for.

Here's that recipe:

8 oz. shredded swiss cheese
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
9-12 oz corned beef, diced
12-16 oz. sourkraut
1 cup mayo
Round rye bread

Mix together the dip ingredients with a spoon and then cut the center out of the rye loaf. Fill the center with the dip and bake it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

I also baked gingerbread men and decorated them with their very own ugly Christmas sweaters.

These guys were a total hit. And they were delicious (thank you, Duncan Hines).

Happy Holidays!

Destination Wedding Jamaica Recap

I've been on hiatus from blogging since October because preparing for a destination wedding took up a lot of my time. But I'm back. I'm married. And I'm starting to get back on the "real life" track.
Here's our experience, in a nutshell:

On November 5 we were married on one of Jamaica's beautiful beaches. The resort was Secret's St. James Resort and Spa in Montego Bay. If you like good food, happy people, beach time and beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea, this is the place for you.

When we arrived, we met with the wedding coordinators who I had been emailing with over the past year. We picked out what we wanted from the options they provided - which were all lovely - and they took care of everything. We didn't have to worry about doing much of anything other than showing up (and paying the bill).

In fact, the day of the wedding, I relaxed on the beach reading magazines until it was time for my hair appointment. My husband went snorkeing with his brother all afternoon. I'm fairly certain that if we had a wedding at home, our "day of" would have been a tad more stressful.

The (non-denominational) minister was wonderful. He made us laugh when we cried during our vows because we couldn't have my makeup running.

At sunset, we cut the cake and danced our first dance. The photos were spectacular.

(Our first dance to "At Last" by Etta James)

Since we bought the Ultimate Wedding Package for 20 guests, we had a cocktail hour with hors d'ourves and a steel drum band, followed by a reception with a delicious five course dinner.

We hired a DJ and danced. Then we hit the Piano Bar, then the resort's nightclub. We left just before the club closed at 2 a.m., when my feet could no longer stand the pain of my gorgeous something blue Badgley Mischkas.

(My purse, orchid bouquet and my something blue shoes)

When we arrived back to our suite, it was decorated with rose petals and towels shaped into swans on the bed. The jacuzzi tub was filled and topped with rose petals and candles.


Some perks of the wedding package we bought included my hair and makeup (which I had to wash off and redo myself. I looked like a hooker), a couples massage and an enourmous champagne breakfast in bed the morning after our wedding. It also included 50 5X7 photos and a 30 minute video of the ceremony as well as free nights for our anniversary stay. (We can't wait to take advantage of that one).

Thankfully, the party didn't end when the wedding was over. We organized a group Zipline and Canopy Tour excursion (through Chukka) for our guests the afternoon after our wedding. We flew through the trees, over rivers and hiked the Jamaican forest. Our guests loved it -- even the ones who said they were somewhat afraid of heights!

After a week at Secrets, my husband and I went to Negril for a private honeymoon experience. We stayed at the acclaimed RockHouse Hotel - a green boutique hotel and spa that ranks among the top hotels in the world -- and for good reason. It was breathtaking -- the cliffs, the ocean views, the food, the cocktails -- everything we experienced during our four days there exceeded our expectations.

(Sitting on the patio wall of our private waterfront villa)

Especially the sunsets.

Pumpkintini

After making these yummy Pumpkin Spice Muffins I had about 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree leftover. What to do with it? Add vodka, of course!

I know it's simple to buy Pumpkin Liquer to make cocktails but it's also pretty easy to whip up a pumpkin cocktail using natural ingredients you probably have around the house this time of year -- pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, and graham crackers.

The concoction I came up with is based on the ingredients in a simple pumpkin pie recipe with vanilla vodka and cinnamon simple syrup for sweetness. If you love pumpkin pie, you will die for this!

How to make a Pumpkin Martini:

1 shot of vanilla vodka
1 Tablespoon of pure pumpkin puree
Splash of Cinnamon Simple Syrup
1/2 shot fat free half and half
2 cloves
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Graham cracker, crushed (for rim)

Fill a shaker with ice and shake together all ingredients (except for the graham crackers) until ice cold. Rub a bit of simple syrup along the rim of your martini glass and dip the glass in the graham cracker crumbs. Pour cocktail.

Perfect for a cool Autumn night or as a Halloween party cocktail.

Skinny Jeans Margarita

This weekend a friend and I stopped by the recently re-opened Loft Restaurant & Lounge at NYLO in Warwick for a cocktail. This place is uber modern and chic and had a fabulous terrace along the Pawtuxet River.

I ordered the Skinny Jeans Margarita, a bright blue version of the SkinnyGirl Margarita which is really light -- strong -- and easy to recreate at home.

Ingredients:

1 shot of clear tequila

1/2 shot blue curacao

Lime juice (from two wedges)

Mix it all together in a cocktail shaker with ice and pour into a margarita or rocks glass. If you like some fizz, add a splash of club soda.

(Just be aware that while you will look fabulous sipping this cocktail, you will also have Shar-pei tongue after drinking it).