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December 28, 2012

I love lists, Friday!

  1.  Why Beards Change Everything. HAHAHAA
  2. The dog & piglets are my favorite!
  3. Allison made me this lip gloss. It’s AWESOME. You should make some.
  4. If you have a kid, this might make you laugh. Swiper, no swiping!
  5. 8 Mistakes Not to Make on NYE.  Good to know.
  6. Sriracha in a toddy?! I love this!!
  7. This soup looks absolutely divine.
  8. Must get me some Yuzu so I can make this drink.
  9. 15 Food Blogger Trends that Need to Go.  Some good ones in there.
  10. A BIG Congrats to my friend Katie!! Your engagement ring is stunning!
  11. I wonder if my hands are delicate enough for this…probably not.
  12. The Gift of Quiet  for Christmas sounds like perfection.
  13. 10 Things to Make You Happier at Home. AMEN!
  14. I’m thinking of getting a Kindle. Do you have one? Do you love it? TELL ME.
  15. You excited for GIRLS season two??? I AM!!!

 MY BITES AROUND THE NET:

Beckster’s Laboratory adapted my Persimmon & Butter Lettuce Salad.

Bea’s Bites made my Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops.

Julie Doodles also made my Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops!

She Wines Sometimes made my Candy Cane Vodka.

Make Great made my Apricot Pistachio Granola.

Domestrocrat adapted my Roasted Rosemary Almonds.

 

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December 27, 2012

Happy Holidays!!

Friends!

I hope you’re enjoying the holiday week with good food & drink. I hosted 12 people on Christmas Day and survived! I’m not quite sure what day it is though…

I’ll have a Friday list for you tomorrow and my last Everyday Life post of 2012 this weekend! More recipes to follow next week. I’m slowly trying to get back into our everyday routine. I’m sure you can relate.

Happy Holidays to YOU!! I appreciate the heck out of you and your support throughout 2012!

xo

Tracy

(here’s a little picture of our Christmas card!)

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December 24, 2012

Boozy Fruity Mulled Cider


I’ve wanted a Crock Pot for a looooooooong time. Most of the magazines I subscribe to include slow cooker recipes and I always felt slighted because I never had one. In the back of my head I kept thinking about the space a Crock Pot takes up and how often I’d use it and I could never fully make the plunge to purchase one.  Would I only be able to braise meat in it? Would it be a dust collector in my garage? Hmmm.

But then I started entertaining and I realized that maybe I do need one.  Everyone who has one says they love theirs and use it often and apparently it helps you save a lot of time while entertaining. So yeah! Sign me up.

The kind people of Crock Pot offered me one of my very own and of course I said yes. They launched a new brand of customizable Crock-Pots and I jumped right on their super classy black Damask design. They have a cool feature where you can add some of your own photos to the design and while I wanted to fully customize mine…the pictures I’d put on my Crock-Pot probably would be filled with inside jokes that I couldn’t fully explain to the internet.  Catch my drift?

I came up with this Boozy Fruity Mulled Cider as something to offer my guests this Christmas. It’s kind of like a mix between spicy mulled cider, sangria and a bourbon punch. It’s sweet and tangy and tastes like Christmas time. It’s guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winter day.  What I like about this drink  is that I can plug it in, set it on a table and direct people to another place other than my kitchen. You know how everyone loves to hang out in the kitchen….while we’re all trying to work!

CONTINUE READING

My Everyday Life: Week 51

Here’s what this past week looked like:

Getting ready for bed.

CONTINUE READING

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December 21, 2012

I love lists, Friday!

  1. THIS IS SO INSPIRING!!!  Yay, YOGA.
  2. Have you seen this Hipster Thanksgiving? I die.
  3. The Rebirth of  Slow Blogging. Can we really slow down? I hope so!
  4. Both of these cookies look AMAZING.
  5. Custard Orange Vanilla Brioche French Toast? *Drools*
  6. Grumpy Cat. Are you obsessed? I am…
  7. Oh auto correct….how you entertain me!!!!
  8. Avoiding Over Commitment & Enjoying the week of Christmas. YES!
  9. 20 Terrifyingly Awkward Christmas Portraits. You’re welcome.
  10. I didn’t want to like this, but I do!
  11. Shine Bright Like A Diamond.  Get inspired.
  12. Want a good read? The Web We Lost.
  13. I should be eating this salad, but all I can eat is cookies. Can’t stop/won’t.
  14. I’m hoping that this book I just ordered is gonna set me straight in 2013.
  15. 50 Things to Stop Doing Forever. 
  16. I hope one day I’m able to carve out time and make one of these necklaces.

There’s a new Joy the Baker podcast this week! MERRY EAT-MAS to you.

We’re stress eating. It’s real.

 

My Bites Around the Net:

Make it Snappy made my White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels.

Guy and His Girl  made my Candied Citrus Peels.

Cut the Cookie made my Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops.

Stir and Strain adapted my Super Fudgy Brownies.

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December 20, 2012

Tomato-Parsley Bloody Marys

Before we all had kids, Casey and I used to go bowling regularly with his sister & her husband on lazy weekend afternoons.  What do I remember most from those times besides being able to sleep in super late? The killer Bloody Marys we used to inhale. The bowling alley we frequented had a CRAZY deal on $2 Bloody Marys during happy hour and we took welllllllll advantage of that.  To say it improved our bowling game is an understatement.

There was something about those bowling alley Bloody Marys  that sealed my love for Bloody Marys. Must have been the horseradish… I also love Worcestershire & tons of pepper in my Bloody Mary. I can’t get enough! The celery is a fun addition too.

Here’s my first attempt at making Bloody Marys. It’s ridiculously easy. I don’t think I’ll ever rely on Bloody Mary mix again! You best believe this will be on the menu for brunches yet to come. I know what we’re drinking the morning after I host Christmas at my house…

CONTINUE READING

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December 18, 2012

Treat Yo’self (and others!)

Last minute baking/cooking/infusing help is HERE!!! We’re gonna brainstorm with my recipe archives.

Ready? ALL SYSTEMS GO!

CONTINUE READING