All Good Things Must End

I would say we have the post-holiday blues.  We left our friends and family back in CT and headed back to NJ this weekend.  We both had a blast catching up with everyone and would have liked to make the trip longer, but the wedding of our friends Ian and Michele on Saturday night sure brightened our spirits after saying goodbye to everyone up north (details on the holiday and wedding to come, but frankly I am quite exhausted after all the shenanigans and do not have the energy right now)!
I hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday, and is enjoying the snow.  Us poor folks in South Jersey are snowless.  Not even one flake.  Not one.

Just wanted to pop in and share a quick recipe, which I made tonight with my brand new digital, programmable crockpot (Christmas present from BearFace which I am in love with after only one use)!  After all the holiday feasting, a bit of drinking, and lot of dessert-eating this week, I am definitely looking forward to returning to a normal diet!

I'm in love.

White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

I adapted this recipe to work for the crockpot, and also added some sausage for extra protein.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, sliced
1 small white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 15 oz. can cannellini beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
3-6 cups kale, chopped or ripped
Black pepper
Salt

1. Saute onions, sausage, bay leaf and garlic over medium heat about 5 minutes until onions are translucent and sausage is just browned.  Meat will finish cooking in the crockpot.
2. Add chicken broth, undrained beans, and sausage mixture to crockpot and turn on High for 1 hour.
3. Turn heat to Low for an additional 3 hours.  
4. Add kale and cook for another 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I served with toasted ciabatta rolls for dipping.  Warm, healthy, and satisfying!  

In with the good, out with the bad!

Home for the Holidays

The Christmas countdown is ticking by fast!  Only one more half day of work tomorrow, our work Secret Santa lunch/party, and then a 4 1/2 hour drive home for the holidays.  BearFace, Murphy and I will be making the trek back to our home state once more....for me it will be the first time since the beginning of October, so I am SUPER excited to see family, friends, AND my eyebrow maintain-er (I only trust one person on Earth with my eyebrows!)  

It will certainly be a busy week, since I only have a few days to pack everyone on my list into the schedule.  Here's what it looks like so far:

• Monday night: Annual Italian Christmas Eve at Aunt Mollie's, complete with Christmas Jager Bombs and the Annual BeerPong Championship (in which I have yet to make it past the first round...)
• Tuesday: Christmas with Drew's family (finally get to see his nieces after about 6 months!), then Christmas round two with my family.  Hopefully topping off the night at the movies to see the new Quentin Tarantino film, Django Unchained.  Unbelievably excited about this movie!  
• Wednesday: meet up with MagSauce for a bit of catch-up, then rendezvous with Jenny at UConn, our old stomping grounds.  On the docket for the day?  UConn dairy bar, Wings Over Storrs, visiting long-lost pony friends, and maybe Margarita's for an early dinner.  
• Thursday: Riding with Sarah, a few appointments, and then heading to West Hartford for happy hour with some of my favorite girls.
• Friday: Reserving this day for family time and Murphy's annual vet visit.  
• Saturday: heading back early morning for Ian and Michele's wedding in PA.

A whirlwind week, but I know I will love every minute of it!

BearFace and I already started warming up for the festivities this weekend.  My dear BeenBag came home for the holidays on Saturday.  Since her parents only live about an hour away from us in Alloway, we were able to visit her (of course she HAD to move to Wisconsin only a few months before I moved to NJ!  Wisconsin, really?!).  She took us to Atlantic City for our first taste of the casinos.  We ate at The Continental at Caesar's Palace.  This being the first restaurant we've eaten at in Atlantic City, I'm really not an expert.  But you should eat there.  Just do it (Three words: buffalo chicken meatballs).    

After dinner, we sent BearFace home and spent the night snuggling and movie-watching, which basically sums up the two years that we lived together in college.  

The best ex-wifey I could ask for!  

And this guy....

I spent Sunday doing laundry, packing, and baking for our Christmas party at work. 

Snowman Cupcakes 

1 box vanilla cake mix

1 container vanilla frosting

Sugar sprinkles

Mini chocolate chips

Peanut butter chips

1. Bake cake according to directions.  Cool cupcakes, then frost.
2. Coat with sugar sprinkles, then add chips to make eyes and nose.

So cheerful, I almost don't want to eat them.  HAH that's a lie.

Peppermint Cake Balls

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 container chocolate frosting

6 candy canes, crushed

Peppermint extract

2 bags Wilton candy melts (I get these at Michael's)

1. Bake cake according to package directions.  While still warm, remove cake from pan and crumble into bowl.
2. Add entire container of frosting to warm cake and mix until combined.  Mix in about 1 tsp peppermint extract.  
3. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then roll mixture into 1 inch balls.  Place on cookie sheet on wax paper.
4. Melt candy melts according to package directions.
5. Using 2 spoons, roll cake balls in melted candy until coated, then place on wax paper.  
6. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top (This must be done immediately, before candy coating hardens or it won't stick). 

I actually paid Santa's elves to make these.

In conclusion, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, and gets to spend some quality time with their loved ones!