Tag: holidays

Protein Hot Chocolate PLUS Latke Party

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Source. 

Winter is coming. (SIDE NOTE: How come only those in the southern hemisphere actually get to watch Game of Thrones in the winter? Wouldn’t it be more impactful if we could watch it when it was actually cold, instead of April? Discuss.)

Or at least the calendar says that. On Monday it was SEVENTY DEGREES! In DECEMBER! In NEW JERSEY! (I swear I’m not complaining. Losing more than a hundred pounds makes the days below 50 degrees pretty miserable for me these days.)

Even so, Christmas IS coming, and with Christmas, comes the expectation of warm, chocolaty beverages. For example, hot cocoa.

I really love a richer, creamier hot chocolate, but can’t stand the empty calories. I mean, really, it’s sugar and fat, and oftentimes, it’s way too sweet and not chocolaty enough for me. So the other day at work I was brainstorming with my coworker and Master Watchmaker Tom, and suddenly my eyes popped open wide.

“EUREKA!” I said. Okay, I didn’t say eureka, because I don’t know anyone who actually says that. But I did say “PROTEIN HOT CHOCOLATE!” A quick Google search confirmed that it could be done, with one small caveat.

Protein powder curdles when you overheat it.

In maybe the most disgusting way ever. Even more disgusting than not drinking an Irish Car Bomb fast enough. Trust me. So the key to this recipe is temperature.

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  • 1 scoop whey protein powder (I use Isopure Zero Carb Vanilla)
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Tollhouse)
  • 8 ounces hot (NOT BOILING OR CLOSE TO BOILING) water

In a mug, add protein powder and cocoa powder. While whisking (I used a handled milk frother) slowly pour in the hot (BUT NOT BOILING OR CLOSE TO BOILING ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME I AM NOT KIDDING) water, stirring vigorously until smooth. And if you’ve done it right, you’ll have a creamy, rich, almost hot chocolate with a whopping 25g protein (if you use the same brand I did). My mug was fewer than 150 calories, and healthy enough to be guilt-free.

BONUS – LATKE PARTY

Sunday night was my the last night of Hannukah and my Boss’s annual Latke party! As usual, I ate far too many latkes and donuts (thanks, 80/20 diet rule for making the occasional indulgence okay) but had an absolute blast. Here are some highlights:

Are any of you going to any awesome parties?!

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Art of Frugal Giving, Part III – The Gift of Experience

This is the third and final installment of a short series of blogs showcasing different ways you can give inexpensive but meaningful gifts to the ones you love. You can read my two previous installments about the Gift of Thought and the Gift of Craft. Today’s entry is about the Gift of Experience.

In a world where we put a lot of focus on things, we often lose sight of what’s truly important. What’s more important than spending time with those you love the most? It’s a gift that gives back, brings as much joy as it provides.

The Gift of Nature

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PHOTO COURTESY of Longwood Gardens

Does your loved one love the outdoors? Hiking? Trail-running? Why not take them on a back woods adventure, if you can drive to one. Or camping. If they’re not quite as outdoorsy, what about a drive through the mountains with a picnic? Even a trip to a secluded beach if you live near the ocean or a lake could be lovely. Even if being outdoorsy isn’t YOUR thing, your loved one will appreciate you choosing to spend time with them in an environment they love.

The Gift of Culture

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CREDIT: B. KRIST FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA

This amazing country of ours has an extensive museum system. Many of them are free (especially if you’re lucky enough to live close to Washington, DC and access the Smithsonian museum system). I know here in the Philadelphia area we have an exquisite Museum of Art, as well as the more offbeat Mutter Museum. Add to that all the historical significance of the area and you have a plethora of selections. Surely your loved one will love one of them! Are you a good cook? What about helping your loved one explore new foods? Cook them a nice dinner and enjoy it together.

The Gift of Learning

There are few things in life that help people bond more than learning something together. Is there a local class you could take together? Perhaps pottery, cooking or birdwatching. Or maybe something more active, like an exercise class, interpretive dance, or learning a musical instrument? These don’t have to be expensive. If money is really tight, invite your loved one over, fire up YouTube.com and learn something via video! (I’ll tell you a deep dark secret, don’t tell anyone okay? If I don’t know how to do something, I Google it! I have learned so much this way, included how to do hoop knitting. You can do it, too!) My favorite learning gift is cooking together. Does your loved one have a favorite recipe of yours? Show them how you make it, or work on perfecting a new recipe together.

This concludes my three part series on frugal gift giving! I really hope you found some value in these types of gifts and that you use some for your loved ones! I know I will be! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Merry Kwanzaa, etc, etc!

So You Want to Host Your First Christmas Dinner

christmas-dinner-rk1azhycSo maybe you’re not the most confident cook, but you’re stuck at home over the holidays while family is far away. Maybe you want to try having a few people over and sharing in that holiday spirit. (Okay, maybe this my MY story, except it ain’t my first rodeo. But I’m stuck at home AGAIN this year, so instead of spending the entire day in my pajamas pouting I invited my friend Sharon over for dinner!) So I thought I might write up a little tutorial on how to plan for a small holiday dinner party.

Step One

Keep it small. Starting off with too many guests is a recipe for disaster. We’re just having one guest, but I’d say if you’re in a couple, choose another couple and stick to just the four of you. You’re going to enjoy yourselves even if it’s a small group, and only having to worry about one or two extra people really helps reduce the stress, especially if you’re close friends! Bonus if those people are willing to be involved in the prep.

Step Two

Keep it casual. Please do not decide you’re going to make beef wellington for a dozen guests. This is the definition of insanity. I’m an intermediate cook, and beef wellington is HARD. Choose dishes that don’t require you to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, out of sight. I plan on making a lot of things that can be prepped ahead of time. Here’s my menu:

  • Baked Ham
  • Cheesy Potato Casserole (Boiled potatoes, cubed and mixed with sour cream, cheese and chives)
  • Brown Butter Balsamic Green Beans
  • Russian Black Bread
  • Pear, Pomegranate & Spinach Salad

The only thing that needs to be prepped last minute are the green beans.

I’m also not going to worry about fancy place settings or courses. Everything’s going on the table at once, and we’ll help ourselves.

Step Three

Make it personal. Do you have an ethnic family recipe that you can share with your friends? I plan to make potica for dessert, as long as I remember to ask my grandma for the recipe! Sharing your cultural background with friends is a great way to show you care. What about a family tradition you can share?

Step Four

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Okay, maybe not this much fun. Source

Make room for fun! Do you have board games? A Wii? Be goofy and have some fun!

So, are you hosting anyone for the holidays this year? What are your tips for keeping your cool? Let me know in the comments!