Me, a Foodie?!

Yesterday, I stumbled across Yelp's Top 10 Restaurants of 2011. Turns out that I have been to 7 out of the 10 restaurants on the list. Two of the 3 I am missing are in SD, which I don't travel to much, and NY, which I haven't been to since I was 14. So, what does this mean? Does this fact make me a foodie? I certainly do use Yelp to find restaurants (and other places, such as venues and hair salons) however, I don't post reviews or check in or take pictures of food at restaurants (much). Anywho, I'll just continue the way I have been and call me a foodie if you please, however, I have never considered myself one.

On another note, I was surprised that most of the restaurants are in LA and of course it was nice to see an OC restaurant on the list. Represent! Woo!

Holiday Cookies

I wanted to get this post in before it became too far away from the holidays. Each year, I like to bake holiday cookies for my family, neighbors, and friend's families. This year (2011), I gave out cookie plates but decided to move away from the traditional holiday cookies. I made the following: Coconut Sandwich Cookies (left), Lime Meltaways (back), and Chili Chocolate Truffles (right). All of the recipes I used are either from marthastewart.com or inspired from a recipe on there. Though I liked them all, my favorite was surprisingly the Coconut Sandwich Cookies. (I thought it would have been the Lime Meltaways!)

I did make one traditional holiday cookie and it was Gingerbread People Cookies. I made these for my cousins to decorate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Again, I got the recipe off marthastewart.com. I love her site and all of her recipes. The kids had lots of fun decorating and eating the cookies!

Reindeer Candy Canes

First of all...apologies for my absence but I'm back and just in time for the holidays!

I wasn't feeling the holiday cheer until this week. It started when I substituted in an after school workshop and watched Elf with the students. It is one of my favorite holiday movies.

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." - Buddy

That quote motivated me to listen to Christmas music and got me into the holiday spirit. Also, there was an ugly sweater party at my office that I had to miss because I had an offsite meeting, where we went ice skating in Embarcadero, which is equally as festive. I decided to make a little treat for everyone in the office and at my meeting. I got lots of compliments on them on my train ride to work. Here they are...

 

Reindeer Candy Canes

Supplies Need:*

• Peppermint Candy Canes
• Brown Pipe Cleaners
• Small Googly Eyes (~7mm)
• Small Pom Poms (I used glitter ones)
• Thin Green Ribbon (cut into ~6 inch pieces)
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun

How to assemble:

1. Plug in your hot glue gun so it can warm up. 
2. Cut the pipe cleaner into about 3 inch pieces. Taking one 3 inch pipe cleaner center it at the top of the candy cane and twist. Taking smaller pieces of pipe cleaner (~3/4 inch) and twist onto the attached pipe cleaner to make it look more like antlers. 
3. Now your glue gun should be warmed up. Using it, glue on the pom pom and eyes.
4. Take the ribbon and tie a bow around the long part of the candy cane. 

*Note: These are the suggest materials that I used. I decided on these materials to stick with Christmas colors but its up to you what you want to use. Below are examples of other colors I did when I ran out of peppermint candy canes and red pom poms.

 

I can't wait to be home for the holidays!