Make At Home Superfood Infused Vegan Chocolate Bark

If there is one thing i have a deep love for that never seems to waiver, it's chocolate.  That said, i'm not an 'any-kind-of-chocolate' type of girl.  I don't care for the cheap drug-store chocolates, milk chocolate, or white chocolate.  Rather i should say, i'm not entirely opposed to them, but I just don't get the same 'feels' with them as i do with a deep, dark, rich, slightly sweet, decadent, melt in my mouth, take me to outer-space, type of darker-quality-chocolate.

I also prefer Vegan preparations of chocolate, given my intolerance to dairy, and i love when chocolate is infused with healing herbs, ayurvedic medicinals, coconut, and love....

Enter....my latest affair with chocolate....this simple make-at-home Superfood Infused Vegan Chocolate Bark.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

1 Tbsp Coconut Butter (I used Nutivas coconut manna)

2 Tbsp cacao powder

1 scoop or 1 packet VEGAN Chocolate Shakeology

2 Tbsp Vegan Vanilla Shakeology

Culinary Dried Rose Petals

Sea Salt

What i love about using Shakeology specifically for this recipe is that it infuses the bark with over 70 adaptogenic herbs and superfoods including some of my Ayurvedic favorites such as Ashwagandha and Moringa.  Ashwagandha is a rasayana meaning it's used to promote physical as well as mental health.  Specifically it's known to strengthen your immune system, increases your stamina, and has even been shown to help reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone that makes us store fat).  Moringa is a super-nutrient-dense green packed with anti-oxidants and poly-phenols.  It's known to help with inflammation, is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is revered in Ayurvedic medicine for helping to prevent or treat over 300 dis-eases.

DIRECTIONS:

Start with your base:  Coconut Oil and Coconut Butter

Melt them in a pot stirring over med-high heat stirring often 

Remove from the heat and add in the powdered cacao and shakeology, stirring until all little lumps are smoothed out.

Pour into a non stick container and let set in the fridge for a short moment to cool.

Before the top begins to harden add on any additional toppings; pictured here dried rose leaves and sea salt.  Other great options are goji berries or dried cherries, dried coconut, pumpkin seeds, and sea salt.  Once your toppings are on, place the bark pan in the freezer until frozen (freezes quite quickly).  Remove from freezer once set, break into chunks, and store in the freezer until ready to each (they do melt quite quickly).

Bruised Rosemary Honey Roasted Nuts

Bruised Rosemary & Honey Roasted Nuts:

2 cups raw pecans

2 cups of additional raw nuts such as raw almonds or cashews

3 Tbsps of Ghee (clarified butter which is lactose free)

3 Tbsps of Honey

Coarse Sea Salt

Fresh Rosemary

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt the ghee and honey in a pot on low heat and crank in a little coarse sea salt. Pull the rosemary from it's stem and bruise it into the melted mixture using the back of a spoon to release the oils and fragrance.  Remove from heat and stir in the mixed nuts.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the nut mixture out evenly.  Toast in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, stirring half way through.  Remove from oven crank on more coarse sea salt and allow to cool.  Put in jars, label, and wrap, or serve in jars as light cocktail fare.

Need help staying on track 

through the holidays? 

Join one of my fitness programs now, or simply get on shakeology 

to help balance your cravings this winter.

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'Tis The Season: Chocolate, Wine, & Butternut Squash Soup

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Cheers to a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

Hi Friends!  I hope you all had an amazing and indulgent Holiday.  Amidst all the craziness of the season my blogging ways seem to fall wayside whilst my red wine and chocolate consumption triumphed.  Rather than relying on willpower to keep me disciplined this year i focused on making inspired choices.  In the past relying on my ever absent willpower has left me feeling nothing short of defeated, whereas making many 'inspired choices' in this case to indulge in wine and chocolates has most certainly made me feel less guilty, albeit hasn't helped me fit into my seven jeans any better.

So while i'm figuring out how to properly use 'inspired choice' over willpower i'll need a shoe horn and vaseline to get back into my skinny jeans.  argh.

So yes, it's been a season of indulgences and as happy as i was for Christmas to come (weeeee i love prezzies and caroles, hot cider, decorating the tree, and did i mention chocolate and wine?), i'm happy  that now it has happened and has past.  There were a handful of healthy and fabulous recipes that happened this month too, but mostly what was memorable to me were the prezzies, the chocolate, and the wine.

new prezzies: flannel, beanie, socks, and playing with the 'afterglow' app on my iphone for these great effects

one of the best gifts in the world: watching my pug unwrap prezzies!

My new favorite treat from trader joes (dark chocolate sea salt and turbinado sugar almonds).  I recommend NOT buying them unless you want to eat a container in a day.  Or maybe that's just me?

So if you don't get them, get this instead:

And This....

it's the easiest sipping red around.  I LOVE Apothic Red.  You can get it at Trader Joes or Target.
It's not exclusive by any means, but i'd say impressive for a $10 bottle.

Onward, i have three big announcements (and of course a healthy recipe):

1.  b'Bar in Del Mar opened up.  It's the first of Beaming's Superfood Vitality Bars.  If you've been following the blog for a while you'll know that i've been working with Beaming for the past year.  Now a high end juice and smoothie bar, they make all of their own almond milk in house from organic soaked almonds, use mostly locally sourced ingredients, highest quality superfoods, and everything is organic (and delicious).  If you haven't made it in yet, i'll encourage you to check it out.  You can also follow us on facebook.  I manage the bulk of content that goes through their facebook page.

2.  As of January 1st i'll be adding to and adjusting my yoga schedule and will now also be teaching at Yoga Six in Liberty Station/Point Loma.  It's a beautiful new studio in an old military barracks sandwiched between trader joes (for easy chocolate buying) and many great shops.  Look for me on schedule in the new year for 6am vinyasas on monday/wednesday and mid morning classes on monday and tuesdays.  

3.  This past weekend i shot a yoga segment for Joy Houton's Healthy Happy Hottie online program.  Isabella Cruz (restauranteur and chef) was there cooking up a storm, Joy was showing us her best raw food tricks, and i was getting everyone stretched out.  If i get a copy of the vid i'll post it for you, otherwise you'll have to sign up for Joy's program once it's released.  Details to come...she's always up to great stuff.  Check her and her recipes out at The Delicious Revolution.

And...drumroll please.....It's Recipe Time....

While i haven't been the picture of perfect health lately, i have been trying to balance it all out with plenty of green juices, green smoothies, and healthy hearty soups.  This one was a holiday fave that came to Christmas dinner with me.  It received lots of oooooo's and aaaaaah's and requests for the recipe, and i promise it's super simple.  

Sweet & Spicy Butternut Squash Soup:

Set oven to 400 degrees F

Peel a whole butternut squash.

Chop it into small squares

Melt 1-2 Tbsps of coconut oil in a pan and toss to coat the butternuts squash

Crank on a little sea salt and coarse black pepper

Roast at 400 for about 30 minutes or until soft

Put the squash into a large soup pot with 4 cups of low sodium veggie broth (i used Trader Joes box)

Liberally add penzey's toasted onion, vindaloo spice, and a very small amount of Hot Curry, a half Tbsp of honey, and more black pepper and salt to taste.  

Using a hand immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches a creamy consistency.  You can add water or veggie broth to thin.  

I typically add a couple cups of either water or veggie broth depending what i have on hand.

Who Knew? Roasted Roots & Cranberries

Who knew roasted root veggies and cranberries just kind of ROCK together?  Like peanut butter to jelly and macaroni to cheese, roasted cranberries and root veggies have that same special 'je ne sais quoi'.  Next time you're roasting a pan of root veggies toss in a handful of fresh whole cranberries.  Once roasted and slightly carmelized these astringent little antioxidant rich cranners get all sweet-tart like, dance on your palette, and combined with the earthy sweetness of your favorite roots they just might make your toes curl.  Oh my.  It'll only take you a few minutes to chop your veggies, 25 minutes to cook, and there you have it... You're a chef, dahhhhling, a chef i say!

Roasted Roots and Cranberries:

*chop butternut squash, carrots, and parsnips into equal sized cubes or sticks. 
*add a few handfuls of fresh whole cranberries
*mist with EVOO or combine with 2 tsps of melted ghee,
sea salt, and lots of coarse black or rainbow pepper grinds
*put into an oven at 400 degrees.  Give it 25 minutes, let them cool.


EVEN BETTER...

saute a huge pile of kale in a large non stick pan misted with EVOO.  add sea salt
cover and stir occasionally over medium heat until wilted well and cooked.

SERVE kale, roasted roots, cranberries, and optionally the mustard sauce below into big bowls.  Eat your feast of natures bounty.  Savor and witness as your toes curl.


Mustard sauce

*a spoonful (about 1 1/2 Tbsp) of dijon mustard
*about a tsp of balsamic vinegar
*a little water to thin
*a few drops of liquid stevia to your liking (or honey)

Falling Victim to the Seasonal Seven?: Let Strategy Be Your Anti-Cookie Ammunition

Crisco's on the counter, Mama's baking apple pie.  Granny's pouring stiffies and knocking em' back with the boys and Uncle Joe's making his famous velveeta dip with fritos.  Pop's on his third rummed 'nog and just snuck the dog Aunt Linda's beef yorkshire pie, and your little cousin's in his cowboy gear, high on butter cookies and m&m's, shooting grandpa whose either really dead, or fast asleep on the coach with a piece of fruitcake stuck to his belly.  Welcome to the Holidays!!!

Yup, it's that time of year again.  Where social occasions should be called mandatory obligations, and where not partaking in a cocktail will get you renamed Ebenzer Scrooge quicker than you can say Bah Humbug.  You visit your family, your partner's family, your friend's family, and your friends' friend's family, and while some of it may be fun and entertaining, often we show up completely unsure why we agreed to go.  Either way, all to often we take refuge in too many cocktails, too many cheese plates, too many buttered rolls, and too many traditional treats that remind us of childhood, inevitably finding that seasonal seven, that freshman fifteen, that muffin top or dunlap (where your waist dunlap your pants) or whatever you want to call it, rearing it's ugly head by january (hmmm, and i wonder what your new years resolution will be, AGAIN).  So how can we skinny, rather than just shimmy, our way though the holidays when faced with all these exotic (yes sarcasm intended), rich delicacies and so many social gatherings??  Here are a few tips to give you a little Anti-Cookie Ammunition:

*Start your day right by eating light.  Since holiday dinners may include heavier foods and richer desserts, let your body have the daytime hours to rest, process, and prepare.  Start every morning with a glass of room temperature or hot water with lemon and ease into your day with fruit, fresh pressed green juices, or green smoothies.

*Eat three meals and two in between meal snacks so that the body receives nourishment every three hours.  Breakfast (fruit/juice/smoothie) at 7am, snack (fruit/juice/smoothie) at 10am, lunch at 1pm, snack at 4, dinner at 7.  This should help curb your hunger so you aren't famished by the time you show up for your event.  Make sure the food you are eating is filled with fiber and nutrients.  At lunch prepare a salad with steamed veggies and have a small serving of grain, legume, or sweet potato, and bring veggie crudites and a little hummus to work as your later afternoon snack. 

*Eat a healthy meal at home before showing up at your event, eliminating hunger so there's no need to snack.


*Use food combining principles.  Don't combine protein with starches, and always eat fruit by itself.  Include LOTS of water filled vegetables with all of your meals (vegetables combine well with starches and with protein).  This way you can eat heartily without overtaxing your digestive system.   You could also consider taking a digestive enzyme at the start of each meal.  Wait 3 hours after a carb based meal, 4-6 hours after you eat animal protein, and 30 minutes after fruit to consume anything else.  If you even just focus on those transit times it'll keep you from munching and allow your digestion to work effectively.

*Drink minimally during mealtime.  Drinking during meals dilutes digestive juices making it harder for your meal to get properly broken down.  

*Choose good starches.  Forego white rice, white bread, pasta, and sugar laden baked goods.  Search for brown rice and quinoa dishes, and let sweet potatoes and butternut squash curb your sweet tooth.

*Bring Sparkling Water and lemon to potlucks and social occasions.  Enjoy this out of a wine glass.  Sometimes it's just drinking out of the big kids glass that makes all the difference. 


*Drink lots of water and herbal teas.  If you choose to indulge in a drink or two make sure you drink a 16 oz glass of water in between your two drinks, and again after.  Once you get the water in your glass you may be less likely to go back to the alcohol...just keep the glass full with water, or your tea cup full of warm water to sip on.  Treat your cocktail or wine as if it were a dessert.  Alcohol has 7 calories per gram (carbs have 4, fats have 9), those calories add up QUICK plus drinking hinders your best judgement.  When judgement goes out the door, so does your anti-cookie ammunition.

*Bring your toothbrush, a small toothpaste, floss, and a travel size mouthwash, and excuse yourself to the lieu and clean up that dirty mouth.  Often when you clean your mouth you lose the desire to eat, and many foods just don't taste good combined with mint (ever had OJ after a tooth-brushing sesh?  ewww).  Give it a shot.  At the very least, everyone will be impressed with your minty fresh breath!

*Remind yourself of your goals, and how you want to look and feel.  Just because you start to overeat, or slip up with a couple sweets, don't fall into the self sabotaging, defeatist attitude of, "Oh well, i ate the cake, i might as well eat the entire pie too".  While it's fine to indulge a little (you shouldn't feel deprived, just strong willed), don't add insult to injury.  Nip it in the bud and get back on track before your body has a much harder time getting back to where you need to be.  If you know you are the type of person who cannot stop with just one, don't start.  Rather keep sipping your sparkling water, herbal tea, or go for a minty gargle in the restroom.

*Consider bringing an individually wrapped square of your favorite 70% dark chocolate in your bag.  Again, it's not about deprivation, it's about being strong willed and making good choices.  If mom's tiramisu and aunt kathy's eclairs are the only options, you'll be glad to have a little something to enjoy without having to unbutton your jeans.

*Wear slightly restrictive clothing.  HA!  I do this and it works!  Find something (not uncomfortable) that looks good, but might be slightly restrictive.  Like a figure fitting dress with heels that will make you stand proper (so the belly can't fall out), or pants that don't have a lot of give, or a shirt that is not very forgiving through the midsection (girls, get rid of those empire waist tops if you're not preggers), and let this outfit be a gentle reminder of the old saying "nothing tastes better than skinny feels".  Although, some things do taste better than skinny feels, after the holidays you'll be glad you told yourself that anyway.

*Last but not least is the MOST important.  Be truly engaged.  Rather than making the occasion about food, drinks, and jibber-jabber, really tune in.  Who are you really talking with?  Get to know them.  Ask questions.  Learn from them (yes, you can even learn from folks you think are stupid and crazy).  Be present.  You'll have a much better time, get so much more out of the night, and won't feel the need to nibble cuz your mind will be active on other things.

...And if all else fails, join me in January to start the year off right recommitting to your waistline and learning how to take control of your health for a 30 day yoga challenge and cleanse: 'Detox and Flow' at Sculpt Fusion Yoga in San Diego (sculptfusionyoga.com)

One More For The Holiday Feast: Easy cRAWnberry Sauce

Happy Thanksgiving all!  I wanted to share a quickie recipe for cranberry sauce that's super delicious, sweetly tart, and perfect to round out the holiday plate.  It's so simple since you don't have to cook it, and therefore it retains all of it's nutritional qualities and is sweetened with natural sources.  Cranberries are notorious for their aide against UTI's, but did you know these babies pack a powerful punch of antioxidants?  They also have anti-inflammatory qualities and can help combat the oxidative stress from cholesterol helping to lower blood pressure.  So when you pile your plate high today drop on a solid serving of the cranberries, and make sure you round it out with as much fresh, raw, seasonal foods that you can find at the table!  Enjoy the good eats and happy holidays!

cRAWnberry Sauce:

1 12 oz bag of cranberries, washed
pitted dates - I used about a dozen pitted dates.  They were a smaller variety, so if you are using big beefy medjools you may need less
1 peeled and segmented tangerine
agave to your liking to sweeten

Put all of the ingredients but the agave in your Food Processor and blend down to a thick sauce.  Taste. Drizzle in agave as it is processing and taste as you go so you don't over sweeten.  I used about 1/8 cup of agave (just a couple tbsp).

Gobble This: Acorn Squash & A Grateful Thanksgiving

So here it is the day before thanksgiving and i haven't planned what i'm making.  hrrrmmmm....  Let's figure this out together.

This year is all about EASE.  We have some friends coming over for dinner, but it's all very informal.  A casual day/evening of hanging out, eating, drinking, socializing, and enjoying the wonderful friends and company that we keep.  I just hit the market (a complete zoo and parking lot hell-zone) and still need to pick up a couple of harder to find essentials.

So what's on the menu?

Boyfriend is taking care of the bird (so not my thing), and he's picked up Trader Joes gravy and stuffing, and beer for the boys.  He also picked up some brussel sprouts which he's recruited me to roast.  Simple enough task.

I have one friend bringing dessert and one bringing a salad and a rutabaga dish.

I made sure we had ample vino for the wino-friends i keep (God love'em).  I know i'm making a tagine of carrot, butternut squash, and yam (all from my csa this week) with prune, gold raisins, onion, and warm spices.  The chopping will take some time, but the tagine cooks slow without much attendance or effort on my part.  The outcome is always worth the chopping time!  I'll also whip out some cranberry sauce tonight, no sweat...and i don't have to think of it tomorrow.  Oh yea, and the persimmons....what to do with the insane amount of these i have.  I tell you, from the csa, i have persimmons out the hoo-ha.  Perhaps i'll make the persimmon salad i blogged about on halloween, as well as a little persimmon in a second dinner salad if we need.  My favorite salad right now is a 6 oz bag of spinach, some thinly sliced red onion, 1 persimmon sliced and chopped, 1/3 - 1/2 an avocado, a dash of seasoned rice vinegar, a squeeze of lemon, and a few solid cranks of sea salt...you have to mush it all together in a bowl with your hands so the juices from the persimmon and the avocado squish into the salad...it's sooo good).

My final act will be acorn squash.  It's so simple to prepare and so delicous with warm holiday spices.  That's the effortless recipe i'm sharing with you today. 

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of warmth, love, smiles, hugs, and lots and lots of healthy delicous foods.....and maybe a spirit and/or dessert.  Tis the season, right?!

Half Moon Squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Clean the outside of the squash well with a scrubby brush.  The often pushed aside skin is edible.
Slice your acorn squash in 1/2 and scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh in the inner circle.
Place halves flesh side down onto a cutting board and cut into slices (half moons) about 3/4 inch thick
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place half moons on parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle lightly with EVOO
Gently rub the EVOO into the half moons to coat all sides
sprinkle with cinnamon and garam masala
Roast in the oven at 400 until soft, about 45 minutes.



*acorn squash images sourced from google images, but the last one looks exactly like this dish does!

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet, Gimme Something Good To Eat: Persimmon Pistachio Halloween Salad

Whah hah hah hah ha....Boooooo....Raaaaaawwwwrrrrr....AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Happy Halloween Friends!  I wanted to leave you this week with a festive dish for your spooky weekend.  Between marathons of scary movies, costumed trick or treat-ers at the door, and identity transformation be it to witch, devil, princess, or warrior...you might only have a couple minutes of prep time for anything you'd like to serve or bring to your halloween occasions.  While this dish may not be mimicking eyeballs, or brains, or worms...it is super delicious, seasonal, and will curb your sweet tooth so you won't go munching on cheap sugary treats from the candy bowl.  Plus it's orange and green, which to me are the colors symbolic of Halloween.

We just made this as a side dish for an amazing dinner we hosted tonight for my boyfriend's parents.  On the menu: Pear and Spinach salad, Roasted Butternut Squash with cinnamon, garam masala, and curry, and persimmon pistachio salad (recipe below).  Naturally sweet, the persimmon salad is great in liu of dessert, creating the perfect end to your harvest meal.

This recipe is inspired by Cea who recently completed the 23 day cleanse i led.  Thank you Cea for being an inspiration.   Hope you all enjoy this deliciously healthy and uber-easy dish as much as we did!

Persimmon Pistachio Halloween Salad:

3 fuyu persimmons
3 pitted medjool dates
1/3 cup pistachios
small dash or two of cinnamon

remove the top green from the persimmon, cut in half, lay flat side on cutting board, and slice thinly, alternately use a mandoline.  Chop the dates.  Bang the nuts in a bag lightly with a hammer to crush them coarsely.  Mix all well in a bowl together with a dash or two of cinnamon.

THAT'S IT!  Takes about 5 minutes!



*top image provided by google images

Keeping Holiday Sides Healthy: Cranberried Brussel Sprouts

As a kid i would cringe at the thought of a bitter brussel sprout that wasn't slathered in vivid orange colored sweet and salty melted cheese, but as an adult brussel sprouts have made their way to the top of my veggie preference list. Considered a cruciferous vegetable, brussel sprouts are basically a small cabbage. Soaring in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, high in Vitamin A, folate, calcium, and potassium, brussel sprouts have about 3-5 grams of fiber per cup and are packed with phytonutrients that work to combat cancer cells. These precious sprouts are best eaten from autumn to early spring, so get your fill of antioxidant rich sprouts while their flavor is at its peak! My favorite (and easy) way to eat them is to steam them and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic, and sea salt, however here's a beautiful healthy holiday alternative adding the brightness of dried cranberries.

Cranberried Brussel Sprouts:

This recipe makes about two servings...double or triple the recipe if you have more guests.

1 lb brussel sprouts, rinsed, bottoms trimmed, and sliced in half top to bottom (if they are extra large you may want to cut into 1/3rds or quarter them)
1 small shallot finely chopped (1 tbsp)
1 small clove garlic chopped (1/2 tsp)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup plus about 3 tbsp veggie stock (low sodium)
1/4 cup crushed walnut pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional, will darken the end result but makes a nice flavor)
coarse sea salt and pepper

Start by rinsing the brussel sprouts, trimming the bottom nub, then slicing them from top to bottom. Set aside. Chop your shallot and garlic. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over low to medium heat. Place the shallot and garlic in the olive oil and add 1 tbsp veggie stock. Cook for a couple minutes making sure the garlic does not burn (it will become bitter if it does). Add to this the brussel sprouts and the crushed walnuts, stirring well. Toast these for a couple minutes stirring often (the brussel sprouts will become a vibrant green). Add to this 1 cup of veggie stock and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. Cover and cook over medium to high heat. Check after a couple of minutes (3-5min), most of the stock should be evaporated. Check for doneness. If not done and liquid has evaporated, add a tbsp more of veggie stock, stir and cover. Check again in another minute, if still not done, again add a little veggie stock cover and cook. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic (or omit if you'd like to keep the color vibrant), and a few good cranks of a coarse sea salt and black pepper. Plate and serve.

Holiday Stressin'? : Don't Hate...Create. Tap Into Your Inner Artist

It's the 13th of December...only a week and a half away from Christmas. When did december sneak up on me? And where did the year go??? Gosh...I was still trying to get started on my new years resolution from january 2009! Uh-Oh. Oh Well on the bright side, at least i don't have to think up a new one for this year!

This has been a tough year for most everyone i know, many feeling the effects of our economic struggles in one way or other. Of course this makes gift buying even harder. I have found that making gifts every year for my close friends and loved ones has been a money saver, a fun form of self expression, and is always humbly enjoyed by the reciever. These homemade gifts might be baked goods, knitted or sewn scarves, homemade candles, or like last year, a home-made herbal salve. This year i decided to make home-made holiday cards. Not only is this a great way to relax, tap into your creativity, and create some art, its also a gift in itself when you personalize the cards for the individuals who will be receiving them. I stopped by "The Paper Source" shop and bought some basic beige cards and holiday colored envelopes, a sharpee, a couple stamps, and a dye based ink pad. Cut to Sunday morning - a devoted, fun, tunnel visioned few hours of creating artful and thoughtful holiday cards for me' loved ones. Not only did i have a great time doing it, it was the perfect creative release helping to offer a little relaxation amongst all the holiday mayhem. If you are reading this thinking ' I CAN NOT DRAW TO SAVE MY LIFE! ' No need to sweat it...this is the beauty of stamps! You can arrange the images differently on each card and add your own handwriting for a unique personalized touch. And if you can draw but have trouble seeing in your mind the lines you want to put on paper, have your laptop nearby and google images of what you want. Try your hand at it first on a scrap piece of paper until you make it your own and you're well on your way.

This is a great project to do with a group of friends or your children. Whether it's designing cards over afternoon tea, an evening glass of vino, or while you are waiting together for your big batch of holiday cookies to cool so you can decorate, you'll have a great time sharing ideas and laughing with your favorite people. Plus this way, you can consider splitting any costs for materials with your friends!

Have fun with your projects and happy holidays!

Pass The Stuffin' & Sip On This: Butternut Squash Soup

Thanksgiving is the day that all Americans eat themselves silly, unbutton their pants at the table, push the chair back so they can slouch and relax, and then elect for another glass of wine, a spiced cider, and some pie. WOW. You ready for this again??? Okay, so you might be thinking...."hey, i don't do that"...and maybe that's not you, but let's face it, for many of us it is. It's a day of celebration with friends and family accompanied with a feast for our eyes and our bellies....so how do you not go overboard? And...what do you bring if you're going to a potluck??? One of the best ways to prevent yourself from eating too much is to start with a warming soup. This helps fill you up so you'll stack less on your plate. This soup also makes a great Thanksgiving lunch if dinner is not served til late. Secure the top on your pot and place on your passenger seat floor if you're headed elsewhere. It's warming and satisfying but isn't heavy, so you'll still have plenty of energy to play touch football, walk with the dog and kids, and to complete cooking your thanksgiving feast if you are indeed hosting. It's quick to make, requires only a few ingredients, and will have smiles and 'yums' sounding around the room. So here we go....Butternut Squash Soup:

What you'll need: (a blender, a non stick pan, a pot, a knife, a cutting board, a peeler and apple corer is helpful)

1 butternut squash (5 cups cubed, available pre-cut in the produce refrigerator section)
1 32 ounce box of veggie stock
1 shallot or 1/2 of a med. yellow onion, chopped
1 medium clove of garlic, chopped
2 granny smith apples (green apples) peeled/cored/chopped
Cinnamon and Garam Masala (about 1/4 tsp of each, but add more spice to your taste)
Optional: 1 cup of Plain Silk Light Soy Milk

Get Soupin':

Chop the onion, garlic, and apple. Place a few tbsps of veggie broth in the pan, enough to coat the bottom, put the heat on medium, and add in the onion, garlic, and apple. Let them cook stirring occasionally for about 10 min until all is soft and cooked through. You'll need to add a bit of veggie broth occasionally as the liquid will continually evaporate. In the pot add 3 to 3 1/2 cups veggie broth, or 2 cups veggie broth plus 1 to 1 1/2 cups filtered water. Heat on high. Add the 5 cups of cubed butternut squash and cook about 10 minutes, until butternut squash is tender and will break/cut easily. Transfer the entire contents of both the pan and pot into your blender (work in batches if you need to). Seal the lid on the blender and cover with a towel and hold the lid as you start on a low setting. Increase speed until all soup is pureed. Taste. Add more spice if you'd like and blend back in. Return your pureed soup to the pot. You can have as is, or add a cup of soy milk, stirring in until combined. If you're soup is too thick, you can thin down with additional veggie broth or water. On the other hand, if you prefer a very thick bisque, start with less liquid when cooking the squash. Fill the pot only with enough liquid to cover the squash, and then add more later if you need.