"From now on our troubles will be miles away..."

Just a quick post to wish all of you a very merry christmas and all the best for 2012! We're so excited about all of our new adventures and celebrations in the next few weeks and especially in the upcoming year. Make sure to take time over the holidays to enjoy what matters most.

xox
Meg

Comfort food

We love using our slow cooker. We usually dump a bunch of ingredients into the pot in the morning, leave it on low, and then return after work to the delicious smells of home cooking.

The other day I forgot to do this, so at about 5PM I came home to the smell of, well, nothing. Luckily I found this recipe (Fine Cooking 63) and with a few minor adjustments and simplifications we were on our way to a quick, slow-cooked meal.

[Read more]

The art of sandwich making (or, how to make a sandwich that Meg will eat).

I wish I could describe something truly traumatic that caused me to have a phobia of sandwiches as a child. The reality of it is that I was probably spoiled with hot lunches, so a "normal" lunch at a friend's house was downright disgusting in comparison. One particular lunch I can remember vividly—white bread and cheese wiz—left me doomed to hate (and fear) sandwiches.

Over the years I have developed coping mechanisms when faced with a dreaded sandwich (read: temporary starvation), but I've also realized that with the right ingredients sandwiches are delicious! [Click for more]

Gift ideas for your (fill in the blank) friend/relative

Trudeau Slater Cheese Serving Set from the Bay - Nothing says party like a cheese platter. Write the names of the cheeses with chalk right onto the slate.

Bamboo Capture Pen Tablet from Amazon - The gadget lover on your list will enjoy being able to draw, write, and edit digital photos with ease.

Moose mittens from Simons - I gave a similar pair of these mittens to one of my friends a few years ago and she wears them all the time!

Portable photo album from Renault Bray - A few of my friends love keeping their photos close to them at all times. This is such a stylish, yet thoughtful idea.

Set of Lucia candles from Renault Bray - I've purchased the Lucia soaps before and I love the soft, elegant scents.

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Chocolate Amaretto Truffles

A friend of mine was feeling a bit like a combination of Scrooge and the Grinch, so we decided that the necessary antidote was baking and movies. We thought about making rum balls, but Ryan and I had a lot of Amaretto on hand.

This easy recipe was our pick because neither of us had made truffles before and we didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen. It was a lot of fun shaping the balls by hand. We used chunky chocolate bits and powdered sugar to coat. [See more]

Ideas and Inspiration - Decorations stage 3

We just need some finishing touches before our holiday transformation is complete. I've been on the hunt for inexpensive and classic items that can be reused year after year. Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Christmas candle napkins from Simons - I love these napkins, which add a touch of cheer to a table setting.

2. "Christmas Street" wreath from the Bay - This is one of the prettiest wreaths I've found and it has all of the elements I've been looking for; I love the rustic feel of the pine cones and different textures of leaves and needles. The pops of red from the berries and the plaid bow tie everything together.

3. Antique bronze lantern with flameless candle from Home Depot - When my parents first used a battery operated candle, my brother and I had a field day with the jokes and teasing. Now I realize how practical and elegant it can be.

4. Twig and Berry Garland from Canadian Tire - I like how the outdoorsy twine is updated with sparkly berries, yet remains understated in neutral tones.

Which do you like the best? Do you have any other ideas?

'Tis the season - Decorations stage 2

Visiting the holiday decoration section at our local department store (off-peak hours) was such a great idea. As we sipped our gingerbread lattes, we were really able to get into the holiday spirit and enjoyed selecting some new decorations.

[1] Christmas crackers are a big tradition at my parents' place. After pulling the cracker apart to the satisfying 'pop' sound, treasures abound inside, including a paper crown, a joke/riddle, and a toy.

[2] We found some beautiful new baubles for the tree. We are going to start a new tradition of picking two new tree decorations each year!

[3] We also found a set of 6 in a rustic theme that will help us fill out our tree a little further this year.

[4] Ryan artfully placed new garland above the cupboards in the kitchen (pictures soon).

The best part was that all of the items are already on sale (40-60% off) with lots of time to spare before we have to leave for the holidays.

[More after the jump]

Soup's on!

I can't be the only one who hasn't attempted to make soup, real soup. I'm not sure why it's never crossed my mind before. I love it. I've even dragged a few friends to SoupeSoup and I can still vividly remember the the lobster bisque at the Brewster Fish House in August 2009.

I've seen the signs—that disappointed feeling when I heat up generic canned soup. A friend of mine gave me a weird look when she realized I didn't have a bag of onions on hand, let alone one on standby (I guess you need onions for real cooking). I've always known something was wrong and that I was missing something important in my life. So, truth be told, I realized that I needed to learn how to make soup, real soup.

[Read more after the jump]

Decorations - stage 1

Since we are perpetual students, my fiancé and I usually work late into December and then jet home to visit our families. As a result, we rarely do little more to decorate than put a few baubles on our tiny 4' tree. We decided that we should make more of an attempt to make our place festive.

Stage 1 is now complete (thanks to a little Muppets inspiration) and I'll keep you posted on other inexpensive ways to "deck the halls."

Practice what you preach

Am I really the person who started a blog about treating oneself? This week I was drowning in a sea of regressions and frustration, wondering how it could be December already. I was even reacting to the sight of holiday decorations with bitterness. Why is everyone else so happy? If anything, the looming deadlines and anguish highlighted the need for a little downtime and laughter!

Last night a group of friends and I went to see the new Muppets movie and for beers and delicious fried deliciousness afterwards. Today, I feel back to my old self again. We might even put up our tree and decorations. Thank goodness for the Muppets!