Sponsor Spotlight

 

Meet Megan.  She is the adorable sweetheart who blogs over at the Freckled Italian!  When I first came across her site I realized we have SO much in common - we both live in Northern Virginia, both went to the same college and both have a passion for cooking and just making people smile.  I'm so inspired by her delicious paleo recipes and simply can't get enough of her beautiful photography and sweet stories.  So if you're looking for a fun new blog to read or maybe just want to make a new friend, head on over and visit Megan asap!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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 Ok so lemme just tell you how much you are going to just adore Miss Nicole from Local Sugar Hawaii.  Her blog documents her life as a wife and sweet mom to two adorable little boys living in absolute paradise on the north shore of O'ahu.  She's fun, light-hearted, often times personal, but always authentic!  So please follow along with Nicole as she shares gorgeous pictures of Hawaii, stories about her family and everything else in between!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Dara is the super sweet 20-something girl behind Generation Y Foodie who is a lawyer by day and foodie by night!  Based out of Boston, her love for blogging came about because she wanted to put to rest the assumption that our generation doesn't even know how to boil water and resorts to take-out all the time.  Sure this might be true from time to time, but the majority of us love cooking!  Don't you just love her approach??  You can also find her fabulous cookbook here!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Lauren's site Wrapped is the perfect go-to spot for fun products guaranteed to boost your fitness goals!  As a triathlete and paramedic with a Bachelors in Nutrition, Lauren is always looking for new health and fitness products to keep her in shape which is why she joined this company.  So if you're looking to jump start your fitness goals, head on over to her fabulous shop and begin being the best version of yourself that you can be!

 

Shop | Facebook | Twitter

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Make sure to check out these wonderful ladies and I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!!!

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Holiday Cranberry Salsa

Sorry friends!  I have been just the absolute worst this month about posting recipes, but I suppose that happens when the holidays sneak up and your house is filled to the ceiling with boxes...sigh.  I do have some fun holiday recipes coming up between now and Christmas though in case you needed some last minute party dish ideas!

My first one?
Cranberry salsa....of course. 

 When planning holiday parties, I simply LOVE recipes that can be thrown together in an instant yet still look like you slaved hours in the kitchen.  Ok so salsa doesn't exactly warrant said reaction, but it sure does look pretty anyway!  Aside from a bit of chopping, all you need is a food processor (or a blender), throw everything in and voila!  You're done.

This is sweet and spicy with tons of flavor, and is the perfect topping for any cracker or baguette.  Yes there is sugar in this, but hey what's Christmas without a little sweetness??  We can all get back on track after the holidays...least that's what we tell ourselves, right?

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Servings: 6

Serving Size: 1/2 cup 

Calories: 183

Fat: 0.3 g

Carbs: 46 g

Fiber: 1.2 g

Protein: 0.2 g

Old Points: 3.4 pts

Points+: 5 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

1 (12 oz) package fresh cranberries

1 Tbsp orange zest

1 orange, peeled and chopped

1 cup raw sugar

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

3 Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

In a food processor or blender, pulse fresh cranberries until coarsely chopped and transfer to a bowl.  The pulse orange zest, orange, sugar, jalapeno peppers, ginger and cilantro together until finally chopped.  Stir mixture into cranberries and cover and chill for at least 2 hours.  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Happy holidays everyone!

 

House Update

Ok so I've had a TON of requests lately to show a quick tour of my home that's currently being built.  This is my very first home and the process has been completely amazing, totally stressful, and full of crazy surprises - but I wouldn't change a thing!  I took some photos this past weekend and they're still touching things up, installing appliances and they still have yet to put a final coat of paint on so the place is pretty messy, but I can still see all the endless possibilities right at my fingertips!  Our actual pre-settlement walk through is this Friday and closing will hopefully be scheduled some time after Christmas.  {Fingers crossed!!!}  Considering my tiny apartment is filled to the ceiling with boxes and bubble wrap, I can hardly wait to move in!

Hope you enjoy this little sneak peek.

 

So there it is!  It's dusty, messy and unpainted, but I can't wait to live in my new lovely space!  Thank goodness for Pinterest and all the fun ideas I've stumbled upon.  I must admit I'll most likely be living in kitchen for the first six months, I'm obsessed with all the space!  To follow even more updates, feel free to follow me on Instagram @EatUrselfSkinny here!

So tell me, what's your favorite room in the house?

 

Fun Holiday Pasta

I'll be honest, it's really hard to write any sort of happy holiday post in the wake of such a horrific tragedy.  I had such a difficult time this weekend focusing on anything other than those sweet little babies and their families and I still find myself crying at the drop of a hat.  My thoughts and prayers still remain with that entire community and hope they can soon find some sort of comfort despite all this pain.

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With Christmas being right around the corner (only 7 days!!), I absolutely adore everything about this post.  The holidays were built around family and food, so why not make it festive??  The Pasta Shoppe just so happens to have the most adorable pasta shapes that are simply perfect for the holidays such as Christmas trees, gingerbread men, snowmen and my absolute favorite, naughty or nice pasta!

And that's not all!  If Christmas pasta isn't your thing, they have so many other fun items to choose from - check out their tailgate noodles which I plan on making with my pasta salad for the football games, their martini time pasta perfect for parties, along with all sorts of different shapes for any type of sport, college team, holiday, birthday or special interest.  The possibilities are endless and your parties will be even more fun!  There are even gluten-free and whole wheat options available.  Lucky for you, The Pasta Shoppe is giving away three holiday boxes to one lucky reader!

Here's how to ENTER!
Please leave a comment for each

Visit The Pasta Shoppe and tell me which item is your favorite here 
Become a fan of The Pasta Shoppe on Facebook here

Become a Google Friend Connect follower on my blog
Follow me on Twitter here
Like Eat Yourself Skinny on Facebook here
Follow me on Pinterest here

Tweet: "I just entered to win three boxes of holiday pasta over at @EatUrselfSkinny! http://bit.ly/YcjeDv"

All separate comments please.

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Winner will be announced this Friday, December 21st so don't miss out on this great giveaway!  Good luck and happy holidays!!
                      

A Day of Tragedy

I'm literally in tears right now as I type this and felt that this needed to be shared.  I am at such a loss of words for the tragedy that took place today to those sweet children and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut.  What makes a person walk into an elementary school and open fire on little babies is way beyond my comprehension...I pray so much for those families who lost someone today and am so deeply saddened that we live in the world we live in.  When did things take such a horrible turn?  When did elementary schools go from a safe haven to a place of fear?  Why is it this keeps happening??  Never in my life, until today, did I worry so much about bringing a child into this world -- things really need to change // and fast.

Please keep these children and their families in your thoughts and prayers tonight as I can't even imagine how one begins to cope with everything that has just happened, my heart aches for them in so many ways.  Go home and hug your babies a little tighter tonight and give them all the kisses in the world.

 via

    

Sponsor Spotlight

Meet Danielle.  She is the uber gorgeous, uber chic and UBER fit writer behind the blog Butler, Party of 2!  Which, if you couldn't tell by the photo below, is about to be Butler, Party of 3!!  I truly have never met anyone who has inspired me as much as she has to get fit, I mean just look at her before and after pics!  Danielle is an adorable middle school teacher who passionately writes about healthy living, relationships and her strong faith.  So follow along with Butler, Party of 2 as she documents her life as a "not so newlywed" and all the fun things that happen in between!

Blog | Pinterest | Twitter

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Karli's blog Health Confessions is truly inspirational.  Once a girl struggling with her own weight, she met and married the man of her dreams who just so happened to be a personal trainer and became a health coach herself!  Did you know 60% of Americans will be starting some sort of diet program come the new year??  So why not kick off your journey to becoming your best self with Karli!  She'll help coach you through your weight loss journey and help transition you into lifelong maintenance - it's a win, win!  Also, anyone who becomes a client and mentions Eat Yourself Skinny will receive $50 of their first months' order now through December 1st!  So if you're looking for that little boost to get yourself motivated, look no further because Karli can whip you into shape and I bet you'll have fun in the process!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Miss Brianne is the super sweet girl behind the blog For the Love of Food and Eating.  Living in New York City with her fiance and crazy adorable pups, Brianne loves all things food and considers cooking her passion after being inspired by chefs such as Rachel Ray.  She started her blog in the hopes of inspiring others to start cooking themselves and lemme tell you, she has some really good recipes!  When Brianne's not blogging about delicious food, she's working on launching her own catering business as well as planning her summer wedding!  So head on over and see how this gorgeous girl does it all while staying healthy in the process!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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You may remember Miss Heidi from the blog Young Grasshopper, but she has a second blog that I think everyone will love!  It's called BaryFly 101 and literally has every cocktail you can imagine!  And no these aren't just Heidi's signature recipes, you can log in yourself and share your own delicious concoctions!  Best part is, her website makes it oh so easy to find any drink recipe simply by typing in any ingredient.  And yes, virgin drinks are on there too all you mommys-to-be!  So head on over to Heidi's virtual bar and live a little, it's always 5:00 somewhere!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Looking for a particular recipe or have some favorites you'd like to share with others??  Look no further, The Refined Chef is the perfect go-to recipe website with every type of delicious dish you can think of!  Launched in 2010 as a way for people to share their recipes based on family and cultural traditions, The Refined Chef has grown to over 1,900+ recipes with more being added every day.  Each person that shares a recipe gives a bit of insight as to where that dish came from and what it means to them, simply making the recipe exchange that much more meaningful!  So head on over and share your recipes today!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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K & K Test Kitchen is written by a mother-daughter duo which was born out of their love for cooking and experimenting with different recipes.  Being close with my mom myself, I just love the idea of sharing family recipes and cooking together!  Kelsey is a 20-something economist while Kim is a hockey wife and fabulous mother, combined they make one amazing team in the kitchen and their recipes range everywhere from the healthiest to the most indulgent.  They also just so happen to be spending the holidays in my neck of the woods this year, Virginia!  Nothing like great food and wonderful family.  I am a firm believer that the kitchen brings families together and this blog couldn't make this more apparent!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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I hope you take a moment to check out these fabulous blogs!  Who knows, you may learn something new or even make a new friend -- which, I don't know about you, always makes my Fridays better.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Olive Garden Inspired Minestrone Soup

Um so it happened.  I've heard about this happening before in great detail from others, but never could relate because I hadn't experienced it before.  So what was said horrifying experience??

I dreamt that my blog had been entirely DELETED!!
(Gasp!)

Yes it was horrible, awful and maybe even a little crazy that I actually dreamed about my blog, but the worst part was...some girl had taken it over and changed my own password!  I of course then tried to sue her and decided (in my dream) that this MUST be a dream so I attempted to wake up.  When I couldn't wake up (in my dream) I then came to the realization that this was all REAL and my blog was now lost forever.  So long dreams of having my very own cookbook someday or getting published in a magazine...time to actually put in work at my real job.

Well thank goodness I actually woke up. 

Ok enough about how crazy I am, I did actually make a recipe.  And, um, let me just go ahead and say that if anyone has been to Olive Garden and hasn't tried their minestrone soup yet, well then frankly you just haven't lived.  It's always my go-to meal anytime we go (that and breadsticks...duh) and let's be honest, it's probably the healthiest thing on their menu.  Lucky for me it just so happens to be my favorite too.

 This dish has such a medley of flavors and the perfect marriage of ingredients.  They compliment each other so well and the best part was I made this on Sunday and so far it's lasted me ALL week for lunch!  I get so excited when I find new staple recipes I love that are healthy and super nutritious, I'll definitely be adding this to my bi-weekly menu.  This also freezes really well too if you want to make a few batches to keep on hand...trust me, you'll want to!

To make this dish completely clean and even less calories, feel free to omit the tiny pasta shells.  I try to eat clean as much as possible, but I do love pasta from time to time...so sue me.  But really, how can you go wrong with all fresh ingredients, tons of veggies and spices such as thyme, basil and oregano?  It's also the perfect little pick-me-up on a freezing cold December day.

Hint, hint.

So I urge you to make some this weekend, I would even go as far to say that this is better than Olive Garden.  Yep, totally just went there.

Feel free to prove me wrong.
           

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Servings: 8

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups 

Calories: 190.1

Fat: 4 g

Carbs: 30.4 g

Fiber: 9 g

Protein: 8.9 g

Old Points: 3.3 pts

Points+: 4 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Spark Recipes

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup frozen cut green beans

1/4 cup celery, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

4 cups vegetable broth

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 oz) can small white beans, drained

1/2 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup carrots, julienned

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 1/2 cups hot water

3 cups fresh baby spinach

1/3 cup small pasta shells

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and saute onion, celery, garlic, zucchini and green beans, about 5 minutes.  The add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water and spices.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, allowing soup to simmer for about 20 minutes.  

Add baby spinach leaves and pasta, cooking an additional 20 minutes, then serve.  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe 

Here's to saving money at our favorite restaurants
and still fitting in our skinny jeans!

Pecan Sandies

YAY!  It's that time of year ago, time for the reveal of the 2nd annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!!  Get excited!!

Last year I made my favorite vanilla almond sugar cookies so this year I wanted to go a different route.  Growing up, my Grandma was always known to have a jar of fresh cookies in her kitchen at any given time and 9 times out of 10 they would be my absolute favorite, pecan sandies.  To me they're a cross between shortbread cookies and delicious butter cookies so clearly you can see why they're so amazing.

As I've confessed many times before, yes I LOVE to cook, but I am nowhere even close to being a baker.  Not. one. bit.  I think it's fun to play around with different ingredients and make all sorts of fresh breads, but the task is a bit intimidating when you know other people will actually be eating what comes out of your kitchen.  EEP!

Ladies I apologize in advance.

I'm just gonna go ahead and throw it out there...I struggled BIG TIME with these babies.  The recipe I used called for cake flour which I'm not used to baking with so when I made my first round of cookies (ie. rolling them into a ball hoping they would form like typical cookies) I quickly came to the realization that whichever shape I put into the oven would be exactly what the cookie will look like when it comes out....and of course I had just made 4 batches of dough.  Least they tasted good though!

So now for round two - I decided to roll the dough out and cut them into little shapes so that they'd look like actual cookies.  Brilliant idea, no?   Yeah well apparently dough made with cake flour does NOT roll out well.  So I made due with what I had and thought they at least looked like little sandies.  Score one for me.

So seeing I had two more batches of cookies to make and not having the patience to try and roll those ones out (lazy I know), I thought maybe I could just save time and make them look like like peanut butter cookies.  So I rolled them up, pressed a fork print into them and called it a day.  Those actually, in my opinion, tasted the best because they were thicker and much softer.  I apologize to the sweet girls who received my cookies, I wish they were prettier!  

So who are the ladies I received in the cookie exchange?

Kayla from Pure Sweet

Colleen from Secrets from the Cookie Princess

Julie from White Lights on Wednesday

 Go check out their fabulous cookie recipes, you'll be so glad you did!!

And now to all those comments I know I'm about to receive - no this isn't a healthy recipe, yes I used an entire stick of butter and sugar may or may not have been involved.  You know what, it's Christmas folks and sometimes it's okay to indulge.

Sorry I'm not sorry.

Now for my recipe, yes keep scrolling...

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Servings: 6

Serving Size: 2 cookies 

Calories: 213

Fat: 15 g

Carbs: 18 g

Fiber: 1 g

Protein: 2 g

Old Points: 5.3 pts

Points+: 6 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home 

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Using the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar then add in vanilla.  While the mixer is on low, slowly add cake flour, until well combined, then mix in chopped pecans.  Cover and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Feel free to make any shape you'd like for these cookies, but the best way would be to roll them into a large ball about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Bake for about 15 minutes until edges are golden brown, enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe 

Yes I did send my girls a little something extra since I felt so bad giving them cookies I didn't consider to be (um) the greatest.  But hey, don't ya like my wrapping??  Nothing like brown paper packages tied up with string ;) 

So who did I receive delicious cookies from??

A HUGE thanks to:

Aislinn's Italian Butter Cookies from The Toasted Sprinkle

Dorothy's Oatmeal Cookies from Crazy for Crust

Heather's Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

This was such a fun exchange to participate in, thank you girls SO much for the delicious cookies!  I may have gained 5 pounds in the process, but it was totally worth it!  Can't wait until next year!