Scream or Keep Calm and Carry On?

Hi my friends!

I am ready to scream as my whole blog post that I just completed was deleted!!!! ahhhh!!! Right now I need to remember this:



I'm going to try and recreate my previous post as well as I can :( I am definitely in the holiday spirit on this terrific Tuesday as today happens to be my last day of work for the next 3 weeks! I have so many great things planned, but I am probably most excited about my 12 day trip to Boston! I can't wait to catch up with friends and family, watch Christmas movies while wearing fuzzy socks, enjoy Mom's amazing cuisine, and sip hot chocolate (or vino!) in front of my parent's gorgeous tree.

Beautiful.

My mom's snowscape creation :)

Look at this little Christmas lady! Nice work with the monogram shirt, Mom! So L.L. Bean of you!

I have to admit, I am not diggin' my haircut here. However, check out what is going on below my ankles! My mom says I had early Louboutin- love ( for the record: I still love the Louboutin, yet I unfortunately don't own any!). This is perhaps my Grandma's favorite picture of me. She had a closet full of colorful and sparkly stilettos  that she wore ( actually, rocked!) when my Grandfather and her went dancing. To me, she referred to them as "break the ankle" shoes to prevent me from sneaking in her closet and attempting to shuffle around her house in them. Clearly, she was unsuccessful in keeping me away from those high-heeled wonders! She couldn't help herself from snapping a picture when I disobeyed and slipped the shoes on despite her warnings! I credit her for my love of fancy heels!

The other thought I have when I look at this picture (despite the bowl hair-cut) is how HAPPY I am. I can feel my happiness shining out of almost every one of my childhood pictures. I bet if you take a look at your childhood pics, you will notice the same thing.  Regardless of what intense situation was happening around us as children, we were for the most part shielded from it. We were happy when our basic needs were met.  This allowed us to live completely in the present moment as happy little muffins! As adults, we often get so bogged down by our responsibilities and stresses that we cannot remember what it feels like to be completely and utterly present and happy! I have noticed that whenever things feel too heavy, if I look at a pic of me as a child, the weight on my shoulders tends to become a little bit lighter. Even if I can't remember exactly how I felt at that point in my life, I can recognize that little person who is still a part of me. I bring this up because among the wonderful things the holidays offer, they can also bring up a lot of shit (for lack of a better word!). I'm telling you, when you feel sad or like things are just too much, look in the eyes of your child - and if you don't have one look at a picture of a wee little YOU! I can tell you from personal experience that it helps transport you back to what is really important :)

This weekend was full of holiday festivities. Saturday morning started like this:

Egg scramble with sautéed kale, onions, tomatoes, and chili garlic sauce. I served it with a side of lentils that I drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I know it sounds weird, but it worked!

I headed into the city with my friend Le-La on Saturday afternoon for some Christmas shopping. The trip was quick, as the city was a complete mob scene due to tourists and holiday shoppers! I have done most of my holiday shopping online at ETSY, which is a website where artisans can sell their products to consumers like me! What I love about Etsy is that  many of the products can be customized, and you simply wouldn't find many of the goods on this site anywhere else. It's perfect for purchasing unique gifts for a loved one, or yourself!

After the hustle and bustle of NYC, Le- La and I headed back to Jersey City for some boutique shopping where we were much more successful. We broke for lunch at Marco and Pepe:

I enjoyed my favorite kale salad with a side of trout!

I came home from shopping and lunch, and I did a quick 30 minute yoga practice to stretch out my sore muscles from Friday's Soul Cycle class.

After yoga, I got all dolled up for a holiday party that PJ and I were attending which was hosted by my lovely friend Madeline.

It was such a wonderful evening filled with friends, fun, food, and holiday cheer. I loved catching up with old friends and making some new ones, too!

Love them!

Maddy's gorgeous tree!

The Spread. Yum!

The newest member of my Alex and Ani collection given to me by Madeline :)

I love these bracelets :)

Yesterday, I finally made it back to DOCO, which is one of my favorite Jersey City spots!

I enjoyed my staple green smoothie. I know the color looks frightening, but trust me when I say it is delicious!

I also enjoyed the bulgur and cashew salad which was packed with chickpeas, cucumbers, and red onions. So nutritious and delicious!

I also picked up these amazing Tulsi mala  prayer beads while at DOCO.

Tulsi Mala

Tulsi mala is composed of wooden beads of stem of Tulsi plant. Tulsi is considered the most sacred of the woods used in Indian worship and the Tulsi plant is believed to be an incarnation of the Divine. Tulsi is reported to possess remarkable physical and spiritual healing properties and helps to improve devotion and love in the heart. The tulsi mala is used for worshipping Ram, Krishna and especially Vishnu who we are told is the creator and beloved of the Tulsi plant.



I also drink Tulsi tea, which I discovered at DOCO. You can find this tea at many health food or organic markets.

Yesterday night I completed some yoga. Toby joined me for Savasana.

Dinner ROCKED. I roasted a chicken so that PJ and I would have leftovers to make sandwiches for the rest of the week. Not to toot my own horn, but I cooked it PERFECTLY. If you read my blog  last week, I recommended removing the back bone from the chicken before cooking. This helps it cook quicker and more evenly. I used this technique again last evening! I follow Ina Garten's roast chicken recipe; however,I do adapt it by omitting the butter basting step. I also remove the skin before eating the chicken (ok, I do nibble on some of the skin as I love it!).  I also stuff fresh minced garlic, thyme and rosemary under the skin. I HIGHLY recommend roasting a chicken on Sunday or Monday. It is so easy as all you do is throw some spices on it and pop it in the oven. You end up with a healthy, comforting meal that will last for a few days!

I also roasted  fennel and an acorn squash. For the squash, I cut it in half, and I drizzled it with olive oil and a bit of REAL maple syrup, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and a little cinnamon, and I roasted it in the oven for about an hour and fifteen minutes.

My dinner was half an acorn squash with kale, roasted fennel, and mustard glazed monk fish  I would have had the chicken, but the monk fish was on its way out and needed to be cooked.  I did snack on some chicken skin as well- duh!

Ok, I must be going! I hope you all have a wonderful day.

XO

Sarah

PS...Check out the article below from the Huffington Post. It is PERFECT for re-framing how you handle the food frenzie that is the holiday season!

A recipe for overeating

(The Huffington Post)