Advent Calendars

Tomorrow is December 1st so I hope you all have your advent calendars and are ready to count down the days until Christmas Day! Advent calendars are a cute way to count down and something to look forward to every morning when you wake up. Whether you prefer the ones with pictures inside or if you like the chocolates, pick yours up soon and start the count down! If you're not into the calendars, a simple paper chain also works great!

The Holiday Season Begins!!!!

The holiday season is officially upon us! Get ready to celebrate the most magical season of all. I absolutely love this time of year and I hope you all do too. Here are a few things I recommend doing during the holiday season to make it a little happier.

1. Watch the classics.
There are three movie classics that are a must see every year. For me there are a must see multiple times. So be sure and check out A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Elf. You wont be disappointed or be able to stop laughing!

2. Drink a peppermint hot cocoa.
Who doesn't love cocoa? I always find it a bit better when you add a little mint to it. Plus when you get the taste of peppermint it reminds you of candy canes and brings you right into the season. Drink some in front of a fire while it snows!

3. Frolic in the snow.
If you're lucky enough to be in a place where it snows, the best way to enjoy it is to go outside and run around in it. Just put on your winter woolens and catch the snow flakes on your tongue. If you get enough snow, my favorite childhood pastime is making a snowball and then eating it!

4. Make cookies.
There are so many options for cookies this season. You can always make the basic sugar cookies in holiday shapes, however there's also the candy cane cookies and chocolate mint sandwich cookies. Pick your favorite and make treats for friends, family, and yourself.

5. Decorate.
Even if it's just little things, make your place of residence feel more like the holiday season. A Christmas tree is always the most fun, but even just some garland with a couple ornaments would be great. Place a snowman or a Santa out on a table and viola! You have "holiday-ed" your place.

I'm sure I will have many more holiday ideas for you in upcoming blogs. Just enjoy the season!

Naps

Naps are great. Don't ever feel guilty for taking one!

Four Christmases

Most movie reviewers will disagree with me on this one, so if you're into listening to those people then we probably don't have the same taste. However, in my opinion, this movie was very funny and served it's purpose as good holiday entertainment. Who cares if Vince Vaughn is so much taller than Reese Witherspoon? If you are a fan of the classic Vince Vaughn character (how is it everything that comes out of his mouth is funny?) then you will certainly enjoy this movie as well. Laughter was constant throughout the entire film with the exception of the one sentimental feelings that I guess are necessary to a holiday film. However the sentiment doesn't last long and it jumps quickly back into the funny. I was a bit skeptical about seeing it because I was afraid the funny parts were in the trailer and I had already seen them all, however with free passes I decided to go and I was not disappointed. Of course it doesn't quite stack up to the classics like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Elf, and A Christmas Story, but if you're looking for a new one to see this year I would say check out Four Christmases.

Thanksgiving Soup

Alone this Thanksgiving? We can't all be lucky enough to be home this year. And a whole Thanksgiving feast is a lot to cook for just one person. Well here is a solution: it's called the "Almost Like Thanksgiving" Turkey Soup. It calls for much less ingredients than a normal T-day dinner and you can prepare it in much less time. So if you're craving that fall turkey taste but can't go home, make this soup for yourself! Pair it with some cranberry juice and pumpkin ice cream (substitutes for cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie) and enjoy a Thanksgiving to yourself.

"Almost Like Thanksgiving" Turkey Soup
(prep time: 35 minutes)

Sweat in 2 T. unsalted butter
2 cups leeks, sliced
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped

Add; sprinkle in:
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
1 T. garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. minced fresh thyme
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. pepper

Deglaze with; stir in:
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste

Garnish with:
Minced fresh parsley

Sweat leeks, carrot, and celery in butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high.
Add mushrooms and garlic, and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle flour, thyme, nutmeg, and pepper over vegetables; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Deglaze with sherry, simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in broth, turkey, and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes; season with salt.
Garnish with parsley.

Role Models

A friend and I went to go see the new movie Role Models this past weekend and it was hilarious!! The movie stars Paul Rudd (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 40 Year Old Virgin) and Seann William Scott (American Pie series) as two adults who screw up on a day at the job and have to do community service. They get put into a program with big and littles and get paired with two younger boys who need some guidance. While Rudd and Scott are a perfect comedic match, add in Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) and Bobb'e J. Thompson (Fred Claus) and it gets outrageous. Underneath the humor it is a heart-warming story about how much the adults learn from the kids, but above all of that it is a hilarious story where everything that can go wrong does and so many sarcastic comments you almost can't keep up. At one point my friend looks over at me and asked if I was crying because I was laughing so hard. If you have been entertained by the previous movies featuring Rudd, I definitely recommend this one to add to the list.

Top Chef New York

If you like food and reality television, you will really like Top Chef. It is the perfect combination of both that leaves your mouth watering. The good thing about this program is that you get the competition with less drama and yelling than the other reality shows. Season 5 is starting in New York and it premiers Wednesday night @ 10:00 on Bravo. Don't miss it!

Barack Obama, Our New Leader

This was probably the most epic election that we will ever be a part of in our lifetime and I want to congratulate Barack Obama, our new president. I believe he will do great things for this country. What a historic event this is with counts, states, but mostly, it is so great to be a part of having the first African-American president ever. We have truly come a long way in this country and and I believe we will continue to be so united after this huge day. Here is to change!

VOTE!!

Don't forget!!! Tomorrow is election day. No matter who your candidate is, get out and vote. This is an epic election. Be a part of it!!