gobble, gobble, gobble!

i am so incredibly thankful for family and friends, but because there are so many of them, it means LOTS of thanksgiving celebrations, and TONS of food!

my mom and i started off the day low key with turkey cutlets, oven roasted potatoes, and my interpretation of my dear friend megan's corn souffle. you're probably thinking corn souffle? what does that even mean? if you like corn, it means heaven on a plate!

corn souffle
(adapted from megan's recipe)

1 egg egg white
1 box of corn muffin mix (i use jiffy)
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 stick of butter 1/2 cup smart balance (or other low-fat spread)
8 oz of FAT FREE sour cream
low fat/no fat cooking spray


in a large bowl, melt the smart balance or other spread. add egg white and sour cream and mix together.  add in both cans of corn and combine.  add box of corn muffin mix. mix together until the mixture becomes a bit doughy. 

preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  add the mixture to the pan and bake for one hour. you will know it's done when the edges are browned and when a toothpick comes out clean. 

(personally, i LOVE the crunchy top and corners, so i use a bigger pan, and have a more shallow souffle. if doing this, be sure to check it at about 40 minutes, to make sure it doesn't burn or dry out)

thanksgiving #2 was with my cousins, and was basically a food network, giada feast!! my cousin loves to cook and entertain, and basically cooks as if she was serving 32 people, when inreality there was 6 of us at her house!  needless to say, the food was amazing!  round two consisted of turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.

round three was dessert, and i'm a dessert first kind of girl, so it was fabulous. we had pumpkin cheesecake from trader joe's (which is now sitting in my fridge, calling out to me), apple pie, and giada's chocolate hazelnut tart. it was so decadent and delish!  and because i'm a glutton for punishment, while we cleaned up and gossiped, i ate even more turkey!  and since i got leftovers from both feasts, i actually have lots of food in my fridge. of course i feel like i can't move off the couch...

how do you motivate to workout during the holidays?? i need all the motivation i can get!

KNOCKOUT!

so in my vow to try new fitness classes, my friend carol, who is currently OBSESSED with boxing, dragged me to a class. and when i say dragged, i mean it. she's been begging me to come for weeks, and i'm always pushing her off. she cornered me, and we made a date to meet at LA Boxing.

needless to say, the class was intense!  it incorporated tons of boxing moves on our individual heavy bags, as well as lots of cardio. currently i am insanely out of shape, so i was dying halfway through (in a good way).  i felt great afterwards though. i think spin class still has my heart, but i was happy i went out of my usual exercise comfort zone and tried something new.

have you had friends turn you on to new exercise techniques? how else do you find new fitness trends??

i hope for better, november

i know i was probably crying at the end of summer that it was too hot, and that my hair looked crappy and frizzy everyday. and now i'm cold! ha! i do love the fall though. the colors and breeze make me happy. but once halloween passes, i get sad. and ready for CHRISTMAS. yes, i'm one of those listening to christmas music WAY too early. 

last year, i flew to australia on christmas day, and didn't even finish up finals until dec 19, so it was a rushed holiday season. it was an amazing trip, but i wasn't in the spirit. so this year, ITS ON!

a quick halloween flashback:


girls night out - halloween 2010

we didn't end the night together, so i am glad we got one group shot before we went our own ways.  my fellow girl scout marisa, britney spears (aka: casey) and i had a blast and made some awesome new friends. apparently though, i am getting old, and by sunday night (after a sunday funday to watch the jets get a beat down) i was sick and miserable!

this week was blah, as i spent a lot of it in bed, and didn't even make it to my beloved tuesday night spin class! but now that i'm feeling better, no excuses. that being said, tomorrow is mexican night!! margaritas and spicy food are two of my faves. that means tomorrow morning i am finally trying my new dvd -- the bar method! i've been wanting to take a class, so this is the next best thing!

what are some new workouts you're planning on doing??