Dear 2012

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Parita

2012,

I wasn’t expecting you to come so quickly, but now that you’re almost here, I’m excited to greet you with open arms!

2011 was a wonderful year, but I have a feeling you’re going to be even better. I’m so excited to see what you have in store for me.

In all honesty, I’ve been thinking a lot about your arrival. With others in the past, I really tried to think through what I wanted to accomplish. I would even write down my goals with a sense of excitement. However, after about a month or so, that list of goals would end up in the bottom of some drawer or basket in my house. Don’t worry though – it’s going to be different with us! I promise.

For one thing, I have a blog now. This means that when I make public declarations, I do my best to stick them. I think it’s called blogger responsibility or something like that. Another huge thing that’s really going to help our relationship is my upcoming wedding. This means that we’re going to have to work harder then ever the first six months of the year…I hope you’re up to that! And don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging the last half of the year. No one can keep us apart, not even Vishnu!

So with all that, 2012, I present to you our detailed daily plan of attack.

FOOD
- Drink at least 48 ounces of water every day. No excuses.
- Eat at least 3 servings of both fruits and vegetables every day. And remember, variety is key.
- Incorporate protein into every single meal and snack. Again, variety is the spice of life.
- Try to make one new-to-me meal a week (this will help a lot after the wedding).

EXERCISE
- Go to at least two spin classes a week.
- Continue running two times a week
- Strength train 2-3 times a week (DVDs, classes at the gym, etc.)

MISC.
- Take 15-20 minutes every night to prepare for the next day – make lunch, prep breakfast if needed, iron clothes, etc.
- Turn off the TV and laptop by 9:15 pm every night and read for at least 15 minutes before bed.
- Try to blog at least 4 times a week, as it’s a creative outlet and stress reliever.
- Make a conscious effort to eat slower (keep the Slow Down Challenge in mind).

I think this list covers all the major things I want to focus on daily. I know you span an entire 365 days, but I am a big believer at taking things a day at a time. I know I’m a little ambitious and sometimes even a little stubborn, but I think we’ll get along just fine!

See you VERY soon!!
Parita

Holiday Baking

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Parita

For the past few days, I haven’t felt so well. I’ve been plagued with an extremely stuffy nose, making it hard to breathe (read: not so fun). Unfortunately, my mom is also sick. Except her symptoms are 3x worse than mine.

After a quick nap today, I figured we could all use a little pick me up, so I suggested we bake something chocolaty and delicious. My first inclination was to bake Katie’s Chocolate Chip Blondies, my favorite healthy dessert. However, my sister had another idea – one that involved oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. We’d been talking about Jess’ Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares for the past week, so we got all of our ingredients ready and started baking.

NOTE: We swapped the one tablespoon of vanilla extract in the recipe for one tablespoon of strong coffee.

Someone was a little ahead of herself!

Out of the oven came a pan that smelled like peanut butter and looked like a giant chocolate chip cookie! So so delicious! These bars are dense, not overly sweet, and the perfect complement to a tall glass of milk.

This jar was filled to the top at some point. Oh well, new year’s resolutions are right around the corner.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Burgers, Bands, and Green Lasagna

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Parita

Burgers.

So get this. Vishnu and I decided to meet in the city yesterday to run wedding errands. We made plans to grab lunch first at one of our favorite places – Lotta Frutta. Well, when I called (multiple times) to make sure it was open, no one picked up. We decided to go elsewhere since we didn’t want to take the risk that it was in fact closed. Gilbert’s was what we decided on next. I even called to make sure it was open. So you can imagine how irritated I was when Vishnu called to tell me it was closed until dinnertime. I told Vishnu to just pick a place and get back to me…pronto!

The Vortex is where we ended up (third time’s a charm). Vishnu and I have been there a number of times over the years and absolutely love the food. And if you want a good laugh, check out the “Rules” tab on the website.

The Vortex is known for their unique burgers, which can be made with any kind of patty (beef, chicken, turkey, veggie).

Vishnu ordered a turkey burger made his favorite way, Black n’ Blue (cajun spices + blue cheese spread).

I decided on the Tasmanian Devil veggie burger because it had the sweet and savory thing going on – a pepperberry rub and pineapple salsa.

Needless to say, lunch was DELICIOUS!

Bands.

I bought Vishnu’s wedding band yesterday, but unfortunately, I don’t have a picture to share. It was pretty much exactly what he wanted – a manly looking ring made out of Tungsten. And yes, I said manly. Vishnu was adamant about the fact that this ring should not look “bling bling” in any way.

I think I may have found my band as well! After trying on a bajillion, we found one that worked with my engagement ring. I have a few pictures of it but don’t want to post them until we’re 100% sure.

That’s one more thing crossed off my list!

Green Lasagna.

After about 7.5 hours of driving around in Atlanta traffic in the rain, we arrived at my friend Jetan’s house for dinner. His family bought a new place earlier this year, so he invited a few friends over to hang out.

Jetan!

Biscuits, salad, chicken parm, spinach lasagna, and tiramisu were all on the menu.

Everything was really good. I was so proud of Jetan! I think this was his first time cooking for more then just a few people.

Good food + good friends = a fun time, anytime!

I can’t believe Christmas is on Sunday. My family is “celebrating” a bit early by opening our presents tomorrow morning. See, when we were kids, my parents always gave in and let us open our presents on Christmas Eve. This year, we’re opening them on Christmas Eve morning! I feel like I’m eight all over again!

And honestly, it’s sometimes easy to forget what the holidays are really about, but we should always keep in mind that…

“The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.”
– W. C. Jones

I hope each of you has an an absolutely wonderful Christmas!!!