La Familia!

..we toasted as we began to eat Christmas dinner.  In our family, we always dine over Italian favorites for Christmas dinner.  Stuffed shells, meatballs and sausage, penne pasta, honey ham, and salad.  Nothing fancy, but delicioso with no leftovers to spare.  Dinner was followed by our family's version of the 12 days of Christmas, dessert, and finally Grandpa Vito and Uncle Bill singing 'My Way,' 'The Impossible Dream,' and 'Aldila' with the old squeezebox.

Hysterical laughter during '12 days of Christmas'

Bill warming up the squeezebox

My Grandparents dancing to 'Aldila'

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3319442/whisk-me-away?claim=dxac23yvfmu">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Merry Christmas

I have little time to blog today but wanted to wish my few (but loyal:)) readers a very Merry Christmas!  I have been taking tons of pictures with my new camera and will be posting very soon.  Lots of baking and amazing food.  Here is a little preview....

Oh in case you are wondering who that cutie is.. its Pooka!  My brother and sister in law's dog.  She loved her presents as you can see by the wrapping paper covered floor!

Hope you all have a wonder Christmas with your loved ones xx

Christmas Dinner

This year I rather spur of the moment challenged myself to make a traditional English Christmas dinner for Chris and I before he left for Michigan.  I turned to my experts from London, my dear friends Ly and Jackie.  Ly posted about her amazing lamb dinner (I've experienced several times, yum!) on her blog, Mondernista, and I thought I'd follow her how-to and make it for our first Christmas dinner.

Despite the fact that (I think) I know my way around a kitchen, the thought of making this big dinner made me rather nervous!  My nerves got worse when I got to the store and realized they only had one lamb and it was quite pricey to spend on 6 pounds of meat for just the 2 of us.  I panicked for a moment then called my 911 roast team to figure out an alternative.  I decided to do a beef roast which turned out fantastic!  Chris devoured the roast and I finished off most of the yorkshire pudding, so delicious!  For dessert, Chris made this amazing Guinness chocolate pudding.  It was a perfect Christmas dinner :)  Of course, I can't wait to have Christmas dinner with my family.  We're Italian so we always serve lots of pasta!  Bon Appétit!

Watch the yorkshire puddings rise!

According to Ly's instructions, make sure you have a handsome Englishman, or American to help take the roast out of the oven ;)

Christmas Movies

It wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't get to watch some of my favorite Christmas movies.  This month has been absolutely crazy but I was able to fit in some time Sunday night for White Christmas.  Hoping I can watch a few of my other favorites before the holidays are up! 

A few on my must watch list!

Downtown on Ice

After a failed attempt on Saturday afternoon, we finally got to go ice skating at Pershing Square last night.  A tip if you plan to visit Pershing Square downtown on ice on a weekend, Go Early!  Last weekend we went around noon and it was sold out until 6pm!  Weekday evenings are a less busy choice.  And, in my opinion, nighttime ice skating with all the lights and chilly air, and warm clothes just give the experience that little something extra.

After ice skating we tried Mas Malo, a fairly new restaurant located on the lower level, below Seven Grand (one of my favorite downtown watering holes).  Chris was quite excited when he saw chewy chips on the menu.  I had never had them before but they were quite delicious!  I also realized I love any drink with mezcal, an alcoholic beverage from Oaxaca that's made from agave. It has this smokey taste that I just love!

Stay tuned for lots of cooking posts.  Im making my first ever Christmas dinner for Chris and I Tuesday night! 

DIY Christmas Cards

Last weekend I made a stop at one of my favourite stores, The Paper Source.  I think I would shop there every week if I didn't have to deal with Santa Monica traffic to get to my nearest store.  But I digress.  I popped in to get some gift wrapping supplies and Christmas cards when I spotted their DIY Christmas Card Kit!  As you know, I'm all about DIY so I had to get this kit.  Homemade Christmas cards are a unique alternative to the boxed ones you mostly see.  I think mine turned out great!  Only problem is it only came with enough to make 4 cards.  I bet you could get a couple stamps or stickers and still make more with the scraps though!

Happy Weekend

Source: examiner.com via Katrina on Pinterest

Can you believe it's the first weekend in December?  I know I keep saying it, but this year has really flown by.  Although not as fancy or nearly as big as this one, we'll be putting up the Christmas tree this weekend!  Only 3 weeks until Christmas and Im proud to say I have nearly all of my shopping done.  I think this chilly weekend in LA is the perfect time for putting up the Christmas decor, making hot cider, and maybe some ice skating!  If you are in LA there are a few outdoor rinks this time of year.  Last year Chris took me on a date at Pershing Square.  Might try the Santa Monica one this year!
Santa Monica Ice Skating Rink
Downtown on Ice
LA Kings Holiday Ice
CHILL at the W, Westwood

Happy Weekend!

Memory Frame

 

 

Love this idea I found on Pinterest so much I had to share!  This would be a great gift idea or something to hold your own momentum's!  Im going to start digging in my purses for things to put in mine.  I tend to keep old ticket stubs, programs, and buttons  tucked away in my bags (not on purpose :))

Check out my Pinterest boards here!

Source: Uploaded by user via Jen on Pinterest

Giving Back This Holiday Season

Around this time of year I think about how blessed I am and find a way to give to those less fortunate.  As previously mentioned, my mom and I have donated stockings full of goodies to the troops, and participated in adopting a child from Angel Tree in the past.  This year I got to talking with a friend about World Vision.  You can donate simple things like chickens, clothing, and clean water that make a bigger impact than you think.  They have a huge catalogue of ways to give.  This year I donated a goat which will help to nourish families with milk, cheese, and yogurt and also helps boost their income with offspring and dairy that can be sold in markets.  If you are thinking about making a holiday donation this year, please take a look at World Vision.  Happy Holidays!