Another homemade holiday highlight for me this season was making marshmallows! They were time intensive, but relatively easy, and we were all quite impressed with the way they turned out! The peppermint flavor is really good in these and I think that is what makes them stand out. I am not typically a marshmallow fan- I do not like Peeps, the chocolate and the graham cracker (or better yet, the gingersnap) are my favorite pieces of the s'more, and I typically prefer whipped cream to marshmallows on top of hot chocolate. But these homemade marshmallows are a game changer. They are quite good and just different enough of a consistency to still completely resemble the jet puffed ones we are used to, yet have a more sophisticated flavor.
Read MoreWe love all Mexican inspired food around here and not a week goes by when tacos and/or quesadillas are not on our dinner menu. I am always searching for a new twist to these dishes as my go to protein is nearly always beans.
I am not a big fan of many meat substitutes, I would rather just go without, but tofu is a family pleaser, so I decided to try my hand at using tofu in tacos. If you are not familiar cooking with tofu, you should know that it easily takes on any flavor that you cook with it. In other words, do not be afraid to use seasoning...tofu does not have to be boring!
These tacos are very tasty and easy to prepare. We had leftover tofu filling and it reheated nicely the next day for a yummy lunch. I am pretty sure this recipe is going into our dinner rotation.
Read MoreDid you see the New York Times interactive article, "Diary of a Food Tracker," which was published last Monday? It is a fascinating account of one person's weight loss story using the Lose It app to track food intake and exercise. It is well known through multiple published studies that self-monitoring is the most effective way to lose weight, but what is very rarely depicted is just how difficult self-monitoring can be for the long haul.
The interactive article highlights the ups and downs of Mr. Lochner's very successful weight loss journey (he lost over 100 pounds) and accurately illustrates just how difficult it can be to maintain your efforts despite seen success. I applaud the NY Times as well as Mr. Lochner for this piece. Eating healthy and losing weight are difficult jobs and it's nice to see a portrayal like this one rather than a glamorous weight loss story that features a slender woman and a trendy diet.
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