I hope you enjoyed my video on How To Throw a Healthy Holiday Party! Over the next few days I am going to be sharing more details on the tips featured in the video starting with party food and cocktails.

A great party is nothing without delicious food for your guests to enjoy. Sadly, most holiday party fare tends to be rich and heavy. Nothing makes me feel lees like celebrating than being put into a food coma! Instead of the typical bloating holiday bites try some of my healthier ideas. You want your guests merry, not miserable!

All of these recipes are easy to make and can be made either entirely or partially ahead of time. In the hours before you party you should be focusing on getting yourself gorgeous and party ready, not catering! The one exception is the guacamole which tastes and looks best when made fresh. However, as long as you have all of your ingredients ready to go it can be thrown together right before your guests walk in the door.

Black Truffle Salted Almond Bark 

Instead of traditional holiday cakes, candies and cookies try making this Almond Bark. Dark chocolate is low in sugar and there is an added bonus of healthy fats and protein from the almonds.

Pomegranate Guacamole

I like to update guacamole for the holidays with the addition of pomegranate seeds, one of the few fruits in season during the winter.  They are packed with antioxidants, have a wonderful sweet-tart taste, and the color is oh so holiday appropriate. I serve my guacamole inside of a romaine leaf, and as a dip for crudités!

Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms 

Stuffed mushroom caps are a party favorite. Most recipes call for breadcrumbs and tons of cheese. Gross! I stuff mine with a delicious dairy free pesto, which can be made days or weeks ahead of time and frozen. The day of your party just defrost the pesto, stuff the mushrooms and pop them in the oven a few minutes before your guests arrive. You may want to go easy on the garlic in your pesto when making these for a party. Nothing is worse than being caught in an intimate situation with garlic breath!

Food is great but let’s be honest, most people go to holiday parties for the drinks! Instead of a full bar I always serve a signature drink or two at my parties. Picking one or two speciality drinks saves you the time and money of offering a fully stocked bar. Everyone loves a great cocktail!

Almond Nog 

While delicious, traditional egg nog is loaded with sugar and fat. For my holiday gatherings I make Almond Nog with OMilk Almond Milk and a few extra spices. It’s a delicious alternative that is great on it’s own or for a more “adult” beverage add a few ounces of rum!

Prosecco with Pomegranate

While festive, champagne is quite pricy. Instead, I like to toast with glasses of Prosecco. A few pomegranate seeds at the bottom of the glass make for a very merry glass of bubbly!

Rosemary Ginger Lemonade

I always make sure to have a special non-alcoholic drink on hand for any guests who are not drinkers. Drinking plain water at a party just doesn’t feel special. Adding fresh ginger to homemade stevia sweetened rosemary lemonade gives a spicy, savory twist!

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed  lemon juice
• 3 cups of water
• 6 springs of rosemary
• 1″ knob peeled ginger chopped
• 2 squirts liquid stevia

1. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher or large bottle
2. Allow to “steep” for 30 minutes or so
3. Adjust sweetness to taste and serve!

 

 

It’s holiday party season! Over the next two weeks my calendar is filled with holiday gatherings to host and attend. From office parties, to friend’s holiday open houses, to intimate dinners, to Doug’s birthday my schedule feels as if it is bursting at the seams.

While it’s fun to dress up in something sparkly and celebrate with friends and family, most people associate the holidays with over indulgence, extra weight and added stress. Doesn’t sound like much fun to me! I personally like to fit into my clothes come January 1st.

There is no reason the holidays can’t be healthful, stress-free and fun. This video shares some of my favorite tips and tricks to throwing a holiday party the Clean, Pure and Simple way. From healthy snacks, to simple and chic decor, to holiday style when I throw a party I like to look and feel great doing it!

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season always makes me think of traditions. The traditions I grew up with and the new ones Doug and I are creating together. I grew up Jewish but we always had a Christmas tree and exchanged presents on Christmas day. This was partly because my mom was born on Christmas Day (and named Holly), and partly because we were always together on a family vacation on December 25th.

Now Doug and I have started some special holiday traditions of our own. We decorate our apartment for the season while listening to Christmas music and drinking peppermint hot chocolate made with almond milk. We light Hanukkah candles and let them flicker in our window. It’s the only time we ever burn candles in our home, as we do not like inhaling smoke. We exchange gifts with each other at home before we head to his parents house upstate for the holiday. And we always, always watch The Preachers Wife and Love Actually. Sometimes if I’m lucky A Muppet Christmas Carol get’s thrown in too!

One of the many holiday traditions that Doug grew up with that I did not is baking Christmas cookies. Every year he asks me if we can make cookies and for one reason or another it never quite happens. However, last week I made his wish come true with these Sugar Cookies. They are so decadent tasting that Doug calls them “butter cookies” although they contain no butter. I plan on making several batches over the next two weeks to bring as hostess gifts to the various holiday parties we are attending. These keep quite awhile in the fridge so go ahead and triple or quadruple the recipe to get you from now until the end of the holiday season!

Sugar Cookies

• 2 cups almonds ( I use blanched here) or 2 cups almond flour
• 3 T coconut oil melted
• 2 T coconut nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grind almonds in a high speed blender or Vitamix for about 20 seconds until they resemble a coarse flour. If you do not have a powerful blender you can use store bought almond flour.
3. In a small bowl throughly combine the coconut oil, coconut nectar, vanilla and stevia.
4. Add the ground almonds (or almond flour), baking soda and sea salt and mix until  you have a thick, even dough.
5. Using your hands form the dough into teaspoon sized balls and place on a Silpat lined baking sheet.
6. Gently flatten each dough ball and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
7. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely before eating or storing.

I am very picky when it comes to personal scents. I prefer simple scented oils over expensive, toxic perfumes. In fact, I rarely wear a scent at all as I find most of them overpowering and artificial smelling.

When I recently discovered GIVESCENT I was blown away at how quickly I became enamored of this irresistible, delicious scent made from pure oils. I have not been able to stop wearing it (and smelling myself)!

Created by yoga guru Elena Brower in collaboration with Alexandra Lyon Perelmon GIVESCENT combines notes of citrus, vanilla and almond into a hard to resist concoction. Free of alcohol, formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates and sulfates I feel safe dabbing it onto my skin every day. My favorite part about GIVESCENT is that a portion of the proceeds from each bottle are donated to Women for Women International. Nothing feels better than knowing you are giving back while pampering yourself.

Knowing how much I love GIVESCENT, Elena and Alexandra were kind enough to answer a few questions for me for this most recent installment of my “In The Spotlight” series. Enjoy!

What lead you to create GIVESCENT ?

Elena:

I’d been mixing my own oil blends for years. We wanted to create sensual, grounding oil blends that everyone would love. Our first was inspired by my time spent teaching during the first sultry summer days on the island of Sicily. Alexandra smelled my Italian-inspired creation and loved the citrus sexiness of it. This blend became GIVESCENT Signature. She committed to making this happen and it was a privilege to watch her build this project.

Alexandra:

I’d always noticed how amazing Elena smelled as she taught her yoga classes. While pregnant with my second son, I begged her to make me a bottle of her sweet almond oil blend that she often wore during class. I wanted a scent that was captivating AND clean – a cleaner alternative to the perfume I’d worn in the past, one free of alcohol and other toxic chemicals. Soon after she gave me my first bottle, I started mixing the blend myself. Everywhere I wore the scent, people would stop to ask me what I was wearing. I soon realized we should bottle the scent and share it with others.

What makes GIVESCENT your ideal/ signature scent?

Alexandra:

Our irresistible signature scent reminds me of my favorite place: Italy, and helps us GIVE to others.

Elena:

This was my first distinct blend that I actually recorded and was able to replicate, and everyone who smells it finds it – in Alexandra’s words – captivating.

Scents can really transport us. When you put on GIVESCENT where are you transported to?

Elena:

When I teach in Sicily, I stay at the Becchina estate in Castelvetrano, where Olio Verde is produced, amongst other treats. For me, GIVESCENT is reminiscent of the smell of the orchards, where you can find lemon trees, green grass, fig trees and of course, olive trees. A magical part of the world. I’m hoping to go back in July 2013.

Alexandra:

Some of my favorite memories are from summers spent on the Italian coast. I specifically recall the fragrant scent of Sardegna: a mix of the warm, rich earth, the salty Mediterranean, and sweet, sun-ripened fruit.

How did you decide to partner with Women for Women International on GIVESCENT?

Alexandra:

When Elena and I decided to share the beauty of GIVESCENT, it was important to us that others benefit from the project as well. Both of us are mothers, teachers and activists; for us, giving to WFW seemed like the perfect mission. We are honored to contribute to such a meaningful cause, and help women survivors of war rebuild their lives. As GIVESCENT evolves, we look forward to sharing our proceeds with other charities that support women worldwide.

Elena, is there a connection for you between your work as a yoga teacher and GIVESCENT?

Through my work as a teacher, I meet many innovators and creatives, so I’ve been educated about toxicity in our cosmetic products by Joshua Onysko, founder of Pangea Organics, and a dear friend.  He taught me to be more selective about the ingredients in the products I put on my skin. With GIVESCENT, we aimed to create something cleaner than other fragrances and to keep toxicity out of our bodies. I also want to wear something delicious as I share space with hundreds of people each week.

Do you have additional scents or products in the works?

We have GIVESCENT orange in the works-a warm, sensuous blend of neroli, bergamot, cedarwood and jasmine absolut. This blend will benefit Christy Tulrington’s organization, Every Mother Counts, a wonderful charity that raises awareness for global maternal health. GIVESCENT orange will be released this spring in time for Mother’s Day.

Finally, if you could go on a fantasy holiday vacation where would you go and what five essentials would you pack?

Elena:

I would go directly to the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur to practice yoga and hike every single day. I’d take my boyfriend, a bunch of Nadia Narain’s candles, body oils from Pangea and redflower, a great book, and my favorite crystals.

Alexandra:

I would go right back to Italy with my husband Jonathan and take long long walks, and spend as much time in the water as possible. This is where we have spent some very meaningful moments together. I would take:

A stack of books (Edith Wharton & Zora Neale Hurston are my favorite authors)

Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence

Raw Chocolate bars from FINE AND RAW

My vintage Pucci caftan;)

And of course, GIVESCENT signature

New York City is an amazing place to live for someone devoted to healthy, clean, plant based eating.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by many options for pressed juice, smoothies, raw food, plant based meals, and farm to table fine dining. I am constantly discovering new places to add to my list of favorites!

Recently, a girlfriend introduced me to Hu Kitchen, which has quickly become my newest obsession. Hu Kitchen is an eat in/take out mecca of my favorite kinds of food. They have a great juice and smoothie bar (I love to add kale to the Smooth Avocado for a nutrient dense liquid lunch), delicious prepared foods, and best of all a “mashbar.” The “mashbar,” is a clean eater’s version of the frozen yogurt or sundae bar. You start with a base such as their divine chocolate chia pudding and add toppings from there. So far my favorite combination is chocolate and vanilla chia pudding with strawberries and coconut cream. I fully admit to getting two per visit so I can have multiple nights worth of dessert in my fridge! This stuff is beyond amazing. I desperately want them to open in TriBeCa ( hint hint).

Sadly I cannot visit Hu Kitchen every day. So, with their “mashbar” as my inspiration I decided to make my own at home Chia Pudding Bar. I have been enjoying chocolate and vanilla chia pudding at home for years, but never thought to add multiple toppings into the mix. Chia pudding lasts a few days in the fridge so I like to make batch of each flavor and then top with whatever I have on hand when the mood hits! It has been tiding me over until I can get back to Hu Kitchen.

Today is also my niece and nephew’s 1st Birthday! Happy Birthday Ben and Grace! They are not quite eating desserts yet, but how much fun would a Chia Pudding Bar be at a kid’s birthday party? Much better than a sundae bar in my opinion. Maybe next year their aunt will set one up at their party! Or take them to Hu Kitchen? Or both?

Chocolate Chia Pudding

• 2 cups light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 tsp liquid stevia

1. Combine coconut milk, cocoa powder, vanilla and stevia in blender. You could also do this by hand but cocoa powder can be hard to incorporate evenly in liquid so a blender works best.
2. Pour blended coconut milk over chia seeds and stir.
3. Allow chia pudding to sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour stirring occasionally  until it thickens and the chia seeds absorb all of the liquid.

Vanilla Chia Pudding

• 2 cups almond milk ( I use OMilk)
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 tsp stevia

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust sweetness and vanilla flavor to your liking.
2. Allow chia pudding to sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour stirring occasionally until it thickens and the chia seeds absorb all of the liquid.

Some Toppings Ideas

Are their certain movies you could watch over and over? Some guilty pleasure you have to pause on every time it’s on cable? While I tend to like movies and shows I have not seen before, Doug has several movies that he has watched thousands of times. If Knocked Up, I Love You Man or The Preacher’s Wife is on he just can’t look away. Maybe it’s a male female thing? Maybe I just bore easily?

While I can’t handle watching the same movie over and over I do love certain dishes so much that I can eat them night after night. This Cauliflower Purée is one of those dishes. I must have made it every other night for dinner last winter before I burned out on it’s deliciousness. Recently while flipping through my recipe notes I discovered it again and re-ignited my obsession. Smooth, creamy and utterly delicious I think I may be be eating these night after night again this winter!

Cauliflower Purée

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
• 1-2 tsp black truffle salt
• 1/ 4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 T garlic powder
• 2-4 T almond milk ( I use OMilk)

1. Gently steam cauliflower in a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water.
2. Purée cauliflower in a Vitamix or high speed blender with remaining ingredients until smooth. You may need to add more almond milk to facilitate blending.
3. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.

I have many habits that most people would consider odd. I call them quirky. I won’t wear my heaviest winter coat until at least January. My thinking is if I break out “the big guns” in November I will be too used to the extra warmth come January when it is REALLY cold. If I start a book or TV series I always stick with it, even if it is really cheesy or just bad because I feel guilty abandoning fictional characters.  I only drink white wine never red (rose in the summer) no matter what I am eating or what time of year. I can eat ceviche, which most people consider a summer food anytime of year. While I prefer my ceviche served with margaritas on the beaches of Mexico I am happy to get my fix in freezing cold New York City as well!

Tonight a good friend and I are checking out another friend’s brother’s new Mexican restaurant (whew!), El Toro Blanco. I am always excited when a new Mexican spot opens as I sometimes feel my options in New York are limited. While it seems like there is a lot of Mexican food to be had, most of it is Tex-Mex or just not authentic enough for my taste.

In celebration of my impending guacamole and ceviche feast I wanted to share this recipe for Vegetable Ceviche. You could use almost any vegetables you like but I find the combination of mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, turnips and radishes works best. Serve this alongside My Favorite Margarita, Pomegranate Guacamole, and some Spiced MexicanTruffles and you will have quite the feast of your own!

Vegetable Ceviche

 

Something about the holiday season makes me feel a little bit like a kid again. All of a sudden I want to go ice-skating, wrap presents, decorate a tree, light a menorah and drink hot chocolate. Frozen Hot Chocolate that is. Growing up my most favorite treat on the planet was the Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity. This incredibly decadent treat is/was served in a giant glass and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. One of them is enough to give four kids a major sugar high. I have not touched the stuff in at least twenty years but I can still recall the experience vividly.

The other day I picked up some NibMor Organic Vegan Drinking Chocolate  with every intention of making a cup of steaming hot chocolate with almond milk. I love NibMor because it is vegan, organic, gluten free and sweetened with coconut sugar. My favorite is the Mint flavor- a perfect minty chocolaty combination. However, come dessert time that night a hot beverage was no longer what I was craving. Looking around my kitchen for an alternative treat I noticed a tray of OMilk ice cubes in my freezer. I like to keep frozen cubes of almond milk and coconut water on hand to use in my smoothies; they make them frosty cold without watering them down like regular ice cubes do. Also, making almond milk ice cubes is useful when I have more OMilk than I can drink before it expires! Into my Vitamix went some OMilk, a packet of Mint NibMor and two large almond milk ice cubes. The result was a creamy, frosty treat that reminded me of the Frozen Hot Chocolate of my past. Yum!

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Happy Thanksgiving! Doug and I started of our day with a 90 minute Turkey Burn with our beloved Laurie Cole at SoulCycle. We may not eat turkey, but this special ride is something we look forward to all year. At the end of class Laurie asked us to think of one thing we are grateful for. I was immediatly flooded with overwhelming emotion.

I am grateful for so much. My husband, my family, my home, my health, my creativity. I am especially grateful for my father-in-law’s health. If any of us were being honest last year we were not sure he was going to be with us this Thanksgiving. Being able to share Thanksgiving dinner with him will be truly special. We never know what the future holds but to have made it almost one year since his diagnosis is a reason for true gratitude.

On the way home from class Doug asked me what came to mind when Laurie asked what we are grateful for. I said “your dad’s health.” I then asked him the same question. He looked at me and said , “You. It’s always you.”

I am grateful for true love.