Holy Holidays!

What a great holiday season this has been!
I spent a week in Cleveland with my family, came back to Chicago on Friday, taught a few group fitness classes, then headed to boyfriend's grandmother's house for Christmas with his family. And boy is his family generous! I'm so lucky and thankful to have them in my life. My immediate family consists of three people. I hardly knew any of my grandparents, they all passed before I was 8 years old. My father has one brother and my mother is an only child. Around our table sits my mom, dad, sister, and any boyfriend we might be dating at the time. So to be surrounded by boyfriend's sister, her boyfriend, parents, grandparents, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews is a treat I wasn't able to grow up with. They may complain about the chaos around their table, but I think it's so much fun. 

And while visiting family is always a blessing, there is something so comforting and relaxing about being back in our little urban Chicago apartment. 

After we came home today, I hit up TJ Maxx for a few items. 

A new basket to corral our many mittens, scarves, and hats. For the past few months, they were living in a duffel bag behind the couch.

A few new serving dishes for New Years Brunch

I picked up all of my ingredients for my first annual New Years Day Brunch, straightened up the apartment, and hung an entire wardrobes-worth of clothing from Grandma and mom. Now it's time to relax, plan out my Brunch cooking strategy, and catch up on reality TV. 

I can't wait to finally have an excuse to use my "Cheers!" plates from Williams-Sonoma. My mom bought these for me last year - six plates, each says "cheers" in a different language. 

Wish me luck in cooking this New Years Brunch with an almost guaranteed hangover.

Sonoma Sustenance

A major perk of having a fabulous mother with mad cooking skills is that she's in the "In Club" at Williams-Sonoma. Meaning she works there, for their nice discount - and that discount treats you nicely.

When my mother came to Chicago about a week ago, we, of course, took a trip to Williams-Sonoma at 900 North Michigan Shops, because "Chicago has things that the Cleveland store doesn't have." Which is true, I guess.

We picked up two holiday-themed chocolate goodies:

1. Peppermint Baked Brownie Mix - A+++ This stuff was delicious. Not only does it come with a peppermint candy topping, but the actual brownie mix itself is infused with peppermint. Just add butter and eggs to their packaged mix, fold together gently, and bake for about 30 minutes. My shotty oven required me to bake them a bit longer than 30 minutes.

These brownies came out thick and gooey, boyfriend was so upset that I was making them for my co-workers and not him (don't worry, I did leave him a few).  They were a hit with my co-workers. At $16.95 per box,  yes, these are the most expensive brownies I have ever baked/eaten, but hey, it's the holidays. And they are SO GOOD.

2. Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate Mix - A+ Finally! REAL hot chocolate. This isn't a cocoa powder, the container holds real flecks of chocolate that you melt with milk on the stove. This hot chocolate is so creamy and thick, one cup will definitely fill you up. Make a cup for your boyfriend so he doesn't try to steal yours. Careful, the calorie count is pretty high, and this stuff is addicting.

There is also a peppermint hot chocolate flavor, but the bulk of the peppermint taste is lost after boiling with water. I'd stick with the classic flavor.

At almost $20/jar, still an expensive investment in hot chocolate, but what do you expect from Williams-Sonoma?



*If you buy the hot chocolate, you MUST ALSO BUY the Williams-Sonoma homemade marshmallows.  They come in two sizes (the minis are plenty) and are shaped like giant cubes, not  the look or consistency of your typical Jewel-Osco marshmallow, but they melt so perfectly in a cup of hot chocolate, creating a creamy, marshmallowy layer of perfection. Both the classic marshmallow and the peppermint marshmallow are great.