It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!

It's Christmas time! And I for one, could not be happier about this. I just love Christmas. The lights, the snow, the snuggling... it's all so romantic. Not to mention it's another wonderful excuse to be with those you love. What more could you ask for? Well, besides the itouch I've secretly been dying for.. the only other things I think I may want are some holiday treats. This house has been a candy shop the past few days and my waist line is the growing proof. We've made everything from white chocolate covered Oreo balls, to chocolate covered raisins, and even this new recipe we found for a delicious Pecan Toffee candy. I cannot wait to hand these out as gifts simply so I can stop chowing down every day. I will post a few recipes later this afternoon, I can't seem to find them at the moment!

Speaking of gifts, I have miraculously managed to have all of my Christmas shopping DONE before Christmas eve this year. This in itself deserves a reward! I have always been a procrastinator, something I'm not particularly proud of, but not this year! In years before I've struggled finding the right gifts for everyone but this year it seemed so simple. Everywhere I went I seemed to find the ONE gift I'd been looking for. It's such a relief to know I don't have to go out into the madness and search endlessly with all of the other procrastinators.

Tonight I am lucky enough to enjoy a gift I actually received for my birthday. Two tickets to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra. I have been in love with their music for years now and have been dying to see them. I've heard they put on a fantastic show! So the fact that I am FINALLY getting to see them tonight is beyond thrilling. I've been bouncing around all day as if I have consumed large amounts of sugar because I am THAT excited! Not only do I get to enjoy a fantastic show, but also an AWESOME dinner before hand. Abuelo's it is! I can taste the sangria already! What an awesome date night. Do I have the best boyfriend or what?? If he knew I said that he'd shoot me. So enough of that!

I hope everyone is experiencing the same "Christmas cheer" that is going around in my family! 'Tis the season to remember It's A Wonderful Life and I, for one, and thankful for that.

Cooking 101

I have to admit I've been an awful "blogger". Only two posts in nine months is embarrassing. Nine months? Man, time flies. I wish I could say I've been off doing fantastic things. I could tell you all about my exciting adventures I've been having and maybe share a few photographs. But unfortunately my life has been somewhat uneventful.

I somehow made it through my summer with very little to tell. My family and about 20 of our closest friends had a wonderful trip to Cedar Point. This is a trip we've been taking every summer for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately we all took a small hiatus for a few years. I think it's safe to say coming back to Cedar Point, all together, was the best reunion trip any of us could have asked for. If you were to ask me the one vacation I could never live without, it would be this one. First of all, I have to say, we simply have the best group of friends around. It is constant laughter and mayhem. We could have fun in a cardboard box. Second of all, if you put us all together in an amusement park.. well, it just doesn't get any better than that. My stomach hurt for days following the trip from the amount of laughter we shared. I'm already counting down the days until we're able to make the trip again.

After the summer ended it was time for school to start back up. And what a semester I attempted to take on. Physics, anatomy AND calculus? Not to mention an online course as well. I don't know what I was thinking to tell you the truth. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have that over with.

It's starting to become so surreal that I am getting older and will soon have a big girl job and a big girl house and a big girl life. Am I really twenty three years old? How is this possible? I feel so unprepared for all of these things. My girlfriends and I have had multiple conversations regarding the fact that how can we be ready to own our own houses, and have important jobs when we don't even know how to cook? Isn't that something all big girls should know how to do? Okay, so maybe that idea is a little 1950's, but to be honest, the best I can do is a grilled cheese sandwich! I expect more of myself. So two of my best friends and myself have taken on the task of what we like to call "Cooking 101".

And let me be the first to tell you, it is not as easy as Racheal Ray makes it look. So far we have met twice and made two dinner dishes as well as one dessert. I know.. I am impressed with us as well. The first dish we tried was a "Skillet Lasagna" and oh my goodness was it fabulous. A dinner that could have easily served 5-8 people also easily fed us three. We finished the entire thing in a matter of 30 minutes flat... THAT'S how good it was. And for it being our first time in a kitchen doing all the dirty work ourselves.. I'd say we did a great job. The recipe was found at the mouth watering foodnetwork.com and was so simple even WE could figure it out. I definitely suggest this for your next dinner. I personally plan on making this for my wonderful boyfriend sometime in the near future... if he should be so lucky.

Skillet Lasagna

(this recipe cooks in around 30 minutes and yields 4 servings... it's also ranked "easy" so don't be intimidated)

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
6 sheets no-bake lasagna noodles
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
3 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/3 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic; cook until golden, 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook until saucy, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and puree.

Return 1 cup of the sauce to the skillet and reduce the heat to low; reserve the remaining sauce.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, the remaining 3 tablespoons herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.

Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the spinach, half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce.

Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rest for a few minutes before slicing. Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs

Ours personally needed to simmer for longer than 25 minutes. Also, Molly cooked this a second time adding chicken. Any way you cook it.. trust me, you will love it! Cooking with friends is now one of my favorite things to do. I no longer feel quite so lost in a kitchen, and I now feel comfortable with my ability to follow recipes and when I'm feeling dangerous, even adding my own ingredients. Good luck and Happy Baking!!