Christmas Archives - Page 2 of 5

Merry Christmas!

December 26, 2014 by Susan 12 Comments

I’m going to keep this post short and sweet. Personally, I hate the day after Christmas when society just pulls that holiday bandaid off without even thinking. There’s so much build up, so much planning and so much hype… then on December 26th it’s just done. The Christmas music stops playing on the radio. The made-for-tv movies switch back to lifetime baby-mamma-drama rather than holiday love stories. The cookies start getting stale and our waste lines start to grow.

I want to continue the love and joy that is Christmas just a bit longer. I hope you took today off work like I did. Let’s all just decide to make it an extended weekend. Keep your twinkle lights on and your Christmas movies playing for just a few more days.

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours…

Hugs and Cheers — The Geoghegans

PS. I created THE BEST Paleo Almond Butter Kiss Cookie, on a complete whim. Do you think it’s okay to blog about Christmas Cookie Recipes after Christmas? It’s an amazing recipe. You need it in your life. Especially before the whole30.

Whole30 Approved: Mint Cranberry Lime Spritzer

December 24, 2014 by Susan 5 Comments

Tis the season for parties and gatherings, heavy dinners and sweet treats. It’s also the season for good wine and fun cocktails. While red wine {in moderation} is considered paleo — most of my all time favorite holiday cocktails are not.

Lately, in addition to fighting the urge to drink my way through one holiday festivity after another — I have also been severely struggling to drink enough water. If it’s 6PM and I have a headache building I know it’s time to start chug-a-lugging. Water, not wine. But I get bored with the normal, plain-jane agua, like most of us do. And I really don’t drink a lot of different types of beverages. My beverage menu usually consists of water, wine or tea. So as I am nearing the start of the next #2catsWhole30 I have started playing around with Whole30 Mocktail Recipes. {Because no one likes going to a party and holding a a boring glass of water.}

2 cats & chloe: Whole30 Approved Cocktail Spritzer

With Christmas right around the corner {i.e. tomorrow!! eek!} Here is a very festive, Whole30 Approved Spritzer “Mocktail” that is sure to be a hit! If you wanted to make this a true cocktail, I would recommend adding a splash of vodka… Tis the season after all, right?

Whole30 Approved - Mint Cranberry Lime Spritzer "Mocktail"

Prep time

2 mins

Total time

2 mins

This is a great "mocktail" to keep your taste buds happy during a whole30! All natural, clean and excellent for you!

Author: Susan {2 cats & chloe}

Recipe type: Beverage

Cuisine: Paleo, Whole30 Approved

Serves: 1 glass

Ingredients

A Bottle of Your Favorite Sparkling Water
100% Pure Cranberry Juice
Fresh Mint Leaves
1 Small Lime
A Handful of Fresh Cranberries

Instructions

Prior to making the drink, you need to make the ice cubes. Use an ice cube tray. Fill each cube with half cranberry juice, half water. The water helps dilute the sweetness and natural sugars in the juice. Make sure you are using 100% {not from concentrate} cranberry juice.
Once your ice cubes are frozen, you are ready to make your drink!
Put two mint leaves in the bottom of your glass.
Pour desired amount of water into the glass.
Add one Cranberry Ice Cube.
Add the lime and a few fresh cranberries, then enjoy!
{The longer you let the mint, fruit and cranberry ice cube sit, the stronger the flavor!}
Refill the water as necessary.

2 cats & chloe: Paleo Holiday Cocktail, Cranberry Lime Spritzer

2 cats & chloe: Paleo & Whole30 Approved Mocktail: Cranberry Lime Spritzer with Mint

It doesn’t get much easier than this guys. Don’t let yourself get down because your options seem limited if you are trying to cut sugars and booze. There are so many fun and creative “mocktail” options to enjoy when you are on a whole30. Here are a few that I tend to enjoy during the summer.

Keep in mind, it’s not too late to join us for the group whole30! In case you need to catch up, here are the deets:

Kick off 2015 the RIGHT way! Clean eating for 30 day! Reboot your eating habits!
On average, during the last #2catsWhole30 folks lost around 10-12 pounds. People also reported their energy levels were terrific, skin cleared up, migraines were gone!
30 days of meal plans and awesome menus are emailed to you by me!
If you need one on one coaching {or someone to call you every single day to keep you accountable} let’s talk! I’m offering coaching this time to help keep you on track and answer any questions you have throughout this life changing experience.
Email me immediately to join: 2catsandchloe{at}gmail{dot}com - I will be sending out pre-Whole30 emails this week.
Read more about my personal Whole30 experiences here, here and here.
We start JANUARY 1, 2015!

Have you ever tried mixing your own “mocktails” before? What flavors do you like to blend? Let me know if you try this recipe or if you have any questions about the upcoming #2catsWhole30!

Cheers Y’all! And Merry Christmas!

CELEBRATE SOUTHERN: A Southern Christmas Home Tour

December 22, 2014 by Susan 23 Comments

Seriously - let’s just take five seconds to breathe. Can you believe that Christmas is THIS WEEK! Holy guacamole - when, how, why, wait.. what?! I cannot even grasp where this year has gone. I swear, as I get older, time just flies by quicker and quicker. I assume that my grandmother must sneeze and it’s a new year.

It’s time that I joined BlogWorld and bring you a mini-version of what most of you have been posting recently: these beautiful, creative, Christmas home tours. Here are a few shots of festiveness that you will find around my house… Hope you enjoy!

My wedding wish tree all dressed up for Christmas with my Beach Christmas Village underneath it…

(Above) I love the church in this village. It weirdly looks just like the church we got married in! Glitter and all!

(Below) We have this very awkward “fireplace” room in our house. Every other time of the year I just breeze right through it. But as Christmas arrives, it becomes the prettiest room in our home. Our tree is covered in ornaments that we have collected through all of our travels. I have been picking up an ornament on every vacation or country/state I have visited for the last 10ish years. It really makes decorating the tree a very special thing, remembering past adventures and wonderful memories.

Notice my newest decorative piece this year… do you see Rudolph over the mantel? Cute right?!

Since our official tree isn’t actually in our den, I have this tiny one, that I purchased in 9th grade, all decked out next to my blanket ladder. Notice the gum drop garland?! I think they are so fun!

When I was on vacation many years ago in San Antonio, TX, I found this stained glass Nativity Scene. It’s not large, by any means, but I think it is so cute and unique.

And no Christmas is complete with out bags and bags of brand new, neon yellow tennis balls under the tree. Surprisingly, the k9s haven’t even messed with them yet. Fun Fact: If you want to drive a border collie crazy, drop 15 tennis balls in the room at one time. It’s the closest thing we can get to herding sheep…

I decided to go a bit rustic with my tablescape this year… I found these super cute reindeer {one is wearing a bow tie while the other is wearing a normal tie… because deer always need to look dapper} and then paired them with a couple gold and white striped taper candles, a few poinsettias and my metal center piece that I bought at a Swiss Christmas Market two years ago. When my advent candles are lit, you see the houses cut into the rusted metal.

And because no blog post is complete without a cute puppy picture… man I wish she would stay this size forever:

Now join the fun! Link up with J and me! Show us your southern inspired posts! Looking for a theme? Think Christmas, Crafts, DIY, Fashion, Foodie Amazingness, or even a southern city you have visited or live in! I would LOVE to see how Christmas is celebrated around other southern cities!

A favorite of mine from last week was FrugElegent‘s Christmas Home Tour! Wanna see a stunning home? Go check them out!

As always, thanks for stopping in… your love, comments and support mean the world to me. Merry Christmas and Cheers Y’all!

Loading InLinkz ...

Progressive Potluck and Paleo Maple Glazed Salmon

December 16, 2014 by Susan 8 Comments

This weekend was an AWESOME weekend. Not only did I get to have breakfast with a long lost friend on Saturday, but I got to have dinner with another friend in DC on Saturday night! You see, Saturday after breakfast, my husband and I hit the road for Washington DC. Our anniversary was last month… and for the one year anniversary, “paper” is the traditional gift. So I gave him tickets to the Caps game {because even though they are almost always digital these days, you can still print tickets on PAPER!} While my lack of knowledge wouldn’t allow me to see much of a difference between the professional Washington Capitals and our local Admirals hockey {other than the cost of the ticket and the size of the arena} apparently my husband can… so this was a very special gift.

Sunday was just as awesome. I spent most of the day cleaning the house and prepping for my family’s “Progressive Potluck.” You see, for many years we would do a Christmas Progressive Dinner. We would eat one course of dinner at each house. It was a really fun way to see everyone’s holiday decorations and eat a ton of food. But as we have gotten older and I have moved an hour from my family - this tradition has died out. So this year, I decided to invite everyone {spur of the moment} to our house, but they still had to prepare one course of the meal. Instead of a traditional potluck where people bring whatever they want, I assigned courses to each couple coming. {Quite frankly, why haven’t I thought about doing that for all potlucks? That way you don’t end up with 15 servings of cole slaw…}

My husband and I {read: Suz} were in charge of the main entree. I decided that this would be the perfect time to make a dish from my new Southern Living Christmas Cookbook, that the Ronald McDonald House Charity of Richmond gave me. While searching through this amazing cookbook, I was drooling over so many beautiful dishes. While not all of them are 100% clean eating, there are several in there that are easily adaptable to fit my gluten-free, sugar-free, and practically dairy-free lifestyle.

There was one dish in particular that jumped right out at me: The Caramelized Maple-and-Garlic Glazed Salmon (page 87). I have been wanting to create a dish that used pure maple syrup as a sweetener, rather than sugar… and this was perfect! My family of picky eaters loved it, and as an entertainer, who was creating this dish on the spot with a house full of guests, I loved that it only took me 20 minutes to make!

If you are looking for a great, clean, and easy holiday dish - I would highly recommend this one. I paired it with sautéed zoodles, roasted garlic mini-potatoes, and roasted veggies. Again, you can find it in this cookbook.

Caramelized Maple-and-Garlic Glazed Salmon

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Southern Living Christmas Cookbook - shared by Susan {2 cats & chloe.}

Recipe type: Dinner, Fish

Cuisine: Fish

Serves: 8

Ingredients

8 (2-inch-thick) salmon fillets (about 2.5 pounds)
¼ tsp. table salt
¾ tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. butter (i used ghee)
⅓ cup maple syrup, divided (to keep it clean be sure to use 100% pure maple)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Preheat broiler with oven rack 5½ inches from heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and garlic powder.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salmon, skin side up; cook 2 minutes. Place salmon, skin, side down, on a lightly greased rack in a broiler pan; brush with half of syrup.
Broil salmon for 5 to 7 minutes or until fish reaches desired degree of doneness and syrup begins to caramelize. Brush with remaining syrup; sprinkle with chives.

A little bit about the Ronald McDonald House of Richmond, VA before I continue on with our family “Potluck Progressive!” This is such a great organization that helps families who have sick children in the hospital. I have done some volunteer work for our local Norfolk Ronald McDonald House in the past: cleaning, cooking and things of that sort. It is so nice to know that by volunteering, or by simply purchasing this cookbook online or from your local Dillard’s that you are helping families stay together and stay strong during one of the scariest times of their lives. The Ronald McDonald House of Richmond provides families with comfy beds, hot showers, homemade meals prepared by volunteers, a place to do laundry, a fully stocked playroom, and a shuttle to take them to and from the hospital. This charity takes care of the family’s basic needs so that they can focus on what matters most: their child’s well being.

Not only are you helping families, but you are getting one heck of a holiday cookbook for just $10. I was so impressed by this cookbook because it definitely makes entertaining easy. It breaks up every single holiday course you can possibly imagine eating. But then, when you flip it over, it has awesome ideas, tablescapes and menus for almost every other holiday on the calendar year! Seriously - they even give you celebration ideas for Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby!

Like I said, I used this cookbook for our family’s holiday potluck and the Maple Glazed Salmon was a huge hit. Then, after eating several courses {pictures below} we partied like rockstars. Here’s your photo dump:

Gluten free crackers for this girl! Thanks mother for thinking about me!

2 cats & chloe: christmas cake

Red {and green} velvet for everyone else - and a gluten free cuppie for me! Again, thanks to my awesome family for going above and beyond to meet my newly found gluten free needs. Y’all rock.

Then, while we did a wicked gift exchange - Olivia passed out under my butcher block while Chloe helped me get drunk and eat cheese…

2 cats & chloe: Christmas gift exchange winners

Yup, I scored a box of wine. Not too shabby for a gift exchange!

So there ya have it guys! This was one heck of a weekend. I find myself truly blessed to have spent 48 hours with my husband, great friends, and family. Tis the season!

If you’re looking for one last Christmas gift - I highly recommend you check out this awesome, charitable, Southern Living Christmas Cookbook. When you give someone this cookbook, you are giving another family a huge gift as well. Many thanks to the Ronald McDonald House of Richmond for gifting me this cookbook. {The recipe in this blog post is straight from the cookbook, page 87.}

2 cats & chloe: Southern living Christmas cookbook, ronald mcdonald house charity

Now time for the linkup! You know the drill!

Loading InLinkz ...

Say What Saturday?! Tell me about your Christmas Tree!

December 13, 2014 by Susan 6 Comments

I LOVE this time of year, mostly because of all the traditions. As we get older, get married, move, have kids {or in my case, puppies} things change. I had breakfast this morning with one of my best friends who recently moved to Florida but was back in town for the weekend. {<—-Click that link and read that post. I know I’m biased but it was a pretty great post.}

Over our Bloody Mary’s and bacon, she and I discussed her first Christmas “away from home” {home being Virginia, where we have lived our entire lives.} She will spend this Christmas with her boyfriend, in their new home, Florida. When I asked if she was excited for the holiday, she shared such joy for all of the new traditions they are starting. Rather than saying something like “I’m really going to miss being here with my family…” she has totally embraced the holiday and the positives of spending it in Florida with her man and pups, probably wearing flip-flops and a tank top.

On our 16 hour car ride to Florida in September, when we were talking about all the changes she would be facing, I remember asking her, with a slight panic in my voice, “Do they even sell real Christmas trees in Florida?!” After living with Cait for many years, I was well aware that she always enforces the “real tree” rule. That became our tradition. An excellent one if I do say so myself!

We would borrow someone’s truck, and then she and I would go out to the tree lot, spend almost an hour examining all of the trees, looking for the perfect one. When I asked if they sold real Christmas trees in Miami, that was the only time I think she thought “Oh helllll no, I’m not moving to Florida!” I quickly googled it and found a lot that sets up within 2 miles from her new home - and we continued on our way to the Sunshine State.

With that story - I bring you this week’s Say What, Saturday!? What is your tradition? Do you do a live christmas tree or an artificial tree? Do you have any traditions that are connected to buying or finding your tree?

Meet these Bloggers: Liz from I Heart Vegetables // J from A Hot Southern Mess // Brooke and Erica from Pumps and Pushups // Samantha from It’s All in the Details

I have pushed this new tradition on my husband. While he acts like he hates it, I believe he secretly loves the full hour that I force him to wander a tree lot. {He tried to limit me to 15 minutes this year, but I negotiated a solid 30, full of exuberant tree gawking.} We ended up with a very ~~fat~~ “fluffy” tree this year. I love how, with live trees, they look different each year.

And as a very bad blogger, I don’t have a full Christmas House Tour to show you… so I’m going to show you our semi-naked tree, strung with homemade popcorn garland. {We are decorating it with ornaments tomorrow, don’t worry!}

Have a lovely Saturday ladies and gents! And don’t forget to share your traditions and your answer to today’s SWS question: Real Tree or Artificial Tree?

Want to join the Say What Saturday fun? It’s a great way to help promote your blog/shop and grow your brand! In addition to your ad space, sponsors get to share their personality with my bloggers each and every Saturday. Use the promo code DECEMBER to get 30% off before 2015. Cheers!