Buh Bye 2011

I wasn't planning to do a 2011 year in review. I feel like the entire news and blog world is buzzing with reviews, roundups, best of's, and goodbyes to the year. These kinds of posts and articles simultaneously make me feel happy and sad, but such is life I suppose. Happy to think back on fun times, but sad to know that another year has come and gone.

But when I thought about all that has happened over the last year, I thought it was worth taking one more look back at it. It was a good year!

I ate delicious pancakes...

I did a lot (and I mean, a lot!) of cooking...

I made the ugliest cake ever...

Shaun and I went to Atlanta, where we ate amazing food, attended a Falcons-Packers playoff game and drank ourselves into a sugar coma at the Coke museum...

I made a lot of cupcakes...like this Banana Cupcake with Nutella Frosting...mmmm

and these Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

I ate a lot of whipped cream

I fell in love with smoothies...

...and made some delicious Irish eats...

I helped Lindsey make 350 chocolate truffles for her engagement party...

 

I told you all about how Shaun and I met and fell in love...

...and all the details of our dream destination wedding in Aruba

 

 I went crazy with this Chocolate Cookie Peepza Pie

We took a trip to Madrid...

..and Zurich & Zug

Kimberly graduated from law school...and passed the Bar!

I made some delish summery dishes

I made some amazing bar desserts...

like these pretzel crusted brownies with buttercream

pineapple coconut dream bars...

and layered Oreo cake bars

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary

took a trip to Aruba

I started a new blog with my sisters. If you haven't seen it yet, please check out The Peach & The Pit! Some big changes happening with that in the coming days...

We took a trip to New Mexico to celebrate my cousin's wedding...

Hosted a virtual cookie swap with some A-mazing bloggers!

and baked a whole lotta cookies and holiday goodies

had a wonderful Christmas with my family...

and overall a healthy and wonderful 2011! This year I posted 84 recipes on the blog...wowza! I just tallied it up and can't believe that number. My project for this weekend is to work on updating the recipe page for you!

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe new year's eve tonight! Have a blast!

Cheers!

Rachel

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? + Foodie Penpals

Hi all! After a bunch of days off, today I'm heading into work for the day (boo!) and then seeing the tree at Rockefellar Center and having dinner with a group of my favorite ladies (yay!)! I'm so excited!! It's an annual tradition and it's so fun to look forward to directly after Christmas...it's like Christmas is still a thing, even though it's passed.

 

On another note, tomorrow is New Year's Eve! I have a serious love/hate relationship with New Year's, and definitely with New Year's Eve in general, but I am excited for 2012. I think it's going to be a great year! As usual, Shaun and I don't have much planned. We will probably make a bunch of food at home, watch a movie, and then head over to a party that our building is throwing (down the hall!). I love this because it means no driving on the most dangerous night of the year, no crowds at New York City bars, and no spending a whole lotta $$$ on overpriced pre fixe dinners. What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

Oh, and I found this sweet little video that you've probably already seen, but I'm sharing it anyway because it makes me happy :) I love ZoDash (can we make that a thing?) and Joseph Gordon Levitt...they are just too cute and this song is so sweet...

Today is also Foodie Penpal reveal day! Foodie penpals was started by the lovely Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean. Lindsay is one of my favorite bloggers turned friend. Her blog is filled with healthy food and she is just oh so sweet! Foodie Penpals is a way for bloggers and non-bloggers to join up every month and get paired with another person. You prepare a box of goodies (no more than $15 worth) and send to your match on a specified date. You then also receive a box of goodies from another person. It is so fun to not only receive a box of surprise goods, but to also put together a box of fun stuff for another. If you want to join up for next month, be sure to check out Lindsay's blog for more details!

Meanwhile, I got a whole lotta delicious and wonderful things from Rachel @ My Naturally Frugal Family! I was so excited to receive this box of goodies and have enjoyed everything single thing inside it.

I opened the box to find an incredibly sweet Christmas card...

...milk chocolate almond toffee pieces (which Shaun and I devoured immediately) and avocado oil kettle chips

I adore all of the fun chips that Rachel included...like these kale chips and sweet potato chips!

a pumpkin cheeseball mix...I think I will be making this for New Year's Eve! Yum!

some Justin's chocolate peanut butter...I could eat this stuff by the gallon with a spoon...

and my very favorite item of the bunch...Biscoff spread! I had been wanting to try this stuff for a while but somehow hadn't gotten around to it! It's delicious!

and here's the money shot...

So there you have it. All of my yummy penpal goodies. Thank you Rachel!

I hope you all have a fantastic (and very safe!) New Year's!

What are YOU doing New Year's Eve?

xo,

Rachel

PS - Thank you for all of your sweet comments on my Christmas Eve dress! I put together a little fashion breakdown for you below:

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Long cardigan: Nordstrom

Black round-toe pumps: BCBG via Neiman Marcus Last Call

Tights: Duane Reade

Bangles: Alexis Bittar

Scenes from Christmas

Hi there! I've spent the last bunch of days eating, hanging with family, spending time with my favorite west coaster, eating, sleeping in, cooking, not blogging, baking, watching TV and...eating some more. Sorry I've left you hanging over the last few days, but it was necessary for me to take some time off from everything! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that you had a lovely long weekend :) I don't have too much to tell you about today, other than to share some scenes from the big weekend. I hope you enjoy!

I'm sad that Christmas 2011 has come and gone...but am so happy to have had such a great bunch of days with the fam! And now...onto New Year's!! Hope you all had a great one!