Christmas Party Outfits

Everyone wants to look & feel good during all those holiday parties and get togethers this time of year.  Also if you know you have a cute outfit to squeeze into soon you may stick to your weight loss/ calorie goals more readily.  Here is some outfit inspiration for the ladies! I will soon be posting some men's outfits too!  Happy Holidays! xxoo

Have a Healthy Christmas!

The holidays are just around the corner and healthy ideas are needed to keep everyone on track throughout the season.  Here are some of my favourite recipes and snack ideas, found mainly on pinterest.

Here's a recipe for Spiced Caramel Dip to have with Winter Fruit. It's a low-fat Greek-style yogurt lightens the calorie load but maintains the decadent creaminess.

Ingredients

• 2 3"–4" cinnamon sticks

• 3 cardamom pods

• 2 whole star anise

• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 7 ounces plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt

• Apples, pears, and persimmons, sliced (for dipping)

Preparation
Toast cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anise, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add ground cinnamon and next 4 ingredients; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Lower heat to medium-low and stir until sugars are dissolved, butter is melted, and mixture is smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually pour in cream. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-low heat and cook until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Strain caramel through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discard spices, and let caramel cool. Mix yogurt into caramel sauce and serve with sliced fruit for dipping. 

Here's a cute Christmas tree made with fruit for Christmas morning!  Healthy to snack on while opening stockings or gifts as well!

Here's something similar but made with vegetables and a few pretzel sticks.  This is a great thing to bring to a Christmas party for an appetizer!

If you are feeling a bit more ambitious you could make this Appetizer Wreath! Very festive and healthy! 

Ingredients
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dill weed
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
1 – 1½ cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
Celery leaves

Directions
Remove crescent dough from packaging (do not unroll). Cut each tube into eight slices. Arrange in an 11-in circle on an ungreased 14-in pan. Bake at 375 for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a serving platter; cool completely.  In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over wreath; top with broccoli, celery and red pepper. Form a bow garnish with celery leaves.

 

Here's a fun and easy appetizer idea to make with the kids!  These cheese reindeers are made from Laughing Cow cheese wedge, pretzels, olive and red pepper.  

These Parmesan Zucchini sticks are delicious and only 52 calories for the whole recipe!!! 

Ingredients
Zucchini, 1 cup, sliced
Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1 tbsp
Butter Spray
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then coat with some non-stick cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices out on the pan, then spritz with them with the butter spray. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and then pop it in the oven. Broil for a few minutes - until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy it while it's warm!

Okay so these Mashed potato Xmas trees probably aren't that healthy but it will cut down on your serving size if you just have one! Such a cute idea!

Try this beautiful and healthy North Pole Strawberry Smoothie Recipe below:

Ingredients:

1 package (10 ounces) frozen strawberries in syrup, partially thawed and undrained

1/4 cup water

2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
2 tablespoons vanilla reduced-fat yogurt
1 strawberry-flavored or peppermint candy cane, about 6 inches long, finely crushed
Green decorating gel

Directions:

1. Place strawberries and water in blender. Cover and blend on medium-high speed until slushy. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Transfer to 2-cup measure.
2. Wash and dry blender. Place frozen yogurt and reduced-fat yogurt in blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.
3. Place crushed candy cane on small plate. Pipe decorating gel around rim of two 12-ounce glasses. Dip rims into crushed candy.
4. Carefully pour yogurt mixture and strawberries at the same time into glasses, creating a half-and-half design. Serve with large drinking straws if desired.

Never heard of Peppermint Popcorn before! It looks pretty, and would be nice and light, without too many calories!

Ingredients
2 bags microwave popcorn, popped (18-20 cups)1 6oz box candy canes, crushed1 package Almond Bark1 tsp peppermint extract or a few drops of peppermint oil


Directions
Place popcorn in a very large bowl - the biggest one you have. Pour crushed candy canes on top of the popcorn. (I crush my candy canes in the food processor - it is quick and it pulverizes the candy canes!) Melt almond bark according to instructions on the package. Add the peppermint extract or oil to the almond bark and pour over popcorn. Stir until all the popcorn is coated. Pour popcorn on wax paper and allow to harden. Once the popcorn has hardened, break into pieces and enjoy!

Just because you are watching your weight doesn't mean you should miss out on all the traditional sweet stuff.  These Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies use egg whites and a minimum of butter, which keeps saturated fat and cholesterol low, while the whole-wheat flour adds a boost of fibre.  See recipe below:

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg white
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juicePreparation

Directions:
1. For cookies, whisk together first 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a medium bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugars together in a separate medium bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, and add the egg white and vanilla and almond extracts; beat until just combined.
3. Add flour mixture, and stir until incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 325F°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Dust a work surface with flour. Turn out chilled dough directly onto work surface. Roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes in dough, and gently transfer them to baking sheets. (You can reroll the scraps, just be sure to chill in between.)
6. Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until set but not browned. Remove cookies from oven, and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. For the icing, whisk together all the icing ingredients in a large bowl until completely smooth. Mixture should have consistency of a glaze. (If it's too thin, add a bit more sugar. If it's too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice.)
8. Transfer icing to a pastry bag (or a zip-top plastic bag with a small hole in one of the bottom corners). First, outline the cookie or desired design, then fill it in. Let icing harden before serving. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Balance-disk exercise

I have a balance pad from Superstore and have had a hard time finding exercises for it.  I just found this is a great exercise to increase core stability and strength so I thought I would share with everyone!

Starting on your knees, place your forearms o the balance pad.  Look down at the floor.  Engage your core, and lift your knees off the floor, keeping your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.  Your body should be in a straight line.  Keep your core engaged and maintain normal breathing.  

Hold for 10-60 seconds, rest, then repeat the exercise if desired.  

Best Foods For Good Skin

Almonds are stuffed with vitamin E, which helps defend against sun damage. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant, and works to keep your arteries free of dangerous free radicals. You can also try sunflower seeds!   

Flaxseeds offer a payload of omega-3 fatty acids, which erase spots and iron out fine lines.  Significantly less irritation and redness, along with better-hydration and elasticity of skin also results.  Salmon also contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.  

Lycopene, the phytochemical that makes tomatoes red, helps eliminate skin-aging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays. Cooking tomatoes helps concentrate its lycopene levels, so tomato sauce, tomato paste, and even ketchup pack on the protection. So does a hunk of lycopene-rich watermelon.

Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin C, which smoothes out wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen.  Try papaya and carrot, too.

The folate in spinach and other dark leafy vegetables helps maintain and repair DNA, and may reduce the likelihood of cancer-cell growth.

Carrots are good for the eyes, and good for clearing up breakouts. Vitamin A prevents overproduction of cells in the skin's outer layer. That means fewer dead cells to combine with sebum and clog pores. Plus, vitamin A reduces the development of skin-cancer cells.

Green tea releases catechin, an antioxidant with proven anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Research found that drinking 2 to 6 cups a day not only helps prevent skin cancer but might also reverse the effects of sun damage by neutralizing the changes that appear in sun-exposed skin.  It also contains EGCG, which is proved to reduce redness.  

Flavonols, the antioxidants in dark chocolate, reduce roughness in the skin and provide sun protection.  You can expect better skin texture and stronger resistance to UV rays than those who ingest less flavonols.  Cocoa hydrates your skin, making it firmer and more supple.

The protein you get from eating Greek yogurt helps skin become firmer, so it's more resistant to lines.  Eat a single serving daily to make your complexion smoother.

Pomegranates are packed with polyphenol antioxidants.  Polyphenols fight free radicals and regulate skin's blood flow, giving it rosiness. One pomegranate or a few glasses of juice daily should do the trick. 

Walnuts contain omega-3 essential fatty acids and are also loaded with copper.  Copper is a mineral that boosts collagen production. Snack on a handful of walnuts each day to improve your complexion's texture and much more!  

Bell Peppers, mangos and papayas- Women who eat green and yellow vegetables regularly tend to have fewer wrinkles, especially around the eyes.  Carotenoids -- the antioxidants in yellow and orange veggies can decrease skin's sensitivity to the sun and can improve skins colour. They are stored in the layer of fat directly beneath the skin and peek through, giving you a rosy glow.  

Kidney beans are high in zinc, and studies indicate a correlation between acne blemishes and low zinc levels.  This may be because of zinc's healing properties.  In addition, studies show topical zinc to be as effective against acne as antibiotics are!

Drink a latte with soy milk or eat edamame and you may get a clearer complexion.  Soy contains minerals and proteins that have been shown to reduce hyper-pigmentation.  

Mussels are full of iron.  If you don't get enough iron your skin will turn pale and pasty.  

Canned tuna is packed with selenium—a nutrient that preserves elastin, which keeps skin smooth and tight. Selenium also prevents free radicals that are produced by UV rays from damaging skin cells, protecting against sun damage.

Safflower Oil is great for dry, flaky, or itchy skin.  This common cooking oil also doubles as a moisturizer. It contains omega-6 fatty acids, which keep cell walls supple, allowing water to reach the skin. Some research suggests consuming safflower oil can help ease sin disorders like dermatitis, inflammation, acne, and dry skin.

Lindsay Lohan bikini body inspiration

With all the recent Lindsay Lohan drama (arrests, charges, bar fights, Liz&Dick) I thought I'd post some pictures of her looking great! I watched Liz&Dick and honestly thought she did well, and looked beautiful.  So hope you can clear up your arrest drama soon, and for good Lindsay so you can keep focusing on your career! xo

We have to be kind with our energy, especially to those who have a high profile, and have a lot of people focusing on them.  Keep in mind, If we send forth loving blessings, then we will be blessed as well.  If we send out hate, negativity and judgment then our world will reflect back to us the same.