A toast

Whether you're whipping up a Christmas meal for your family, 

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or waiting patiently until Christmas dinner is served,

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here's hoping your holiday is every bit as fabulous as it should be.

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A word of advice

This really sums it all up for me.  

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When I woke up this morning and hopped on my computer for a little Pinsperation, this token of truth was perched atop my Pinterest feed. Fitting, wouldn't you say? For the Friday before Christmas, anyway. Lots of shopping, eating and wandering around town to be done.

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I've spent the past few days enjoying not one, but two cups of coffee each morning, napping on the couch each afternoon and catching up on all of my favorite TV shows à la Netflix {Hello, GG - I'm so behind. I hadn't realized the show just ended or that was even coming to an end until my darling friend, who is currently gallivanting around France, texted me to let me know}.

If you're much like me and indulging in a relaxing week, weekend or day to yourself, 

here are a few things that may come in handy:

1. The Best of the Book Lists 2012 courtesy of Random House

2. A Cream Cheese Coffee Cake recipe courtesy of Just Baked to impress your holiday visitors

3. A healthy sunday supper recipe, just in time for the holiday, courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

4.  A DIY Christmas gift for your 10 best friends or 15 cousins courtesy of Hey Gorgeous

5. Paula Deen's fully loaded Mac and Cheese, a family favorite

Back to the Homeland

I'll tell you a little something about what exactly has kept me so darned giddy over the past few weeks: I am officially in Austin for the holidays.

{Yippee!}

I'll visit with my family, spend time with each of our long lost friends and indulge in Austin's finest food trucks, restaurants and dive bars.  

I'll give you a sneak peek of what my first 24 hours back in Texas entailed:

Pappasito's Cantina in the Houston airport is a Sholtis family tradition. I started traveling via airplane at the ripe old age of 6 months old, so I've spent plenty of time in America's finest airports and in particular Houston Hobby. If you have a layover at this airport you can't miss out on the mexican food. It holds up to many of the "authentic" joints found throughout the southwest and it certainly doesn't disappoint those looking for a Tex-Mex fix before jumping on the next plane out of Texas.

After landing in Austin, I promptly laced up my tennis shoes and went for a walk through my all-time favorite neighborhood, Barton Hills.  This neighborhood hold so many memories for me. My grandfather still lives in the house they moved into when my mother was just 5 years old. What's more? The neighbors and church goers recognize my brothers and me from our childhood. The houses are unique and the oak trees are older and taller than any you've ever seen. It's quite charming, don't you think?

I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment to visit my old stomping grounds, Four Seasons Hotel Austin.  The Hotel's lobby is decorated from top to bottom and features a month-long gingerbread village display created by the Hotel's Pastry Shop.  This year's village exhibits confectionary creations such as the UT Tower, Broken Spoke and many other Austin staples.

Needless to say I've taken full advantage of my first 24 hours in Austin.

Happy Holidays!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

This weekend our Destin Forward leadership class is having a Bake Sale at HarborWalk Village next to the biggest star of them all, Santa Claus.

{Yes!}

We will be there from 12pm to 4pm, selling tons of baked goodies {including these}:

The purpose of our Bake Sale is to raise funds for the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA), which is in need of equipment to carry on its mission of preserving the local waterways.  Whether you're a Destin resident or you visit the area a few times a year with your family, you can truly appreciate this organization's mission.  The CBA's efforts ensure that the Choctawhatchee Bay {the gorgeous water you drive over coming down the Mid-Bay Bridge, and the water to your left as you drive east through Okaloosa Island and across the Destin Bridge} stays exactly the way we want it: a beautiful emerald green shade and flourishing with native sea-life.

The CBA not only monitors the water quality monthly, they are also currently on a mission to rebuild the oyster reefs in the Choctawhatchee Bay.  Sure, we love the oysters from Apalachicola, but what if we could eat oysters from the very bay we overlook while dining in the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin? And further, rebuilding oyster reefs in our local watershed can be done through the use of fossilized oyster shells {hello, eco-friendly people} and will reduce erosion.

The CBA has slowed their reef rebuilding efforts as of late because the vessel, used to carry the fossilized oyster shells out to future reef locales, was stolen some months ago.

{Ahem, this is where we come in.}

Through this Bake Sale, and a few other upcoming fundraising events, we will donate a floating vessel to the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance so they can continue their efforts to preserve our waterways by May 2013.

I've touched on just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what this organization does for our local community, so please visit their website to learn more...and don't forget to come see us on the Harbor tomorrow!

Skinny Fried Rice

After much time spent eating all kinds of meat over the past couple of weeks, Ross and I decided it was time for a full on, vegetable packed dinner.  And you can't tell me {for all the veggie lovers out there} that this photo doesn't tickle your fancy:

Quinoa Veggie "Fried Rice" courtesy of Damned Delicious

We've made this twice in the past two weeks, it's that good.

P.S. If you don't have quinoa on hand, or if just you just prefer good ol' fried rice, try this {still very healthy} version:

Asian Edamame Fried Rice courtesy of Skinny Taste