Post-Holiday Debrief

It is now officially 2012 and the holiday season is complete. In just over two jam-packed months we have cooked, baked, cleaned, shopped, costumed, decorated, and crafted through four major holidays and whatever birthdays your family and friends had in the midst of it all. Our fear of getting everything done crept up at Halloween, we thanked God for our fall harvest, friends, and family at Thanksgiving, we were filled with awe, appreciation, and a giving spirit through Christmas, and let loose at the culmination of the year on New Years Eve.

Now that the new year is upon us and all of the joyous, yet at sometimes stressful, holiday events are behind us, I think it is a good time to take a breather and regroup. Just as you hold a debriefing after a traumatic or critical incident, I think we all could use a healthy debrief of our holiday experience. Because, as they say, even though it may be a positive incident, good stress and bad stress both produce the same stress on our bodies. As you can tell, I was occupied with lots of good stress these past couple months and failed to share many of the fun gluten free and vegan creations I made recently.

So let's have a post-holiday debrief. Following is my story, but I would prefer to hear about yours, so please leave comments below about your holiday highlights (or lowlights if you are like me and had some holiday goof ups).

Halloween kicked off the season with a frightening attempt at creating decorative party foods to cater to an absurd variety of dietary requirements. Some of my attempts at gluten free, dairy free, vegan/vegetarian, nut free, paleo, refined sugar free, organic, whole food, made-from-scratch appetizers and desserts coincidentally turned out quite creepy, while others I look forward to repeating.

Vegetarian thanksgiving turkey/hokie

Thanksgiving was spent backpacking in the Sespe Wilderness eating dried fruits, nuts, beans and lentils, and quinoa and millet. However, we hosted a pre-wilderness Thanksgiving meal before our trip to gather our friends together and celebrate all we are thankful for. I had a lot of fun making all those fall comfort foods, without the stress of messing up on a turkey since we did a vegetarian, gluten free, refined sugar free, and mostly vegan/dairy free meal.

Since the Christmas season started right after Thanksgiving, December was a gluten free cookie making and craft creating blur. We made dozens and dozens of gluten free, refined sugar free, vegan Christmas cookies - some of which were super delicious, many of which were confusing, and a couple that tasted like they were reindeer food. But, it was fun experimenting with friends in trying to fit dietary restrictions and adaptations to traditional holiday expectations.

goji berries and mint make these reindeer food cookies look better than they tasted

decorating with cashew and date cream icing

Gingerbread men were my favorite, but we also made cranberry coconut thumbprint cookies, carob coconut cookies, peanut butter molasses balls, almond shortbread cookies, and then when I was visiting in Virginia I caved and made some gluten free chocolate chip cookies made from a mix that was of course loaded with cane sugar. I also made my recent holiday tradition of avocado chocolate truffles - which are just pureed avocado, cocoa powder, and agave syrup rolled into balls. I roll some in crushed walnuts or peanuts, some in more cocoa powder, some in coconut, and then freeze them. So simple and guilt free but super decadent.

I had a lot of fun this year making Christmas crafts, decorations, and gifts. I experimented with making wreathes from rosemary branches and grape vines as well as with Christmas tree branch clippings. Who knew wreaths were so easy to make? Another fun gift making project was mini terrariums made with local San Diego beach sand and succulent clippings smuggled from around the neighborhood...shhhh ;)

succulent terrariums

My favorite gift making project was little custom hand-blended tea bags with tags on which I put Bible verses and quotes that were special to me. I put a lot of thought into the different types of tea someone might want to drink (energizing, calming, detoxifying, healing) and what verses might relate to those situations. It was  really nice to put so much thought and effort into a gift - it just made them more special to give to each person.

National Symphony Orchestra performing Handel's Messiah

Once I got to Virginia to visit my family, the holidays really picked up speed. I started out the trip with surprising my mom with tickets to see Handel's Messiah performed by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. It was so special to spend the day with my mom seeing her favorite piece of music. And then came visits with the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. This Christmas I really enjoyed spending a lot of time with my sister and brothers and the most spectacular nephew in the world. Although I am completely shopped and monopolied out, we had a really great time together.

Mommy n me at the Kennedy Center

the lovely grandparents

My brother the musician passing on his guitar skills

best present ever

gluten free lasagna

Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner were both a real treat. My brother, sister-in-law, and I made vegetarian gluten free lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner, and they spoiled me with gluten free breadsticks, crackers, and gluten free macaroons - yum! My mom and I made Christmas dinner together, which was special. She made an amazing smelling and looking honey baked ham and a mouth watering spinach and artichoke casserole. I made the veggie sides including roasted rosemary red-skinned potatoes, maple roasted carrots, and massaged kale salad with cranberries, candied pecans, and a citrus honey dressing. It was a surprisingly healthy holiday dinner that I everyone said they enjoyed.

The return home was a major bummer as I got stuck in the San Francisco airport for 12 hours due to fog in San Diego. Who would've ever guessed that of all places for weather to interfere with travel plans in December, San Diego had the problem. So despite countless hours battling United Airlines and being awake for nearly 48 hours straight, we celebrated New Years Eve at our friend Sean's house. It was a blast ringing in the new year with all of my wonderful friends that make up my San Diego family. Although I didn't make any New Year's resolutions, I am super excited for all that 2012 will bring, and I am quite relieved to have a break from the jam-packed schedule of the holidays. I look forward detoxing from the sugar-filled, cookie mania past few weeks, with some delicious treats I came home to in our garden. Oh and I can't wait to finally share pictures on this blog that really show what the meals look like as my parents gave me a real nice DSLR camera for Christmas! Prepare for some mouthwatering pics...that is, as soon as I learn to work it :)

winter garden bounty with the new camera!

How was your holiday season? What are you looking forward to in 2012?

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