December, Yoga, and a Turkey

December
It's happening, folks! The last month of the year is upon us, and 2013 is inching closer. But instead of looking too far ahead, I'm excited about just this upcoming month! I have a lot to keep me busy and (hopefully) inspired at work, plus Terry and I have several fun events going on in the next few weeks.

The first day of December kicked off with a lovely walk and breakfast with Jenn, and then Terry and I worked throughout the day on our big turkey dinner for two.

I promised you a better photo of the stuffing!

Notice the lack of green? Yeah, completely forgot to roast the veggies until the last second, so those are happening tonight.

Turkey
Included in our meal:

• Brined and roasted turkey
• Cooking Light sourdough and sausage stuffing
• Mashed potatoes - I just peel the potatoes, cut them into one-inch cubes, boil them until fork-tender, drain, and add salt, pepper, butter, and milk while mashing to desired consistency (I like some lumps)
• Gravy - I use the pan drippings, butter, and whole wheat flour to whisk up a super tasty and simple gravy
• Cranberry sauce - Terry made it! See the recipe below
• Pinot Noir from Bridlewood

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

Makes 3 cups

Adapted from Eat Live Run's Bourbon Vanilla Cranberry Sauce

• 1 bag cranberries (12 oz.)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes; the berries will burst and break down. You can mash up the berries to your desired consistency using an immersion blender or potato masher or fork. Set the mixture aside to cool (the sauce will thicken as it cools). 

Everything tasted delicious, but I think it will be even better tomorrow and throughout the week. The whole point of this meal was to be able to make leftovers - sandwiches, salads, soup, easy dinners. 

We're also planning to have "Friendsgiving" with Katie, Corey, Heidi, and Ed next weekend, so that'll be another holiday treat for us!

Yoga

This morning I felt suuuuuuper sore and achy, probably from Thursday's workout, so Jenn and I kept our activity to a brisk walk. But this evening I felt like some yoga would help me loosen up and refresh, so I searched the Internet for a 30-minute routine. Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown Level One (free on YouTube!) was perfect! Since it was level one, it wasn't too intense, and I think it would be great for semi-beginners. (If you've never taken yoga before, some of the moves might be challenging because she doesn't really explain them fully.) I definitely worked up a sweat and felt great afterward. I noticed in the comments section that someone mentioned that the workout isn't technically yoga, which I suppose is true. But it uses yoga moves to create a solid routine, and I would certainly do it again. Thumbs up from this girl. :-)

Scout spent much of the day trying to understand
the new snow globe I bought for Christmas. 

Tomorrow we have plans to sleep in a bit, get some work done, pick up our Christmas tree, and decorate for the season. It's been a lovely start to the month so far.

We also played Scrabble, and I got a lot of vowels. 

I also have to mention the adorable advent calendar my parents bought us as an early Christmas present. We aren't totally sure what to put inside each little box, though - any ideas? For tonight, we did some Trader Joe's peanut butter salted caramel dark chocolate truffles (yes, those exist, and they are amazing), but I'm trying to be creative here. Ideas welcome!

What are you looking forward to most this month?