Christmas Mix…

Today was the end of Secret Santa at work and I did very well. My Santa gave me gift cards to Blockbuster and Starbucks, Spongebob desk calendar and air freshener (I love that little guy), potpourri simmer pot with cream brulee scented chips, and a hand-painted ornament. She’s an aspiring artist, so I have an original…very cool. My little group has decided to do a gift exchange once a month because receiving presents at work makes the day suck a little less. LOL

WW is still moving in slow motion. I was up 0.6 at weigh-in this week, but my measurements show I’ve lost another inch in my waist and thighs, so no complaints here. Maybe 219 is a good weight for me? 🙂 I took spinning class twice this week and last night was great! Godiva is my favorite instructor because she knows how to shake things up. At one point, she walked around the class and had everyone tell one bad thing they’ve eaten this week and assigned a tension level for each offense. I got a level 8 for the empanadas I had on Sunday. The one male in the class confessed to eating 2 pieces of cheesecake…and then said said he’d do the same this week. LOL Godiva gave the class a 9.5 (extreme hill) out of the saddle for his sassiness.

I am almost done with my Christmas, so my stress level is at a low. Planning the holiday party put me in chaos for almost 2 months and now I’m enjoying the break before work picks up in January. The Big Boss took our committee to lunch at Via Real on Wednesday and gave us AA tickets as a reward for the hard work. Drama and dumb travelers aside, sometimes it pays to work in the travel industry. 🙂

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

-C

Holiday Fruit Balls Recipe

1 cup chopped dates
1 1/2 cups seedless raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup Southern Comfort
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
Dash salt
1 cup dried coconut

Combine fruit, nuts and graham cracker crumbs in a blender or food processor and process until finely chopped and blended. Place fruit mixture into a large bowl.

Combine honey, liqueur, orange peel and salt and mix well. Add honey mixture to fruit mixture and mix well using hands. Shape mixture small balls approx. 1 tablespoon and roll in coconut. No refrigeration required. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 96 balls
Serving Size: 2 balls

Calories: 80, Total fat: 2 grams, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 26 mg, Carbohydrate: 13 grams, Protein: 1 gram, Dietary fiber: 1 gram