It is now December, which means our 30 days of thanks challenge has come to a close. It was surprisingly difficult to remember to be thankful for something every single day, and I won’t claim that we always succeeded. But the difficulty probably proves that it was a good idea to challenge ourselves in this way.

This week we finished up the week being thankful for homemade dinner, for a surprise gift that Jennie received in the mail, for modern conveniences and modern medicine since both Jennie and I fell ill, and then for Jeff who stayed up until 2 AM to make us pizza dough for an upcoming birthday celebration. Last night, we met with the rest of our LA GMS team and were thankful for all that they do for us.

I’d say 30 Days of Thanks was a success, despite the number of days we forgot about it, because it reminded us to spend this whole month of Thanksgiving being grateful for each other, our friends, our families, our blessed lives, and life’s little everyday surprises. We’ll pick this one up again next November!

Did you participate in the 30 days of thanks challenge? How did it go?

Let me tell you about my favorite quick and tasty weeknight dinner. Yakisoba noodles. You can find these in the cooler section of almost any supermarket in Los Angeles, but they are hard to find in the Eastern states. I missed these noodles so much while I was gone, that I sometimes wonder if they weren’t partially responsible for my decision to return…

I consider asian noodles to be one of my guilty pleasure foods. Let’s face it, the noodles alone don’t offer much nutrition. But they do make a scrumptious vehicle for my favorite vegetables, which usually means every vegetable I have in the house.

I get Maruchan’s fresh Yakisoba noodles and more or less follow their directions. I pre-cook my veggies for a few minutes – in this case, bell pepper, onion, and kale. Then, I set my veggies aside, cook the noodles for about 30 seconds in whatever oil is left in the pan, add 1/4 cup of water and the seasoning packet from the package, stir about 2 minutes until the noodles completely soften, then add everything back into the pan for final seasonings. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes, and dinner is ready to go.

For protein, I’ve added everything from tofu to steak. But if you’re in a hurry, just add a fried or scrambled egg to the mix. Dinner for two in ten minutes AND I get to indulge my love of asian noodle dishes. Yes, please!

How do you turn your guilty pleasure foods into nutritious meals?

Last Thursday this country celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. It was a day of reflection, great food, and fun shared by friends and family members. With that in mind I wanted to write about something else I spent a great amount of time thinking about last Thursday, and that is traditions.

Every year, we east coast transplants join together on Thanksgiving to celebrate our L.A. family. We are truly blessed to have this opportunity; it is a tradition that will continue I’m sure for many more years. But another tradition has emerged over the past few years involving our good friend Paul and myself. Paul and I are both fans of brown liquor, and we always look forward to trying new brands and treating ourselves to a single malt scotch on Thanksgiving. This year we decided to purchase the superb 15 Year Old Macallan.

For those of you who have never had the opportunity to try The Macallan 15, it is first and foremost a smooth single malt. Many great single malts have an earthy or smoky taste, which permeates through the experience, but this one starts with a sweet warm feeling. In this beautifully crafted drink you get wonderful taste balances of vanilla, caramel, and American Oak. It also has a beautiful color, and you may get caught staring from time to time. A great single malt will make you want to to savor every last drop, and the Macallan 15 is no exception. With this Scotch you know you are drinking something special from the very first sip and you don’t want it to end.

Typically, we enjoy dinner and then Paul and I retire outside to enjoy the brisk air, a few cigars, and the single malt of our choice. While we were enjoying our Macallan 15 this year, I started thinking about how so many traditions start with a good glass of something.

No matter what your drink of choice is, it’s about the fact that you are sharing it with another person or group of people. Traditions can be wide ranging from scotch on Thanksgiving, wine on the celebration of an anniversary, or a cold beer on opening day of baseball season. When consumed responsibly and in moderation, alcohol can be a conversation starter and a great unifier. Even the President has had a Beer Summit! You learn new things about people, you affirm relationships, and most importantly you simply relax. In my opinion, alcohol can be a great tradition maker. So grab a bottle of something or a six pack and think about somebody in your life that you want to slow down with, a person you need to rekindle with, or a person you’re just getting to know. Who knows maybe you will create a tradition that will remain close to your heart for many years to come and with the holiday season fast approaching what could be more important.

 Good Spirits Folks!

Can you tell I’m enamored of cranberries? Well I am. I first made this pie years ago, long before I was GF for part of some Thanksgiving festivities. Now that I am GF instead of using a premade graham cracker crust I use the premade Whole Foods GF Bakehouse frozen pie crusts. I have not as of yet been adventurous enough to make my own pie crust, GF or otherwise so the Whole Foods pre-made frozen option is certainly a lifesaver.

Here’s the recipe. Cut 2 cups of fresh cranberries in half. This is the most tedious and time consuming part, but fresh cranberries are absolutely worth it. Then combine the cranberries with the brown sugar. Spread the mixture over the bottom of your pie crust.

Beat 2 eggs well and slowly add in the sugar. Then combine with the flour and melted butter.

Pour the batter over your cranberries into the pie shell.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and firm in the middle. If it starts to brown before it is cooked all the way through cover with foil and bake in 10 minute increments at 350 degrees until cooked thoroughly.

Then enjoy a large slice!  What’s your favorite kind of pie?

Most of the GMS team took advantage of the extra long weekend to relax and catch up on our to do lists, while Jennie finished up her trip back home.

Melissa dropped by a friend’s apartment to look after her cat, Missy.

Jennie went to see Skyfall with her family and posed for a photo with her siblings before flying back to LA, where she woke up Sunday morning to find the Hollywood Christmas parade assembling on her street.

I spent Sunday helping Rebecca get packed for her upcoming move to London, and then we got into the English spirit by watching a little Doctor Who!

It was just the right blend of relaxation and productivity!

What did you do with the holiday weekend?