Thanksgiving in Los Angeles

Seems rather moronic to opt out on my hometown, THE land of our forefathers where the pilgrims landed and the first thanksgiving meal was enjoyed, in favor of another superficial turkey day in LA, but rising fuel costs and a suppressive work schedule has left me no other choice.



What I'm usually thankful for in good ol' Plymouth MA:
-family
-friends
-health
-food on the table


What I'm thankful for when observing Tday in 90210:
I'm thankful for:
-interns
-instagram filters that make me look tanner
-essie nail polish
-being a real blonde
-the gas app that shows me the less astronomically priced gas station in my area
-trader joe's wine selection
-push up bras
-living in a place where no one calls you out for bullshiting because they're too self absorbed to really listen to your story anyways
-george clooney
-that my car isn't registered in my name.. enabling me to throw parking tickets out the window
-refinery29.com
-vip lists
-sprinkles holiday cupcake
-tree lightings that start in October
-Siri
-no really, thank you Siri, I wouldn't be here without you
-my twitter followers
-friending enough creeps that no uploaded photo goes unliked - no matter how obnoxious it may be
-not being knocked up yet

Well that'll do for now.  I'm exhausted from all that time spent outside of my comfortable state of self glorification.

...For the record, thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I adore cooking and relish in the chance to take center burner and show off my kitchen skills.  But the real beauty of Thanksgiving is the ability to leave the technological nightmare we've wrapped ourselves in and enjoy the company of the people you hold dearest to your heart.  I am so lucky for the two most loving parents, a devilishly handsome boyfriend, and a slew of friends and family that haven't caught on that i'm not worthy of their steadfast support, love and comical relief.

I am so grateful that i feel this insatiable passion for life, and that I'm genuinely excited to wake up each day and make a difference in my life - and hopefully the lives of one or two others.

Healthy Pumpkin Roll!

CHELSEA'S (taste of home's) HEALTHY (ok, less fattening) PUMPKIN ROLL

Pumpkin roll is my absolute favorite fall treat.  Really it doesn't get much better then a slice right out of the fridge with a cup of coffee or a glass of red wine.  I love how the consistency of the sweet cream cheese frosting compliments the texture of the rich flavored bread.  No one makes a pumpkin roll like my aunt Christine, but fortunately for my waistline her recipe is back in Boston and I'm left to try out (with a few tweaks) the healthier recipe I found in Taste of Home.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin (Libbys, of course)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• filling:
• 1 package reduced fat cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter - softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• chopped walnuts (i suppose 'optional' but your a fool if you dont add em!)

Directions

• Line baking pan with greased (as in you spray it!) wax paper & heat oven to 375. 
• Beat eggs and gradually add sugar and pumpkin until sugar is nearly dissolved. 
• Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into prepared pan over the wax paper & bake for 13 minutes. 

• Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely (leave it for an hour at least!)
• Beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. 

• Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges 
• Roll it up again and press in the walnuts!!  Then roll it into tin foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. 
• Cut slice and enjoy :)

Oatmeal Trail Mix Cookies!

Chelsea's original not-healthy-in-the-least Oatmeal Trailmix Cookies! 

Thank the heavens that bathing suit season is behind us and we're (as in the entire population of Southern CA) is pretending its fall so its too cold to do summer activities despite the 80 degree days. 

As a celebratory kick (or should I say COOK!) off, I begin my fall festivities with oatmeal trailmix cookies.  An original recipe only because I didn't have the right ingredients to make my normal cookies - I was quite happy with the turn out. 

Ingredients: 

3 cups old fashioned oats

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar (preferably light brown)

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

pinch of baking soda

pinch of salt 

Optional deliciousnesses: (pick 3-4)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 

1/4 cup sweetened craisins 

1.4 cup goji berries 

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup dry roasted soy nuts 

1/4 finely chopped walnuts 

1/4 cup choc chips 

1/4 cup macadamia nuts 

1/4 cup shredded coconut 

1/4 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

1/4 cup cashews, finely chopped

1 scoop vanilla or banana flavored protein powder

Directions:

oven to 350 

Beat butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla extract.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add mixtures together and stir in oats, nuts and raisins (and chocolate chips if you're feeling crrrrazy). 

Scoop out heaping tablespoon sized dough and roll into delightful balls, plop em evenly onto the ungreased cookie sheets and flatten lightly with fork. 

Bake 14 minutes.

***To make healthier:::: if i had these ingredients I would have subbed out 1/2 butter for either applesauce or greek yogurt (honey flavored would be delicious!) 

A Case of the Wednesdays

Wah, I hate Mondays.  Boo hoo, it's Monday.  woe is me.  sniffle sniffle. drowning in my sorrows.

What are you complaining about?  You just got a weekend, who cares if its Monday its the first day back after a restful (or epic) Sunday Funday.  I'll tell you what the real week killer is: realizing it's only Wednesday.


On this all so dreadful Wednesday-eve, I'd like to rant about nothing in particular.  Bare with me until Friday when I post butterflies and rainbows on my wall while I sip champagne in the office (what it's an industry standard!)  (okay, maybe its not.. but I lead everyone in the office to believe so, don't you dare blow my cover Nett Brewton).

Without further adieu, Wednesdays rants:

1.  Are trail mix manufacturers fucking joking with their serving size?  Me, "omgosh trailmix, what a nutritious and healthy snack!" Satanic trailmix company, "serving size: 1/2 m&m and one peanut with the salt washed off, servings per little baby baggie: 50"

2. Sneaky English accents who trick you with British charm and don't laugh when you obnoxiously quote "you sound like you're from London" should be deported.  There, I said it.

3. Why does my laundry machine only take quarters?  And why 5? Isn't that excessive considering I (my boyfriend) pays an astronomical amount for this outdated apartment.

4. So what I love Christmas, sue me.   I'm going to listen to Christmas music when I want to and I'll be damned if anyone (my boyfriend) keeps me from decking the halls the first week in November.

5. Enough with the political posts.  I bet half you morons didn't even vote.. you just think its trendy to post about it on twit-insta-book.

6.  It worries me that my boyfriend plays video games where he shoots innocent dears and bunnies then says, "baby i just got anothah bambi!"

7. It worries me that more (all) of my calories and paycheck go to wine before they go towards food.

8. Why is cheese bad for you?  And more importantly why is it so friggin delicious?  And even more importantly why does a trip to the Beverly Hills Cheese Store cost so much that I can afford to do my laundry for 3 months in my overpriced washer and dryer after a visit to their Cheese Dynasty.

9. Why the hell doesn't anyone get the reference "smarter than the average bear"?  Were you neglected as a child?  i don't get it.

10. No woman over 23 should wear hot pink anywhere on their body. But.. No.  nowhere.

On that note, it is now 1AM, and I wish you all a pleasant Thursday.

A Halloween in Hollywood

Please forgive the following posts for the abundance of exlamations caused by an extreme fructose overload.

For my first ever Hollywood Halloweenie, I will say that I am quite smitten with the experience.  Granted my expectations were kind of low - knowing nothing will compare to actually growing up in an honest to god haunted house surrounded by cornfields a mere half hour drive from Salem, MA - but really, Hollywood does a 4.6 star job in delivering ghoulish delights. 

It all began a week ago at our 'LA family' Halloween spectacular.  The night was complete with pumpkin carving (arguably one of my only talents), pumpkin pie, a copious amount of wine and pasta and a trip to the LA haunted hayride by the bowl.  While there was no formal pumpkin judging, it is clear from the photos below that my "wicked" pumpkin displayed not only creative genius but a fine craftsmanship.  As for the haunted hayride, it was theatrical and a lovely display of out of work actors in fancy costumes prancing around in even fancier 'sets' throughout the ride.  Dont get me wrong, I squealed and screeched through the entire $36 dollar for 30 minute hayride, but this is in no way a comparison to the hayrides in MA. 

Which is a lovely segway into Knotts Scary Farm.  11 mazes plus one that you pay 60 for that is interactive (i.e. the creeps who chose to work at a place where they dress up as killers and scare children are paid extra to touch you), all the rides and food vendors stay open and the park is crawling with zombies, goblins and vampires are just waiting to scare the life out of you.  I was scared, but not I-cant-breath-if-another-masked-man-spooks-me-i'm-going-to-pee-my-pants-and-get-into-the-fetal-position-scared like I thought I was going to be.  Albeit, I was impressed.  To give you a taste of how over the top creative these mazes get - one maze was the story of Pinocchio, except his wish wasn't granted and he didn't become a real boy so he hacks up good ol Jepetto, the fairy, and everyone else, wrips off their skin and sews it to his wooden body so he can be a "real boy".  Let that sink in.   On another note, the churros might be the best I've ever had and they come with knotts jelly dipping sauces. bomb-a.

Spent a full 12 hours partying at the Roosevelt on Sat.  It was foolishly over crowded, the table arrangement was horrific and girls had lost all creativity and gone simply as sluts without even putting the effort in to slap on a pair of cat ears and color their noses pink. I broke the mold by cleverly sewing my own I dream of Genie costume by hand. (applause not only welcomed but encouraged if you plan on continuing reading my informative halloweenie post). ((no really, clap at your computer)).  Honestly if we hadn't been with guys so kind as to rent two cabana rooms overlooking the pool, Halloween at the Roosevelt might have been a bust. 

Instead of catching an hour or two of sleep, i decided to go straight from partying to drinking poolside at the Roosevelt Sunday morning (which consequently was my 25th birthday, which explains the quarter life crisis).   Cocktails, a brunch and some present opening later and we were off to the house parties of all parties.  If i had any followers I really wouldn't be able to talk about it, but lucky for me my blog remains to be un-read. 

Picture this.  a mascarade ball in a 30 dollar mansion where Sebastian Ingrosso and Alesso were BOTH flown in to dj.  I can't allude to the crowd, but it was epic.  Of course I couldn't enjoy any of it because someone forced (politely asked) me to take 3 tequila shots in a row after i had drank my weight in champagne.  sigh.

And now it is finally Halloween night, and I just finished 1/2 lb of the See's candy chocolate box I got for my birthday (really, I actually ate 10 pieces of the 20 chocolates.. in one sitting - and yes, I will be complaining about this for the next 2 weeks of blog posts while I juice fast and work out like a lunatic). I do miss the foliage, actually haunted houses, and maze workers who aren't actors and wont be sued if they touch you mistakenly, but I feel completely satisfied with my Hollywood Halloween.  

Now let the Christmas music ring!