My favorite place ever: Byron Bay, Australia — February 2014
Oh hey Friday! This weekend I still have some Christmas shopping to do but considering the fact that I have 60% done is some sort of miracle. I actually did most of it online, so thank you for existing Amazon!
What’s new: I’ve been in Minnesota this past week and I can’t tell you how quickly the time has flown by. I was able to grab dinner with one of my best friends, see the new Hunger Games movie and do a few yoga classes. I also went to the chiropractor which seemed to help me tremendously. Hopefully I’ll be back in the gym soon lifting weights and running.
Other than that I’ve been craving some sort of vacation. Anything, really! Last year I was planning a trip to Australia and this year I haven’t done much other than stare at reviews on Trip Advisor. I promised myself that I would travel internationally at least once a year so I really do need to get on top of it. My best friend and I are in talks about planning a month long trip to South America or Asia, but haven’t quite decided yet. I’m basically dying to climb Machu Picchu. Anyone done it?
Enough chatting though. Let’s get to some link love! There are so many good things this week, I just can’t even. Also, I have a survey for you with the chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card! Scroll down the the bottom for more info.
If you’ve never made anything with pomegranates, this guacamole recipe will change your mind.
A complete visual guide to 11 different sugars. Too bad coconut sugar isn’t on the list!
LOVE these essential oils for your skin. What’s your fav?
This chocolate peanut butter pie. Um and it’s vegan? Okay!
Ever tried Barry’s Bootcamp? This treadmill workout is one of my favorites to do on my own.
I desperately want to make this pork tenderloin for Tony. Except maybe I’d use a homemade cranberry sauce instead of figs.
Here are 5 bras every girl must have. I need to upgrade my bra wardrobe.
Don’t let your muffins go flat. Here are some tips on how to make them perfectly domed.
Flourless chocolate brownies with crackly tops? OMG I’m all about these babies.
How to master the cool-girl version of a low bun. With step by step photos!
These salted caramel brownies are sinful, gorgeous and might just make an appearance for Santa this Christmas.
I really, really REALLY want this Vitamin C beauty serum.
You know I have the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe in all the land. Ps. Make sure your b. soda is FRESH!
HOW TO ENTER THE $100 VISA GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY:
How to enter: First fill out THIS READER SURVEY. After you fill out the survey, leave a comment in the Ambitious Kitchen comment field telling me that you have done so and also letting me know what your favorite Christmas/holiday tradition is.
IMPORTANT: Readers who leave a comment through Facebook comments will not be eligible.
Giveaway will close at midnight EST on Friday, December 19, 2014 and winner will be randomly chosen and notified via email on Saturday, December 20, 2014. Good luck!
I filled out it out! My favorite tradition is watching It’s A Wonderful Life with my dad and setting up our It’s a Wonderful Life Christmas village
I filled out the survey! My favorite Christmas tradition is driving around at night looking at all the Christmas lights on people’s houses. I put on Christmas music too! I love the spirit people have this time of year.
I just filled out the survey, I love your recipes! My favorite holiday tradition involves our elaborate dinner on Christmas Eve. All of my family comes together and we have a custard for dessert made from a very old family recipe. Hidden in the custard is a blanched almond, and whoever gets it wins a prize! The trick, though, is you can’t fess up that you have the almond until the entire bowl is gone. Multiple people usually pretend they have it and it has been known to go on for a half hour after the custard is finished before the winner reveals themselves. It is a silly little tradition but one of my favorites!
I entered the giveaway. My favorite tradition is making colorful scarfs for loved ones and a few to donate. ⛄️
I completed the survey. My favorite tradition is driving around and looking at all the Christmas light displays!
Finished the survey! My favorite Christmas tradition is picking one present to open on Christmas Eve.
I took your survey! My fave Christmas tradition is my grandma’s homemade chowder on Christmas Ever eaten from my mom’s china.
I did a 4 day hike to Machu Picchu in 2008, it’s the way to go, don’t do anything shorter! It’s challenging and life changing!! I have traveled a lot; I have had a passport since before I was a year old and to this day that trip was probably the best experience ever!! Give yourself time in Cusco before you do the hike so you can adjust to the altitude a bit, it’s rough at first! I can go on and on with tips and highlights from the trip if you are curious! 🙂
Hey Monique! I want to stat off by saying that I absolutely love your blog. All of the amazing treats and other recipes help me out on a weekly basis by satisfying my cravings and also keeping me healthy. Thank you so much for that! My favorite part of Christmas traditions is getting together with my friends and extended family and truly taking the time to appreciate one another. It brings to light how grateful I am for having each and every one of them in my life and being able to express that. Cheers and Merry Christmas! 🙂
Hi Monique! I completed the survey, but just fyi…..there was one drag and drop question that didn’t have any selections (it said “Monique to fill in”). Might want to fix that before too many people fill it out!
My favorite tradition is decorating the tree and baking cookies. 🙂
Hi! I love your blog, especially your new Wellness Wednesday posts…honesty goes a LONG way with being healthy…mostly for the soul 🙂 So I appreciate them! I took the survey and my favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve when we all have our little snacks and goodies, snuggle up to watch Christmas Vacation (we NEVER get sick of that movie!) then we each open up one present. Oh, and usually there’s some delicious hot cocoa involved with marshmallows of course 😉
Hey – I filled out the survey. My favorite tradition is Christmas Eve at my parents, we have lots of appetizers and my mom makes strawberry daiquiri’s, and then she cooks a delicious dinner!
My family bakes breakfast together on Christmas morning in our matching jammies:) such a sweet, joyful time.
I took the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is making my grandmother’s Christmas candy with my cousins.
I took the survey. My favorite tradition is baking cookies with my husband, and giving them as gifts.
Hi Monique!
I filled out the survey! I don’t celebrate Christmas but between snow days in front of the fire and time I get to spend with my family I enjoy winter time. 🙂 Thanks for all of the delicious recipes you post! It seems like weekly I’m making something from off your site.
-Natalie
Hi Monique , ive just completed the survey 🙂 my favorite tradition during the holidays is definitely all of us gathering around the living room and watching a Christmas movie and just all of us being together
I filled out the reader survey! My favorite Christmas/holiday tradition is spending quality time with family, around the Christmas tree and fireplace.
I filled it out! My favorite tradition is decorating the tree with holiday music playing and a big glass of wine in my hand.
Whoo hoo! I did the survey! 🙂
My favorite Christmas tradition is making traditional English mincemeat pies (and brandy butter! 😉 ) and sausage rolls, and lighting a Christmas Pudding with my family 🙂
I completed the reader survey and my favorite holiday tradition is getting together with family and baking of course! 🙂
I filled out the survey! Every ChristmasEve, I spend the night at my sister’s house and get to see my nephews first thing Christmas morning. Love watching them see all their presents!
I took the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is making Christmas eve dinner with my brother for my whole family
I completed the survey.
My favorite tradition is having our family’s recipe chili and appetizers on Christmas Eve. Everyone selects an appetizer to make/bring so it blends new and old favorites together!
I completed the survey.
My favorite tradition is making lefse (Norwegian version of a crepe or a tortilla that’s made from potatoes) with my extended family.
I took the survey! I have plenty of holiday traditions, but my favorite it our annual “Christmas cookie baking day”!
Survey filled out! I love having Christmas gumbo!
I did the survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is opening pajamas on Christmas eve.
I filled out the survey 🙂 My favorite tradition is having an annual Christmas dinner with my girlfriends from home that I don’t get to see often. We all make a different dish and eat way too much!
Participated in the survey! My favorite tradition is opening Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve 🙂
Hi! Finished the survey. Anything that involves family is my favorite tradition – getting our tree, traditional foods, trips to NYC, etc…
I completed the survey. One of my favorite traditions at Christmas is baking and eating favorite
Just filled out your survey! My favorite tradition is having a big, boozy brunch on Christmas Eve with all of my family and friends.
I filled out the survey! And my favorite tradition is that my family and I have ornaments that correspond with the 12 days of Christmas so while we are putting those ornaments on the tree, we sing the song and everyone in the family gets a different lyric. It’s a blast!
I did.
My favorite tradition is opening gifts on Christmas Eve.
Completed the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve my whole family gets dressed up for Church and then we come home to eat chinese food before opening presents!
I have completed the survey. Our favorite holiday tradition is on the the first night of Channuka we light candles and have dinner with our children and their friends and laugh, play games and share gifts. It is such a wonderful night to share with our adult children and their friends. Something I look forward to every year.
filled it out!
My favorite holiday tradition (one of them) is sending holiday cards via snail mail.
I look the survey 🙂
I did the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is when my sisters and I wear matching ridiculous pjs which our mother gifts us on Christmas Eve.
Survey’s done! My favorite tradition is opening one present each with my family on Christmas Eve. We’ve done it since I was little and it’s always so fun! 🙂
I took the survey! My favorite Christmas tradition is baking with my family. We make Italian filled cookies every year and I am going to make your ginger cookies this year too!
I filled out the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is watching a movie with my cousins after Christmas Eve dinner.
I filled out the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is watching home alone with my family.
I filled it out:) I love making cookies!
I did the survey!
My favorite tradition is watching Christmas in Connecticut on Christmas Eve with my mom
I completed the Reader Survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is definitely all the decorating! The house, the tree, everything 🙂
I filled out the survey! My favorite Christmas tradition is baking cookies and watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer while eating them.
Survey done! I love our tradition of soup and gingerbread cookies on Christmas eve plus midnight Mass if possible!
I love having pecan rolls in the morning and just hanging out with family the whole day!
I filled out the survey! My favorite tradition is having everyone pick one gift to open on Christmas Eve!
I completed the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is baking cookies as gifts in the office and for neighbors. That’s what originally led me to your blog two years ago! The browned-butter nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookie was the gateway drug!
Hi Monique! I completed your survey. My favorite tradition is sadly one I cannot uphold anymore. When I was little, every year, for Christmas only, my mom and I would make “Narzook”. It is a slightly labor intensive pastry. My mom got the recipe from our Armenian next door neighbors, the Arzoos, who said it was a traditional Armenian food, special for Christmas and sometimes Easter. We made the batter, then had to roll the subsequent pastry out into oval oblong shapes approximately 6 inches long, maybe 4 inches wide. The pastry got topped with this amazing almond flavored paste (also made from scratch) and then topped with a second piece of pastry, crimped all the way around with the tines of a fork, brushed with egg wash, then baked. They came out golden, and gorgeous, and the most delicious pastry I’ve ever had. I looked forward to Narzook making AND eating EVERY year. My mom exited the picture when I was 15, and I have never found the recipe, nor anyone who had heard of or had Narzook since. 🙁 I miss this tradition and it’s results more than I can describe.
I filled out the survey! I love watching “White Christmas” every year 🙂
Just finished your survey. Enjoy how open you are about your body image / health / weight loss struggles, as I can certainly relate. Favorite Christmas tradition is waking up early Christmas morning, reading the Christmas story before opening gifts. The excitment in my daughter’s eyes is what I live for, she makes it all so much fun.
Hi Monique, I took the survey! All of the kids in our extended family dress up for a pageant in our grandparents basement on Christmas eve, complete with music, costumes, and everything.
Also, Machu Picchu is incredible. If you go, you should definitely hike the Inca Trail. If you’re in South America for a while, I would suggest going to Merida, Venezuela, for some adventure as well 🙂
1-that picture is gorgeous. 2-i entered the survey 🙂
I completed your survey….I hope you get great results!
My favorite holiday tradition is making some of my mother’s recipes that she always made for her children that made our Christmas special. I miss her so much!
I took the survey. Hmm… my favorite holiday tradition is a white elephant gift exchange with extended family. People strategize and get excited – it’s a lot of fun and brings everyone together!
I completed the survey.
My favorite tradition is lounging on the couches iwith my family after dinner watching christmas movies.
Survey completed. My favourite holiday tradition is spending Christmas at our cottage – taking all the presents and turkey up there. It’s beautiful
I filled out the survey! and I love my holiday tradition of hosting a cookie exchange party!
I completed the survey. My favorite holiday traditions are baking cookies and watching Miracle on 34th Street.
I completed the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is watching holiday movies with my family.
I participated 🙂 I found out about AK by doing a Google search for a recipe, but that wasn’t an option on the survey.
My favorite Christmas tradition is having croissants and mimosas on Christmas morning!
I completed the survey…and we always make roasted almonds!
I completed the survey!!
My favorite holiday tradition is definitely opening stockings! All of my siblings (even though we are far too old to do so anymore) go wake my parent sup obnoxiously and we open our stockings in their room before we go to the family room for the “under the tree” presents!
I filled out the survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is getting dressed up and having Christmas Eve dinner with my family.
I took the survey… and my favorite holiday tradition is baking plates full of goodies with my mama to deliver to friends and neighbors!
I completed the survey.
My favorite holiday tradition is geting together with my friends for dinner.
I took the survey! And my favorite Christmas traditions are simply spending time with my friends and family that I don’t always get to see year round.
I completed the survey. My favorite tradition is opening our stockings on Christmas morning and eating my mom’s Christmas cookies/candy.
I just completed the entire survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is baking cookies and decorating them together.
Just completed the survey! My favorite tradition is having a bake-a-thon with my mom and making huge plates of Christmas cookies for our neighbors and friends! We bake for hours and catch up about life (I normally only get to come home on holidays because I’m out of state for school). Then it gives us an excuse to take home made goodies to friends we haven’t seen or talked to in a long time. I look forward to it every year!
I filled out the survey! My favorite tradition is baking candy with my mom… I’m doing it tomorrow!!
I completed the survey, my favorite tradition is candy making and baking with my Mom, and sharing the goodies with friends and family.
I took the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is either going camping or coming together with extended family over holiday weekends =)
I took the survey. I love traditions but am trying to start new ones. My son has multiple severe food allergies so I am so thankful I have found your blog! We love the pumpkin, chocolate oat bars that are vegan, nut, and wheat free!
survey complete! Favorite is cooking Xmas eve dinner with all the women in my family – tradition is to make the Italian 7 Fish spread… great times chatting.
I took the survey. My favorite tradition is decorating the Christmas tree with the help of my kids. We enjoy looking at the ornaments that we made in years past.
I took the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is definitely baking or making Christmas candies and treats.
I filled it out (took a couple tries for the page to load on chrome)! My favorite tradition is making cookies with my mom!
I finished the survey! I generally don’t partake in traditions during this time of the year but I guess one “tradition” would be simply enjoying quality time with my family. And baking .. lots of baking!
I completed the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is making cookies and other food with my family.
Survey complete! My favourite Christmas tradition is actually the day after Christmas day, called St. Stephen’s day in Ireland. I’m from a small country town and everyone goes to the annual charity pub quiz on St Stephen’s Day.. we all wear our new fancy clothes, meet everyone that’s back home for Christmas and get drunk in the middle of the day while a winter storm rages outside! I live in California now so I miss out on that tradition 🙁 But hey Cali is ok!
I filled out the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is baking sugar bookies with my family.
I completed the survey! Love your blog and recipes!!
I completed the survey. My favorite holiday tradition is watching Christmas movies.
I took the survey. My favorite traditions are decorating the tree and opening presents with my family.
Hi Monique, I completed the survey!! Our tradition for Christmas is waking up, opening gifts and then going to my mother-in-law’s for dinner. But this year we are doing something different: heading back home to OH so my 5 year old son can see where I grew up and I want to go to the cemetery where my dad and mom are buried and talk to them. My dad has been gone for 34 years ( I was 8 yrs) and mom for 5 years and when I think about them, I still get teary eyed!
Completed the survey. And our favorite tradition is making goodies to give to family and friends. We all get together and have a girls day.
completed the survey! My favorite tradition (being italian) is christmas eve dinner with the 7 fishes .. over the years we have changed it to 7 seafood dishes.
I think I commented in tht wrong spot…sorry.
I filled out the survey…
Thanks so much for your great blog. I started out just looking for some recipes that were weight watcher friendly and now I am obsessed! Thanks!
My favorite tradition is buying a new Christmas sweater each year and wearing a different one as much as possible. I am the queen of ugly sweaters but so many have their own story. Like the one from when my 20yr old daughter was a baby and we had matching ones for our family picture. I still have BOTH!, waiting for a granddaughter one day! I only wear mine one day a year so I can keep it as long as possible! One day my daughter will hopefully find it fun to wear a matching sweater with her Mom again but not holding my breath!!! Merry Christmas Monique!
I filled out the survey. Decorating our tree is my fave family tradition over the holidays. Love your blog!
Filled Out The survey! My favourite tradition is making tourtière and eating it for Christmas Eve…. It’s a French Canadian tradition!
Great survey! I have completed it 🙂
My fav holiday tradition is all the great baking!
I filled out the survey and today I believe I’ll be making ur butternutsquash patties w orange cranberry can’t wt to try them bug fan of all u do and thanks for giving me a mother option on healthy food always get great inspiration w U!!! 😉 muchas gracias !!!!
I completed the survey. I love baking the most during the holidays.
Did the survey. I love decorating with Christmas music playing while sipping on a mug of hot chocolate!
Took the survey! I’ve been away at school for the last 6 years, so when I get to come home a few days before Christmas, we pick up a “leftover” tree at the Christmas tree lot and bring it home! That way I get to decorate a little too and enjoy the Christmas spirit 😀
Just did the survey! Favorite Christmas tradition is spending Christmas Day with my family cooking, and playing games.
Just finished the survey! I love watching A Christmas Story on TBS over and over!
Hi! I just completed the survey. This is only the 2nd Christmas I have been a mom, but I’d like the following to continue over the years. On Christmas Eve we all get new holiday pajamas and we wear them to bed that night. That way we look festive in the morning while opening gifts!
Did the survey. I love love love cooking with my family on Thanksgiving. Then we watch the dog show!
I participated in the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is putting up the tree with my hubby!
I took the survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is making peppermint bark with my aunt!
I completed the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is watching some classic holiday movies (especially A Christmas Story! I know, you love it or you hate it, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it) and having a quiet night at home by the Christmas tree and fire with close friends/family. Not to mention, LOTS of baked goods and comfort food! By the way, I have really been enjoying your Wellness Wednesday posts! Though I eat a vegan diet now, I love every recipe I try on Ambitious Kitchen and have had a lot of success making them vegan-friendly. I do, however, have fond memories of your brown butter cookies 😉 Happy Holidays Monique! 🙂
I participated in the survey… Favorite Christmas tradition as a kid was probably decorating! After Thanksgiving, we would pull all the boxes down from the attic. Going through and unpacking/putting up everything each year with my family was always a blast. Seemed like we would always find something that we had forgotten about, but retelling the stories that went along with everything was the best part.
It was an interesting survey!
On Xmas, it’s one of the rare times where all my family can be home and just relax, other times we’re always either working or at school. So we take our rest day seriously!
I completed the survey, as well! And my favorite holiday tradition is Christmas Eve candlelight service and dinner with my family….followed by gift opening!
I took the survey. I love rewatching old Christmas movies!
I filled out the survey! My favorite Holiday tradition is listening to Christmas music while decorating the tree with my family!!
I completed the survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is putting up the tree.
Just completed the survey! And I love holiday cookie baking days with my mom and sister. Fun to spend time with them and I get to eat lots of cookies at the same time!
Finished the survey. My favorite tradition was baking up a storm to make treats to give to everyone. It is the season of giving after all. We didn’t have much growing up to buy presents so we just spent days in the kitchen making goodies to give out.
Hi Monique,
I filled out the survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is making (and eating!!) breakfast pizza Christmas morning. Also, let’s be honest, the tradition of eating excessive quantities of dessert is pretty high up there too 🙂
I took the survey. I love making cut-out cookies and caramel brownies with my mom! It’s our special cookies this time of year.
filled out the survey! i love making and decorating cut out christmas cookies!
Thanks for sharing my brownies, girl! <3 I filled your the survey, and my favourite Christmas tradition is definitely going to midnight mass with my family.
Just filled it out! My favorite holiday tradition is eating my grandmaw’s butter beans. YUM!
Survey complete 😀
As I am in Australia, my favourite Christmas tradition is going down to the beach to play some cricket with all the family in the Aussie sun 😀
Completed the survey. My favorite tradition is going to my aunt’s house to celebrate on Christmas Eve
Filled out the survey! My favorite Christmas tradition is homemade pizza on Christmas Eve. My dad is a pastor, so he always prepared homemade pizzas and we’d have the pizzas scheduled to finish baking once we were home from church. And his homemade pizza is the best pizza ever. 🙂
filled out the survey!
I love driving around to see everyone’s holiday light displays
I completed the survey! My favorite tradition is baking Christmas cookies with my mom and sister.
Finished the survey!! I have always loved putting up the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music!
Survey done. My favorite traditional, I have 2: making & decorating gingerbread houses with my son & friends; spending a day or 2 in the city ( San Francisco)
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
I always love decorating the tree but I can’t forget baking Christmas cookies either!
I filled out my survey, but I made one mistake. I just remembered that I found your blog by google searching for black bean brownies.
My favorite Christmas tradition is watching my son put the star on top of the tree. He’s done it every year for the past 4 Christmases and I have a photo of it each time. I hope to be able to share it with him and his kids when he’s older.
I filled out the survey. My favorite Christmas tradition is making cookies one evening with my mom.
Took the survey….and my favorite Chanukah tradition is making sufganiot (traditional Chanukah donuts).
Took the survey and my favorite Christmas tradition is making gingerbread houses!
Completed the survey 🙂 My fave tradition for Christmas is the music! It always gets me into the spirit, and I have an album I listened to when I was younger and I still love it now, as well as a disney album (Chrismas) that my Dad has always had, and we listen to at my family gathering every year – wouldn’t be the same without these!
I filled out the survey! My favorite holiday traditions revolve around my family and good food! On Christmas morning, my mom always makes monkey bread and then we have a less than traditional fajita meal for lunch. It’s great fun!
I took the survey!
Took the survery! My favorite Holiday tradition is our family’s White elephant gift exchange!
Completed the survey! Hope you get quality data. My favorite tradition is Christmas Eve service with my family.
I did the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is listening to all of our classic music!
I completed the survey & my favorite tradition is watching a Christmas movie every night (on the last 5 nights before Christmas) by the light of the tree!
I took the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is making stocking stuffers for our family to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
My favorite tradition is opening 1 gift on christmas eve.
I filled out the survey. My favorite holiday time tradition is all the time spent with family. It makes it all so fun.
I completed the survey! My favorite holiday tradition is making cookies!! esp with peppermint in winter!!