Meri Christmas Salad!

What’s red, green, and bean all over?
Meri Christmas Salad!



Meri Christmas Salad
2 lbs green beans (approximately) steamed, halved if desired
2 cups cooked/ one can cannellini beans
3/4 c sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 c slivered almonds
salt, pepper to taste
1/4 c mustard
1/8 c lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Toss salad ingredients. Chill to blend flavors.
Enjoy your easy peasy and very festive red, green, double bean Meri Christmas side dish!
Merry Meri Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Meri
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Holiday Jukebox- Parte Dos!

As promised to my loyal throngs of readers (aka my dear sister and brother in law…) MORE HOLIDAY MUSIC MADNESS!


First, I gotta give man-go-round props for ordering this bounty in the mail for us. Look what came in the Christmas box yesterday!

Harry and David’s Pupu Platter!

So far, we’ve tried the chocolate truffles (on the bottom) and the gummy mooses (moose? meese?) Both are deeeelicious. Thanks man-go-round! To return the favor, I’m baking up another batch of my peppermint meringues that were a hit at the work holiday party!


So what musical treats do I have in store for you today? I thought I would provide a quick cheat sheet of music to use as your own personal soundtrack during typical holiday activities and errands! Enjoy!


1. Father Christmas- The Kinks
For when you’ve eaten that 159th m&m Christmas morning, and you’re starting to twitch a little bit…


2. Christmas Wrapping- The Waitresses
Ideal for that wrapping marathon in which you haven’t yet been caffeinated for the day, and you need a little depth charge to power through all that scotch tape


3. Merry Christmas Baby- Otis Redding
Call me a sap, but this sounds just like a holiday date night at home to me!


4. It must’ve been Santa Claus- Harry Connick Jr.
I hate HCJ, so this is filed under “only at Christmastime,” and this is a pretty funky gift opening song I think.


5. Oi to the world- No Doubt
For when your 13 year old cousin is visiting and you want her to think you’re still “with it”


6. Frosty the Snowman- Fiona Apple
For any occasion, really… but if I have to choose, I’d say frolicking amongst a nice snow globy snow holding hands with your best friend, chewing bubblegum?


7. Happy Holidays- Peggy Lee
Skipping down Nicollet Mall on your lunch hour, throwing your beret in the air finishing up last minute shopping.


8. Someday at Christmas- Stevie Wonder
I guess if you have raging PMS/menopause driven hormone fluctuations, or you are a huge cheeseball. Guilty pleasure alert…


9. Last Christmas- Wham or George Michael, Holiday music from the cast of Glee (usually a fan of glee, but not this rubbish)
I guess if you really really  hated one of your relatives, or the host of a holiday party, you could play this as a torture device


10. Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays- N’Sync
For when you have just woken up from a coma and you’re stuck in 7th grade still


11. Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer- Jack Johnson
For if you want your pulse to stop completely. This song is a musical quaalude.


Special Guests on the Meri-Go-Round holiday album also include


-The Little Drummer Boy- any version- Kind of an acquired taste. Now one of my favorites!
-Two super confusing songs that are masquerading as holiday music:
1. My favorite things- since when is this a holiday song?
2. Canon in D- apparently this song is filed under, “just add holiday lyrics and keep the rest the same.” Lame. Still sounds like the wedding song to me.


There’s the new list my friends!
What are your favorite holiday hits? Which songs do you absolutely abhor? What are the classics and what are the stinkers?


And in the words of this blogger, Keep Calm and Merry On. 
Or in my case, 
Keep Calm and Meri On!


Peace!

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Feast your eyes…and more!

First, feast your eyes, the feast for your mouth and mind will follow!





Yes, as Christmas draws nearer, I’m getting food on the brain! Not just cookies and candy canes, but the bonafide Christmas Feast.


…but wait… what IS a bonafide holiday meal? 


Thanksgiving is easy. Turkey, cranberries, sweet and mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing…
Easter usually entails a ham, some more potatoes, and spring veggies.
Even the Fourth of July brings to my mind barbecue, pasta salads, and grill roasted veggies.


Why can’t I think of a single food that is traditionally Christmas for me and my family? I can practically TASTE my  momma’s Christmas Cookies (yes, that’s supposed to be capitalized…), I know well the yummy yule log my aunt makes for us each year. I’m not forgetting about Tom and Jerry’s and marshmallow pie. Treats on Christmas are easy enough. What about the meal??


Well, part of the issue for me might be the incredible range of foods we’ve had as our “main” over the years. In more recent years this has had a lot to do with me, token vegetarian and often co-chef, wanting to do more experimenting so I get “fed.”


There was the year of the prime rib (maybe this was the last straw before I started designing the menu?), and the year of the two lasagnas (red sauce with meat and pesto based vegetarian). There was Christmas brunch two years ago with two varieties of strata and mimosas. There was one of my favorite years, when I was one of the only kids present at Christmas Eve, and my mama and I made a delicious all vegetable Shepherd’s Pie that the carnivores helped polish off. Last year we did fancy apps and stuffed our faces with shrimp and mini quiche.


I happen to love non-traditional holiday meal food. It sure fares better for me when the meal doesn’t revolve around a turkey, ham, or any other sort of “roast.” So why does it bother me so much that I can’t think up traditional Christmas food?


This year, I first thought it up when deciding what to bring to man-go-round’s family gathering as well as my own. I decided on a green bean/ cannellini bean/ sun dried tomato salad for his fete, and some broccoli apple slaw with greek yogurt and dried fruit and almonds for my fam (this is probably news to you guys- it’s going to be delicious!)


I might not rest until I uncover the truth about what a “traditional” Christmas meal means to people. Please, let me know. Inquiring minds want to know! Do you try new dishes each year like my family? Or do you have staples that must be made lest someone have a meltdown that there are, “NO CHEESY POTATOES!!!!”?


Well, for now I’ll continue to develop my own made-up recipes, wondering if they will be a Christmas tradition for my family one day!


Meri

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party on, wayne… party on, meri

That’s my motto today. When standing in the face of adversity, party on dude. What does adversity look like on this happiest of days- lunar eclipse, winter solstice, day playing hooky from work, and 26th lovely birthday?


Wait- that’s not how my angel food cupcakes were supposed to turn out! Those things look like s’mores! 
I have to say, the “muffin top” parts of these did not taste all bad, in fact they kind of tasted like s’mores a bit. The angel food cake batter that I ate, however, seems to have wreaked some havoc on my “digestion” today. I’m a batter eating advocate most of the time, but when the batter is mostly egg white, maybe just say no. No.
This will be my last baking experiment for awhile. Why did my recipe for 6 end up with 12 cupcakes plus enough batter to make me sick? Why did they go from underdone to blackened in just minutes? 

The world may never know. So I say, party on Meri!

How does Meri party on her birthday? Why don’t I show you!

-Taking the day off of work, watching bad daytime TV, and revelling in the love of all my friends and family and even some bloggers via card, text, phone call, facebook, and in the flesh! One of the highlights was my nieces singing “Happy Birthday” to me in Hebrew. 

-Attempting the much discussed 108 sun salutations, then settling for about 6. The point is that I tried, I think. I might try again on New Year’s Day

-Spending the afternoon at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, taking in the current exhibits and making friends with these characters:

I made this very face for my niece later. I got a crack of a smile

Winter Solstice Hopi Kachina Doll- how appropriate!

Bad museum lighting- sue me…


The party raged on back at Chez-Meri with some good old True Thai (that marks both Man-go-round and my most recent birthday with True Thai takeout- new tradition?

I knew right away which fortune cookie would be mine… can you see what is special about it?

look closely at the one on the right…
Yep, it had both 1.5 fortune cookies in the package, and two whole fortunes. So what will this 26th year bring for me? See for yourself!


Huh. Well, I’ve decided that my birthday fortune is the same as today’s title. When things get a bit hairy, for cryin’ out loud, 


PARTY ON!


Cheers everyone! Thank you very very kindly for the incredibly amount of love sent my way today 🙂
Meri

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Toys for tots and grownups too!

A few weeks ago my dear old pal Steve (stone mason, current Texan, and all around rock-star) suggested that I do a post about the gleeful abandon associated with kids at this time of years in regards to new toys. I’m not gonna mess with Texas, so I better deliver! As a tot, I can remember obsessing about certain toys. In no particular order:


-A radio (it also had a cassette player! woo hoo!)
-Nintendo (yes, the old one with duck hunt)
-pink plastic tea set (awesome!)
-A particular Cinderella watch with sparkles inside the timepiece
-Trolls (for more year than one…)
-Sega games
-An Ariel (Little Mermaid) Barbie
-A jungle gym we received one year that was a surprise from “Santa” and was totally awesome to me and my sisters


Now that I’m a “grown-up” it would be very easy to glance at kids in stores, glassy eyed and drooling over tickle-me-elmos, silly bandz, and Bratz dolls and wonder what all of the fuss is about. This is just stupid crap, right?


It might be. I do have an opinion about some of the scary toys out there lurking in the aisles (as in, just say no, parents out there…) But wouldn’t I be a hypocrite to think this since I get similarly agog when in the presence of certain grown-up goodies? (I was about to call them “adult toys,” but, well… that’s another story from another blogger I think…)


So I bring you my holiday faves! This isn’t a wish list, since these are all things I’ve purchased for myself in the previous month or two. Surprisingly often, these were free with “birthday month” coupons from stores, which makes it even better! Here you go!



The crossword nerd has a love for a very specific pen…

$6 from Herbergers, and I can nuke tea to go on all my errands!

Nesting tupperware to make my lunches exciting! $10 at Borders

My birthday present to myself from Express
Cute planner and notebook for my lists and lists! Borders on clearance!

These are 3 years old, but not a day goes by that I don’t love them! Le Creuset
This is the cutest story. I own about 7 books total, and this is one.


So there you have it! Shallow, stupid toys and things that I wouldn’t give up without a fight. What “toys” do you get excited about now that you’re “all grown up”? Power tools? jewelry? phones?


Happy Monday everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying the farce Favre highlights in the ridiculous outdoor game. It surely has been interesting…


I return next time with tales of celebration and good humor!
Meri

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Meri says RELAX

I‘m no Frankie, but I’m adopting the sentiment this holiday season. The cliche is to rush rush rush, shop ’til you drop, attend every party, work function, potluck, charity, concert, holiday tea, etc. until January 1st when we collapse in a puddle of gifts, pine needles, and prozac. 


Is this what we want? It certainly is not what I want. I want a calm holiday, spent with warm drinks, warm friends and family, and of course celebration. In moderation. How do we attain this balance? Fear not, frenzied friends. I’ve got tips!


Meri’s “Keep Calm and Christmas On” List:


1. Just say “yes” when you are invited to the St. Paul Hotel’s Holiday Tea (we went last year and it is divine, relaxing, and so slow moving you can’t help but relax. Plus, there is the tree in Rice Park all lit up). Just say “no” when you are invited to a random acquaintance’s Ugly Christmas Sweater party the night before your early holiday dinner with your side of the family. Just don’t do it. Saying no can be hard, but when you’re gazing out the window at this


instead of running around with frostbitten hands trying to find an appetizer to feed 40 strangers, you will thank me for encouraging resolve. 

2. Get some d$%# exercise people! I like to do kickboxing or yoga. Friday afternoons after work are a great time for this- it really amps up my energy, clears my head, and gets my blood pumping. Choose your poison for this one, but for crying out loud get moving. 

3. Give yourself a break on the “one cup a day” rule. Caffeine, that is. I encounter so many people who limit themselves on principle and drag onward day by day. Fill up a cuppa joe, or (GASP) an oh-so-poisonous diet coke. You know you want to, and Meri says it’s okay! (slyly sipping second cup of coffee…)

4. Do something nice. It might be for someone you love, it might be for a stranger, it might be for your neighbor or coworker that you hate. It really doesn’t matter- you will find peace doing this.

5. Treat yourself to something fancy. Depending on budget, this might be a sassy red lipstick, a fresh shave (if you’re a dude), getting your hair “painted” like I did yesterday (that’s what I call foils, my friends), or a rockin’ new dress or pair of earrings. I know this is incredibly shallow, but I can be incredibly shallow when it comes to simple aesthetic delights. Stay posted for a photo list of my favorite things this week!

6. It’s okay to sleep in when you can. I slept in until 10:30 today and it felt incredible. Sure, I didn’t have 40 crafted ornaments completed by noon, but I have to say I’m feeling pretty good. 

7. Finally, my most important:
Spend some time with the ones you love. Quality time. Pour a drink, put on some holiday tunes (after watching SNL on Tivo this morning I’m really missing the Sesame Street Christmas Record!) and have a good old fashioned good time. 

Man-go-round was gracious enough to surprise me with some bubbly last night, to kick off the holiday week and also what we have deemed to be “birthday week” (I get a week since I have to share it with Christmas). 

it’s only an illusion that mine looks more filled!

What about you crazy kids? Do you have any tips for the masses to keep their sanity in this crazy time of year? Do share!


Cheers!
Meri
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claymation

Alright everyone- 
You can stop holding your breath. The results are in! I have to say, this is not entirely what I was expecting. I also wasn’t expecting the level of vigor you would all place in your votes. I am impressed! Thanks to all who weighed in, online and in person. Now for the goods.


Drumroll…


Classic Holiday Movie– White Christmas


Kids/ Animated Holiday Classic– A completely overwhelming “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown” (is this the name or am I making you all mad by giving it a random misnomer because I’m too lazy to look up it’s proper title??)


Best NKOTB (that’s new kid on the block, mom)– In the interest of keeping the peace, I’m going to call it a draw between Elf and Love Actually. 
The Family Stone also got some love, and we had some write-ins with The Holiday and some movie I don’t recall called, “One Magic Christmas??”In the end, the die-hard Elf fans ended up pretty even with Love Actually Saps (on a side note, Elf is on TV right now if anyone wants to watch it.)


Best Write-in– Goes to Eden for, “You’re a Schmuck, Charlie Brown.” Maybe when this movie is created it will become a new classic for all of us. 


Tune in soon for “Holiday Music Awards” part deux.


Now for some eye candy, and some non-mall shopping ideas for you Minneapolitan procrastinators:


The Northern Clay Center, on Franklin Avenue (near True Thai and Pizza Luce) is on my list this year of “non-mall, less traditional” gift meccas.


Christmas 2008 I bought my mom a gorgeous clay platter from NCC. I wish I could remember the artists name and give her or him a shout out, but alas I do not. Even though it was a gift for my mom, I think I get just as much enjoyment out of seeing it at their house. It looks great with my super classy momma’s decor. 


Christmas 2009 I bought a Clay for Couples class for man-go-round and I to take in the depths of the cold hard winter. It was a ton of fun and we made some stuff to take home (which thenceforth were turned into gifts for my mom and dad’s birthdays, and the others now speckle our little home serving as dishes for odds and ends.)


So right there I give you two easy gift options. The artistry available at the store makes you want to sit down Demi Moore style, get down to a potter’s wheel, and make your own. I do warn you, if you do it probably won’t end up anything like the intricate and creative designs found in the gallery. It will probably be a fun evening though!


Look for yourself at what they have going on, and stop in if you get the chance! You can also wander around in back and browse through the artists’ studios (as pictured below). I love this place and it makes me wish every day were a gift giving opportunity!



Here are the stats:


Northern Clay Center
2424 Franklin Avenue East Minneapolis, MN 55406
www.northernclaycenter.org


And if you don’t live in the Mini-Apple, why not check out the work of some local crafters or artists this weekend and fight the heinous mall crowds? 


Cheers!
Meri


Like this post? It’s part of a series! (click to view)


Claymation (this post)
Thrift-a-gift
Retro-Active
Turf Club
The Bunny Suit
Decisions, Decisions

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It’s a wonderful life

It really is. 
Why did I have such a great day? Let me counteth the ways (starting at the beginning)


1. I won this gorgeous vintage brooch from Jan’s wedding brooch bouquet. I can’t wait for this baby to arrive! (Check her out at http://aerogramming.blogspot.com/ )


2. Free Indian food and coconut macaroons at work. Gotta love the holidays 🙂
3. Generous neighbor donated a bag full of exotic and varied buttons for a secret craft project I’m working on! Thanks neighbor!
4. We are FINALLY shoveled out, meaning, I was able to drive for the first time in 7 days. I got library supplies (Holidays on Ice audiobook anyone?), enough groceries to last until the apocalypse, and these bad boys:

we may not have a tree, but we have poinsettias!

5. Lastly, because although I’ve been complaining a lot the last few days, I am incredibly lucky to have a safe warm home, enough food to eat, a job I love, an army of amazing family and friends to share life with, and a number one dude to boot. It is a wonderful life.


Which leads me to a no-brainer holiday topic. I have to admit, I’ve never seen It’s a Wonderful Life in its entirety. I’ve seen “The Santa Clause” with Tim Allen though… (shame). This movie seems to qualify as a “classic” to most holiday enthusiasts. I wonder, though, what are the other favorites out there? Who is ready for a friendly dispute??? I’ve broken the contenders down into categories:

Best Christmas Classic
A. White Christmas
B. It’s a Wonderful Life
C. Miracle on 34th Street
D. A Christmas Story

Best Animated/Kids 
A. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
B. Frosty the Snowman
C. The Nightmare before Christmas
D. A Charlie Brown Christmas
E. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated, not Jim Carrey)

Best New Kid on the Block (no, not that kind of New Kid...)
A. Elf
B. Love Actually
C. The Family Stone
D. Home Alone (1,2, and beyond)
E. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
F. Jack Frost (it looks stupid, but I had to watch this at work one time and it’s actually surprisingly good…)

So I’m all ears- choose one favorite, choose one for each category, or write in your own vote! I’d be happy to hear some new recommendations to throw in the mix here at chez-go-round (dubbed henceforth the igloo). List is not limited to Christmas either- Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and seasonal fare are all fair game.

Go!
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thrift a gift! (style for scrooge)

What do these three things have in common?

I wear this almost every night it is clean…

lovely lace

rock on dude- I think these were originally mens…

Well, I suppose the title is sort of a giveaway. These are a few of my favorite thrift and consignment finds. They also happen to be three of my favorite items of clothing/ accessory. 

When looking for a gift for someone you love this year, or looking for a cheap holiday cocktail dress or pair of shoes, or even while cleaning out your closet and looking for a place to share it, the answer is a thrift or consignment store.

These range from Everyday People to the Goodwill and Savers, to Second Debut (and it’s second one too) and the ever popular Buffalo Exchange. There’s My Sister’s Closet, Ragstock and so many many more. I’ve found beautiful and unique finds at Via’s Vintage. The t-shirt pictured above is from Tatters. Reduce Reuse Recycle… and end up with an item other people are unlikely to have? Sounds like a win win.

I recently ventured to one such a store I had not been to before. It was just my luck that it was situated between a library I hadn’t been to in awhile, and my sister’s house. Perfect! What a nice Sunday errand. The store is called b. (a resale shop) and it’s located at 54th and Nicollet, amongst a cluster of other shops new and old. 

I wandered in with a huge bag of clothes, completely ready to be turned away (ahem, I might be showing some bitterness here towards some of the shops above…) with my very gently used Kenneth Cole and H&M goods. Nope, this place actually selected some of my items for resale. I proceeded to spend the next hour there, when I had intended to just stop in and recycle some clothes. 

Behold! (and ignore the icky night indoor photographs)

clothes

accessories

and holiday decor in the window

 Sold!


So if you’re looking for a new place to scout out some hidden treasure, here’s all you need to know:


b. (a resale shop)
5456 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
b-resaleshop.com 


Like this post? It’s part of a series! (click to view)


Claymation
Thrift-a-gift (this post)
Retro-Active
Turf Club
The Bunny Suit
Decisions, Decisions

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That’s what Christmas means to me my friend

Something rough happened today… it smelled like disaster. I thought t’would be a blue blue Christmas. Okay, cut the melodrama meri… it wasn’t that bad. I had a minor snafu with my car this evening, which gave me the mixed blessing of reminding me the true meaning of Christmas. Let me rewind.

But first- give it up for my favorite neighborhood holly berry lookalike! This plant always makes me think of holly and the holidays… I love it!



So what happened? Well, after work tonight I intended to finally extract my car from the garage (it’s been in there since Friday as I walk to work and refused to leave during the blizzard). I wanted to get some stuff done- gym, tan, laundry, no wait… (stupid jersey shore)… more like library, groceries, concert to see a friend in town from Austin (sorry man… read on…).


When in my utter stupidity I tried to circumvent the whole “shoveling” thing to the packed down snow mass at the bottom of the short little sloped driveway, I became the immoveable object. Uh-oh. To be fair, I did try to shovel this mess for at least 10 minutes before attempting the back-out. However, the snow was so hard, packed down, and heavy, that I thought my pathetic tiny little car would coast right over it. Right? 


Wrong.


Picture me, digging for a half hour with frost bite growing. Picture my car in the tiny road sticking halfway into it, stuck. Picture me calling my insurance company road side assistance and hearing their reply “um, 6 to 8 hours should do it…” Picture me screaming expletives while in the relative cover of my car when stuck yet again.


I called man-go-round a few times to try to warn him so that when he walked up he wouldn’t see me and judge me for my laziness. I needn’t have done this. As he walked up the sidewalk (after work, overtime, two bus trips) he approached me lightheartedly, gave me a hug, and immediately assured me we’d be out of there in no time. I cried like a whiny little girl, then promptly grabbed the other shovel while we got to work.


It took a really long time, maybe an hour. It’s cold out there. It was not fun, though we attempted to lighten the mood a bit and have some of our “nightly check-in” while shoveling. In the end, both his attitude and muscles really saved the day for me. 


So kiddies- it’s lesson time! Who knows what the true meaning of Christmas (or whatever holidays you celebrate that you spend with family and friends) is?


That’s right. It’s love. Doing things for people we love. Kind acts to strangers. Looking past idiotic decisions made on low blood sugar and after a frigid walk home (I’m still trying to throw excuses in here…). I am so lucky to have the boyfriend, family, and good friends that I do. I hope that it doesn’t take me another Eff-up to remember this next time.


So everybody hug, eat marshmallows, and listen to some stupid holiday cheer. Because I might not be so mushy tomorrow.


For tonight, however, I’m full of love, gratitude, and holiday spirit.
Meri

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