Yummy Healthy Veggie Dip for your Holiday Party

Last night was my Gloss Holiday Party and I whipped up an assortment of tasty snacks including my signature Tahini and Chive Veggie Dip. I'd had requests to share the recipe before, but honestly I shoot from the hip every time I make it so I've never had a recipe to hand out. This time I wrote it all down directly afterwards (including after any taste adjustments) and am happy to share it with you now.

It is a great addition to the cheese plates and dessert trays, and gives those trying to stay healthy through the holiday season a nice option to nosh on. Here's what you will need:

Shopping List

2 heaping tablespoons tahini

3 heaping tablespoons vegan cream cheese (I like Tofuti)

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of one half of a lemon, freshly squeezed

3 teaspoons ume boshi plum paste (find this in the oriental section next to the seaweed)

1 pack of chives, chopped (reserve a few whole sprigs for garnish)

carrots, celery, cucumber, radishes, etc chopped in strips easy for dipping

Mix all the ingredients (save the carrots, celery, cucumber, radishes, etc for dipping) into a food processor and blend thoroughly, adding more olive oil or cream cheese until you reach your desired thickness. Transfer to a serving bowl and place alongside the chopped veggies to enjoy. 

Make a Valentine's Day Card (with your Nail polish!)

Make a homemade card for your sweetie this Valentine's Day using supplies from around the house... namely your nail polish! I was feeling inspired to make my guy a V-day card, but found I was a little light in the art supplies department. So, I got resourceful and found that I had everything I needed to make a heartfelt and class act card with what I already had. Watch the video below for a step by step tutorial on this fun Valentine's Day card DIY. Here's what you will need:

- a blank card (I had some around for when I write a thank you note) + an envelope

- two kinds of pink or red nail polish

- a pencil

- a pen

- a piece of paper

-scissors

I hope you use this tutorial to make someone special a card. With all you need right in your house there are no excuses... besides, everyone loves to get a Valentine's Day card! Do you have other go-to V-Day card DIYs? Please share in the comments below! xx

hello 2015!

It's hard to believe that another year has gone by. I feel like 2014 was on hyperlapse! And because the end of the year came about so quickly, I nearly forgot to reflect on the things I am most grateful for from the last year. Luckily, my Instagram feed proved a worthy reminder. Many of the people I follow and look up to took the time to call out what they were proud of, celebrating, or simply feeling gratitude toward from 2014, and it prompted me to take a look at my own milestones. So often our default mode is to focus on what we didn't get done, or what we felt was not good enough. Yet, the end of a year is a wonderful time to take stock on what you HAVE done. Do this little exercise with me...

Think about the major events, projects, initiatives, ideas or trials you've had in your life over the past year. How have you fared? Would you say you are better having done them or gone through them (even if they didn't turn out exactly the way you had hoped)? I'm betting the answer is yes. And when you shift your lens to see the good in what you've done or been through, instead of letting a negative thought have the upper hand, you do find these personal milestones that you can celebrate. For me this past year, writing and having my book come out was huge! I didn't make the New York Times Bestseller List (yet!), and I don't need to in order to acknowledge myself and the massive work I put into something. I also launched a new website, moved into a new home, started a new company (more on that later), and brought fitness back into my life. #happinessis

As I look forward to 2015, I have new intentions and goals that I am setting. I will have all kinds of expectations about what these things look like and how they will perform, but at the end of another year, the lesson I am learning is to release the expectations and celebrate the progress.

What about you? What milestones are you acknowledging from 2014? What goals are you setting for 2015?

While you mule those questions over, here is a little visual recap of my 2014...