Festive Weekend Recap: Raleigh Edition

This Friday I made my way to Raleigh for a weekend full of fun with my best friend, Kate. We started the weekend by going to a Christmas party!

Before: Getting ready...it felt like we were back in our App State apartment...mirror selfies, music blaring, and counter top scattered with makeup.

After: Some things will ever change

On Saturday, we decided to start the day and fuel up with an AMAZING bunch from Benelux Coffee. Next time you find yourself in Raleigh, be sure to stop by and grab a coffee from here!

Between their signature waffles and lattes and Kate's quiche and iced mocha, I can't decide what was best.

 We then decided to go to the Governor's mansion. They were holding a free open house. 

Going to the Governor's mansion made us want to explore some of Raleigh's other historic homes. Next we went to the Moredecai House and were able to go inside the house itself as well as walk around the property (including the separate kitchen and garden).

I was OBSESSED with this garden. Exactly what I would like to have at my own home one day.

President Andrew Johnson was born in this house

It was definitely a weekend full of fun and adventure! 

Giveaway Alert!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! To help in getting into the giving spirit, I will be giving away a $25 gift card to one of my favorite stores, Sur La Table (valid in stores and online)! Whether you are shopping for yourself, for a holiday party, or buying a gift for someone else, you will be sure to find the perfect kitchen accessory here. 

To enter my giveaway, simply follow me on Instagram @aubreyjarman and follow the directions under the post! The giveaway starts at ???pm and a winner will be chosen this Sunday at ???pm! Good Luck!

From my Family to Yours!

For the last 4 years, my family has sent out Christmas videos instead of cards. You can laugh with us or at us, as long as you're smiling we don't care! Merry Christmas from us to you!

Graham Cracker Pecan Pralines

Tis the season for holiday parties...and also the season for busy, scattered schedules. This is the perfect sweet treat that you can make when in a time crunch! 

Ingredients:
One pack of Honey Maid Graham Crackers
1 cup of crushed pecans
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and completely cover with broken graham crackers.

Melt butter in pot and add in sugar and pecans. Bring to a boil and cook/stir for 3 minutes. Spread mixture evenly on graham crackers and bake for 12 minutes. 

Don't make the same mistake I did...LET THEM COOL before breaking apart and tasting one...that caramel will be scalding hot. 

Kitchen setup...I think I work best when I have everything all together.

The "Juice" on Juices

With more and more juice shops popping up, you may be asking yourself whether or not to try a "juice diet." Here the bottom line...Juices are EXCELLENT and delicious ways to fit in your daily servings of fruits and veggies (and the vitamins are also more easily absorbed into your body when consuming a juice), but I would not recommend a full on, 24/7, juice diet. Our bodies are built to break down food. The famous saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it," relates to our digestive systems as well. You need daily sources of fiber and structure for your body to break down so that it can stay revved up. 

But with that being said, I do love a good juice! I would even go as far to say "a juice a day will keep the doctor away." ;) Just make sure you don't fall into the "juice diet trap."

If you like juices, I would recommend buying your very own juicer. I have the Omega J8006 juicer and I absolutely love it. Its also cheaper in the long run (custom juice shops are expensive), and you have the freedom to be creative with your flavors. If you decide to purchase a juicer, be sure to get a "masticating" juicer and not a "centrifuge" one. The masticating juicers grind the fruits/vegetables slower so that more nutrients are extracted.

Below is my favorite recipe that I've come up with:

3 red apples
1 whole pineapple
2 oranges
3 beets
1 teaspoon lemon juice

The lovely dark red color is a sign of powerful antioxidants!

Easy and "Healthy" Office Party Dessert

When you're asked to bring dessert to an office party full of doctors and dietitians, it's only natural to think of something that's "somewhat" healthy. I decided to make "power balls" and add a little indulgence by dipping them in white chocolate and finishing with a dark chocolate splatter/drizzle.

Of course, these can be made without dipping in chocolate if you are looking for a wonderfully healthy, "on-the-go" breakfast or snack! You will always be able to find the "un-dipped" version of these in my fridge. 

Ingredients
1 cup dry oats

2/3 cup of coconut flakes

½ cup of peanut butter

½ cup of ground flaxseed

½ cup of chocolate chips

1/3 cup of honey

1 Tbsp of chia seeds

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 lb bag of Nestle Toll House white chocolate chips

1 bag of dark chocolate chocolate chips

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together and let set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

Melt the white chocolate in a small bowl. Then roll the mixture into one inch balls and dip into the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate harden and store balls in an air tight container in the fridge.

Recipe makes approx. 20 balls

Food and Nutrition Conference Expo 2015 in Nashville

Now that I am FINALLY a registered dietitian, I figured it was time for me to attend FNCE! FNCE is an annual food and nutrition conference hosted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. While it is in a different location each year, I was lucky enough that it was in Nashville, TN! Having never been to FNCE or Nashville, I was in for a treat. It was a trip full of food, music, and information (I definitely "nerded" out so hard in the information sessions). Below are some of the pictures I took throughout the trip. I wish I had more, but it was such a sensory overload that I forgot to take pictures of everything!

The Nashville Downtown Hostel was a cool home away from home and a fun way to meet other solo travelers

The very first thing I ate during the trip was these amazing tacos from Nashville Street Tacos.

This is just a random piece of pizza I had for lunch one day...I think the picture speaks for itself.

Delicious is an understatement...I am still dreaming about how amazing this "Nashville Hot Chicken" Sandwich actually was! If you go to Nashville, you HAVE to get one of these!

The California Strawberries had one of my favorite expos

Of all my free FNCE goodies, this guitar cutting board from the Canadian Lentils is by far my favorite!

None of my posts are complete without a picture of a mojito.

Mushroom-Swiss Burger from my last dinner of the trip! Yes, dietitians eat burgers too. Thank you Hard Rock Cafe.

This is a quote from one of my favorite sessions of the conference and a great few words to end the experience.

Until we meet again, Nashville!