New Years Eve

HOLLA! It's the new year. I've never been this excited for a new year, yet felt that it was going to be pretty anticlimactic. 

I'm excited because I've become an entirely new person in the last 6 months. I've lost 15 lbs., discovered and transitioned to an entirely new way of eating a plant-based diet, and found out what holistic wellness in my body, mind, and spirit really means. I awake most every day feeling like a million bucks, and my ongoing struggles with what some might call depression have miraculously vanished. So I'm excited. I'm excited to live an entire calendar year the way that I was intended to live.

Then again, it feels anticlimactic because I know that not too much is really going to change. Yes, I have goals and aspirations, but I don't have any resolutions or big vices that I want to conquer. I want to just keep trucking along, doing what I'm doing, knowing that I am already on the path to achieving those goals. This is the first time I have felt this way, and I'm not complaining.

In classic form the hubby and I whipped together a random NYE dinner at home. I was recently inspired by Peas and Thank You Succotash Quesadillas, and there is nothing we love better than a good margarita, so Mexican night it was!

Check out the ridiculously creative ingredients for this "nacho" sauce! DELISH.  The hubby ran the food processor while I sautéed the veggies. This is a great recipe if you want to cook together, but get sick of constantly running into each other in the kitchen. 

What better way to celebrate the new year than with an array of gorgeous natural colors?!

Flipping these quesadillas was no small task, since we used HUGE tortillas. I moved this portion of the quesadilla from the pan onto a plate, place another tortilla on top of it, put the pan upside down on the plate, and then flipped it all over back into the pan. You'll also notice that I didn't really use much Daiya (I put even less on mine than is pictured here). The veggies were super flavorful and, with the sauce, I think it would have been delicious without any Daiya at all!

And then there were the margaritas :)

If you haven't seen it before, check out this Drink Skinny margarita mix. We found it at a large liquor store in New Hampshire. It only has 20 calories per serving and is sweetened with....DRUMROLL please... agave nectar and stevia!!! 

After letting our food settle for a while, we decided to celebrate the holidays properly with our first attempt at homemade vegan eggnog. It certainly will NOT be the last, because it ROCKED.

We followed this recipe, but then also added frozen banana to thicken it, an idea I saw in several other recipes.

Topped with cinnamon and nutmeg :)

Served up with organic gingersnaps! The perfect end to an NYE meal. 

Then we hit the town with some good friends and rang in the new year with kisses and champagne. I even managed to stay out until 12:49am before calling it quits and heading home with the hubby.

Me and the hubby, Michael.

Me and my good friend Jason - we've known each other since high school!

Me and Jason's girlfriend, Melissa - how gorgeous is she?!

I hope you all had a fabulous new year, however you chose to celebrate it (or not celebrate it). I also hope that wherever you are or whatever you are doing that you find someway this year to be complete in who you are, to truly find your identity, and to put in the hard yet rewarding work of discovering and pursuing your passions.

Love, love, love.

Cheers to 2013,
Avocado Athlete