Well, as some of you may already know through twitter, my boyfriend surprised me with a trip this Christmas.  He also surprised me with a trip last Christmas (to VEGAS, and the Grand Canyon) but you probably don't know about that because I hadn't started blogging (or tweeting) then.  This year he decided to go bigger... a longer trip, a longer flight and an awesome location...

Here's a hint:

Also known as HAWAII:

I won't gush about all of the details of the gift (which includes a LOST tour) but I will say that it involved a slideshow. And that said slideshow was password protected with the code being: 4 8 15 16 23 42 (and then press EXECUTE).  I just love that man.  

So anyway, now that the time for resolutions is upon us, and my trip is happening in February, I am working to continue with exercising regularly and eating a bit healthier (ignore the fact that my last post was about cookies...I exercised restraint people, I swear).  So I decided to take a traditional winter classic and give it a healthy spin, and that's how this hot chocolate was born...

The Elements:
1 cup non-fat skim milk
1 scoop EAS Chocolate protein powder (or an alternative if you have a favorite kind already)
A steamer of some sort (or you could alternatively microwave your milk)

Procedure:
Steam the milk, then mix the protein powder in to the hot milk, stirring until it is fully incorporated

The Verdict: 
Honestly I thought it was almost as good as the real thing.  Now when I say "the real thing" I mean real chocolate shavings and not the crushed powder that you buy at the store.  If you are used to the powder, than I would say that this is just as good!  Love it.  Easy and I don't have to feel guilty eating it.  Bring on the bikini! (Okay not quite there yet, but getting there!)  EAS powder is a great choice because it is 23g of protein with 130 calories and only 3 carbs!  Other protein powders may work just as well, this one I just love because it tastes fantastic and is very versatile (I also love to mix it in a blender with 1 cup vanilla or regular soy milk to make a healthy chocolate milk!)

Here are a few of my other favorite healthy items*:
Greek Yogurt-- high in protein and low in calories and carbs
Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Ready Rice-- whole grain rice that's ready in 90 seconds!
Skim milk
Grapes
Bananas
Green Tea
Cottage Cheese (individual packs, fat-free)--still getting used to this one...

*The thoughts and opinions in this post are mine alone and no one has provided me with these items

What are your new year's resolutions??


These are some of mine:

• keep working out regularly and eating smart
  
• create more time for the things I really love, like maintaining this blog and developing recipes
  
• make more videos for the blog, such as the one I did here
• make the following things at some point this year: pork belly, foie gras, braised lamb, and attempt some surprises I have up my sleeve
  
• try making some things I haven't done before--I'm currently working on a list of things to try in 2012 with my beautiful and talented friend Marnely from Cooking with Books.  So far we would like to do the following: pork belly (as mentioned above), pate, fresh lobster (meaning, still alive, not just tails), something involving molecular gastronomy, shuck oysters (and other shellfish), filet a whole fish, learn to perfectly cook steaks to all temperatures, and how to butcher beef properly.

Remember when THIS happened??

And THIS had already happened in preparation for that?

Well THIS is what happened next!: