Midnight Menu and Addressing the Overages

I LOVE the newness of a new year, and I have always loved New Year's Eve. I've usually starred something seafood on the menu, with some kind of lobster, scallop or steak. Instead we had Lobster Mushroom Thermidor, served in a radichio cup (to mimic a lobster shell). The sauce was so CREAMY from the cashew cream! (see photo)

I just finished tidying up the budget for 2010 as well this morning. That looking ahead to the future thing that I am so incredibly fond of. Although I splurged a bit on some things over the holidays, I really did stick to a budget through December and I am very much looking forward to "birthday January" at our house, with both my guys celebrating...

Even if you've been both "bad and good" ("for goodness sake") through December, I'm listing a January recalibration menu to even out some of the "OVER-ages" December typically brings. You know - overeating, overspending, over-the-limit festive consumption of cocktails, and even some new "overs" like over-fatting, over-cholesteroling, and over stressing.

I feel fabulous going into 2010, and even lost a few more inches and a couple of pounds. Even with a bit of an exhaustion/fluey "bug" yesterday, I have had some delicious meals and really tried to modernize my usual holiday menu with new versions of my favourite holiday dishes.

Didn't remotely miss the cheese in the perogies!
Tourtiere was fabulous too - used "PC World's Best Meatless Meatballs" instead of ground meat.
Hollandaise over silken tofu on a crisp muffin was delicious Christmas morning, by making a roux of flour and earth balance, adding cashew cream, and a bit of almond milk till smooth, a squirt of French's mustard to make it yellow, and lots of lemon juice and zest. I even layered sauteed baby bok choy under the tofu. Can honestly say I have never EVER eaten this healthily on Christmas morning.

Christmas brunch at our house was great too - fresh orange juice, waffles with apple caramel, and tourtiere. I decided about a month ago that I wasn't going to add meat/eggs/dairy to our menus any more, so that our family can see that

1. we are not starving to death
2. we are not just staring at empty plates gnawing on a carrot and
3. that food can be healthy and delicious without these things.

Christmas Dinnerwas great too, although (*Over-Vigilant Mistake Alert*)I spent way too much time making a separate entree. Spent too much time making stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy, bringing it to my aunt's, heating it up and drawing too much attention...and the work wasn't worth the effort. Even though there would have been a bit of butter and cream in the potatoes, and probably on the veggies, I should have just let the family carry this one. Even the dog got in on the act - with a broccoli "bone":)