After I was done wrapping up my work-related to do list for the day, Ryan arrived home and we took Sadie on a nice walk around our neighborhood. Too bad it’s so dang dark outside by 6 p.m. these days. I miss being able to actually see things, but at least festive Christmas lights give our walk a little more pizazz.
Even though the temperatures were in the upper 70s today, the evenings are chilly (this is not the case in the summer in Florida), which also makes it a little easier to get in the holiday spirit.
A few slabs of peppermint bark also help.
Before our walk, we ate a dinner that included a lot of random ingredients because neither of us were in the mood for one thing in particular. Why not eat it all?
Spinach salad topped with topped with pork, polenta, goat cheese and Marzetti’s pomegranate dressing (my current favorite)!
The salad was supposed to include warm potatoes, but I burned them.
What is with me and burning things lately?
At least it was still satisfying without the potatoes. The warm pork and polenta gave it a wintery feel.
Someone was awfully intrigued by the pork.
Off to spend the rest of the night with my little family immersed in holiday music! Apparently a holiday edition of The Sing Off is on tonight, packed with holiday a cappella holiday music. And I thought the show was over last week! Hooray for one last hoorah!
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I love your pictures of Sadie! She’s such a cutie.
I’m also really looking forward to testing out your peppermint recipes, aka both the peppermint bark and the white chocolate peppermint popcorn recipes. Yum!
Mmm, that salad looks good! Maybe I’ll make a Kitchen Sink salad for dinner tonight as well.
I’m also impressed that you have already made and eaten dinner and been on a walk! I’m far behind y’all! 🙂
Our two dogs make that EXACT same face and stand outside the kitchen whenever we’re cooking meat. You’d think we never feed them.
Adorable.
I’m impressed by how much you are able to get into the christmas spirit at all in florida! I am northerner, from upstate NY, and this is our first winter in southern virginia. It feels like September still to me, so I’m finding it completely impossible to believe that its december already.
Mmm polenta “croutons” sounds absolutely YUM! Definitely gonna give that a try.
We have a cookie baking day every year with all of us girls and I think I’m going to try that Peppermint Bark. Looks yummy!!
PS Jealous of your “chilly” nights there–it’s currently 3* here in Denver! 🙂
Your salad looks lovely! Yum. 🙂 Enjoy the holiday lights and music. I love it all!
Your dinner reminds me a lot of what mine is consisting of. It’s anything I could find in the fridge (which is totally random since I move Thursday officially)! I need to try that salad dressing! Happy relaxing tonight 🙂
Hi there! Just have to say, I’m so jealous of Florida’s sunset being at 6! Here in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, the sun rises at 6:30 and sets at 3:45! It stinks to start and end your work day in the dark (I’m a high school English teacher). I should also share that I have been reading for nearly a year and love your blog. Your outlook on life is spot on and Sadie is too sweet! Her antics makes me miss my corgi back in the States terribly!
I’ve been craving a monster salad all day, so yours sounds so good! I’m going to have to find that dressing because it sounds delicious.
I cannot wait to try your peppermint bark and the white chocolate peppermint popcorn. Both will make amazing gifts! 🙂
I did pretty much the same thing tonight. I threw together random things and hoped that they tasted good together.
I thought the same when I saw the promos for The Sing Off tonight!!! I would love to see SNC perform with the other groups. Their Christmas songs are the best!
That salad dressing sounds delicious!
Your salad looks yummy. I love the simply dressed dressings. I haven’t tried the pomegranate yet.
We’re at my mother in law’s in West Palm Beach until tomorrow and just got back in from a walk around looking at everyone’s Christmas lights. It’s the PERFECT night walking weather 🙂 I’m going to miss this tomorrow when we get back to rainy, cold NY!
Haha sometimes I feel like eating everything too! That’s the good thing about living alone… no one can judge my weird eating habits!
I hate how dark it gets. I swear I came home at 4:30 and it was pitch dark by 5pm. No fun!
Your salad looks delicious especially the pomegranate dressing!! YUM!! And Sadie as always is a DOLL!! She is sooo adorable. I love dogs! And she has such a personality too… you can tell in the photos!
Alright, I’m jealous. In Connecticut, it’s dark outside by 4:30!!!! I only get to see the sun for a few minutes on my way into work on weekdays. At least the Christmas lights help give a cozy feeling indoors at night!
Ugh I am not liking how dark its getting! Salad looks great 🙂
I love salads with everything in it–looks tasty!
YAh for the #singoff! What a fun show–and such great talent.
Oh man, I SO wish our weather was similar to FL.. right now I’m feeling grateful it’s in the 60s during the day considering it’s supposed to be in the 30s at the end of the week.
Polenta sounds delishhhhhh!!!!
Awesome! 🙂
I can’t believe you ate a salad in wintertime! It’s only getting up to 50 degrees now during the day, and at night it’s down in the 30s and 20s!!
Enjoy the sing off! that dressing looks amazing!
It’s decided. I’m moving to Florida.
I’m kind of jealous of your warm temps. Though I love snow on Christmas, I wish it were 70 and sunny instead of 40 and rainy right now!
Hi Julie. I know what you mean about the weather, sometimes it is hard to get into the Christmas spirit when you live in a perpetually sunny area! It was 70 degrees and sunny in Santa Barbara, CA. today, no white Christmas here! Anywhoo, just wanted to let you know that I loooove your blog and I miss your cooking video tutorials! 🙂
I live in Mumbai where it is crazy hot—Christmas carols came on the radio yesterday and it just felt SO wrong!
I love love LOVE random salads like that… it makes them so much more exciting!
That salad looks awesome! I’ll have to check out that dressing…
I love salads with lots of toppings!
That Sadie girl cracks me up! I don’t think I could resist her pitiful faces…I think she would be the ultimate diet because I would give her half my plate!
That dressing is my boyfriend and my new favorite! I can’t believe he loves it so much, but it is that good! Runner up is the simply dressed Asian ginger and sesame. Have you tried that one?
Yup Christmas Sing Off every year. I love it!
Hey I heard about Straight No Chaser from your site a few weeks ago, and I found out they are coming to CIncinnati next week. Taking the family for Christmas presents! Thanks so much!
As much as I do not like the cold weather in New England, I do like how it gives a proper Christmas feel. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere where it was warm on Christmas. But I’m sure people living in warm climates would feel the same about New England! 😛