Friends, Family, and Food, of Course!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  Mr. PT and I had a full weekend of traveling, laughing, hugging, and eating.  The weekend started out with a home-cooked meal made by the woman I owe most of my cooking and baking instincts to, my mother.  She started the weekend off with a bang, making homemade pizzas and warm chicken noodle soup.  I will be posting the pizza crust recipe in a future entry, but maybe Mom will post her secret for soup in a comment??  We'll see!

It was the perfect mix of warm yummy goodness with the casual feel of a Saturday night.

Of course, Sunday was the big meal.  My wonderful and gracious Aunt Heather and Uncle Tom had the extended family over to celebrate.

It can be overwhelming sometimes to see a huge spread of food and still feel pressured to stay healthy.  But I tell you, it can be done!  The number one rule to follow? DON'T DENY YOURSELF.  How often do you get to break bread with your family?  Enjoy it!  Personally, I look forward to my family's cheesy green beans, buttery lima beans, creamy au gratin potatoes, and juicy ham.  This is my strategy:  make the salad take up the most room on your plate.  Surround it with little servings of your favorites.  That way you are enjoying all those wonderful flavors without filling up on the rich stuff.  I promise, you will still feel satisfied at the finish.  For dessert, I had some fruit and shared a piece of cake with Mr. PT.  I was full, but still able and ready to take a stab at the new boxing game on Kinect shortly after.

Happy Holiday!