Hi Friends!  Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. We did a lot of traveling to Cleveland and Buffalo last week to visit our families and had a few days at home before heading back to school on Tuesday.  Of course it went by crazy fast.  And I really didn’t take as many pictures as I would have hoped, but quality time with family was much more important.  Here are some of the winter break food and fitness highlights.

One of the first days in Cleveland I helped my mom finish some Christmas cookie baking.  Her cookies combined with the ones I had baked before traveling made a pretty beautiful cookie tray.

Christmas Cookie Tray

In Buffalo, Christmas dinner is cooked by Tom’s brother in law.  Prime rib, twice baked potatoes, and veggies.  So delicous!

Christmas Dinner

Every time we go to NY we always make sure to get Pizza, Wings, and Paula’s Donuts #allthecarbs!  But seriously, these are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had!

Paula's Doughnuts

Another of my favorites in NY is Taste in East Aurora.  It’s such a cute little town and plenty of different food options.

Taste East Aurora

We travel back and forth between Cleveland and Buffalo so my parents can watch Blitz for us.  Adds in a bit of extra traveling, but they enjoy dog sitting so we make it work.  We came back to Cleveland for my Mom’s birthday.  Per her request we had steak, potatoes, and veggies.  And I baked this Kahlua Chocolate Cheesecake.

Mom's Birthday Dinner

Once back in Southern MD we had a whole day dedicated to running errands.  Two hours in we desperately needed to stop for a lunch break because we were both getting hAngry.  And I was craving something healthy after indulging a bit over the holidays, Panera it was.

Panera Bread Lunch Date

We rang in the New Year over a friends house and I baked these Strawberry Cupcakes and added Champagne frosting, appropriate dessert for New Years right!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Champagne Frosting

Throughout break we ate out more than I usually care to.  I ate dessert every night.  And by New Years Day I was craving routine again, but enjoyed every minute of all the treats.

New Years Eve 2018

Linking up with Jenn and Laura for What I Ate Wednesday  You can find more of my favorite healthy recipes here.

[clickToTweet tweet=”All the Holiday Break yummy eats with @sweetandstrong_” quote=”All the Holiday Break yummy eats with @sweetandstrong_”]

What was the highlight of your Holiday Break?

What’s a foodie favorite in your area?

What are your wishes for 2018?

 

20 Comments on Holiday Break 2017 WIAW

  1. Maureen @ Maureen Gets Real
    January 3, 2018 at 1:22 pm (5 years ago)

    That’s so sweet of your parents to watch the dog for you! It probably makes traveling easier to know Blitz is in good hands. The highlight of my holiday break was spending time in Chicago with my family and in New Jersey with my boyfriend’s family. It was a lot of travel on Christmas Day itself but we made it work.

    • sweetandstrong
      January 3, 2018 at 2:56 pm (5 years ago)

      Totally agree all the traveling is worth spending the time with family. Happy New Year Maureen!

  2. Patrick@looneyforfood.com
    January 3, 2018 at 2:05 pm (5 years ago)

    Looks like you had a wonderful holiday! I spent it in Florida and ate all the local pizza and fresh produce thats not in season back in CT. Happy New Year.

    • sweetandstrong
      January 3, 2018 at 2:57 pm (5 years ago)

      So jealous of your FL visit, as it’s like the only place not freezing right now, lol. Happy New Year!

  3. Chelsea
    January 3, 2018 at 2:46 pm (5 years ago)

    What a fun holiday break you had!! Those cookies look so delicious and have me craving some all over again! HA! I’m right there with you too with having dessert every night during all of the holidays! It’s nearly impossible to NOT indulge in the sweets this time of year! But, feeling back to normal and back on track is always the best for me! More balance, less sugar and overall more 1 ingredient whole foods helps get me feeling back to ME again!

    • sweetandstrong
      January 3, 2018 at 2:57 pm (5 years ago)

      I totally agree Chelsea. I feel my best when I make the right food choices. But it’s so worth giving into some cravings every so often. Happy New Year!

  4. Heather @ Polyglot Jot
    January 3, 2018 at 3:35 pm (5 years ago)

    Yum so many delicious things!!! I also enjoyed lots of Christmas treats…or shall I say Christmas carbs? haha! What kind of soup is that at Panera? Looks good for Winter!

    • sweetandstrong
      January 4, 2018 at 2:32 pm (5 years ago)

      Haha yes, definitely more like Christmas carbs. Hope you had a great Holiday Heather! And it was the Turkey Chili at Panera.

  5. Rachel
    January 3, 2018 at 4:59 pm (5 years ago)

    My parents are also my #1 dog babysitters! Also, all of your food from break looks amazing. I’m thankful to be back on track with my diet now (I was also craving routine), but looking at those cookies and that cupcake makes me want to do the holiday season all over again!

    • sweetandstrong
      January 4, 2018 at 2:33 pm (5 years ago)

      Yes it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be craving all the holiday treats again! Happy New Year Rachel!

  6. Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups
    January 3, 2018 at 6:41 pm (5 years ago)

    What a fun holiday break! That is so nice your parents which the pup for you. Those cupcakes sound amazing!

    • sweetandstrong
      January 4, 2018 at 2:34 pm (5 years ago)

      Yes they’re definitely our number one sitters! Happy new Year Emily!

  7. Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness
    January 3, 2018 at 8:47 pm (5 years ago)

    Your holiday vacation sounds a lot like mine – so much running around visiting family! So much fun though! That cookie tray is beautiful. And I’m with you, I’m happy to be back to healthier eating after a few weeks of indulgences! Happy New Year lady! 🙂

    • sweetandstrong
      January 4, 2018 at 2:35 pm (5 years ago)

      Yes the running around is all worth it, but now I need a vacation from vacation, lol. Happy New Year Nicole!

  8. Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off
    January 4, 2018 at 3:12 am (5 years ago)

    Totally feeling you on being ready to get back into healthy habits after New Year’s Day. I def indulged quite a bit over the past week or two, and it’s been great, but I’m also craving all the veg and much less sugary stuff. Glad you had a nice New Year’s 🙂

    • sweetandstrong
      January 4, 2018 at 2:36 pm (5 years ago)

      So glad I’m not the only one that craves their healthy routine after the holidays. Happy New Nicole!

  9. Erinn
    January 4, 2018 at 6:03 pm (5 years ago)

    Those are beautiful cookies! Not sure if I could eat one 😉
    And those donuts..oh my goodness!
    Being with family for the holidays is the best feeling ever.

    • sweetandstrong
      January 5, 2018 at 5:35 pm (5 years ago)

      I made everyone wait a full day to eat the cookies so I could get a good picture of them with good lighting lol! And yes I loved spending time with family for the holidays 🙂 Happy New Year Erinn!

  10. Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy
    January 4, 2018 at 9:21 pm (5 years ago)

    So fun that donuts are always involved 🙂 I come back from holidays craving lots of fruits and veggies, as I tend to not include them as much. Oh well! Looks like a delicious break, hope you got some time to relax!

    • sweetandstrong
      January 5, 2018 at 5:36 pm (5 years ago)

      I totally agree about craving all the fruits and veggies after the holidays. And I wish we had a little bit longer to relax. But looking forward to some long weekends this winter 🙂