BOSTON

Welcome to 2011!

Before I fully embrace 2011, I couldn’t resist taking one last look at 2010.  The past twelve months marked another great year for The SavvyBostonian.  Site traffic has continued to grow steadily and I’m constantly delighted by the great comments, emails and tweets I see in response to my blog entries.

So, what better way to celebrate the end of 2010 than by shining a spotlight on my top two blog entries of the year?  Almost too appropriate, given that the tagline for my blog is, “Adventures Around Boston and Beyond,” the winners are:

Brownie Mix + Canned Pumpkin= Amazing Brownie Bites
I never thought that my number one blog entry for 2010 would be about food. Well, specifically, my delicious reduced guilt brownie bites that are SO easy to make!  In my quest to be a better home chef and entertainer, expect to see more blog entries on adventures in my tiny Boston kitchen in 2011….

Coppa: Italian Small Plates in Boston’s South End
For Boston, seems that the buzz surrounding Coppa in Boston’s South End lead people to the web – and luckily to the SavvyBostonian.  I really enjoyed my dining experience at Coppa with my favorite food blogger and hope to go back again soon.  Stay tuned for more restaurant reviews in 2011…

Thank you again for stopping by The SavvyBostonian! Without your comments and tips, this ‘lil old blog would not exist – or continue to grow!  So, what do I have in store for 2011?  A lot, actually.  But you’ll just have to stop in every so often to see for yourself!

RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Fresh Raspberry, Cucumber, Feta, Green Bean and Chickpea Spinach Salad

Looking for a healthy lunch or dinner that can be whipped up in ten minutes? A fantastic dinner party salad that’s sure to wow your friends?  Look no further.

Incredibly simple, this fresh salad does not require actual cooking!  If you can select good ingredients and chop bite sized pieces, then you can prepare this meal.

I’ve listed the ingredients below as a serving for a six to eight person dinner party.  For one person, it should result in several lunch or dinner sized portions.  If you’re cooking for one, I would put all of the ingredients into separate tupperware containers and combine them specially for each meal so that the lettuce does not wilt.  By making the salad that way, it’s easy to customize the meal to your preferences, and you can mix and match serving it as an entree salad, versus adding a piece of chicken or salmon on the side.

Salad Ingredients:
– 1 bag of baby spinach
– 1 large cucumber
– 1 bag of green beans in a microwaveable bag
– 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
– 1 container of crumbled feta cheese (or less, depending on your preferences)
– 1 pint of raspberries
– Olive oil
– Crushed black pepper
– Whole Foods fat free balsamic vinaigrette

Puncture holes into the bag of green beans and steam in the microwave according to the package directions. Remove green beans in the microwave and place in an empty bowl to cool.

While the green beans are cooling, chop the cucumber into bite sized pieces and set aside. Once the green beans are cool, chop them into bite sized pieces and toss with one tsp of olive oil and season with crushed black pepper. Rinse the canned garbanzo beans with water in a strainer and allow to dry.

Pour the entire bag of spinach into a large bowl. Add in the chopped green beans and cucumber. Toss. Add in garbanzo beans and crumbled feta cheese. Toss again. Add in raspberries and carefully toss.

Serve with a tangy, fat free balsamic dressing, like Whole Foods Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette, Trader Joe’s Fat Free Balsamic, or Newman’s Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. Buon Appetito!

For more of my recipes, click here.

BOSTON, EVENTS, NIGHTLIFE

Friday, December 3: Social Boston Sports Hosts 3rd Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Party at Bleacher Bar

SBS Ugly Holiday Sweater Party 2009

On Friday, December 3, embrace the spirit of the season with Social Boston Sports (SBS) as they host their 3rd annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Party at Bleacher Bar.  Kicking off at 9:00 p.m., wearing sweaters adorned with an unnecessary amount of sparkle, puff paint, bells, or bows will make you the star of this soiree.  You may even win a prize for outshining your fellow revelers!

Tickets to the event cost $15, though one third of all party revenues will be donated to several local charities, including Hospitality Homes, Starlight Foundation, and Play Ball!  Tickets can be purchased at www.socialbostonsports.com.

As someone who attended last year (I’m the 2nd from the right in the photo above), I can attest to how fun and festive this party is!  You’ll see ugly sweaters that will boggle your mind – so tacky, yet kind of a work of art in their own right.  Plus, if you don’t have an ugly holiday sweater, fear not – just wear something that showcases your holiday spirit.  Think cheesy, gaudy or sparkly – or a wacky Santa cap, or reindeer antlers!

Adding to the fabulousness of the event will be Smuttynose brews, live music from local cover band Pete From Last Night (PFLN), plus Bleacher Bar’s cool window peeking into Fenway Park.

Bleacher Bar is located at 82A Lansdowne Street alongside Fenway Park.

BOSTON, FASHION

Fashion Update: Fab Finds at H&M

Have you popped into H&M lately?  Is it me, or has the brand really been upping the fashion ante?  While I haven’t seen the highly anticipated new Lanvin for H&M collection in person yet, I’m pretty impressed by the band’s array of tweed blazers, sparkly dresses and open cardigans.  I recently bought the cool army green military inspired cardigan with silver chain detailing pictured above.

Also of note from H&M is a fabulous new fall/winter jacket, which has kind of turned into the new love of my life.  Available in classic navy, this collarless jacket has a modern ruffle detail along the pockets and a cinched waist that creates curves in all the right places. At $99, this coat is perfect for a brisk fall or warmer winter day and looks fantastic when paired with a cute scarf and knee-high boots.  It’s quickly turned into my new favorite ensemble to stroll throughout Boston in. Click here for a photo.

While I usually frequent the Newbury Street H&M, I’d like to give a special shoutout to the Downtown Crossing location.  I recently went on a Saturday around lunchtime and the store was incredibly well organized and not terribly crowded, making for a much more enjoyable shopping experience.  I loathe crowds, so the opportunity to shop undisturbed was a real treat!

H&M in Downtown Crossing is located at 350 Washington Street.  The H&M in the Back Bay is located at 100 Newbury Street.  During your visit, inquire about discounts for checking into Facebook Places on your smartphone to unlock a coupon.

BOSTON

Hey Bostonians – What About Boston Are You Thankful For This Thanksgiving?

I'm Thankful for the Boston Public Garden, One of My Favorite Boston Spots. Photo by mdurwin2 from Flickr

As we all know, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we’re thankful for in life.  Which, got me thinking – as Bostonians, what are we thankful for in this great city that we call home?

So, I decided to do a little crowd-sourcing on Twitter to my @savvybostonian followers, plus I posted messages on my personal Facebook page and emailed a diverse group of Boston area friends so see what they would come up with.

The goal in posing this question was that anything goes. I wanted answers that were all over the board – from simple, to funny, sacrastic, or sentimental.  Lucky for me (and you), that’s exactly what I got.

From sweet to sassy, here is what a sample of your fellow Bostonians are thankful for this year:

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