Happy 2011!

Welcome to a brand new year. I love the beginning of a new year, because everything seems possible, I mean, you have a whole year to accomplish it!

We started off our New Year with a new tradition we started last year, breakfast at Plums Cafe. It was much less crowded this year as compared with last year. Maybe more people were sleeping in?

Plums Cafe was Thatmom's choice for breakfast, and so afterwards we went somewhere just for me. Kean Coffee. Can I just say again how much I love love love this place? I wasn't feeling very coffee-y, so I went with the white chocolate hot chocolate, with a shot of almond syrup. Heaven in a cup.

Thatmom had suggested a movie, and Thatboy jumped at the opportunity to see a movie he'd been interested in for a couple of weeks - The Black Swan. It was an interesting counterpoint to when we actually saw Swan Lake last year. Here's a refresher course in case you forgot.

Did you know Natalie Portman has the exact same birthday as me? Exact same. It's a fact I found out WAAAAAAY back when she was starring as Anne Frank on Broadway. Back when I still harbored my own Broadway Dreams.

What a difference a decade makes, right? I have to say Thatboy enjoyed the movie thoroughly. If you've seen it, you'll know why. It's similar to why Thatbrother didn't mind so much when UDubb dragged him to see Love and Other Drugs. Men only need one thing to be entertained, and it rhymes with Chex.

After the movie we came home and caught up on some more 2010 movies (ugh, I mean, they are SO last year!) Then we headed somewhere new for dinner, Summerhouse. Thatmom had heard they had great burgers. There are two foods Thatmom loves, pizza and burgers, so a new burger joint was a "must-check-out." And then Thatboy and I headed back home for a little sofabed Saturday night. Because even though it's a new year, some things never change.

But most people are looking to start the year off on a fresh, new, healthy step. I think more diets and exercise routines are begun on Jan. 1 than any other time of the year. (I think second runner up is going to be the day the first bathing suit shows up on a hanger in a store.)

So like most other bloggers, I'll start the year off by sharing a light entree, a classic spinach salad with some nice healthy protein thrown in, a boneless skinless chicken breast. Warm up the toppings and it's a salad that's perfect for even this colder winter weather we've been having. That is, if you can stop yourself from eating the apples before adding them in!

Winter Spinach Salad with Chicken

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

salt

pepper

paprika

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 granny smith apple, sliced

1 stick of celery, sliced

1/4 cup sliced shallots

blue cheese dressing

baby spinach

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika, and cook in skillet until cooked through. Remove from heat.

2. In same pan, saute apples, celery, and shallots until soft.

3. Top spinach with sliced chicken, apples, celery, and shallots.

4. Warm blue cheese dressing stovetop and spoon over salad. Sprinkle with pine nuts.