iPhone pics below…please excuse the quality.

So, you  know I didn’t stay at the NYE party long thanks to Barfmageddon, but there were so many fun things about our chocolate throwdown, that I had to share!

First of all, one of the couples went out and had a trophy made. I guess winning twice made Scott feel somewhat generous, so he went to a trophy shop, poured through countless catalogs, then picked a winner. It’s pretty hilarious, but everyone has been jonesing for a victory and now, for the trophy!

Just about everyone who attended the party, had a chocolate entry. Which meant, the kids at the party were on the world’s largest sugar high. It also meant that we were all full within 30 seconds.

We had everything from chocolate/mint brownies, to chocolate souffle, to chocolate torte, to chocolate peanut butter balls sprinkled with gold dust, to the worlds most GORGEOUS layered chocolate mouse and raspberry cake. I made Pioneer Woman’s Baked Fudge, but we decided it should actually be called Baked Hot Chocolate! As a garnish, I also made chocolate crinkle cookies which I hadn’t made in 12 years!

EVERYTHING tasted divine. Sadly, my flu kicked in about 15 minutes after the competition, so I didn’t get to stay and enjoy dessert throughout the night, but trust me, that was for the best…

We started kicking around ideas for future throwdowns and are all pretty excited about what 2012 has to offer!

Do you and your friends have a competitive spirit?
Do you enjoy a little healthy competition with them or does it turn you off?

While recuperating from this darn flu, I’ve been reading and watching A LOT of tv. I was sucked into a few House Hunters marathons and the Rachel Zoe Project; it’s been quality television over here, people.

While zoning out on Bravo TV, I saw a commercial for ziploc about 17 thousand times about how much food Americans throw out every year…and it made me get up and take stock of my pantry.

It was grody.

With so many expiration dates passed and things jammed into the back that I’d never use, I knew it was time to get out the trash bin. I tossed out 65% of what was in there and have a plan to actually start using the things in the pantry before going out and buying anything else.

This wasn’t a resolution, but darn it, I feel like it was the beginning of an organized, fresh start for 2012.

Has anyone else started off 2012 with an organizing kick???

Last year, I shared a recipe for pumpkin sponge cake. I love anything pumpkin flavored, so you know this is the season for me!

The recipe is pretty darn healthy, and as a WW devotee, I’m always conscious of portion control and making good food decisions. So I decided to do something different when I made it recently:

I used muffin pans!

Now, I know for certain what the perfect portion is for these yummy treats! And for those of you who follow WW, you’ll be pleased to know that I got 18 of these yummy goodies made and they’re only 2 points each, so if you have a really sweet tooth, you can have more than one without feeling guilty!

Add a little Cool Whip Free and you’ve got a dessert that hits the spot!

Hope you and your holiday guests like these as much as I do!!!

What is your favorite pumpkin-flavored treat???