A decadent milkshake from Bravo TV Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn. Totally worth making.

Whether you’re following a clean eating plan, Weight Watchers, or something you cobbled together, I believe that you have to give yourself permission to indulge.  Just a little bit.  Within reason.  Every now and then.  Even my old hardcore Triathalon competitor personal trainer was known to indulge too, but here’s the key (as he explained it)… make it count.  If you feel the sudden need to have a wee bit of ice cream, make it Haagen Dazs, not the store brand, you know?  Don’t waste the calories and sugar on some also-ran store special.

And so it was with these Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes on Sunday night.  I worked out in the morning, cleaned the house with the kids, and ate clean the entire day.  Come Sunday night and company for dinner, I wanted the teensiest bit of indulgence, and these milkshakes were just the ticket.  The recipe makes four, and I eeked out six servings, so we all had a little less to feel guilty about.  But, OMG were they good.  And since that’s coming from someone who doesn’t get excited about milkshakes like ever, let alone anything with marshmallows, that’s saying a lot.

The recipe comes from Spike Mendelsohn, and Top Chef fans will recognize him from Season 4.  He owns the Good Stuff Eatery in Washington DC and created this milkshake to celebrate the 2009 inauguration.  If you’re in the mood for a little sweet celebration, this one might be just the ticket.  Drink up.

Project 365
January 11, 2011, Photo #11This is what Madeline’s room looked like as we left the house at 8 am this morning.  The photo is completely unretouched.  It makes me smile every time I see this room.  When the curtains are drawn, it makes the room this wonderful shade of deep pink and it can’t help but make you happy as you dash out the door.  That and the blinding pink helps me ignore the mess she leaves in her wake.