It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was mustering my very best Sentimental Blog Thoughts to bid adieu to 2014, and now here we are, mere days from a brand new year altogether and once again, I’m wondering how 12 months could have possibly flown by so quickly.

I’ve always felt a little bad for New Year’s as a holiday, because everyone spends so much time preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, that New Year’s becomes almost an afterthought (albeit an afterthought that always brings immense pressure).

In anticipation of NYE, you basically have a few-day-window during which you’re expected to: recover from Christmas bloat, choose an outfit that minimizes said bloat, text a bunch of people to make NYE plans then cancel them in favor of just staying home, and my personal favorite, make public proclamations about how you’re going to be better/different/faster/stronger/more fun the following year.

It’s a lot to think about in a short period of time.

Maybe it’s not this way for everyone – I’m sure there are some families who have special New Year’s parties every year or who go balls to the wall with NYE traditions. In our house, we have our own little rituals: cheese and champagne on NYE, then pork, sauerkraut, and homemade potato dumplings on New Year’s Day.

One of my absolute favorite things about the small window of time between Christmas and New Year’s is the inevitable end-of-year wrap-up themes and lists that surface everywhere from radio to blogs to magazines to CNN. You know – the “Top 20 Most Shocking News Stories of 2015” or “Top Ten Celebrity Scandals,” etc.

Call it sensationalized media if you want, but 365 is a lot of days, and it’s hard to consciously keep track of every single thing that happens. I don’t know about you, but I always appreciate others putting in the work for me. I love those dumb lists as a reminder of all the things I’ve forgotten, and it gives me a chance to reflect on just how much has happened in 2015.

One of the best things about blogging, or journaling, or any kind of creative outlet for that matter, is that it does kind of force you to stop and reflect on the state of your affairs once in a while.

At the risk of sounding too millennial, blogging has been such a blessing. It’s a fun way, through food and writing, to share our memories and keep track of all the things that happen throughout our year.

Gosh, no wonder millions of people have blogs!

Don’t worry, I’m not going to do a “The Spoon DOES Fit: My 2015 Year in Blogging” post or anything like that. Certainly, it’s been an awesome year and the hubs and I have a lot to be grateful for, but I’m just not feeling the elaborate send-off today.

I’d rather send 2015 out with style. And, with the upmost ease. To celebrate, I give you what might be my easiest recipe ever!

I didn’t make the ice cream for this float – I bought it from a store (the HORROR!) – and it was seriously so liberating you guys! I might have to do this more often in 2016.

No, I didn’t make the ice cream, and I don’t have some fun back story for this post or moment of profound inspiration (although it’s debatable whether or not I ever have those!).

Rather, I just wanted to do something fun and easy for which I could use these adorable glasses that were gifted to us for our wedding shower by a dear, dear friend. Add in the natural prettiness of the Chambord bottle and roasted berries, and voila! Festive float goodness with absolute minimal effort.

You can use any combination of your favorite berries for this recipe – I used a pint of blackberries, a pint of raspberries, and a handful or so of chopped strawberries just because we had them around and they add a nice sweetness. I roasted them until they were plump and juicy and fragrant, then submerged them in a few tablespoons of Chambord. It’s so easy!

Don’t believe me? Here’s how you make these fancy little floats:

First, pick a pretty glass:

Add your Chambord soaked fruit to the bottom of the glass. Be generous!

Then, add a scoop or two of high quality or homemade vanilla ice cream to your glass.

Would you just look at this beaut?

Now, top the ice cream with more fruit. Almost done!

Don’t be shy!

Yum!!

Now, the best part: pour in as much (or as little) champagne as you like.

Garnish with fruit or a fun straw, and go to town!

Great work!

Now, drink it all up and leave the dishes for the next morning.

This float is festive and fun without being too labor-intensive. The best part – you should have leftover berries for future sundaes or just to eat on the side (if you know, one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be happy and eat awesome food).

Thanks for all the memories this year!! You’ve made 2015 so much fun, and I can’t wait to spend 2016 with you all!

So, for the last time in 2015: happy scooping 🙂