Charcuterie Board

Some call it an appetizer tray or a snack board. Basically it’s a beautiful board full of meats, cheeses, crackers, fruit, nuts and pickles or olives. It’s perfect for small or large gatherings and is super fun to make! Be creative and use different shapes, colors and textures to make a full board.

First, place the meats (pepperoni, salami, prosciutto), cheeses (Colby, havarti, cheddar, pepper jack) and crackers. Then add the other items and place the colorful fruit and garnishes last. Dried fruit such as cranberries or apricots are a great option too!

Shamrock Fried Eggs

This is a quick and easy idea that makes you wonder, “why didn’t I think of that?”

Delicious and nutritious any day!

Recipe by Nutrition Made EZ

Holidays!

It’s a cold and snowy January day….perfect for sharing a few holiday recipes! Last month we enjoyed a fun evening with our Auto Zone family at the company Christmas party. We always look forward to this celebration each year! It’s a great time to catch up, relax and just spend a few hours together during the busy holiday season. Due to Adam’s job change, we didn’t host the party this year like normal but we were happy to be invited!

Meat and cheese boards are so fun to put together! Be creative and make it appealing! The basics include meat and cheese, pickles, olives, crackers, dried fruit, garnishes and nuts. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. Just make sure to use different shapes, sizes and textures on the tray. Another idea is to use sweet and salty items for a completely different type of board.

Speaking of sweet items… we can’t forget desserts! These white chocolate peanut butter balls from Taste of Home are always a favorite each year! They are so simple and quick to mix up.

The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled depending on the amount you need to serve. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/peanut-butter-snowballs

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

This is a great holiday cookie recipe from Taste of Home! My friend hosted a Christmas ornament and painting party recently. She’s so creative and generous….lots of crafts, prizes, a hot chocolate bar and yummy treats filled the room!

I was searching for something special to take to the party when I ran across these ginger cookies.

Easy to make ✔️ Delicious ✔️ Soft ✔️

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/big-soft-ginger-cookies/amp

Pumpkins!

A few months ago, my daughter and I decided to turn our empty garden space into a pumpkin patch with a sunflower border.  We dug the rows, planted the seeds, crossed our fingers and waited.  Fast forward 3 months and we were proud of our great harvest!  I already miss the pretty view out my bedroom window.

Due to the dry summer, we really needed to water the pumpkins more but we learned our lesson.  I’m sure we could have gotten 20-30 more on the vines with regular watering.

We planted large pumpkins for carving and small ones for baking.  We had enough to share with friends and neighbors, decorate our home and driveway, do science experiments and crafts and use in recipes.

Enjoy a few of our favorite fall recipes and activities in this post.

~ Painting pumpkins!

~ Carving pumpkins!

~Science experiments!  (baking soda, vinegar and food coloring)

Save those seeds to make a healthy delicious snack!  Pumpkin seeds are rich in antioxidants, iron, zinc, magnesium and many other nutrients.  It’s a quick and easy process to enjoy all those seeds.

Preheat oven to 300.  Scrape the pulp and seeds out of the pumpkin.  Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, rinse well and shake dry.  Spread the seeds single layer on an oiled baking sheet and roast 30 minutes to dry them out.  Then toss the seeds with olive oil and seasonings.  Return to oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 20 more minutes.

Sweet recipe: toss with cinnamon and sugar

BBQ: toss with brown sugar, chipotle chili powder and ground cumin.

Or just toss with salt and pepper!

To use the fresh pie pumpkins for cooking and baking, follow this link from the Pioneer Woman.  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/make-your-own-pumpkin-puree/

I recently tried recipes for double layer pumpkin pie and baked pumpkin French toast with our fresh pumpkins!  Both are kid friendly and so delicious!

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/baked-pumpkin-french-toast/
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/double-layer-pumpkin-pie-54636.aspx?cm_mmc=Social-_-Pinterest-_-Ahalogy-_-54636

One final thought….beware in your pumpkin patch!  You may find a really odd one once in awhile…. but I think it’s a keeper!

Happy Fall Ya’ll

Bacon Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

Here’s a new twist to an old favorite!  I recently tried this side recipe for a holiday cookout and it was full of flavor and easy to make.  

This was the first time I ever made deviled eggs, never been a fan.  But, since I started working with a nutritionist in 2011, my tastes are changing.  I love to try new recipes and I’m actually enjoying foods that I’ve never been willing to try before!  

http://www.biscuitsandburlap.com/2017/04/04/bacon-jalapeno-deviled-eggs/

Cupid floats 💗

Here’s a cute idea for Valentines Day!

Only 3 ingredients!

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/cupid-floats/