May 8th, 2015
 This may be the most classic Halloween food that there is, breadsticks made to look like bones. Let me just say, if you are having a Halloween party, whether it’s for kids, teens, or adults, this absolutely is a MUST for your table. It’s easy and delicious and requires very little skill. Below are the bones I created on my very first try. Trust me, it’s a “no fail”. Just make sure to serve them fresh, unless you want for people to gnaw on them like croutons, which could be a whole different kind of snack!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Refrigerated Breadstick Dough
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
- Dried Dill, Rosemary, or any herb of your choosing
Preparation
Remove the breadstick dough from package and cut in half. With scissors, simply cut the ends of the breadsticks and roll them to the sides to make them look like bones. Place on a cooking sheet and prepare according to package instructions.Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, sprinkle with garlic salt and your favorite dried herb. You can also add parmesan cheese.
Presentation
Serve on a platter with Marinara sauce (the chunkier the better). Makes for a great looking display on your Halloween table.
· Posted in 31 Days of Halloween, Halloween, Parties, Recipes ·
May 6th, 2015
If you are looking to do something “out of the box” with your salad without compromising the taste? Why not try baking it? This Baked Capri Salad will be the hit of your next party and will impress your guests… guaranteed! Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 Beefsteak Tomatoes
- 7-8 oz Mozzarella Cheese
- 24 Black olives (sliced)
- 16-18 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 3 Tbsp Balsamic Reduction Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Basil Leaves for Garnishing
Preparation
Slice tomatoes into thin slices. Drain and slice the Mozzarella. Slice the black olives. Start constructing your tomato stacks. Start with a layer of tomato, then a slice of mozzarella, sprinkle a bit of olives and basil on top and then begin the process again. Stack three to four layers and top off with Mozzarella and olives. If you stack the tomatoes too high, they may fall over during the broiling process.Place the stacks into a preheated oven set on “broil” or “high”. Leave in oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted on top and in the layers. Take out of oven, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.Transfer the Baked Capri Salad to a plate, sprinkle olives and fresh basil on top and as a last step, add the balsamic vinegar reduction (or use plain balsamic vinegar) and serve.
· Posted in 30 Day Salad Challenge, Low Carb, Recipes, Salads ·
May 5th, 2015
Sometimes the simplest thing can be the most beautiful on your table. That is what I love most about fruits and vegetables, they are so gorgeous and no matter how you arrange them, they WILL look beautiful. This simple vegetable platter was created by my sister for one of our parties a few weeks ago. I bought a large vegetable tray at Sam’s and I’ve used it non-stop for YEARS!! I don’t even bother putting it away, because it gets used on a regular basis. It looks great with all kinds of things, but it looks the BEST with fruits and vegetables. My sister also made sure to separate the colors, which plays a big part in presentation. But all in all, it was one of the simplest food items at our party and the most popular!
· Posted in 30 Days of Veggie Platters, Appetizers, Guilt Free Party Snacks, Low Carb, Parties, Vegetable Plate, Veggie Platter ·
May 5th, 2015
I love Greek salad… I mean LOVE!!! So tonight I decided to make a simple Greek salad. Unfortunately, the meal plan I’m currently on, doesn’t allow me to eat cheese and my husband and kids recently announced to me that they hate olives. So those two key ingredients had to be omitted and all of a sudden I wasn’t making a Greek salad anymore.
I thought, oh well, I’ll just throw my other ingredients together and we’ll see how it goes. Well, it went superbly!!! In fact, it is one of my favorite salads. Simple, vegan, and delicious! Typically, I love adding extra ingredients to a salad… something fun and out of the box. Well, my friends, this salad doesn’t need anything extra… perfect the way it is! The mixture of lemon, dill, and garlic made my husband ask for more salad… and he is not a salad guy! All he kept saying was … it tastes so “fresh”… amazing!!
What do I love most about this salad? It’s a great “base” for any other salad invention you want to come up with. Add salami and other cold cuts and you have a chef salad. Add feta and olives, and you have a Greek salad. You can really have fun with this!!
But if you are busy and you need a quick salad which your guests will be in love, this is it!! Pair it with a crusty bread, and you will be in heaven!!
2 Bibb Lettuce Heads
4 Tomatoes cut into fourths
1 cucumber
4 Tbsp fresh Dill (you can also use any herb… oregano, parsley, mint, etc!
Dressing
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 crushed garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste
Make dressing by mixing oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a measuring cup or a small bowl. Set aside.
Put the lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a salad bowl and add some salt. You can leave the salad sitting for a bit so the salt brings out the fluids of the cucumbers and tomatoes. Toss the salad. Right before serving mix the dressing again and pour it over the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle with dill and serve.
· Posted in 30 Day Salad Challenge, Low Carb, Recipes, Salads ·
May 4th, 2015
I don’t know if you heard the news, but the Kansas City Royals won the World Series!! It’s a pretty big deal in KC. In fact, they closed all the schools yesterday so that everyone can enjoy the Rally and Parade. Over half a million people attended and it was a celebration like no other! And while most of Kansas City was enjoying the parade, I decided to skip the crowds and instead, had a watch party at my house. My friend brought over delicious Dean and Deluca salads, while I created this vegetable platter. Unfortunately, no blue vegetables (Royals color)… but this Kaleidoscope of colors did the trick! The Beet and White Bean hummus was delicious. I found the recipe on Marthastewart.com and played around a little with the ingredients, which I will post at a later date. But for now, Martha’s Beet and White Bean Hummus recipe is very good!!
· Posted in 30 Days of Veggie Platters, Appetizers, Guilt Free Party Snacks, Low Carb, Parties, Vegetable Plate, Veggie Platter ·
May 4th, 2015
If you are looking for a power salad… this is it! Edamame, quinoa, eggs, feta cheese, I can go on and on! But instead of me telling you how wonderful it is, why don’t you try it for yourself! It will not disappoint!!
3 lb Frozen Edamame
1lb Cooked Quinoa
1 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 Bunch Chopped scallions
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 Hard-boiled Eggs
1 Cup of Plain Yogurt
Baguette
Dressing:
6 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1-2 Garlic Clove (crushed)
salt and pepper to taste
First, mix the ingredients for the dressing. In the olive oil, add lemon juice, crushed garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste. I also would recommend garlic salt. Set aside.
Cook the frozen edamame beans according to package direction. Once the edamame beans are cooked, salt and pepper them slightly and place in a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the beans while they are still warm . Sprinkle with feta cheese, add the scallions, and toss until well coated. Sprinkle dill on top and arrange the eggs.
Serve warm with bread and have a bowl of plain yogurt for people to dip the bread in. This salad is a meal within itself! You will love it!
· Posted in 30 Day Salad Challenge, Low Carb, Recipes, Salads ·
May 3rd, 2015
Who wouldn’t love a Veggie Wheel Plate at your next gathering?! You don’t need those fancy schmancy veggie bowls with the separate compartments for your vegetables, just make your own. I used different colored carrots to separate the vegetables. It was easy and beautiful.
· Posted in 30 Days of Veggie Platters, Appetizers, Guilt Free Party Snacks, Low Carb, Vegetable Plate, Veggie Platter ·
May 3rd, 2015
This is by far one of the most popular Halloween treats. If you are on Pinterest, you know exactly what I’m talking about. These are wonderful because they are SUPER easy and need little skill. And this is why I love them. All you need are soft cookies, red icing, mini-marshmallows and almond pieces.
Ingredients
- 12 soft cookies (any flavor)
- 1 container red icing (you can use chocolate as well)
- 36 mini-marshmallows
- 12 Almond pieces for fangs
Preparation
If you will make your own cookies, make sure you bake them so they are still soft and moist. If you will buy cookies from the store, just purchase the “soft baked” ones, not the crunchy versions. You can use any cookie flavor… it tastes great no matter which one you use. You can also use chocolate frosting, if you don’t want the red gums. Just break or cut the cookie in half. Spread the red icing on each cookie. Place the marshmallows on the bottom cookie half and sandwich the other half on top. Then, just stick the almond pieces to create the fangs and you are all set! Trust me, it will be a HIT at your next Halloween party!
· Posted in 31 Days of Halloween, Halloween, Recipes ·
May 2nd, 2015
If you love to craft, more than you love to bake, this little project is perfect for you!! Everything always tastes better on a stick and that goes double during Halloween!! These ready-made brownies from Little Debbie’s look great, are delicious, and super easy to work with. Oh, and did I mention that you don’t have to do any baking… BONUS!
If you need to assemble something quick, or you just want to create an adorable dessert without having to bake anything, you will love how fast and easy these Halloween brownies can be skewered and arranged.
Supplies You Will Need:
- Halloween Colored Straws (I purchased mine at Party City)
- Orange napkins
- Pretty ribbon
- Little Debbie’s Halloween pumpkin brownies
- Skewers
- Pretty container
- Dry floral foam
All I did was purchase the brownies at my local supermarket. This is a seasonal item from Little Debbie’s and you can purchase them during October. First, I simply skewered the brownie. Second, I tied a bow around the straw with the ribbon and slipped the straw over the skewer. I did the same thing to the rest of the pumpkin brownies.
I placed dry floral foam inside my container and started sticking the finished brownie pops inside the foam. Last but not least, I added the orange napkins to finish off the look.
It literally took me five minutes to make the above arrangement so this is a great last-minute project for a Halloween party or dessert buffet!
· Posted in 31 Days of Halloween, Halloween ·
May 2nd, 2015
Love tomatoes? I’ve got a delicious salad for you! This salad combines some of my favorites… tomatoes, avocados, onions, and basil! Perfect summer or fall salad. But seriously, can you picture this salad on your table during the holidays… red and green… perfection!! Here’s the recipe!
2-3 Large hot house tomatoes
1 Avocado
1/4 Cup diced onions
7-9 Leaves of fresh basil
1/4 Cup of Olive oil or Extra Virgin Olive oil.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Slice tomatoes and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle diced onions on top and salt both tomatoes and onions well. Set aside for 30 minutes. Slice avocados and place on top of salad. Pour olive oil over the salad. Finish off with pepper and chopped basil leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!
· Posted in 30 Day Salad Challenge, Low Carb, Recipes, Salads ·
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