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Crispy Chipotle Tofu Bites

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Nut Thins, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'll warn you up front, you will absolutely fall in love with these crispy, golden nuggets of goodness!

I could hardly control myself while taking photos of them. Yes, they are that good, and they're wheat and gluten free.

Instead of traditional breadcrumbs, I used Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins. As a cracker they're honestly irresistible, I hate to admit it, but I can eat the whole box by myself, with or without a topping. Oh, but I'm not the only one, my daughter can as well, they're just that good.

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Sesame Sugar Snaps, Peas & Carrots

Celeste 6 Comments

Have you ever had one of those days when you haven't done a grocery run, don't want to do a grocery run, but you're super hungry?

Well, it was one of those situations in which this recipe came to life. I went through the fridge and found some sugar snap peas that were purchased 5 days earlier, they had been pushed to the back of the crisper drawer. I had totally forgotten that I had purchased them. Does this happen to any of you?, please tell me it does, I need to know I'm not the only one who does this.

I normally eat sugar snap peas raw with dip, but I wasn't in the raw mood. I decided to spiralize some carrots and since I always have frozen peas in the freezer, I added them to the mix, they're the perfect add in food. They can be added to soups, salad, (I love them on my salads), pastas, stir fry's just about anything.

I finished it off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, kelp granules, that's the black you see and a drizzle of hot chili oil.

This dish came together in less than 15 minutes, perfect when you're hungry.

Shared with: Anything Goes-Marilyn's Treats, Making Memories Mondays- three kids and a fish

Watermelon & Blueberry Salad

Celeste 16 Comments

I am so looking forward to the long weekend ahead, three days to relax and enjoy family and friends. At our gatherings we are all responsible for bring a dish. Guess what I'll be taking!

I grew up eating loads of watermelon, it was a summer staple in our house, but we couldn't eat it in the house. My mother made my siblings and I eat our watermelon outdoors when we were young, when we were older and bit more mature, she allowed us to eat it inside.

You can serve this watermelon salad in or out and you don't have to worry about a big dripping mess.

This is my second summer being able to eat watermelon without getting sick, and I'm enjoying it. I'm not sure what it was, but several years ago whenever I'd eat it, I would get oh so sick, so I stopped eating it. Last summer I gave it a try, because I really, really wanted to have some crisp, sweet watermelon. I started with small pieces, didn't get sick, I now sometimes eat half of a watermelon for breakfast , yeah!!

Watermelon contains lycopene, a nutrient found in red fruits and vegetables and aids in vision, heart health and cancer prevention. Watermelon is such a filling food, and it's only 40 calories per cup, you can't beat that.

Now that I'm eating more watermelon, I'm eating it more ways. This simple salad is so delicious and festive looking, perfect for your Memorial Day gatherings. Serve along or on top of a bed of greens, drizzled with balsamic glaze and sprinkled pine nuts. Finding a sweet watermelon can be hit or miss, so I sometimes drizzle on a bit of agave nectar.

Just be creative.

Linked with: My Pinterventures-Merry Monday Link Party, Inspire Me Monday-Just Another Mom, Anything Goes - Marilyns Treats, Lou Lou Girls - Fabulous Party

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Celeste 6 Comments

Peanut Butter cookies used to be my favorite cookie, I made them for the first time many, many years ago with my 5th grade class. We used a cookbook that was actually pages of sketched step-by-step instructions stapled together. There were probably 5 to 6 different recipes, but the one I fell in love with was Peanut Butter Cookies, I made them over and over again, it made me and my family very happy.

I no longer make or eat Peanut Butter cookies, I have switched to almond, hazelnut or any other nut, because I have a child with a peanut allergy. But actually, the peanut is not even a nut, it's a legume.

What is a legume? Well it's the fruit or seed of a plant. The most commonly known legumes are peas, beans, lentils, soybeans, tamarind and of course peanuts. In reality some legumes are not good for us, especially in their raw state. For more on legumes, check out The Legume Manifesto.

OK, let's get back to the recipe, Almond Butter Cookie's, this recipe is adapted from Vegan Yumminess, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie. If you're vegan or just want some tasty eats that just happen to be vegan, check out Vegan Yumminess.

My version is a bit thinner with a crispy, chewy bite, because the almond butter I used was a oilier, thinner brand, (Target Simply Balanced All Natural Creamy Almond Butter) the thicker the nut butter, the thicker the cookie. I also traded cornstarch for arrowroot, (I didn't have cornstarch) and I added dark chocolate chips and sliced almonds.

Whip up a batch or two and make the people in your life happy.

Apple Beer Cocktails

Celeste 4 Comments

Cocktails anyone?

With summer on the horizon, I thought it would be nice to have a crisp refreshing adult beverage to serve family and friends. Generally at our gatherings there's wine and beer, I'm a wine drinker thank you, not quite fond of the beer taste. However, on the rare occasion that I do drink a beer, it's a Corona with a twist of lime or Trader Joe's Newton's Folly apple beer. The lime with a Corona gives it an extra crisp taste and the Trader Joe's apple beer, simply doesn't taste like beer, it has a clean fresh taste, I think that's why I like so much.

Cool, Crisp and Tart!

It's the best way to describe this cocktail, perfect for warm summer days. Plus it gives me an excuse to use my pretty cocktail glasses for more than an appetizer container.

The base of this drink of course is the apple beer, with the addition of tequila, fresh lime juice and sparkling mineral water.

Adding thin granny smith apple slices, takes this drink from nice, to niiiccee!

When the drinks all gone, you enjoy the crisp apple slices.

This drink was served two ways, in one of my favorite cocktail glasses and in a salted rim glass, reminiscent of a Margarita. Either way you serve it, it's sure to be a crowd pleaser!

This post was linked to: Lou Lou Girls-Fabulous Party

Spicy Chickpea Burrito Bowl

Celeste 10 Comments

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, I've had this recipe in my head for some time now and was going to share later, but decided to share today. Made this for some friends this weekend and, OMG everyone loved it.

It's really simple and easy, there are only two ingredients that have to be cooked.

While I seasoned and sauteed the tofu,

and seasoned and sauteed the chickpeas,

I put friends to work chopping, blending and placing everything in serving dishes. Our self-serve meal was ready in no time.

Stress Free Entertaining!!!

I added the cashew sauce to balance out the heat.

Shared with: Lou Lou Girls, Mandy's Recipe Box, Sugar Bee Crafts, Coastal Charm, Nap Time Creations, Pint Sized Baker, Cornerstone Confessions,

Strawberry Citrus Salsa

Celeste 10 Comments

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I finally was able to do an outdoor workout on Saturday, there was a break in the rain, but the clouds were back on Sunday. All in all, it was a pretty wonderful weekend.

I was also finally able to complete the photo shoot for the recipe I'm sharing with you today.

It's been in the works for a few weeks now and I had planned to shoot the photos last week, one bag of grapefruit and one bag of oranges purchased.

Finally, time for me to put it all together for the shoot and there are no grapefruits, my daughter had asked if she could have one and I said ok, as I thought to myself, there'll still be plenty left for me to make the salsa. WRONG!!, she ended up eating them all by the time I finally had the time to take photos. But it's all good, I'm glad she loves eating citrus fruit.

Bowl-with-Ingredients-Strawberry-Citrus-Salsa

Citrus fruit is a great source of fiber, vitamin C, and wonderful flavonoids that are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and may prevent cancer.

Citrus fruits can be used for more than just a snack, morning drink, or a squeeze in tea of water. It's great paired with salads and veggies.

SWEET, TART, CREAMY and SPICY, that's what you get with this recipe. And it's pretty don't you think?

And it's rather tasty on tacos and burritos, I had some of those this weekend and guess what I topped it off with?

You can easily leave out the avocado for anyone who doesn't like them, but who doesn't like avocados? It'll still be an awesome salsa.

Shared with: Coastal Charm, Yesterfood, Mandy's Recipe Box, Lou Lou Girls, Home Stories A to Z, Nap Time , Creations, Cooking With Ruthie, Craft-O-Maniac, Life is Fantasmic

The Best Vegan Sour Cream

Celeste 54 Comments

In my search to find a vegan sour cream alternative, I have tried many a recipe but they all had something missing. Or they were soy based, and I want to have a soy and dairy free sour cream. But this recipe is the best ever, really!

I made one with soaked cashews, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar - didn't like it.

Another with soaked cashews, lemon juice and nutritional yeast - didn't like it.

Finally I used soaked cashews and almonds, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast -LOVED IT!!!!

It's smooth, creamy, flavorful and super versatile.

You can use it in stroganoff, on top of soups, chillies, salads, tacos and sweetened with a bit of agave or maple syrup it's a great fruit and dessert topping.

I used it when I served up these soft tacos, I didn't mention it wasn't the real thing, and no one was the wiser. Give it a try, take an empty, cleaned sour cream container and fill it with this stuff and see what happens.

Shared with: Made From Pinterest-Best Recipies & DIY Project Link Party, The NY Melrose Family-Whimsy Wednesday Link Party, Coastal Charm-Show & Share Link Party, Memories By The Mile-Treasure Box Tuesday , Lou Lou Girls-Fabulous Party, Mandy's Recipe Box-Totally Talented Tuesday Link Party, Sugar Bee Crafts-Show and Tell, Home Stories A to Z- Tutorials & Tips Link Party, Nap-Time Creations-Create Link Inspire Party

Herbed Vegan Parmesan Sprinkle

Celeste 12 Comments

I Love Cheese, let me repeat, I Love Cheese!

But cheese doesn't always love me and my tummy, thus the reason I'm slowly eliminating it from my diet.

This Parmesan sprinkles is simple, easy and quick to make, and it gives those who have cheese intolerance an alternative to the real thing.

Nutritional yeast is used in this recipe, it has a nutty, cheesy flavor and becomes creamy when moistened making this sprinkle a perfect cheese substitute. A serving of nutritional yeast provides 9 grams of a complete protein which contain all 18 amino acids, B-complex vitamin and trace minerals, it's free of dairy, soy, gluten and sugar.

Everything is thrown into the processor and blended together.

When a fine meal forms, it's ready to be sprinkled on pizza, pasta, breadsticks, veggies and it's great on popcorn.

There are plenty of vegan parmesan recipes out there and I've tried most of them, but this one is by far my favorite because I added Litehouse Salad Herb Blend. It's a mix of parsley, red onion, chives, shallots, garlic and dill and the flavor is amazing. When added to liquid ingredients the herbs come back to life, it's the next best thing to adding fresh herbs to your recipes. This not a sponsored post, I'm just sharing because I love this stuff.

Store your Vegan Parmesan sprinkle in a glass container in the fridge and it should last several months, but if you are like me, it won't last very long.

Happy sprinkling!

Shared with: Made From Pinterest-Best Recipies & DIY Project Link Party, The NY Melrose Family-Whimsy Wednesday Link Party, Ginger Snap Craft-WOW ME Wednesday Link Party, My Girlish Whims-Your Whims Wednesday Link Party, Memories By The Mile-Treasure Box Tuesday, April J. Harris-The Hearth and Soul Link Party

Red Lentil & Roasted Red Pepper Spread

Celeste 6 Comments

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Smooth, creamy with a bit of spice, and if you aren't careful, you'll find yourself eating the whole bowl by yourself.

It's super easy to make and that's a good thing, because once you make it for a crowd, it'll be gone before you know it. Served up with a side of veggies and crackers, it makes a perfect afternoon snack or if you're like me, it may end up being your dinner some nights. Only 7 ingredients, and if you opt out of the optional ingredient, make it 6.

Above-Red-Lentil-&-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Sauce

If you like, mix in a bit of vegetable stock and you'll have yourself a killer soup.

Or you can use as a spread on wraps, sandwiches, or pasta - One spread, endless possibilities!

If you make this recipe, I would love to know how you use it, I'm always open to new ideas.

Full-Bowl-of-Red-Lentil-&-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Sauce

Wheat Berry Beet Salad

Celeste 7 Comments

Need to power-up, this Wheat Berry Beet salad loaded with nutrients, is sure to give you power!

There are times when life gets busy, instead of planning, I sometimes just go for what's convenient and that's not always good. When I was in Marathon training mode I would eat Wheat Berry salads fairly often, it's loaded with energy producing carbs, but lately there has been an energy crisis, so it's time to put Wheat Berries back on my energy food list.

WHEAT BERRIES

Wheat Berries are not berries, but actually seeds, and a great addition to a healthy diet. Because Wheat Berries are unprocessed, they retain their nutrients and fiber, making it one of the best kind of carbohydrate, unlike their refined wheat product cousins.
Wheat Berries helps to maintain energy levels without negative effects on blood sugar levels.
Good source of magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin E.

BEETS

Beets are a heart healthy vegetable loaded with fiber, iron, vitamins A, B, C, potassium, magnesium, folic acid and beta-carotene.
Help cleanse the body.
High energy food.

GREEN POWER - SPINACH-KALE-CHARD

Nutrient dense, high in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, fiber and chlorophyll and micro-nutrients.
High in alkaline which helps to balance the bodies acid/alkaline balance. For optimal health the blood should be more on the alkaline side, pH of 7.3 to 7.4 is best. The ugly cancer cells can't survive in this alkaline state.
Reduces inflammation, which is the cause of most health problems.

It's nice when healthy and tasty come together, and that's what happens with this salad. The addition of the dried cranberries, goat cheese and balsamic glaze gives this salad WOW factor.

Savory - Chewy - Tart - Sweet - Creamy, that's this salad.

Makes a great on-the-go meal, sure to fuel you.

Vegan Queso with Spiced Tortilla Chips

Celeste 34 Comments

Vegan Queso with Spiced Tortilla Chips - Smooth, creamy and oh-so-delicious, you just might forget it's not real cheese.

I'm so excited about this Vegan Queso with Spiced Tortilla Chips recipe, I adapted the Queso dip from a Vegan Cheese recipe I found on Simple Vegan Blog, it is absolutely the best vegan cheese dip ever, ever, ever and it's so easy!

I'm a vegetarian who doesn't eat any animal flesh and some people think I'm vegan, but I still eat cheese, it's hard for me to give it up, but finding this recipe is helping. Let's face it most dips of this kind are over-processed and have added ingredients we could do without. This is a much healthier version that has a smooth, creamy consistency that can fool anyone into thinking it's the real thing.

I added green chilies and Roasted Tomatillo & Tomato Salsa to the original recipe to make a Queso dip. That's what so great about this kind of recipe, you can add ingredients to make it fit your taste.

You can serve it up with plain tortilla chips or kick up the flavor of your chips with a simple sprinkling of spices before heating your chips in the oven, or you can be really healthy and serve with sliced veggies.

It's also a great replacement for cheesy Pasta or Mac and Cheese sauce.

You have to, have to, have to, try this and do what I did, make it, label it, put in the fridge and see what happens. In my house my daughter used it to make a plate of nachos - she loved it, still doesn't know it wasn't real cheese.

NOTE: Store in an airtight container in the fridge, reheat before serving.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see or hear about your version of this Vegan Queso with Spiced Tortilla Chips.

Want more vegan dip recipes? Click below and get your free ebook.

Vegan Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Celeste 8 Comments

Show some Love - Share these moist and delicious Vegan Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with your friends, family. Yes, they're vegan, but that can be your little secret. The smooth velvety texture and creamy chocolate chips will leave them wanting more.

I made several batches before finding the right combination of ingredients to make them have a dome-like rise that doesn't fall after cooling and the smooth, moist texture that all good Red Velvet recipes must have. I decided to go in a different direction with the frosting, instead of a cream cheese-like frosting, I went with a coconut cream frosting, a lot less sugar.It's so good, it will have you licking your fingers. Trust me, you have to make this.

Vegan-Red-Velvet-Chocolate-Chip-Cupcakes.3

Don't you wish you could reach through the screen and eat one? Stop wishing and just go bake some, and have yourself a Super, Marvelous, Wonderful, Happy Valentine's Day!

Roasted Tomatillo & Tomato Salsa

Celeste 15 Comments

Roasted Tomatillo and Tomato Salsa- Bold with flavor and so easy to make and that's a good thing, because your guest will fall in love with this salas.

Chop, Roast, Mix, Serve and by all means Enjoy!

I have to confess, I've been known to consume a bowl full of this for lunch on occasion. It's good stuff and oh so hard to resist. When you think about it, it's like having a bowl of soup. It's low fat, high fiber and filled with phytochemicals that help fight against cancer and you'll get your fill of vitamin A and C while consuming this tasty salsa.

Another great thing about this salsa, it's easy to make.

Chop and Roast.

Mix.

Eat!

You may want to make several batches, it won't last long. Makes batches so you're never without or take along and add some Super to any Super Bowl Party!

Meatless Sliders And More

Celeste 9 Comments

Super Bowl weekend, with gathering of family, friends and food!

But what will the veggies and vegans have on the table to eat, other than the veggie platter or salads?

At the gathering I'm attending, there will be plenty of good eats, because I'm making sure of it. The party is at my brother's and I'm taking some super veggie-vegan fare. I'll be sharing them with you this week.

My first share is this meatless mix that can be prepared as Meatless Meatballs, Sliders or Sloppy Joes.

The use of tempeh along with the nuts and seeds in the recipe gives these burgers a meaty texture.

It might fool some of the guest, it looks like the real deal.

Slice up some peppers and onions, saute with 2 to 3 cloves of crushed garlic and you have got a topping for Meatless Hoagies.

Who wouldn't want to eat one of these yummies.

Crumble a burger, add some sauce and you've got a Sloppy Joe.

A plate filled with goodness!

Northern Bean Cauliflower Soup

Celeste 24 Comments

You know what you need when it gets really cold outside?

A big bowl of hearty soup.

When it's really cold out, a big bowl of hot soup with crusty bread is my go to meal.

It was wet and cold in Texas, a must have soup weekend!

Do you ever have those days when you want to create a dish, but you don't have all the ingredients and you don't want to venture out to get them?

That was me this weekend, so I shopped my fridge and pantry, and an hour or so later I had a most tasty, hearty soup that was good for my soul and my body.

This soup is a great source of vitamin C, K, iron, antioxidants and loaded with fiber.

The base of this soup is, are you ready for it....Cauliflower. Yes, cauliflower, mixed with a few other tasty ingredients this soup was the hit of the weekend in my house. For the vegans the soup was topped off with nutritional yeast and the vegetarians parmesan cheese.

I mixed ½ cup nutritional yeast with ½ cup pine nuts to keep the soup vegan.

What could be better than a big bowl of soup, crusty bread and a warm cozy couch in front of a toasty fire.

Butternut Squash with Greens

Celeste 5 Comments

Happy Friday!

Well, have you taken all of your Christmas decorations down and put them away? I've been a bit lazy when it comes to the task of putting away my Christmas decor, my daughter says we should leave it up until February. I was talking to someone at work the other day and she has an idea of leaving the tree up and decorating it throughout the year, hearts for Valentine's Day, shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day, eggs for Easter and so on, and so on until it's Christmas again. Quite the idea, but I think I'll be taking mine down this weekend. Oh well, enough about Christmas decorations, how about I share a recipe with you.

Who like cutting into hard squash skins?

I like butternut squash, but I don't like the struggle I have when cutting into the squash. Vegetable peeler to the rescue! It was so much easier and quicker with a vegetable peeler and several months ago I found a handy-dandy julienne peeler, the quickest way to make vegetable noodles. Something else I'm glad I found, Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning from Weber. This stuff is good on almost anything, eggs, salads, soups, toast, burgers, (veggie burgers for me), you name it, almost anything. I used it as a finishing seasoning in this dish.

If only there were scratch and sniff screen, you could smell the aroma of spices coming from the steam in the skillet below.

Look how beautiful it is, don't you think?

Cinnamon Spice Granola

Celeste 9 Comments

I'm not big on buying boxed cereal, especially since most of it turns into half eaten box of hard as rocks, stale mess that ends up in the trash.

This weekend, I finally put together a granola cereal that's been in my head for a while now, it's protein packed and refined sugar-free.

Oats, nuts, seeds and berries, mixed together for delicious goodness.

It's super simple and easy, just mix, roast and mix some more and you'll have one of the best granola cereals around.

Who says it's only for breakfast, this was my dinner last night. The perfect no cook dinner after a long day. For those of you who don't know, I'm a Center Director of an Early Learning Center, by day, and last night a parent with car trouble made my long day even longer, can't leave until the last child leaves. On my 30 minute ride home all I could think of was diving into a bowl or two of this Cinnamon Spice Granola and a side of fruit.It waaas perfect!

Oh so many ways to enjoy

served with milk of your choice, I use almond.
over yogurt or fruit
alone as a snack
over ice cream
with your favorite nut butter
after a good workout

Freekeh with Mushrooms and Asparagus

Celeste 7 Comments

Until a few months ago I had never heard of freekeh. I was talking to a friend about barley, and she mentioned freekeh, so of course I had to find out more about this new to me grain.

Freekeh is popular in the Middle East and Africa. It's harvested while the grains are yellow and the seed are soft , then piled, sun-dried and finally roasted.

Freekeh is low in fat, high in protein, fiber and is a high energy food with a low glycemic index.

It's really easy to prepare, just place cold water and Freekah in a lidded saucepan, bring to a boil, stir occasionally. Once it's boiling reduce heat and simmer until all water has been absorbed. Makes a great replacement for rice or pasta, and is great for anyone needing energy to fuel their workouts.

Overhead shot of white plate filled with Freekeh with mushrooms and asparagus with green herbs at the top left side of the plate.

Crazy as it sounds, when I was growing up I would never eat mushrooms, it was only when I was encouraged by one of my college professors, many, many, many years ago, that I gave them a try and realized I had missed out all those years.

Raw on salads, they're good, but there is something about the aroma and taste of sauteed mushrooms with onions, oh so good, can take a dish form good to mum, mum, good!

Paired here with asparagus and freekeh, makes a tasty meal.

Chop, saute, eat!

Freekeh-wMushrooms-and-Asparagus-Diptych

Black-eyed Pea Chili With Collards and Mini Maple Corn Muffins

Celeste 26 Comments

I'm not a very superstitious person, but I still hold on to the New Years traditions from my childhood of eating collard greens and black-eyed peas on New Years Day, but this year I'm changing the way I prepare those greens and black-eyed peas. I'm making Black-eyed Pea Chili and Maple Corn Muffins.

According to tradition, black-eyed peas represent tiny coins and greens being the color of cash, both symbolize wealth and financial rewards in the new year.

I'm not sure if it will bring you wealth, but it will help you hold on to what you have, since they're both fiber rich, filling foods, that are inexpensive to prepare.

In addition to saving you money these foods can keep you healthy. Collards can help lower cholesterol levels and protect against cancer, just be sure not to overcook. They are best steamed or sautéed just until the leaves start to wilt, which is how I prepared them for this dish.

Black-eyed peas are high in fiber, potassium, which aids in lowering blood pressure, and they're a good source of protein.

Add a side of these moist, delicious, hard to resist Maple Corn Muffins, and you'll have yourself a magnificent New Year's Day meal.

I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Broccoli Salad With Miso Sesame Dressing

Celeste 19 Comments

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas and made some wonderful new memories with family and friends, enjoyed lots of good food and got all you wanted? If you didn't, just go shopping.

However, I've decided to enjoy a relaxing, do much of nothing day at home.

I must admit, I ate too much yesterday, so I'm going for a cleansing, much lighter fare today.

Broccoli, carrots, cranberries, onions and walnuts are all on the cleansing foods list, and they are all in this tasty salad. Super easy to make, everything goes in a bowl, toss with the Miso dressing and it's ready to enjoy.

Crispy, crunchy, healthy, yummy salad, that's what this is.

You can enjoy this tasty salad alone or as a side.

I enjoyed a big bowl of this yummy salad all alone.

For more information on detox and cleansing foods check out Bembu.com.

8 Perfect Holiday Snacks

Celeste 4 Comments

Only two days before Christmas!

Are you ready?, I'm assuming if you are hosting the big Christmas dinner, you've planned your meal, but have you given any thought about the snacks you'll serve.

Let's face it, before dinner snacks are just as important as the big dinner.

I've put together a list of eight snacks you may want to add to your list.

My daughter, who is always complaining there is nothing to snack on in the house, and who is also a picky eater, loves all the snacks on the list.

They're all easy to make, and that's a good thing, because they won't last long.

Meal, Heels, and Cocktails - Sriracha Honey Glazed Nuts

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Ricki Heller - Super Easy Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

Garlic + Zest - Sweet and Spicy Holiday Nuts

Cranberry Pear Chutney - The Whole Serving

Eat Yourself Skinny - Edamame & Pear Crostini

The Little Epicurean - Homemade Spicy Guacamole

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Chipotle Trail Mix - The Whole Serving

Spinach Cannellini Hummus - The Whole Serving

Happy Holidays and Happy Snacking!

Shared with: My NY Melrose Family Whimsy Wednesday Link Party 147, Mommy on Demand - The Weekend Retreat Link Party #99

Spaghetti Squash Stuffed Portabellas

Celeste 11 Comments

What's for dinner?

I get this question a lot, and sometimes I honestly don't have a clue.

Do ever have those days when your family is asking what's for dinner and you haven't done the grocery shopping and you really don't have the desire or energy to do the grocery store thing and stand in line? This was on of those times when I opted to shop my fridge and pantry, and out of that I got this awesome dish.

Portabellas and spaghetti squash, what could I do with them? Bored with eating spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta and stuffing portabellas with kale or eating it as a burger, I decided to put the two together and make a dish.

I recently learned how to cook spaghetti squash that produce long beautiful strands, from a fellow blogger, Beth from Eat Within Your Means, How to Cook Spaghetti Squash, and it's the best.

I took those beautiful strands, added a few other ingredients, stuffed them in some perfect portabellas and a new dish was born.

What do you think? Doesn't it look absolutely delicious, and it's not done yet.

I added some cheese and panko crumbs.

After some time in the oven, it was time to dig in and enjoy this wonderful dish with a side of salad.

Shared with Domestic Superhero - Pinworthy Projects Link Party #47, The Best Blog Recipes Link Party, Dear Creatives - Inspiration Spotlight , Little Miss Celebration - Best of The Weekend, 3 Little Greenwoods - Shoe Me Saturday Link Party, Food Faith Fitness - Show Stopper Saturday Link Party#70, Belle of the Kitchen - Saturday Night Fever Link Party #65, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Link Party #38, Cornertstone Confessions - Titus 2 Tuesday #135, Pint Sized Baker - Two Cup Tuesday #103, My NY Melrose Family Whimsy Wednesday Link Party 147

Dark Chocolate Coconut Candy Bites

Celeste 11 Comments

I have been craving these Dark Chocolate Coconut Candy Bites for several weeks now, finally this weekend as I was putting together some goodies for teacher, mail carriers, UPS and crossing guards,so I added it to the list.

If you like dark chocolate and coconut, you are going to love these, they are a lot like a Mounds bar, only better.

I'm not one of those crazy chocolate lovers, but every now and then I get a craving for chocolate and coconut, both come with health benefits.

The benefits of dark chocolate are all the rage because it contains a higher concentration of cacao seeds than milk chocolate, and that alone makes dark chocolate healthier. The more cacao, the more flavonoids help reduce cell damage related to heart disease. It's also a good source of antioxidants, but with that being said, dark chocolate comes with calories, which is why it should be consumed in moderation.

Coconuts helps support the immune system because of its anti-viral, bacterial, fungal and parasite properties, and it's also a heart friendly food.

These candies are so beautiful, the people you give them to won't know if you purchased or made them.

I think there will be a lot of happy teachers this week, I know I'm happy!

Shared with Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party #37, Pint Sized Baker - Two Cup Tuesday No. 102, Cornerstone Confessions - Titus 2 Tuesday #134

New Mrs. Adventures-Tasty Tuesday, Our Three Peas-Wine'd Down Wednesday #66, The NY Melrose Family-Whimsy Wednesday This Silly Girls Life - Project Parade Wednesday Link Party

Domestic SuperHero - Pinworthy Projects Link Party #47, Dear Creatives - Inspiration Spotlight, Little Miss Celebration - Best of The Weekend, 3 Little Greenwoods - Shoe Me Saturday Link Party, Food Faith Fitness - Show Stopper Saturday Link Party#70, Belle of the Kitchen - Saturday Night Fever Link Party #65

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