Honey Butter Pecan Swirl Cookies Recipe

#FlavorYourSpring with Nestlé® Coffee-mate® Creamers, and you'll be so happy with your Springtime creations! Imagine the all natural flavors of vanilla and pecan, with a touch of sweetness is added with honey.

These cookies taste like real pecans, and they're so light, crunchy, and delicious. They're in fact, very addictive too! You're going to love them! I loved how easy it was to infuse these cookies with pecan flavor thanks to the Coffee-mate® natural bliss® creamer without having to add pecan flour or chopped pecans. 

INGREDIENTS (COOKIES):

·       2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 cup/8 ounces)

·        1 cup confectioner's sugar (4 ounces by weight)

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces by weight)

·        1/4 teaspoon salt

·        2 tbsp Coffee-mate® natural bliss® Creamer in Pecan

INGREDIENTS (ICING):

·       1 cup confectioners sugar

·       2 tbsp + 2 tsp Coffee-mate® natural bliss®  Coffee Creamer in Pecan

·       sprinkles + large star shaped icing tip

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.     Place the butter, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until it looks combined, light, and fluffy. Add the flour and salt, and mix until it’s crumbly and looks like it can’t be mixed more. Add the creamer, then keep mixing, and the dough should clump together after about 1 minute of mixing.

3.     Place the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a very large star tip, and pipe onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Depending upon the size of your star shaped pastry tip, this will determine whether you can have 12 or 18 cookies per sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.

4.    Let the cookies cool completely, and feel free to make yourself some icing with the confectioners sugar and creamer. I preferred to make my icing more of a glaze, so it's pretty thin, to allow the beauty of the shape of the cookie show through. 

Use Spring or Easter colored sprinkles and candies to decorate your cookies if you like, and enjoy!

Learn more about all the Nestlé® Spring Lineup of Easter candies, new coffee creamers, and more, here!

Top Travel Snack Ideas for Road Trips with Nonni’s!

A special thanks to Nonni's Artisan Cookies for sponsoring this post.

Spring and Summer are popular times to travel, and if you’re hitting the open road this season, here are a few of our favorite Top Travel Snacks for Road Trips, and how to pack those snacks like a champ. Bringing a variety of deliciously convenient and interesting foods can make a road trip run more smoothly to avoid frequent stops for fast food.

Nonni’s new Chocolate Chip Artisan Thin Cookies are going to be the star of our next road trip, and since the cookies come in individual portion packs of three cookies each, they make amazing road trip snacks. I like the convenience of the packs, and wow, the brand isn’t kidding when they talk about how addictive their new Double Chocolate and Almond Chocolate Artisan Thin Cookies can be. They are superbly crunchy, have a wonderful taste and aroma, and are going to make this year’s travels a whole lot sweeter!

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, or even new to my blog, you will see that we are incredibly inspired by travel. My boyfriend and I have been together nearly 13 years, and we absolutely love to travel to places all over the country together – especially by car!

We road trip for many reasons, first and foremost, so that we can take our dogs, and also because we love the freedom to pack whatever we want in the car with us. Having everything with us always makes traveling easier and we love stopping off at a picnic area or rest area to have a snack or lunch al fresco. The below make great options for that break when you’re on-the-go!

LEARN MORE ABOUT NONNI’S COOKIES HERE:

Almond Chocolate (http://nonnis.com/chipthinaddictives/almond-chocolate/)

Double Chocolate (http://nonnis.com/chipthinaddictives/double-chocolate/)

TOP ROAD TRIP SNACKS

Nonni’s Chocolate Chip Artisan Thin Cookies

These cookies taste delicious and they satisfy my sweet tooth while I’m on the road. They’re unique because they’re made with real ingredients like 55% cacao, whole almonds (in some varieties), and coconut oil. Each box contains six convenient portion packs of three cookies that average 100 calories each.

The individual cookie packs also ensure freshness, compared to opening a whole box or bag of cookies that might go stale that same day.

Pita Chips and Hummus

This is one healthy snack that I find to be easy to eat in the car, and is way more satisfying than stopping through a drive through!

Veggies and Ranch Dip

Use half pint mason jars to contain ranch dressing or ranch dip in one, then, add vegetables like chopped broccoli, rainbow carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and more in other jars.

It’s always fun to have a few assorted candies, in their individual jars. This will also severely reduce the need to make a candy run at the gas station. Also, chocolate tends to melt in the car, no matter if it’s winter or summer in our experience. Choose candies that are more fruity like gummies or jelly beans.

Almonds or Mixed Nuts

The satisfying crunch of almonds or mixed nuts can be very perfect for a road trip! I love how the Nonni’s cookies have almonds and chocolate chips in them. Oh my, they’re good!

The great part of using glass jars for snacks is that they hardly ever leak  and keep ingredients fresh. We store them in our cooler and the jars are great to have a picnic on the road, or enjoy once you get to your hotel or destination

If you’re heading anywhere fun this year, please let me know in the comments below! I also love to live vicariously through other people’s travel photos, and I hope you all have something super fun planned this year!

If you loved this post, PIN IT FOR LATER...

5 Ingredient Super Moist Pistachio 7UP Layer Cake with Pistachio Frosting Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JustAdd7UP

Looking to create a delicious pistachio themed dessert for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond? I have a fun and unique idea for you that looks super elegant but only took a little bit of time to create. This would also make an excellent cake for a birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, other holiday, or just because! In fact, I will be making another one tomorrow evening for a friend’s birthday and she is SO excited!!

I was honored when 7UP asked me to create something special for a holiday that means everything to me. My late grandmother, Pat, was born on St. Patrick’s Day and was one of my very favorite people in the whole wide world. She taught me lots of her recipes and I use several of them quite regularly, and I think of her all the time. She instilled such amazing values on me, and I love her so very much! So, with her in mind, and the luck of the Irish on my side, I present you with this Super Moist Pistachio 7UP Layer Cake with Pistachio Frosting. It’s quite possibly the MOST delicious creation on Earth!

It’s really quite impressive that the base of this cake contains only 5 ingredients, one of them being a can of 7UP. This versatile ingredient adds a lot of moisture to the cake, and with the homemade frosting on top, the two flavors mesh together just perfectly.

If you like pistachio, then you are going to LOVE this delicious and easy-to-create cake! It turned out very elegantly too, which I was very happy with! I didn’t use any super special decorating tools, which made things even easier.

Luckily, I was able to grab all of my supplies at Walmart (I always love when life is easy!)

CAKE INGREDIENTS:

Serving Size: 8-10, Prep Time: 25 Minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 25 Minutes

1 can 7UP®

1 box of vanilla cake mix

1 (3.4 oz) box of pistachio pudding mix

3 eggs

1 cup Vegetable Oil

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

1 (3.4 oz) box of pistachio pudding mix

8 oz softened cream cheese

½ cup softened butter (1 stick)

5 Tbsp milk

5-5 ½ cups powdered confectioners sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla or almond extract


 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

  1. To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9” round pans with non-stick spray and add a circle of waxed paper or parchment paper to the bottom of each pan. Spray the paper circle, then add a little bit of flour to your pans. Use your fingers to help move the flour around and coat the pans, and knock out any excess flour.

  2. In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix on medium to high speed for 4 minutes. Scrape sides of mixing bowl at 2 minutes.

3. Using a measuring cup, add half of the batter to each cake round. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake springs back when you press onto it.

4. While the cake is baking, make your icing. In a large mixing bowl, first add pudding mix, then butter, cream cheese, and vanilla or almond extract. Beat with a mixer until smooth.

5. Now, to finish your icing, add powdered confectioner one cup at a time, first folding it in with a spoon, then mixing with your mixer so sugar doesn’t fly everywhere. Lastly, add 4-5 Tbsp of milk to begin to thin your icing. Once it’s at your desired consistency, set aside.

6. Once cakes have completely cooled, remove them from the round pans, remove the paper off of the cakes, and add feel free to even out the tops of the layers very carefully with a sharp knife.

7. Add icing to one layer of the cake, smooth into an even layer, then add the second cake round on top. Lastly, cover the top and sides of the cake with a smooth layer of icing with a silicone spatula. Lastly, feel free to use an icing tip or icing in a zip top bag with the corner cut off to draw more designs and textures to the top of the cake. Finish the cake with pistachio pieces around the sides and sprinkled on top! Enjoy!

If you are lucky enough to create this recipe, I would absolutely LOVE to see what you make! Tag me on Instagram as @happysolez, or share the link in the comments below to let me know how it turned out. And, if you have any questions, leave them below too.

Beer Cheese Potato Soup Recipe

Thank you Potatoes USA for sponsoring this post. Make a delicious and convenient meal for your family tonight with potatoes!

A delicious beer cheese and potato forward soup that is sure to please just about anyone! The taste of the dark, robust stout really shines through while the potatoes add an element of creaminess that makes it hard to not go up for seconds! I always thought that creamy soups had to be cream-based and I was completely wrong! This potato soup only contains a very small volume of cream, and the rest is made creamy with pureed potatoes! 

Find the printable recipe at the very bottom of this post. 

Ultimate Potato Cheese Soup Recipe (Serves 8+)

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes // Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Cuisine: American

 

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chopped russet or baking potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chopped or grated carrot
  • 1 cup chopped or grated white onion
  • 3 ounces chopped lean ham, cubed
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup beer
  • 3 ouncesgrated cheddar cheese
  • 3 ounces grated gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat milk

Potatoes are a culinary canvas with limitless possibilities!

Note - we chose an Imperial Stout, pictured below, and it was delicious! If you wanted to tone down the taste of the beer, then use a dark beer like a Porter that is under 5% ABV.

Another note - if you want your soup to me way more yellow, then choose a yellow cheese like cheddar and even colby jack. 

Directions

  1. In large pot, heat butter over medium until bubbly.
  2. Add carrot, onion and ham. Saute 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add potatoes and chicken stock, stir to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
  4. Put about half the soup in a blender and process until smooth. Add back to pot.
  5. Add beer, cheese and milk. Stir to combine.

Additional Info

Blending only half of the soup smooth gives it a great texture. If you’d like to make this soup vegetarian, simply skip the ham and use vegetable stock instead of chicken – it will still be rich and delicious!

I really hope you enjoy this recipe! If you use more of an Irish Stout, then you could utilize the St. Patrick's Day theme even more! 

Check out the Potato Goodness Facebook page here, and the Potatoes USA website here.

PRINT THE RECIPE BELOW:

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Easy Rustic Fruit Pizza Recipe (Fresh Raspberries and Almond Cream Cheese Icing)

With Spring right around the corner, it's fun to create dishes with fresh fruits! This rustic and simple Fruit Pizza is delicious. The crispy, crunchy sweet crust reminds me of churros, and this homemade almond frosting is divine topped with fresh, tart raspberries!

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST

1 - 7.8 oz. package of Wewalka Bistro Pizza Crust (I used rectangular but round would work too)

1-2 Tbsp melted butter + brush or silicone spatula to spread onto crust

1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon

2-3 Tsp sugar

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING

1/3 C. Cream Cheese (at room temperature)

3-4 Tbsp powdered confectioners 

1/2 tsp almond extract 

1-2 6 oz. containers of fresh raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 400* F and roll out your pizza dough onto a floured surface. This is optional, but it really makes the crust look great. 

2.) Apply melted butter to your unbaked crust with a brush or silicone spatula, then sprinkle on your sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 12-14 minutes until crust is crispy and lightly browned. 

3.) During the baking process, create your frosting. simply beat the mixture of softened cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker frosting. 

4.) Lastly, apply your frosting, then top with 1-2 containers of fresh raspberries. I spaced them out a little bit, and found the most attractive side of each berry to place upward. 

Parmesan Garlic Knots Recipe - Easy and Delicious

These deliciously easy and impressive parmesan Garlic Knots are sure to please just about anyone! I used only a few ingredients to create these high end appetizers, perfect for so many occasions!

Prep Time 5 minutes // Cook Time 20 minutes // Total Time 25 minutes // Servings 12

Ingredients

1 11 ounce can breadsticks found in the refrigerated section

5 tablespoons butter melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley can also use 1 teaspoon dried parsley

3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.

  2. Open the can and place it onto a floured cutting board. Use a rolling pin to even out the dough, and use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 even slices. Tie each breadstick into a knot shape, tucking the ends underneath each roll. This techniques makes the knots look way better!

  3. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic powder, oregano, and parsley. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter mixture for later use.

  4. Brush the remaining butter mixture over the rolls. Then, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Optionally, brush with reserved butter mixture, then serve. I did not do the second butter part, which did reduce the mess. 

Recipe Notes

1. You can use biscuit dough instead of breadstick dough if you prefer.
2. If you're a big garlic fan, you can increase the amount of garlic powder to 3/4 teaspoon or substitute 1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic.
3. I like to serve my garlic knots with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

Adapted from this post, from Dinner At The Zoo, found here.

Giant Valentine's Day Rice Krispy Treat - a Great Gift Idea

Impress your friends and loved ones with this Giant Heart Shaped Rice Krispy treat! It's super adorable and is an awesome last minute gift idea. This gift takes less than an hour to make, and just a few ingredients and supplies! You could gift this treat atop an adorable pink plate, too!

INGREDIENTS / MATERIALS

6 Cups Rice Krispy Cereal

4 Cups Mini Marshmallows

3 Tbsp Butter (real butter works best)

Heart Shaped Cake Pan (Similar Here from Target) 

White Writing Icing (I love the Betty Crocker Cookie Icing in White, 7 oz. pouch) - found at grocery stores, not generally found at Walmart or Target

Red Food Coloring

Colorful Sprinkles

Parchment Paper and Scissors

Non Stick Spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Trace heart shape onto parchment paper, using pan as your guide. Cut out the heart out. Spray the pan with lots of non stick spray, then place heart paper cutout into bottom of pan.

2.) On the stove top in a large sauce pan, melt butter then add marshmallows and melt/stir until smooth. Once completely smooth, add 4-6 drops of red food coloring, until desired color has been reached.

3.) Add in cereal and stir to fully combine. Add optional 1/3 Cup Sprinkles and stir again. 

4.) Using a large spoon or your hands, transfer treats into heart shaped pan. Press as hard as you can, so the cereal treats get packed into the pan. This is to ensure the heart shape is a good shape.

5.) Once cooled, use a butter knife around the sides of the heart pan to loosen the treats. Flip the Heart Shaped Treat over onto a cutting board or similar surface, and tap the pan to help loosen the treat. Peel off the parchment paper and discard.

6.) To decorate, I used the white decorator icing to first outline the heart shape. I applied even pressure to the icing tube as I went around the edges, beginning at the bottom of the heart, working around the edges. Next, I free handed the word "Love" with icing, in cursive, but feel free to write any message you want! I thought of some pretty funny messages but stuck with something more traditional. 

7.) To gift, I found a plate at Target in the kids plates and dishes section for about 80 cents. You could use a cute paper or plastic plate too. I believe it would be adorable to wrap Saran wrap around the treat and secure it in back with tape, so you can see the design. Hope you enjoy!

Amazing Pickled Red Onions and Garlic Recipe

If you're a fan of onions, garlic and pickled anything, chances are, you'll love this recipe! We are eating them on everything we possibly can, and they they only require a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge until they are READY to enjoy! This is such a rewarding and long lasting delicacy that costs only a few dollars to make. You may already have everything you need, so let's get started.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large red onion, sliced into small strips

7-10 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole (or cut into pieces)

1.5 Cups rice vinegar or similar

1 Cup water

1 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 tsp sugar, optional (only if you like a sweeter pickled taste but we did not use it)

1 (32 oz) Quart Ball Mason Jar (I bought this one for about $2.00 at Target)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Add onion slices and garlic cloves to Ball Mason Jar. Pack it full, up to the very top. We made sure to sort of layer ingredients in the jar so they would look pretty. You may have a few onions left over that do not fit, but you can save them for something else or toss them.

2.) On the stovetop in a small saucepan, add vinegar, water, and salt (and optional sugar), and heat until salt has dissolved. 

3.) Carefully pour the warm vinegar mixture into the jar. At first, it seemed like it wouldn't be enough liquid, but it was perfect! 

4.) Securely fasten lid onto jar and flip the jar over a few times in your hand to make sure there are not too many air bubbles. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but we checked them after about 12-15 hours and they were already ready to eat! We had them on our breakfast the next morning, and everyone raved about them!  

You can use these pickled onions to top breakfast bagels, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, or just eat them on their own! These are better than any other pickles or pickled anything I have ever eaten, and knowing that we made them ourselves might just make them even more delicious. 

You can even use them as an ingredient in your favorite recipes, like potato salad, guacamole, Cuban sandwiches, and other recipes that require onions. I would not assume that they would be super great when heated or cooked, but there are still so many ideas to play around with. Below, we topped a seeded bagel with homemade guacamole, prosciutto, and our pickled red onions. 

It's amazing how the red onions colored themselves such a vibrant purple color. They're just gorgeous and make so many recipes more elegant and colorful. And, as odd as it sounds, these would even make a good gift for someone special. 

Next, we will be making pickled jalapenos! What is your favorite ingredient to pickle?

Well, I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you wind up making some for yourself, I would LOVE to know how they turned out. Feel free to leave a comment below, or tag me on Instagram as @happysolez! 

Valentine's Day - Adorable Heart Shaped Rice Krispy Treats

If you're looking for a stunning yet easy way to create theseAdorable Heart Shaped Rice Krispy Treats, you have come to the right place! I've been envisioning making these for a few weeks now, ever since I started seeing the Valentine's Day baking supplies at stores for the season. They only contain around 6 ingredients/materials, and prep work is also pretty minimal! 

INGREDIENTS/MATERIALS:

Pink colored Wilton or other candy melts (similar here)

Lollipop Sticks (found here)

6 Cups Rice Krispies Cereal

4 Cups mini marshmallows

Red Food Coloring

Colorful Sprinkles

Silicone Heart Shaped Candy mold from Walmart (similar here)

INSTRUCTIONS (MAKES 6):

1.) Begin making Rice Krispy treats. In a no-stick pot or pan, melt butter and marshmallows until smooth. Add 4-5 drops of red food coloring until the marshmallow mixture is desired color (a darker pink). Now add 1/4 -1/2 C. sprinkles and stir again. Lastly, add Rice Krispies and stir until combined!

2.) During the rice krispy treat making process, melt half the bag of pink candy melts in a microwave safe bowl until smooth. 

3.) Using a large tablespoon, spoon equal amounts of melted candy melts into the heart shaped molds, filling them 1/4 full.

4.) Once candy melts have set for 1-2 minutes but before they are completely hardened, fill the rest of the heart molds with ooey gooey Rice Krispy treats. Press down into mold so they are flat on top.

5.) Once everything has hardened, remove from molds. If the pink candy toppings have separated from the Krispies, simply melt 4-5 more candy melts and attach them back together with a spoon full of melted candy.

6.) Lastly, optionally insert lollipop sticks into the heart krispies (they go in VERY easily). Enjoy!

Think of how cute these would be to gift in a big "bouquet" for Valentine's Day! You could wrap them in small celophane treat bags and tie them up with festive ribbons too. 

Top Places We Visited in 2017 + Healthy Travel Tips

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walgreens. The opinions and text are all mine.

I was so thankful to be asked by Carusele to participate in a second #SimplyNice campaign, sponsored by Walgreens. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.

As I reflect on the past year, I can’t help but think of how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to visit so many wonderful places in the US. When Walgreens asked me to write a second inspirational post about their new line of revamped Nice! snacks, I was elated! I love their new packaging and some of their treats even inspired me to start thinking about snacking healthier while we travel.

I love that I can find something that is always delicious at Walgreens, and since they’re located all across the country, it’s easy to shop for healthy Nice! snacks while on the road, making our way towards our next destination. Nice! snacks while on the road, making our way towards our next destination.

Since travel has become SUCH a huge part of our lives, one major goal for 2018 is to incorporate even more travel tips and healthy eating tips into this blog. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the year holds! Here’s to a new year!

Travel can definitely take it out of you as well, so eating healthier while traveling, and drinking lots of water makes a huge difference in how smoothly any trip goes. Our first vacation of 2018 is here in Florida, so I definitely wanted to take the first part of the year to eat healthier and get ready for the beach! Walgreens actually makes it affordable and super convenient to eat healthier! You can even find a huge assortment of vegetarian and vegan baking ingredients like Raw Cashews, Pistachios, and many other nut varieties.

If you’re gluten free, try the AMAZING Organic White Cheddar Puffs – they’re life changing, and perfect for the road since they don’t get your hands (or car for that matter) too messy. Plus, they’re USDA Organic and Non-GMO, which I love.

Nice! products help you live a balanced life to stay on track and indulge without guilt by providing great tastes you can feel good about. Plus, the upfront, labeling and the shopping convenience of Walgreens make Nice! a win.

Below, you can see how we normally pack the car. We always travel with healthy snacks. I tend to get bored with snacks pretty quickly, so I find that if I bring a wider variety of goodies, I am not tempted to run into a gas station to grab something unhealthy.

Below is a list of the top places we visited in 2017, and what I’d recommend in each place. Thanks for following along on our adventures!

The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are filled with all sorts of wonderful opportunities to get outside and enjoy the fresh air while getting a bit of exercise too. If you are staying in Key West, make it a goal to walk a few miles each day. It’s super easy to get in the miles in just a few hours, it’s definitely a walking city. Check out shops and restaurants on Duval Street (try Caroline’s Café for a big salad, The Porch for a refreshment, or The Butterfly House to mingle with butterflies, tropical flowers and plants.

If you’re looking for more action and adventure, the Keys offer lots of kayaking, boating, and excursions.

Me, kayaking near Sugarloaf Key, FL

Bobby and Cabbie sitting on dhe dock off our vacation home on Sugarloaf Key, FL

Our kayaks at the Sugarloaf Boat Launch

Cave Creek, AZ (Phoenix/Tucson)

I am so fortunate that my dad lives in such a beautiful location. If you’re visiting this area of Arizona, there are hiking trails, as well as tons of great restaurants, bars, and shopping opportunities! Closer to Tucson, check out Saguaro National Park, Tap and Bottle, or walking around downtown! If you’re closer to Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Cave Creek, try spending the day walking around Old Town Scottsdale (their historic downtown area, with beautifully renovated buildings and a man riding a horse playing guitar). Cave Creek also has a fun downtown area where you can walk to almost every bar and restaurant, and on Saturdays and Sundays, even catch a rodeo! There is also a vibrant motorcycle culture there unlike anywhere else we have ever been.

Saguaro At Sunset

Citrus fruit grows abundantly in Spring and into Summer. Adding a splash of lemon to your water will help you want to drink more water and stay healthy and hydrated! Arizona is very, very dry, so dehydration makes your body work harder to perform.

By walking around areas like Cave Creek, Downtown Scottsdale (both the historic districts and the Scottsdale Fashion Square will make for some amazing exercise)!!

There are lots of golf courses in the Phoenix area, which would be an excellent way to spend the day outdoors and get exercise!

And, if you are more for swimming, May-October would be perfect timing to swim! Our dogs are the only ones brave enough to get into the pool in March, though ☺

Chicago, IL

You will DEFINITELY get your miles in for the weekend when you shop in Chicago. The food culture is amazing in Chicago, and there are actually a ton of healthier restaurants that you can check out.

Chicago is also home to tons of breweries and enough public transportation to get to anywhere in the city. If you’re trying to avoid calories from drinking, try a sampler glass of beer at each one, it’s generally only a few ounces of liquid, and you will get a great taste of what flavors the breweries are all about! A few notable places we love to visit in Chicago include: Revolution Brewing, The Bean, Game At Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, Shopping on State Street (possibly better than Michigan Ave! It’s way less crowded than Michigan Avenue, and has some incredibly amazing stores.

Binny's Beverage Depot in Chicago

The food and drink options are nearly limitless in Chicago!

Beygle Brewing, which was also hosting an art show – another good excuse to walk around and explore a new location. Dovetail Brewing, which features 100% lager beers was also close by and super delicious!

Denver, CO Area

Some of our best friends live in the Denver area, and we love visiting them whenever we are in town! It’s always fun having a local tour guide, and they love showing us fun places to hike in the mountains, as well as where to visit in the actual city of Denver. It’s a gorgeous area of the country, and if you enjoy the outdoors, it’s a fun place to be. There are so many camp grounds and hiking trails, and many of them are either free or very reasonably priced. Taking along healthy snacks and TONS of water really does make a huge difference, since it is so arid and at a very high elevation.

Hiking at Guanellas Pass

We love traveling with the dogs – they do encourage us to get outdoors and get active!

The dogs LOVE the endless fresh water, mountain fed streams all over the state.

Healthier food options are everywhere We love visiting a place called The Source, that houses restaurants, bars, gift shops and fine grocery markets.

Ennis, MT

Last but definitely not least, Ennis, Montana has stolen a big part of our hearts! We love the abundant mountain views, the fresh clean air, and the fact that you can hike, fish, four wheel, and visit a ghost town all in one day! We love the Madison Valley and hope to wind up there some day. It’s such an inspirational location, and there are SO many opportunities to get out, get active, and get healthy! Bring your snacks along on a hike and enjoy your day. You might even see a herd of Elk or even antelope – they’re quite majestic.

A great way to make sure you keep healthy and happy on your vacations is so stock up on snacks like the Fruit & Nut Trail Mix from Walgreens.

Our dogs love snow days more than anything in the world. 2017 provided the Madison Valley and surrounding areas with way more snow than other years, something we learned from the locals.

Lake Ennis is fun in the summertime, and almost more beautiful in winter. We explored the lake and the surrounding areas in late Fall, and ice washed up on shore in rhythmic patterns. The sound reminded me of being near the ocean.

While the area is remote, the beauty of the surrounding area is really all I’d need :)

Walking around down town Ennis, MT is great. The city has really done a wonderful job of preserving the past and offering updated bars restaurants, and shops for a huge influx of visitors in Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Remember, pack healthy snacks like Nice! From Walgreens, and always have plenty of water – you won’t want to reach for unhealthy options anymore!

Choose Nice! From Walgreens to stay on track with a healthy new year.

Happy adventuring!

Big Game Celebrations with French's® @ Kroger (Jalapeño Pretzel Dogs Recipe)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of McCormick & Company. The opinions and text are mine. #RealFlavorsHaveCrunch #Frenchs

Looking to make Game Day even more special? Offer guests these French’s® Jalapeño Pretzel Dogs, and everyone will be asking for the recipe! Your home may just become the new entertaining spot for football games this season.

I had a blast creating this recipe, which I found on the French’s website, here. Better yet, there is a recipe video that made this recipe extremely easy to follow. I love when things work out like that, especially when I am prepping to host people for football games or any other occasion.

Below, I served the French’s Ketchup and Classic Yellow Mustard in mini red cups, which I thought was so appropriate for a football party.

I was also able to shop at my local Kroger for everything, which made for a one-stop shopping trip – also a win! Starting on January 21, 2018 there will be coupon inserts in your local newspaper for the French’s products.

I love the taste that the French's Crispy Fried Jalapeños, French's Classic Yellow Mustard, and the French's Ketchup added to this recipe. This was my third time using these crispy fried jalapeños, and WOW, they were so perfect for this (and great for so many other meals too).

They added a crunchy, spicy kick because they’re made with real jalapeños! Be sure to let guests know that they are a tad bit on the spicy side, and possibly even use the French’s Crispy Fried Onions if you are not partial to spicy foods.

Jalapeño Pretzel Dogs

INGREDIENTS (Makes 12 Servings):

USER RATING:

❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  Cook Time: 10 Minutes

1 Can Refrigerated Pizza Dough (11 oz.)

12 Hot Dogs (I used the ones with cheddar inside)

3 Tbsp. baking soda
water
5 oz. French's Crispy Fried Jalapeños , crushed (I used almost one whole container)
 

DIRECTIONS:

1.) PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.


2.) BRING a large pot of water to a boil. Add hot dogs and boil for 3 minutes. Once hot dogs are cooked, allow to cool enough to handle.


3.) WHILE cooking hot dogs, roll out pizza dough and cut into 12 - 1/2 inch strips lengthwise. (There may be dough leftover; twist into bread sticks and bake – I coated these breadsticks with butter when they came out of the oven and they were great). Spread the crushed jalapeños in a pie dish.

 

4.) LADLE one cup of the boiling water from the hot dogs into a bowl big enough to fit hot dogs. Add baking soda and stir until dissolved.


5.) WRAP each hot dog with one strip of dough, twisting it around and back. Leave a 1/2 inch space at each end. When hot dogs are wrapped, carefully dip each into water mixture being sure to cover. I rolled the hot dogs around in the baking soda water and it worked great.


6.) GENTLY roll each hot dog in crushed jalapeños and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Bake until browned on top. Serve with French’s Ketchup and Classic Yellow Mustard.

 

I loved how these Jalapeño Pretzel Dogs turned out and I hope you do as well! I consider them the more interesting version of pigs in a blanket, and they made for a wonderful solution for a unique and tasty game day recipe. With French’s Ketchup offering qualities like non-GMO, no high-fructose corn syrup, no gluten and no artificial flavors and preservatives, you can actually feel good about your condiments and what you are offering guests.

PLUS leftovers are always delicious! French’s Classic Yellow Mustard is considered America’s best loved mustard, and is made with #1 grade mustard seeds – perfect to pair with these Jalapeño Pretzel Dogs and so many other delicious game day treats.

So many people have asked me for this recipe, and I was more than happy to share it with them.

Enjoy this recipe for game day, after school, other occasions, and more!

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Making Game Day Cleanup A Breeze with Glad ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection

This post has been sponsored by Glad. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This football season, make Game Day cleanup a breeze! Glad has a NEW and improved version of their already superior trash bags called Glad ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection – now available at Target! If you’re looking for a trash bag that will not leak, and will hold ALL of the mess that can accumulate during a Game Day celebration, then Glad can help. Featuring reinforced side seams, RipGuard™ AND LeakGuard™ I am happy to introduce Glad’s Best Bag Ever!

I styled the most gorgeous Game Day party last Sunday, while watching the playoff games, and had so much fun decorating and hosting friends. I used an aqua and red color scheme, but feel free to use your favorite team colors. The Target party aisle provided nearly everything I needed to keep the color scheme looking perfect throughout all of my décor.

Entertaining friends and family can be a bit of a mess afterwards, but I was not at all concerned with cleanup, because I had made a Target run the day before to stock up on everything. From Glad bags to treats and party décor, I was set to host the cutest celebration of the season.

Target had almost everything I needed. I first headed to one of the aisle labeled Trash Bags, and grabbed a box of Glad ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection trash bags. Next, I perused their party and celebration aisles and their Dollar Spot at the front of the store (my favorite area of Target) and found red and white cake stands, aqua colored paper plates, red cups, clear treat bags, and aqua colored napkins. I thought that a non team-specific color scheme would be fresh and exciting. I also found my juice bottles to cover with paper, and a few other food items as well.

Since these Glad ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection bags are so new to the market, click any of my images or the graphic below, to buy now! 

I’ve always used some form of Glad ForceFlex trash bags in the past, so I was super pleased to be able to feature such a high quality product in this celebration. I can’t stand when a garbage bag breaks on me, because that’s seriously no fair! I have to take the super full garbage bags all the way outside (let me tell you, we stretch them until they’re FULL at our house – (I call it being conservative, not lazy), and if anything were to get on my clothes from the bag, I get all squeamish. I am sure I’m not alone on this one? So, these Glad ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection trash bags are always in my house.

Back to the festivities! I also provided some super delicious football-inspired food at this party. I was so happy when I found cookies at a bakery called San Francisco Cookies! They were already shaped like footballs, so I simply outlined them in chocolate decorator icing, and then I drew the football laces with white decorator icing. It was way easier than making them myself and it saved so much time to not bake cookies.

I also found little chocolate creme sandwich cookies and used that same white icing to draw threads on them too.

I always try to incorporate chocolate desserts for football parties because I love how the color of chocolate reminds me of the football itself. So, I offered guests a few more bakery items like a chocolate layer cake (perfect to feature on the middle cake stand), plus mini chocolate muffins with chocolate chips in them.

I made some wings in my crock pot and found an awesome homemade BBQ sauce recipe that contained brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, stone ground mustard, and soy sauce. When they were ready to serve, I placed them on another cake stand, and sprinkled sesame seeds on top.

I placed football shaped bowls of BBQ potato chips around, and also filled little clear treat bags with snacks like popcorn and pretzels, then tied them up with a twist tie and football printed ribbons. Everyone likes something a little different, so I offer as many flavors as I possibly can!

I always love seeing customized refreshments, so you can remove the original drink wrappers, and simply cut a piece of scrapbooking paper into 2.5” tall strips, and cut them to fit around the bottles. I used a brown and white football printed design!

I also found the cutest “chalkboard” paper bunting that I wrote on with chalk. I used a pencil to sketch out footballs and “GO TEAM” then went back over that with chalk. They turned out so cute!

Thinking about all this food and décor might sound like it makes for a messy house afterwards, but I know thatGlad ForceFlex Plus Advanced Protection trash bags can hold a ton, and won’t leak or rip  – YAY!

I hope I have inspired your next Game Day gathering, and if you share any photos, feel free to leave the link(s) in the comments below! I would LOVE to see how you celebrate and decorate for the big game.

Remember to shop at Target for all of your Game Day and clean up essentials! 

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Delicious Slow Cooker Honey Ginger Chicken Drumsticks Recipe with NAKANO Rice Vinegar

This post was sponsored by NAKANO® Rice Vinegars as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #NAKANONewYear, #NewYearSwaps, #IC

I am thrilled with how these chicken drumsticks turned out. My family is STILL raving about them, and I cannot wait to make them again soon. Perhaps for Sunday football this weekend?! The Big Game is near :) I am really excited to be able to utilize Rice Vinegar in more recipes lately. It really enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. I was able to incorporate a delicious ingredient into this recipe, which I know really made a huge difference in depth of flavor, NAKANO® Rice Vinegar. 

Visit the NAKANO Swaps website here, and get the NAKANO coupon here!

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium or regular)

2-3 pounds chicken drumsticks

3 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1-2 Tablespoons NAKANO rice vinegar

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2" piece) minced fresh ginger (I peeled an actual piece of ginger and then minced it)

1-2 teaspoons black pepper

3-4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (I found mine already toasted in the baking aisle)

2-3 chopped green onions

Other materials: slow cooker, non stick cooking spray, serving dish for final recipe

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Mix NAKANO rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and black pepper in a small bowl, and set aside.

2.) Spray non stick cooking spray into slow cooker, and heat to low. 

3.) Place chicken into slow cooker (I used tongs), and pour sauce evenly over the drumsticks, and make sure the chicken is covered completely. 

4.) Cook on low for 4-8 hours, or overnight on the lowest setting on your slow cooker. Feel free to flip the drumsticks every couple of hours with a pair of tongs. When the chicken begins to fall apart, it's almost ready! 

5.) 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, turn slow cooker up to high, and let the sauce thicken. It will be thin before this step. Sautee the drumsticks in their sauce for 30 or so more minutes, and then to serve, place the drumsticks onto a cute serving platter, spoon the sauce over top, and then top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Enjoy! 

NAKANO Rice Vinegar is available nationwide in seven clean-label varieties and two organic offerings, NAKANO is a flavorful ingredient to have on hand in the kitchen and to use as a healthy substitute following the indulgent holiday season., and help you find healthier ways to incorporate good ingredients into your meals.

The Roasted Garlic variety has real minced garlic in the bottle - yum!

MORE BENEFITS OF USING RICE VINEGAR

+ WHERE TO FIND

When preparing winter meals, splash on any of the NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegars as a savory, low-calorie alternative to high-fat dressings, marinades, oils or butter.  

Available nationwide in seven delicious and tangy varieties, you can purchase any of the NAKANO Rice Vinegars clean-label and organic offerings at Kroger, Publix and Walmart.  

King Crab Legs Recipe (Alaska Seafood Health + Sustainability) #AskForAlaska

This post was sponsored by Alaska Seafood and Influence Central, to encourage my readers to choose sustainably caught Alaska Seafood. #AskForAlaska

Looking for a beautiful and unique dinner to serve for those special occasions or just because? I was so lucky to recently prepare Alaska King Crab Legs for the very first time and they tasted better than in a fancy seafood restaurant! My family LOVED this meal and I was so happy to be able to provide such a delicious and memorable meal for them. We went all out and chose sides that truly complimented the beautiful, sustainable Alaska King Crab Legs and I am SO excited to share this find meal with you today. 

If you have been a bit hesitant to make King Crab Legs at home, this is a great chance to branch out a bit and try something new. They were SO easy to prepare, and although we baked the crab in the oven, you can also boil or grill the crab. It was already cooked when we bought it, and I chose to bake it in the oven so that I could keep the crab legs in tact, to showcase their beauty. I had a large enough baking sheet to hold the crab legs, and I was able to actually serve the crab right off of the pan I baked them on. 

OVEN BAKED GARLIC BUTTER KING CRAB LEGS

(serves 2-4 people)

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 lb. King Crab Legs (Look for the label in the seafood counter that says Alaska Seafood)

1/2 C. Butter (or more if desired)

5 Cloves Garlic - Minced (we used a garlic press and it worked SUPER well!)

2 Lemons Cut into Thin Slices (also used on asparagus, below)

1/8 C. Olive Oil

1-2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 375*. In a saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, lightly sautee, squeeze in lemon juice.

2.) Turn heat to low to let flavors mesh together.

3.) Add Creole seasoning, add olive oil, and turn off heat. 

4.) Place King Crab Legs onto baking sheet (sprayed with non stick cooking spray), and brush butter mixture over crab legs.

5.) Cover pan with foil (very lightly cover, or make a fold in the foil to create a "tent" above crab. )Bake legs for 25 minutes, and enjoy!

GARLIC LEMON BUTTER BAKED ASPARAGUS RECIPE

(recreated from this recipe, found here)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb asparagus washed and trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves slightly smashed

zest from 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon

salt and pepper to taste (I actually used margarita rimming salt to get a coarser grain - it worked great!)

juice from 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 425.

2.) To trim asparagus, hold each end between your fingertips. Bend the asparagus, and it should brake about 1-2 inches from the bottom. Repeat with entire pound.

3.) Place asparagus and garlic on a sheet pan.

4.) Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on lemon zest, salt and pepper.

5.) Toss to coat evenly.

6.) Keep asparagus in a single layer on sheet.

7.) Bake for 10 minutes, until the ends are crisp and the asparagus is slightly tender.

8.) Toss with lemon juice.

SLOW COOKER OR PAN SEARED RED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Tbsp olive oil

2 lb. small red new potatoes, halved

1/4 Tbsp sea or kosher salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

3-4 cloves garlic (we pressed ours in the garlic masher)

2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Put the oil into the cooking pot of the slow cooker, set to Brown/Sauté at 350*.

2.) Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes (cut side down), salt and pepper. Let the potatoes sit in the hot cooking pot, then toss after about 3 minutes. 

3.) Once the potatoes are browned, cover and let potatoes cook for about 30 minutes, or until fully cooked. We stirred the potatoes so they did not burn.

4.) When 5 minutes are remaining, add the garlic and rosemary, and toss to combine. Cover again and allow to cook for a few minutes to soften the garlic. 

5.) Serve immediately. 

Crudité Vegetable Wreath + Delicious Dip Recipe

Looking to offer more veggies and healthy options at your next party? This Crudité wreath is an excellent way to entice guests to snack on healthier ingredients compared to offering fried foods, chips, or something higher in fat. I made this fun appetizer during the holidays and would definitely make it again! I had so much fun shopping for all of the fresh ingredients.

Although this particular post is styled in more of a holiday theme, it can definitely be served in any setting, during any season! I was so happy to find all of these fresh ingredients in season during the winter. 

Ingredients (serves 10-15) 

FOR THE CRUDITE:

8 cups broccoli florets

3 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 cups green beans, trimmed

1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed

Greek Yogurt

Cream cheese (8 oz.)

½ bunch curly kale, washed

2 cups cauliflower florets

9 cherry tomatoes

FOR THE DIP:

1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese, optional

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried

4 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. To prepare crudité: Put a large pot of water on to boil. Set a large bowl of ice water by the stove. Blanch broccoli for 1 to 2 minutes in the boiling water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the ice bath to chill. Drain well. Blanch Brussels sprouts, green beans and snap peas in the same way.
  2. To prepare dip: Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, cream cheese, shallot, dill, vinegar, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl; set it in the center of a large circular platter or decorative serving board.
  3. Arrange kale around the bowl, with the frilly edges on the outside. Top with the broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, snap peas and cauliflower. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and serve. Enjoy!

Vintage-Inspired Football Party Plus 2 Recipes

Brought to you by Dr Pepper® and Eckrich®.

I am so excited to bring together lots of adorable décor and recipe ideas that I have been wanting to try out for a while now. This Football Party was inspired by Dr Pepper and Eckrich, which both embody the traditional taste of game day.

This party was the perfect excuse to pull out all the stops and go wild with classy and chic décor that makes me nostalgic for the past.

During my research phase for this post, I could only find a few examples of this sort of look I was going for, so I headed to Meijer, and then the fabric store to begin brainstorming. Walking around a store for inspiration is seriously priceless.

I wanted that vintage, chic, fall tailgate sort of look, and I think it turned out so well!

THE DÉCOR DETAILS

I incorporated plaid flannel material for the tablecloth, which reminds me of a warm and cozy blanket or scarf one might wear to a football game on a chilly Sunday.

Next, one of my favorite DIY projects was to print out vintage football images from the 1930s for my bunting, which I taped to my wall. I made sure to print out the photos so two would fit onto an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, horizontally oriented.  

I also incorporated a few mini orange pumpkins, as well as my favorite mint cake stands to hold all of my refreshments and some of the snacks. For the drinks, I think it would be great to offer guests pitchers or containers of ice, and cute plastic cups for their Dr Peppers or other refreshments.

The chocolate donut “cake” is also amazing! I used 24 chocolate covered donuts to make the cake, beginning with two rows of 5 donuts, then two rows of 4 donuts, then one row of 3, then three single donuts stacked on top of one another. This cute display held together extremely well! I also added the football picks, also from a party store, to add that football aesthetic I was going for.

As soon as I began to notice the cute Dr Pepper football themed soft drinks in stores, I knew it was time for football! I was so excited to learn that I had this amazing opportunity to collaborate with Dr Pepper and Eckrich that I rushed to Meijer right away to grab supplies. Eckrich Smoked Sausage can be found in the packaged meat aisle, and Dr Pepper can be found in the soda aisle.

Dr Pepper is the one fans crave and is the perfect complement to tailgating and homegating events during the college football season! Eckrich Smoked Sausage is Naturally Hardwood Smoked and crafted with just the right blend of spices for a truly rich, savory taste. Their Smoked Sausage Links are the perfect addition to any tailgate, cookout or family meal.

Mini Smoked Sausage Pot Pies

COOK TIME: 45 minutes

SERVING SIZE: 6-12

INGREDIENTS

·       1 package (10-14oz) Eckrich Smoked Sausage

·       1 package (10oz) Frozen Mixed Vegetables, cooked

·       1 can (10 ¾ oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

·       1 can (16.3oz) Flaky Layered Refrigerated Biscuits

·       Non-stick Cooking Spray

·       Salt & Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

A miniature twist on a classic pot pie.

1.     Directions Preheat the oven to 375°

2.     Prep: Cook the frozen vegetables according to the instructions on the package. Set aside. Dice the Eckrich Smoked Sausage into cubes. In a large skillet, cook the sausage until browned. Remove from stove and set aside.

3.     Filling: In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, smoked sausage, cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a spoon until the ingredients are mixed well.

4.     Assembly: Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Separate the biscuits and flatten each into 5½ inch rounds. Press firmly into each muffin mold. Spoon 1/3 cup of the pot pie mixture into each pie. Pull edges of dough over the filling towards the center, pleat and pinch gently to hold in place.

1.     Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Cool for 1 minute; remove from pan and serve. These popped RIGHT out of the muffin tin, and looked gorgeous instantly. These taste like warm biscuits with chicken, sausage, and veggies inside. YUM!!!

Smoked Sausage Appetizer Bites

COOK TIME:  15 minutes

SERVING SIZE: 20

INGREDIENTS

·       1 package Eckrich Smoked Sausage (12oz-14oz)

·       20 bite-sized crackers (I used saltines)

·       2 tsp olive oil

·       1/2 package (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

PREPARATION

Keep the crowd happy with these Smoked Sausage Appetizer Bites. They’re perfect as a snack or an appetizer.

1.     Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.     Slice sausage into ½-inch pieces.

3.     Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to skillet and cook until browned.

4.     Top sausage pieces with cheese, then place skillet in oven and bake until cheese is lightly browned.

5.     Place cheese-covered sausage on crackers and serve.

 

A FEW MORE DETAILS

Since I wanted a nostalgic, vintage look and feel to the décor, I thought that the caramel apples were just perfect for fall. Below, I found these cute football shaped dishes at a party store and thought they were just the right festive touch for the party!

P.F. Chang's Kung Pao Chicken Recipe + Video

Sponsored by P.F. Chang's® Home Menu

Are you craving new flavors that are actually easy to incorporate into your meals? This delicious, Kung Pao Chicken recipe took under an hour to prep and cook, thanks to P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Sauce! Everything turned out even more delicious than I could have ever expected, and I am so excited to share this wonderful recipe with you today!

This recipe is amazing if you’re short on time, or just prefer to spice up your regular meals a bit more. This Kung Pao sauce is AMAZING, I am so happy it’s available at Kroger stores (I found mine at Kroger near the soy sauces). This recipe is packed with so many vegetables and white chicken as your protein, and is a great way to add more variety to your meals.

If you’re trying to eat vegetarian, simply omit the chicken, and double up on the peppers and feel free to add even more garlic and ginger.

This recipe is amazing! Great for 1-2 people, or great for a larger group!

Make this for your friends, they’ll never forget how good of a cook you are!

Shop Kroger and Kroger Banner Stores!

Featured Product: P.F. Chang's Home Menu Kung Pao Sauce

“Spicy yet balanced, our Kung Pao Sauce is anything but ordinary thanks to bold ingredients like fermented chili bean sauce, chili flakes which are complimented with sweet and tangy flavors from apple juice concentrate and vinegar.”

Kung Pao Stir Fry (Originally Found Here)

Chicken stir fried with colorful red and yellow bell peppers, crisp celery, crunchy peanuts and P.F. Chang's® Home Menu bold and spicy Kung Pao Sauce, topped with scallions

Hands On: 30 | Total: 30 | Makes: 4 servings (about 1-1/4 cups each)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic, divided

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, divided

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1 cup sliced celery

3/4 cup P.F. Chang's Home Menu Kung Pao Sauce

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, half crushed

2 sliced green onions

1.) Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to skillet, season with salt, and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tsp garlic and ginger during last 30 seconds of cooking. Transfer to a clean bowl.

2.) Add celery and peppers to skillet, plus additional garlic and ginger. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Season if desired.

3.) Add chicken back to skillet and stir into peppers and celery mixture. Add P.F. Chang's Home Menu Kung Pao Sauce and peanuts to skillet and allow to cook 1-3 minutes, and sauce will thicken. Turn off heat, stir in green onions, and combine everything. Serve and enjoy!

Cook's Tips

For extra heat, add 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes when cooking the vegetables.

Connect with P.F. Chang’s® on social!

Facebook: @pfchomemenu

Pinterest: @pfchangshomemenu

Instagram: @pfchangshomemenu

Twitter: @pfchangshomemenu

Head to Kroger or your local Kroger Banner store to find my new favorite ingredient: P.F. Chang’s® Kung Pao Home Menu Sauce!

FIND P.F. CHANG'S SAUCES AT THE RETAILERS BELOW:

Kroger, King Soopers, Dillons, City Market, QFC, Fry'sRalphs, Smiths, and Fred Meyer

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How To Make A Simple Yet Spooky No-Bake Halloween Ghost Cake

I created the cutest Halloween Cake ever and I am so happy to share it with you. I designed two versions, one in a more black and white color scheme, and also one with a bit more color. You can use the design as inspiration for whatever sort of Halloween decor you may enjoy best.

The most important part of sourcing the Ghost Shaped Peeps. I found mine at Walgreens (not my local grocery store though). I used the Ghost Peeps packs containing 9 pieces each, and two packages fit around the cake with a few to spare. 

Well, let's get spooky and decorate this cake!!! And, please comment below if you're making any special treats inspired by Halloween. I'd love to hear all about them!

No baking is required for this awesome cake! 

- 2 Sour Cream Bundt Cakes in Chocolate or Vanilla

Raspberry Jelly

Dark Chocolate Icing (1-2 containers)

Ghost Peeps

Candy Corn + sour Gummy Worms (Optional, only for more colorful cake design)

Silicone Spatula for icing cake

1.) Remove the plastic top of the first bundt cake's container. Using a serrated bread knife, CAREFULLY slice the top off of the bundt cake to make it as flat on top as possible.

2.) Invert the cut cake onto a plate or cake stand and make sure it's level.

3.) Add a thin layer of raspberry jelly to the top of the first bundt cake.

4.) Carefully slice the top off of the second bundt cake, and invert that to sit it on top of the first layer of cake. 

5.) Add dark chocolate icing to the entire outside of the 2 layer cake. Make it as smooth as you can! The bottom half of the chocolate icing will be covered with Ghost Peeps, so don;t worry too much about how smooth it is, mainly making sure it's not too messy. Wipe off any excess chocolate icing around the bottom of the cake and the plate as possible, with a wet paper towel.

6.) Time to decorate! Open up two packages of Peeps, and keep the Peeps in their sets of three. Support the cake with one hand, and gently apply each set of three ghosts around the bottom edge. I used 12 or 15 Peeps around the bottom plus one extra Peep to fill in the small gap I had. Make sure to keep supporting the cake as you add Peeps or it may fall over! I just LOVE how chic and elegant this cake looks!

But, I had to go a little further with the design. If you're looking for a more colorful version of this cake, here you go.

By carefully adding sour gummy worms one at a time, I was able to make a neat pattern out of them, leaving attractive negative space in between each worm. I kind of shaped them as I stuck each one on. I also added candy corn to the top of the cake, and LOVE how it turned out! What do you think?

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An Elegant Fall Bake Sale {Raise Love for Ronald McDonald House Charities}

Who's ready for Fall? I know I am! The weather has finally cooled down a bit at night here, which means it's time to mix up a few ingredients, get out the decorating materials, and perhaps it's time to get ready to give back by hosting a Fall Bake Sale! If you're here looking for ways to make your baked goods look gorgeous, you're in the right place. 

I'm here today with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to share some Creative and Elegant Bake Sale Tips. Selling food is all about the presentation - we eat with our eyes first! In order to make the maximum amount of money from anything you're selling, make it cute and make it approachable! 

CUPCAKE INSTRUCTIONS:

Above, I baked a box of chocolate cake mix into 24 cupcakes, using metal liners.

I then grabbed a quart freezer Ziploc bag and a rosette icing tip. I placed the tip into the corner of the bag, cut a tiny bit of the bag corner off, then taped the icing tip into the hole with electrical tape. This worked pretty well, or feel free to use a pre made piping bag and metal icing tip. 

I then applied a swirl of icing to each cupcake and placed Fall Leaves sprinkles carefully onto each one. I thin they look like a little swirl of leaves on a windy, Fall day!  

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Also, shown above, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, spread it into a baking sheet, and followed the instructions on the packaging for best results. I then cut the cookie bars into squares, and set them on top of a slice of decorative wood and set them on a mint cake stand I got from Target. I love how this display turned out!

Did you know that in 2016, RMHC provided 2.4 million overnight stays to families? And in doing so gave the ability to spend more time with their sick children, to interact with their doctors, and to make important decisions about their children’s care?

Below, you will see the juggling balls that Ronald McDonals House Charities sent me! 

Below, you can see a cute way to offer customers a cute gift bag with a Fall leave glued onto the bag, perfect for gifting that special treat!

Through the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room programs, RMHC provides places for families with sick children to stay just steps from the hospitals where they are receiving critical medical care.

Starting a fundraiser is simple and gives the fundraiser the freedom to do whatever it is they love to do to in order to help RMHC reach our goal of providing 12,500 more overnight stays to families of sick children this year.

1.) Always keep gloves and several pairs of tongs on the bake sale table, so you can serve customers their food without touching it. Also, make sure to keep plenty of to-go bags and containers for customers to bring their treats home in. 

2.) Always use rubber gloves while baking the items too.

3.) Presentation! Presentation! Presentation! I loved the use of this light pink crushed velvet tablecloth material! I headed to my local craft store and spent around $8-10 for 1.5 yards of it. I was so happy to incorporate one of the year's trendiest fabrics into my bake sale display! 

4.) Find a unique location like a popular, locally owned clothing boutique to have your bake sale in front of. Make sure people know to enjoy their treats before they head into shop, and food may not be allowed in the store. Office buildings, malls, and even breweries are also amazing location ideas because there is a larger amount of foot traffic.

5.) Spruce up desserts by adding bakery-style details like icing piped with icing tips, and seasonally adorable sprinkles! I also loved adding cupcake toppers, which can be made with toothpicks and scrapbooking paper or even pom poms! They can also be purchased for around $2.00.

6.) Place hand painted price signs at eye level, and make items affordable. Feel free to have a range of prices on the table too. For instance, I thought that .50 cents per mini cupcake, $2.00 per large cupcake, and $1.00 per chocolate chip cookie bar would be appropriate. I really, really wanted to make some caramel apples for this bake sale, and I believe you could get around $4.00 for them! 

7.) Display the charity name for which you are fundraising! I made a hand painted sign for FREE with black paper and white paint to showcase the "Raise Love #forRMHC" campaign info. Shoppers may also want to tag your cause on social media, so that is also what inspired me to create that sign.  

Learn more about starting a fundraiser here, and also get the details on Ronald McDonald House Charities here!