There is something simple and elegant about a nice meat, fruit and cheese board.  It can be arranged in no time, but the presentation is a huge wow factor!

There isn’t much rhyme or reason to putting one together either.  I like to put out a few of favorite cheese selections, some sliced dried meat, fruit, olives, and crackers.  But, really you can do a number of combinations.

With the Super Bowl coming up this Sunday, a nice spread like this may just be the winning ticket at your party!

For my cheese board I used:

Castelvetrano olives
Carr Table Crackers
Dried Dates
Gruyere Cheese
Dried Sliced Salami
Cambozola Cheese
Green Grapes
Cutie Clementine Oranges

It also makes for a great snack or a fun lunch!

xoxo,

Caroline 

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Chinese New Year is on Monday, January 23rd, and although we will be celebrating with extended family this weekend, we are planning our own little party with delicious and lucky foods, and a few fun (and easy) crafts. This upcoming lunar year is the year of the dragon, a very lucky year that is said to bring prosperity and good fortune. Keep reading to see all the ideas to throw your own celebration to bring in the new lunar year. Continue reading “how to: throw a chinese new year party” »

Posted in Celebrate, How To, Jen, Recipes | 1 Comment »

Last summer I talked about pairing fruits with meats on the blog.   On of my favorite combinations is sweet juicy ripe cantaloupe and thinly sliced proscuitto.

At first it may seem like a weird combination, but once you try it, you’ll realize that they compliment each other nicely.  This is a very common combination in Europe.  I remember eating it in France quite a bit!

So, what are your favorite fruit and meat pairings?

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Technological problems that I’ve been facing the last month made it impossible for me to share my favorite holiday recipes with you, and I didn’t even get to finish the apple series I was near finishing right before Thanksgiving! I will now be back to sharing weekly posts, and this week I am sharing three recipes, one for homemade applesauce, another for a cake that you can use that homemade applesauce in, and a third post (that will be published tomorrow) for an apple drink perfect for bringing in the New Year; so come back tomorrow!

Although apples may not be harvestable from the trees in your neighborhood anymore, they can still be purchased from local orchards and farms. Usually orchards will keep apples in cold storage after the season ends. If you’ve never made applesauce on your own before, it’s actually quite easy to make. You could even use your slow cooker if you want.

Keep reading to learn how.. Continue reading “how to make homemade applesauce” »

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My intent today is to save you from consuming another wilty salad…we will have no more of that!  Nothing takes the fun out of eating salad more than limp lettuce, so I’m going to share a super easy “how-to” that takes just a few minutes.  My husband taught me this simple method years ago when we first married, and I can’t tell you how excited I was to never have to eat a soggy salad again.  My world changed in under 5 minutes! Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference and I definitely feel this little trick has done just that.

Continue reading “How to Crisp Lettuce (a.k.a. Saying Goodbye to Limp Salads!)” »

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Making a pumpkin pie from scratch is not as difficult as it may sound (and I’m no expert pie-maker here!).  True, making a pie from scratch means forgoing the seemingly convenient canned pumpkin; but, I promise the homemade alternative is worth the extra 10 or 15 minutes of effort.  Your pie will be brighter in color, richer in texture, and more delicious in taste. Now, how can you pass that up?! Plus, you never know when a flood will wash over our nation’s pumpkin fields (like it did 3 years ago) and if you have frozen homemade pureé on hand then there’s no need to be distressed!  Oh and when you make that homemade pumpkin pie, be sure to save a few wedges for the next morning…chilled pumpkin pie makes for the best breakfast!

Here’s how you to make your own pumpkin puree:
Continue reading “How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Pureé” »

Posted in How To, Steph B | 1 Comment »

My daughter is a snacker. She asks for a snack in the morning instead of breakfast. She asks for a snack after she eats her dinner. If it was up to her, life would consist of snacks, not actual meals.

I have been trying to get a hold of this snacking “problem”. She only gets 2 snacks a day, and I have been looking high and low for healthier things to feed her, and to also feed myself. I tend to grab whatever is convenient for myself to snack on, so having healthy foods available is beneficial not only for my daughter, but for me as well.

Continue reading “how to: healthy snacks” »

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Once you realize how easy it is to make your own breadcrumbs and how incredible they taste, you’ll never go back to the storebought version.  The trick is to purchase good quality bread; in fact, save yourself a few dollars and purchase a “day-old” version at your local quality bakery.  In Utah, there are two great sources for artisan bread…Harmons, which makes their own artisan bread on-site and Crumb Brothers, which can be found at Whole Foods and Liberty Heights Fresh.

Continue reading “How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs” »

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A few weeks ago a friend and I combined forces on dinner and one of my contributions was this tray of roasted vegetables (image shows veggies pre-roasting).  She mentioned that sometimes her roasted vegetables don’t turn out quite right and since it’s taken me awhile to perfect the process myself, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve learned thus far. Roasted Vegetables are the perfect healthy sidekick to just about any dinner and can be prepared year round…just change out your vegetables seasonally!

Here are some tips for better roasted vegetables:

Continue reading “How to Roast Vegetables” »

Posted in How To, Steph B | 5 Comments »

Sprouting grains, seeds, and groats is easy, although it does require a little bit of know-how and patience as you wait for the seeds to grow. I have loved eating sprouts in sandwiches and salads, and the health benefits are undeniable. They’re superfoods, packed with nutrition and energy. I love to eat sprouts, but I’m not continually growing them, and I don’t own a fancy sprouter. I do, however, have a glass jar and some fabric that work just fine for when I do have the desire to sprout every now and then.

Here’s how I sprout buckwheat. Continue reading “how to sprout buckwheat groats” »

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