I never turn down an invitation to a holiday party. Too often, it's the same for the food, cocktails, and treats that often accompany them. To make sure I'm snacking smart at the soirees' snack stands, I've checked out two popular items that tend to find their ways onto many a hostess's serving tray — olives and almonds.
When I heard that yesterday was National Brownie Day, I remembered the email that's burning a hole in my inbox. It's from a friend's mom; she swears the recipe produces the best brownies ever, but I haven't made them yet. Why? Because it has walnuts on the ingredient list. When it comes to brownies, I'm a purist and prefer them without any nuts. How about you?
The holidays are a time for hot buttered rum, peppermint bark, and platters of whole nuts, just waiting to come across a nutcracker. Do you own one to shell nuts yourself?
With the leaves turning all manner of golden blond, brown, and red, organize a meditative afternoon hike through the outdoors to appreciate the changing Fall foliage. Bring your family and friends, and keep their appetites at bay by offering an irresistible homemade version of trail mix. The Halloween-eager sweet tooth won't be able to resist a sophisticated spin on gorp that incorporates cinnamon spice and flakes of tropical coconut. For more of a salty mix, try an Asian-inspired medley of puffed rice, dry-roasted peas, and sesame sticks. Or, if you can't choose just one, make both — they'll only take a few minutes to toss together. See the recipes when you read on.
This Sunday, I'm having friends over for a delicious dinner to celebrate the Fall season. Although my guests are carnivores, I'm trying to embrace a more meat-free lifestyle and want to encourage my friends and family to do the same. Thus, I'm serving a vegetarian menu; it will be so full of rich autumnal flavors that no one will miss the beef! For starters, I'll assemble a wonderful spread with sliced apples, a huge chunk of Point Reyes blue cheese, honeycomb, and homemade spiced walnuts. When we sit down to the table, each person will get their own individual vegetable potpie with sweet potato biscuits. A mixed green salad with dijon vinaigrette rounds out the savory and scrumptious meal.
Although the vegetable pot pies are somewhat laborious, they can be made in advance. Check out the recipes I plan on using here.
Peanuts have taken quite the blow in recent years, with everything from peanut allergies to salmonella scares making headlines. But with the passing of National Peanut Day (yesterday!), I think it's time to reconsider the little treat that plays a starring role in everything from brittle to cookies to spicy chicken dishes. What do you know about this natural and satisfying protein source? Find out when you take our quiz!
It's no secret that I'm nuts for nuts. From peanuts and almonds to cashews and walnuts, I'm a fan. A perfect snack for folks on the go, they satiate a hungry tummy while providing a healthy dose of fat and protein. 
Once upon a time, they were all the same to me. Now I pay attention to which nut I'm eating and how it benefits my diet so I can feel better about what I'm tossing on my salad or into my brownie mix. Almonds, a quick snack fix, and cashews, an age-old favorite, are the two nuts I feast on the most. To see how they fare against each other, check out my side-by-side comparison.
Nuts have always been my go-to snack. I keep bags of homemade trail mix everywhere — in my gym bag, my desk drawer at work, even in the car. Although a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, they're also high in calories. If you're not careful, you can end up racking up hundreds of calories with only a few bites.
I've already told you about what 100 calories looks like when it comes to veggies, fresh fruits, and whole grains. To find out how many nuts it takes to reach 100 calories, read more
When planning a World Cup viewing party, there are lots of fun options for the menu. You could serve classic American game day food, or if you're not rooting for the US, create a menu based our your team's country. Then you could always offer South African cuisine in honor of the host country. Or you could do what I'm doing and have each course represent a different country. The spread of appetizers consists of Spanish, Mexican, American, and French dishes.
For dessert, I'm turning to Greece. What's on the menu? Baklava! The Greek favorite consists of layers of flaky phyllo dough with chopped nuts and honey. I'll also pick up a couple bars of Toblerone chocolate for guests who have a super sweet tooth. It's from another competing country, Switzerland! To get the simple baklava recipe, keep reading
Ever since I spotted the very first commercial for The Back-up Plan, I've been excited for this film's release today. Yes, I know I'm biased but that pooch belonging to Zoe (played by Jennifer Lopez) is absolutely adorable! As it turns out she also owns a Greenwich Village pet boutique, Hudson Mutts, which caters to pet adoptions and environmentally friendly, healthy pet care in addition to this smooshy in the film.
Now, onscreen the Boston Terrier's name is Nuts, but this lil fella is Nubbins, one of the three rescue pups that played the main pooch. None of the dogs were actually handicapped but Nip, Tuck and Nubbins were all pretty cute and each had their own talents as Jennifer said:
One was good at faces, one was good at walking in the chair, and one was good at moving his head and fighting with you.
I know I'm excited to see if I can spot the different dogs in different scenes so see all angles of the red carpet star when you read more
