It's inevitable that the snack table is one of the most popular socializing zones in the house during the holiday season. Due to their close proximity to the television, treat-filled coffee tables are prime targets for unconscious nibbling — and who doesn't like snacking while watching a sporting event or a favorite Christmas movie? This year, try removing the bowls of candies and chocolates Read more

The adjective "spiced" doesn't do these pecans justice. A mix of sweet, citrus-y, salty, peppery, and aromatic, the flavor that coats every cranny of these pecans perfectly enhances the almost gooey but also crunchy texture. The cozy combo of spices is redolent of Winter and makes a delicious holiday snack for a party spread or just around the house. These spiced pecans also make an easy but Read more

You know how the song goes, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire . . ." Well, in this case, they're roasting in an oven, but the whole thing's still wonderfully romantic and festive. Grab a bunch of them while you can at the grocery store, because these seasonal treats are fleeting! If you've never tried a chestnut, be sure to peel away the fuzzy inner skin just below the outer shell. Scoring the Read more

A new report from Harvard researchers has found the top foods that are making us fat, and the findings are not at all surprising. The extensive study used data for over 120,000 healthy men and women from previous studies to track their diet every four years from 1986 to 2006 to see how their lifestyle and what they ate affected their weight. The researchers found that within each period the Read more

Not all fats are bad for you; in fact, incorporating healthy fats into your diet can actually be good for you! The general rule of thumb is that good fats are liquid at room temperature and bad fats are solid at room temperature. Therefore, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats fall into the good fats category, while saturated and trans fats fall into the bad fats category. Unlike saturated Read more

I'm a bit of a nut head. An entire shelf in my kitchen cupboard is dedicated to my nut collection, with each kind of nut having its own designated jar. I also keep snack sizes of mixed nuts to stash in my purse when I'm heading out the door. When enjoyed in their raw state and preferably organic, nuts are a great source of protein, fiber, and they even lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides Read more

After a few rough years, it seems that peanuts are finally making a comeback on menus. According to research firm Technomic, the listing of peanuts on menus has jumped nearly 45 percent between 2006 and 2010. With growing talk about potentially fatal peanut allergies on the rise, everything (including many schools!) put the kibosh on the legume — and a widespread salmonella scare only made Read more

Lately, we can't get enough of breakfast foods. Here's another delicious-looking brunch item from OnSugar blogger LesleyKat: banana-walnut pancakes. Yum! Just in time for weekend brunch, I am sharing my recipe for super yummy banana walnut pancakes. This recipe was modified from the basic pancake recipe in one of my absolute essential cookbooks, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. They Read more