Nutrition Nut on the Run

12 Vegetarian Holiday Appetizers

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While I have yet to figure out the one or two vegetarian side dish recipes I am making for Thanksgiving, my mind is already jumping forward to December, and Christmas, and holiday parties where appetizers are abundant.

A cheese platter can be real boring – unless done right with gourmet goat cheese – and, well, most dips will ruin your appetite for dinner… not to mention that they are commonly a nutrition nut’s worst nightmare.

Check out 12 Vegetarian Holiday Appetizers

by Hillary at Foodie.com

There is more to an hor d’oeuvre hour than cheese and bacon wrapped dates. In fact, a pre-dinner bite is an ideal time to add in an extra serving a color (or phytonutrients, nutritionally speaking!) to a holiday meal.

I used Foodie.com to collect one dozen festive holiday appetizers – all vegetarian of course. I couldn’t keep the crostini from cruising into my collection. Let’s be real, who doesn’t love crispy bread topped with sliced sweet pears, tangy gorgonzola, toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of honey?

What I like most about these seasonal recipes is their festive flair: avocado and pomegranates or pistachios and cranberries are two stunning food pairings that not only add Christmas spirit to a dining table, but they contribute antioxidants for our arteries.

There is no excuse to save the squash for supper either. My beloved butternut loves to start the show, and it is quite the nutritional superstar to boot: it provides a hefty dose of heart-disease fighting carotenoids along with fiber, potassium (bone health), vitamin B6 (essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems), antioxidants (reduce inflammation), and a whole lot of Vitamin C.

Butternut Squash, Arugula, and Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese Tartine

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Butternut Squash Croquettes

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So, if you’re hosting a Christmas party, or have one too many holiday get-t0-gethers on your calendar, peruse Foodie.com for your entertaining inspiration.

What are you favorite festive (or traditional) holiday appetizers?

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, opinions are my own.

12 Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes

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When pumpkin recipes start appearing on Pinterest in early August, in all honestly, I scrunch my nose. Yet, as soon as the calendar turns to Fall (despite the reality of the outdoor climate), I welcome all willing to to raid the aisle of canned pumpkin in the grocery store.

Then, as soon as the weather decides to act accordingly to its season – with cooler, crisp morning air and cozy, cloudy skies – the baking bug inside me is ignited.

Check out 12 Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes

by Hillary at Foodie.com

And because breakfast is the first thing on my mind, every.single.day, I deemed it necessary to collect a dozen pumpkin recipes using Foodie for my favorite meal of the day.

I have a petite collection of pumpkin recipes in my own blog archives, but these new-found recipes on the web blow mine out of the water.

I could totally pair together one of Elle’s Pumpkin Pie Bran Muffins with Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup-spiked iced coffee five days out of the week; and I bet I could convince nearly anyone to have breakfast with me over Pumpkin Pecan Scones and vegan Pumpkin Chai Lattes.

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I encourage you to start a fall recipe collection on Foodie.com… and if you’re as into breakfast (and orange squash) as I am, then you are invited over for a pumpkin party… at 8:00am. The (iced) coffee’s on brewing!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin?

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, opinions are my own.

Beyond Vanilla: 12 Homemade Ice Cream Creations

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If you don’t know that ice cream is my weakness – my #1 vice – then, well… you probably haven’t been reading Nutrition Nut for all too long.

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While I recently wrote about how I’m not consuming much dairy on the regular, I leave the “exception to the rule” for ice cream. I think I get my rich cravings for this cold, creamy sweet treat from my grandmother. Just recently, she sent me an email only to tell me of a Talenti gelato flavor I must try.

I eat the decadent, calorie-dense confection all year round, but I think we can all agree its taste appeal heightens even more so during the hot, summer months.

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One of my Summer 2014 Bucket List items is to make homemade ice cream. I’ve made it before, but that fact aside, homemade ice cream never gets old. My mouth is watering as I think of delicately ripe apricots pureed into organic whole milk with Madagascar vanilla beans scraped from the pod.

To inspire me to get churning, I created a recipe collection using Foodie.com of a dozen homemade ice cream creations. If you’re as much of an ice cream fan as I am, I encourage you to check out my collection of unique recipes not excluded to recipes including goat cheese, olive oil, and avocado!
 

Check out Beyond Vanilla: 12 Homemade Ice Cream Creations

by Hillary at Foodie.com

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Kona coffee ice cream sandwich for the win!

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Have you ever made homemade ice cream? Favorite flavor?

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, opinions are my own.

 

12 Wholesome Summer Grain Salads

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Check out 12 Wholesome Summer Grain Salads

by Hillary at Foodie.com

One of my fondest childhood memories is spending a week every summer camping at Ruth Lake with my family and our friends. We’d rent the entire campground, lock the gate, and spend seven glorious days sunburnt, kayaking, playing Kick the Can, roasting marshmallows, hunting for turtles, churning mint chip ice cream, and skinny dipping.

During the week we spent at the lake, I remember “living off” of my mother’s homemade tabbouleh. I can still picture her preparing a huge batch of it the night before we packed the car. I can nearly smell the mint and lemon marinating in the olive olive now, as the bulgar softened.

Every day around noon, I can remember digging to the bottom of the ice chest to find the tupperware of cold bulgar salad; I’d fill a bowl to the brim, and eat it by the spoonful with my toes in the sand.

While I don’t have plans to visit Ruth Lake this summer, I surely plan to make my mama’s salad this summer.

In the spirit of cold summer grain and pasta salads, I used Foodie.com to create a collection of a dozen recipes to enjoy al fresco this summer. One of the great things about these salads if you can make them ahead of time and keep them in fridge all week for wholesome lunches. They also make great choices to jazz up a summer picnic or outdoor backyard BBQ.

My mouth is watering over Super Green Quinoa Salad with Fresh Basil & Pistachios and Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad with Cucumber & Feta. Oh, and I have one (of two) large containers left in my fridge of the best pasta salad you will ever have in your entire life. It has certainly catered to my cravings the past few days.

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 Do you have a favorite cold grain/pasta salad recipe?

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, opinions are my own.

Healthy Meets Decadent at Girls Night In

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Check out Healthy Meets Decadent at Girls Night In by Hillary at Foodie.com

Dressing up in a bright summer dress, having your roommate curl your hair, and accessorizing with sparkly earrings is totally fun every now and again. Who doesn’t love a night out with a few of your girlfriends?

But sometimes throwing in the heels for yoga pants and high ponytails is the way to go. Girls night IN is cheaper; it’s a heck of a lot more comfortable; the restaurant won’t kick you out at closing admist your gossiping; and the food and drinks are just your style — healthy and decadent.

I am definitely in the mood to call up my girlfriends (if only they didn’t live so far away) for a relaxing night at my place… who knows, maybe it will even turn into a sleepover! You’re never too old for those.

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I used Foodie.com to make a collection of recipes for inspiration of what I’d serve to my girlfriends. Seeing as that I’m nuts about nutrition (and veggies, moreover), the night might start with some colorful dishes like lemon kale hummus, tomato peach burrata salad and acai grapefruit raspberry mocktails – starring Trop50 juice – before the main event: dessert!

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Pretending I had a backyard with a fire pit, my girlfriends and I would definitely have s’mores with homemade graham crackers. And no girls night in is complete without espresso chocolate chip ice cream to keep us awake all night gabbing.

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What would be on your menu for a summer girls night in?

For additional inspiration, check out the Trop50 collection on Foodie.

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Trop50 via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Trop50.

12 Brunch Recipes for Mom & Me

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My mom and I have a lot things in common, one of them being our love for making breakfast.

As a young girl, I have fond memories of my mama’s homemade morning meals. I remember waking up to sweet scents of baked goods; I would saunter down the seafoam green carpeted stairs to spot my mother in the kitchen – wrapped in her white embroidered robe with a tea cup in near sight – graciously pulling out three dozen moist pumpkin muffins from the oven, or stuffing a fluffy German pancake with sauteed cinnamon apples. Sometimes, she would whip out the cast iron aebleskiver pan and serve us mini pancake-like dumplings with fresh blueberries or jam inside… always served with pure maple syrup and a dusting a powdered sugar.

Her buttery scones are famous around town, and her braided apple bread during the holidays is a culinary piece of art.

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner — two weeks away, in fact. And while, I am sad I will not be able to be with my mom – my best friend – to celebrate her on Sunday, I’ve decided we shall have a virtual brunch date instead.

This time, it is my turn to mix the muffin batter or flip the French toast.

I used Foodie.com to collect a dozen brunch recipes that I’d make for mama and me. We both prefer sweet versus savory in the morning, so Oatmeal Flax Blueberry Muffins spread with Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam is more our cup of tea (or mason jar of Fresh Mint Iced Coffee for me).

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Additional Brunch Recipes >>

What’s your favorite brunch recipe?

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, opinions are my own.

Simplify Sunday Dinner | Pizza + Salad Recipes

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If I were to tell you I don’t like ooey gooey, cheesy American pizza, would you believe me?

Well, it’s 100% true.

Three pounds of stringy mozzarella cheese and a scant sprinkling of canned black olives on top of bland red sauce and a bleached white crust doesn’t do it for me. Sadly, this is a disgustingly huge part of the current American diet. You certainly won’t find me at a chain pizza parlor anytime soon.

If I were to tell you I love gourmet wood-fired, brick oven pizza and homemade pizza, would you believe me?

That is 100% true, too.

If you search “pizza” on Nutrition Nut, there is no shortage of posts and pictures of homemade pizza concoctions from the past few years.

While the SAD (Standard American Diet) pizza is in no way healthy, I do believe pizza can serve as a nutritious meal.

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California Comfort

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Green Goddess Pesto Pizza

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Eating healthy is…

How To “Healthify” Pizza Night >>

1 // Start with a whole grain crust, or try making a gluten-free cauliflower crust

2 // Substitute flavorful and nutrient-dense kale pesto for the typical red or white cream sauce

3 // Load up on the vegetable toppings!

4 // Go light on the cheese: make the veggies the star of the pie, decorated lightly with cheese

5 // Pair your pizza with a dark leafy green salad

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Whether you’re cooking for two, or for a family of eight, homemade pizza and salad is a great option for simplifying Sunday dinner.

>> whole grain pizza dough (fresh or pre-baked) can be purchased from the grocery store

>> homemade pesto can be made in advance (and stores well in the freezer)

>> vegetables can be sliced and diced earlier in the week along with other meal prep

I used Foodie.com to collect a dozen pizza and salad recipes for inspiration to simplifying Sunday dinners. I think Fig, Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza is on tap for this rainy spring weekend!


 

 What is your ideal pizza?

What are your tips for creating a healthier pizza?

What are your favorite simple Sunday dinners?

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, opinions are my own.

Top 13 in 2013 | Breakfast Recipes

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There is no question that breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day; the thought of almond butter-adorned steel cut oats, or leisurely cooking up a stack of quinoa pancakes is what gets me out of bed on the weekends. My muffin pan also gets a lot of attention from me as I turn out gluten-free almond meal creations one after the other.

During the week, I typically make my first meal of the day nutrient-dense, light on the sugar (i.e. Almond Cherry Coconut Breakfast Cookies). When the weekend rolls around, however, I fully support stacks of pancakes and flaky scones.

I am constantly hunting the web for mouth-watering morning recipes; this year, I came across quite a few, so I used Foodie to make a collection of 13 breakfast recipes that caught my AM appetite’s attention.

I’m thinking that Honey, Sea Salt, Vanilla Bean Almond Butter and Gingerbread Granola would also serve as lovely holiday gifts. Whether you, too, like to peruse pancake recipes, or you are searching for recipes to share at your next holiday gathering, check out Foodie.com for inspiration and create collections of your own.

Cheers to breakfast and 2013!

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. As always, all opinions are my own.

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