The beginning of fall means just that: the beginning of fall. Long gone are those sweltering summer days where I’d step outside and suddenly feel like Olaf in that scene from Frozen where he stands in front of the fireplace a little too long. Instead, I can finally preheat my oven without feeling guilty about the escaped heat raising the house’s temperature a few degrees. … Continue reading crispy garlic kale chips
I grew up visiting the Jersey Shore nearly every weekend in the summer. And no, I wasn’t partying with Snooki. I have a lot of family down in South Jersey, and everyone knows that summertime is when South Jersey is at its best. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and, of course, fresh seafood. Crab cakes, lobster, tender scallops; you name it, the shore’s got it. But … Continue reading baked stuffed cod
The best part about being Italian? The food. I was born to love everything Italian; from eggplant parm to any type of pasta you could possibly think of, there is nothing like the flavor of a delicious Italian meal. These bite-sized apps imitate a classic antipasto: hot peppers, artichoke hearts, provolone and more, all stuffed inside a crispy genoa salami cup. With a super easy … Continue reading antipasto bites
I have always had something against mushrooms. Something about their flavor, or maybe their texture, never sat right with me. When I was young, I would avoid mushrooms at all costs. To this day, it’s one of the last toppings I would ever consider putting on my pizza (they are still ahead of anchovies). But stuffed mushrooms are an exception. The mushroom becomes a complementary … Continue reading stuffed mushrooms
Having recently had my tonsils out and the weather hitting a high of 77 degrees today here in New Jersey, it only made sense that today’s lunch should be some kind of fruit smoothie. I’ll be the first to say that having a tonsillectomy at 21 is not the ideal way to start off the summer, but things could be worse, so I have to … Continue reading raspberry pineapple smoothie
No matter how health conscious I become, I will never be able to give up cheese. And since I’m not willing to compromise on my undeniable cheese obsession, I constantly need to find other ways to keep my mac and cheese healthy (I use that term loosely). I’ve heard through the grapevine that Greek yogurt makes mac and cheese extremely thick and creamy. This isn’t surprising, … Continue reading creamy Greek yogurt macaroni and cheese
Every now and then I get tired of looking at the standard egg scramble on my plate at 9 a.m. Since eggs aren’t really my thing, I like to switch up my breakfast recipes every once in a while – both in style and flavor. Our senses work together; what our eyes find appealing has an effect on what our taste buds find appealing. A huge part … Continue reading baked egg muffins
I’ll start with this: I love pizza. When I have a pizza craving, I satisfy it. Last night’s menu was fresh spinach and artichoke pizza on whole wheat dough (I’ve been on a health kick lately). I can’t stress enough that the flavor of whole wheat dough is astoundingly similar to regular dough, making it a great alternative to the starchy, carb-filled white dough we … Continue reading spinach and artichoke pizza
Juicy, succulent chicken tenders with crispy fries – what could be better? Although these finger foods can be deep-fried deliciousness, they also come with a hefty amount of fat and sodium (for example, an order of Burger King’s 10-piece chicken nuggets boasts 29 grams of fat and 890 milligrams of sodium. And that’s not including the medium fry). Nutrition facts like that might have some … Continue reading swap chicken fingers with fries for stuffed grilled chicken with sweet potato fries
Nothing against Godiva or Russell Stover, but this year, I decided to make my own Valentine’s Day chocolate. It could be because I don’t anticipate anyone bringing me any, but I’d like to think there is no better feeling than enjoying my own recipe. I browsed through Pinterest to find the perfect dessert that wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to put together, but the … Continue reading cherry almond coconut bark
simply delicious. 