Christmas dishes that will WOW everyone!

                     Coming from a huge family, Christmas dinner is a big deal. At my house things can get a little competitive when it comes to who brought the best dish. Sometimes people crack under pressure and buy pre-made dishes like deserts and canned yams at the store, but it is just as easy to make them at home. They will turn out tasting better and costing less money. Here are some great holiday dishes that will impress everyone.

Christmas Turkey

Candied Yams

Green Bean Casserole

Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars

 One of my favorite things about Christmas is the warm and sweet smell of the house. The Christmas tree gives off a pine scent that  blends with mom’s cooking and smells of spices. A great thing you can do to make your home smell this way is to add spices (such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove) and some orange peels and grape fruit peels to apple cider. Then just bring this mixture to a boil and your house will be full of holiday aromas. Trust me, the smell with be worth it.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday!! Merry Christmas!! 

Holiday Cookies

        
            Holidays wouldn't be the same without Holiday Cookies! They are fast, festive and delicious. Whether you have a traditional type of cookie your family makes every year or you enjoy "mixing it up", here are some great recipes you and your taste buds will enjoy!  

       My favorite types of cookies to make are ones you can decorate. I make sugar cookies for almost every holiday of the year, but my favorite are Christmas sugar cookies. There are so many adorable shapes and designs to use. Here is a great recipe from Paula Dean for Snowflake Cookies. 

          I also love the flavor of fruit in cookies because it makes the cookies sweeter. Here is a five-star recipe for Butter and Jam Thumbprints. They are easy and fun to make with the kids. 

         These are one of the most delicious cookies I have ever eaten! They are Giada De Laurenrtiis’ Dried Cherry and Almond Cookies with Vanilla Icing. They are perfect for all ages and such a crowd pleaser. 

         

       My last recommendation is Alton Brown's recipe for Macaroons with coconut and macadamia nuts. I ordinarily do not like coconut flavor but enjoyed this cookie. You will be in love with these Paradise Macaroons.  

Quick Brain Food Snacks On the Go

             As a college student in the month of December, I have been very busy during exam week and have not had much time to cook. When you only have minutes to spare, sometimes our meals dwindle in quality and we find ourselves eating junk food. This can easily be avoided by turning to quick and easy recipes from the Food Network. So whether you are studying for exams or have a busy work schedule and need some extra energy, there is always time to cook some satisfying food that will give you energy to get you through your day.

            People tend to turn to sugar and junk foods when they are busy and low on energy and focus. This is a bad idea because later it makes us crash, leaving us lethargic and cranky. Instead you should turn to foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, OMEGA-3’s, complex carbohydrates and protein. Some examples are fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, nuts and fish. Proteins aid in tissue repair and are needed in all organs of the body, including the brain. The best proteins are “complete proteins" which are found in eggs, fish, meats, poultry and soybeans.

Here are some quick and easy recipes that will you have you performing at your best! 

Oven Poached Salmon a la Paige with Dill, Vidalia Onion and Cucumber Relish

Cook time: 15 minutes

Fruit Salad with Honey Dressing

Prep time: 15 minutes

Granola Bars

 Cook time: 30 minutes

Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese

Cook time: 5 minutes

Other brain foods include cacao beans, matcha, coffee, acai berries and blueberries.

Eating Healthy for the Holidays

Nutrition has always been important to me and should be important to everyone. What you eat determines the level your body and mind performs. So when thinking of adding extra butter or sugar to your holiday sweets, maybe reconsider!

            With the holidays coming up, we are all getting excited to indulge on some great foods that can sometimes be fattening and give us no energy. The Food Network has some great recipes that can keep you feeling and looking great after the holidays.

Here are some great holiday recipes from the Food Network that are healthy and will be saving you from calorie overload!

                           

   

             

Sparkling Cider Mimosa

Shrimp Cocktail with Tomatillo- Horseradish Sauce

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

                                                     

Lighter Chocolate Chip Cookies

      

                If you have foods that you traditionally make for the holidays, you can always modify them to make them healthier and less fattening. Using healthy sweeteners instead of sugar can do this. The most popular natural sweeteners are Agave Nectar, Lo Han, Stevia, Truvia and Xylitol. You can also turn to whole grains and fresh fruits to make food taste great while also offering your body vitamins and nutrients.

Start a new years resolution and eat healthy! It will have you feeling great without sacrificing flavor or portions! Check out the Food Network show Healthy Appetite with registered dietitian Ellie Krieger for fast, easy and healthy recipes. She also provided tips on how to eat healthy, even in challenging situations!

For more healthy holiday recipes visit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/holidays-made-healthy-smart-indulgences/pictures/index.html

Happy Holidays!

What's better than Thanksgiving?... Leftovers!

Thanksgiving dinner is finally over so now is the time to stop worrying about cooking and start eating the leftovers. With so much food prepared, your fridge can get stuffed with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.  The question now is what to do with them.  Here is a delightful way to enjoy your thanksgiving leftovers without the hassle and long cooking times.

My personal favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich the next day. It is simple, delicious and takes only minutes to prepare. All you do is take some bread, add mayo, turkey, stuffing, cranberry jelly, and some salt and pepper. It can be a little messy to eat at times but that’s half the fun. Once you have made it you can enjoy thanksgiving dinner all over again! The sandwich gave me the energy I needed to split firewood with my family in New Hampshire out in the freezing cold. Then finally it was time to take a nice afternoon nap by the fire.

For more great thanksgiving leftover recipes visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/top-10-thanksgiving-leftover-recipes/index.html

This video has a great Thanksgiving sandwich recipe with a tortilla soup to go along. 

My Top Ten Favorite Shows on Food Network

10. Down Home with the Neelys

Down Home with the Neelys is at my number ten spot because I love Patrick and Gina’s fun cooking full of flavor and spunk. You can always rely on the couple to be full of energy and humor while preparing great home-style cooking that the whole family can enjoy.

9. Barefoot Contessa

Although I have never understood Ina’s relationship with her husband Jeffery, I can always relax and appreciate her cooking. Also, being from the North, I have always loved her “Northern feel” on her show and the great gourmet foods she uses.

8. Unwrapped

If you have ever wondered how complex food is mass-produced this is the show for you. You can watch the little gooey centers of candies get layered in chocolate and the fresh warm biscuits trickle down the assembly line. They uncover the behind-the-scenes details of American food we love and it is so fascinating.

7. Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra

Sometimes I wonder how many cocktails Sandra Lee had finished before doing her show, but, nevertheless, she always puts on a great performance with simple and easy recipes. There is no need to make everything from scratch every time you cook. Sandra Lee has picked up on this and perfected it to come up with the best semi-homemade meals. On each show she also has a creative cocktail recipe and a tablescape design. Sometimes the tablescapes are a little extravagant but you can still sometimes find ideas to use at your next dinner party.

6. Paula’s Best Dishes

This Gal may use a ton of butter, but at least her food tastes great! You can always count on Paula Dean to have southern home cooked comfort food right up her sleeve. The best part of the show is that Paula is such a fun–loving woman who likes to have a good time and genuinely loves to cook.

5. 24-Hour Restaurant Battle

In this show two teams must battle to see who can open the best restaurant within 24 hours.  Contestants must buy food and decorations for the restaurant all while staying in budget. The competition is full of drama and suspense. The judges can be brutal but it is often times very entertaining.

4. Iron Chef America

Who doesn’t love this show? Iron Chef is cooking at its finest. This is a fast paced competition where two of the best chefs in the world battle. They have to use the secret ingredient to prepare their best dishes in a creative and sophisticated way.

3. 30-minute meals

Rachel Ray uses her high energy and clever efficiency to produce contemporary meals in under just 30 minutes. I love this show so much because it is truly relaxing in the TV room and inspiring in the Kitchen.

2. Chopped

In this show four chefs must compete to make the best dish using the three, often challenging, secret ingredients. The show is full of fast pace cooking and bitter heartbreak when contestants are “chopped”.

1.    Everyday Italian

Giada De Laurentiis amazes me with her fine Italian cooking and sparkling personality. Born in Rome, she loves teaching her family’s recipes that she learned at a young age.  This show is satisfyingly delicious and simply my favorite. Check out this video of Giada behind the scenes. http://www.foodnetwork.com/giada-at-home/index.html

For these shows and more go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/index.html. You can checkout schedules, videos and full episodes. 

A Food Network Inspired Meal

When it came to dinner last night, of course, I turned to the Food Network. There are thousands of recipes on Foodnetwork.com, so the hardest part was choosing which ones I wanted to use. Finally I decided I would turn to some of my favorite Food Network stars, Rachel Ray, Giada de Laurentiis, Paula Dean, Alton Brown, and Emeril Lagasse. That day, while watching 30 Minute Meals, I decided that I would make Rachel Ray’s Baked Fresh Chili Fries as an appetizer. They are healthy, quick and easy to do. Browsing the website, I decided on Giada De Laurentiis’ Twice Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms and Prosciutto because I love Giada and I love Prosciutto. Then, I stumbled upon Paula Dean’s Green Bean Bundles because I loved the creativity and the idea of combining the two. Alton Brown is always wise and intelligent, so I knew I could trust his Center Cut Tenderloin Roast as a centerpiece for my meal. And as a great way to finish up the meal, I would turn to my favorite desert with a festive twist: Emeril Lagasse’s Pumpkin Crème Brulee.  

For me, an everyday college student, preparation was easy and harmless thanks to my printed Food Network recipes. It did get a little tricky making five things at once but lucky for me I had a friend's help. Overall everything went smooth besides a minor burning of an oven mitt.

My favorite dish would have to be the crème brule. Ever since I was little, crème brule has been irresistible and with a little pumpkin flavor it was even more so.  To my surprise, Rachel Ray’s chili fries were my least favorite. They turned out a little dry and boring. I made them with green peppers instead of chili fries, like she did on her show. So maybe they would be a little better with chili peppers.  The green bean bundles came out to be amazing. The presentation makes your cooking look so fancy and skilled when it’s actually a very easy recipe to make. The roast was also very easy and successful. The rub had a great flavor thanks to the cumin and Alton Brown's expertise. Overall the meal was a huge success. 

Whether you are cooking for someone special or for the whole family, I would recommend this meal to anyone.  And remember, you don't need to be a world class chef to prepare amazing food. Amazing food is just one click away at the FoodNetwork.com! 

Here are the links to the easy to follow recipes!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/baked-fresh-chili-fries-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/twice-baked-potatoes-with-mushrooms-and-prosciutto-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-bean-bundles-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/center-cut-tenderloin-roast-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pumpkin-creme-brulee-recipe/index.html