Maple meats all around!

Here in New England, we love our (PURE) maple syrup. And any Vermonter can tell you that maple inspired foods are a-plenty here. But even when we’re not pouring maple syrup on our entire breakfast (not just the pancakes!), enjoying a maple creemee (that’s soft serve ice cream, if you’re not familiar) from the local creemee stand or buying maple cotton candy at the fair, there’s other ways to enjoy that fantastic maple flavor. And you can, too! Here are SIX different maple-inspired meat recipes you should try:

ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH ORANGE-MAPLE GLAZE from allrecipes

 

MAPLE & BLUE CHEESE STEAK from Taste of Home

 

MUSTARD-MAPLE PORK TENDERLOIN from Eating Well

 

MAPLE SALMON from allrecipes

 

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE from Food Network

 

PAN-SEARED MAPLE VENISON from Cooking Club of America

 

 

And if that doesn’t get your maple fix, you can always just chug some syrup instead.

 

What is your favorite way to eat maple syrup?
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Be mine, Valentine?

Valentine’s Day is a week away!

Whether or not you’re romantically involved, Valentine’s Day is just an excuse to get overly lovey-dovey, crafty, cute, and (my favorite) eat deliciously fattening foods. Right? So right.

That’s why we have been hard at work building our Be Mine, Valentine? Pinterest board. We’re talking craft ideas, recipes, tips, how-to’s, gift ideas, and pretty much anything cute. It’s definitely worth a peek!

We’ll be adding more pins all week. Let us help you get into the spirit!

What’s your typical Valentine’s Day like?
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A Nutella obsession.

Nutella

I won’t lie. I have an obsession with Nutella — and I’m okay with that. Eat it on cookies, on toast, on sandwiches, on fruit, out of the jar .. it’s pretty much one of the greatest substances ever. For some reason I’m craving it much more today than usual. Therefore, I figured it was best to share my hazelnut love and post a few delicious Nutella recipes. That’s right. You’ll be RUNNING to the kitchen after reading these.

 

 

 

CHOCOLATE NUTELLA COOKIES
Chocolate Nutella Cookies

{4 INGREDIENTS} NUTELLA BROWNIES
{4 Ingredients} Nutella Brownies

NO-BAKE NUTELLA CHEESECAKE PIE
No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Pie

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD (HOMEMADE NUTELLA)
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Homemade Nutella)

 

How do you eat your Nutella?
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Am I really too old to trick-or-treat?

Last night at the drug store I found a childhood favorite of mine just sitting on the shelf. And of course I had to buy them –

WARHEADS

Yep, that”s right. WARHEADS. You can only imagine my excitement today in my cubicle as I popped these into my mouth — only to realize that my taste buds are not what they used to, and apparently the inside of my mouth isn”t either. But who cares — I”m a WARHEAD lover at heart and that means PERSISTENCE AND DEDICATION, no matter how many wounded tongues and cheeks it takes.

I have always been a sweet tooth, so Halloween was always a favorite of mine as a kid. I loved dressing up, I mean who doesn”t — but I think we can all agree that the best part of Halloween was dumping out our huge bags of goodies at the end of our trick-or-treat run. My friends and I were so hardcore that our parents would take us to multiple neighborhoods and mooch the sugary treats out of every house we could. Yup, we were greedy — but hey, isn”t that just the spirit of the holiday?

But now that I am too old to trick-or-treat and have it be socially acceptable, I have to buy my own candy. And what fun is that? Here are a few sugary treats I”ll be grabbing myself at the store to feel like a kid again this Halloween:

 

SOUR PATCH KIDS

SOUR PATCH KIDS

These babies are another culprit in mouth deterioration. But you just can”t help but love them — they”re sour, then sweet, right? I must say, even after watching those creepy new commercials I”m still a Sour Patch Kid fan. The watermelon slices are also great, but the lime flavor will always be my favorite. In my opinion, the lemon should really just go away — who actually eats those?

 

AIRHEADS

AIRHEADS

AIRHEADS! Another favorite, even if they will most likely 100% get stuck in your teeth EVERY TIME YOU EAT THEM. I was always a Blue Raspberry and Cherry fan — and the White Mystery was always a good one too (because it was usually, in my experience anyway, a Cherry flavor). Although for some reason, when these came in mini sizes I feel like they were always too hard to chew. Anyone else?

 

LEMONHEADS

LEMONHEADS

When I was in elementary and middle school, I used to stop at the convenience store across the street from my school and when I wasn”t buying slush or Hot Fries, it was Lemonheads and Cherryheads. I love these things! I”m not a huge lemon flavored candy fan but these were always a favorite. The variety pack was a good choice, too!

 

POP ROCKS

POP ROCKS

Last but certainly not least — I give you Pop Rocks, one of my absolute FAVORITE candies. I”ve found that most convenience stores and dollar stores still carry these packets of crackling joy. And you will more than likely find me purchasing these with a 20oz Coca-Cola, because YES I am still one of those kids at heart. Love it!

 

What are your favorite childhood sweets?

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Candy corn galore!

Not sure about you, but it”s basically a ritual of mine to eat as much Brach”s Autumn Mix as entirely possible during the Fall season. While this can be extremely satisfying in itself, isn”t it more fun to get creative? These three recipes are exactly the kind of fun I”m looking for this Halloween season!

CANDY CORN COOKIE BARK
Candy Corn Cookie Bark

Okay, this just looks phenomenal. I”ve always been a fan of Recipe Girl (as you may have picked up by now) and somehow this gem has escaped me until now. I will definitely be making this candy corn cookie bark in the very near future! This gives holiday peppermint bark a run for its money, in my opinion.

 

CANDY CORN CHEESECAKE
Candy Corn Cheesecake

So cute! I”ve definitely seen candy corn decorated cakes and cupcakes, but never something like cheesecake. What a great idea this is! This recipe calls for Candy Corn Hershey Kisses, which I never knew existed. Anyone ever tried them?  Thank you to My Baking Addiction for sharing this treat.

 

CANDY CORN BUTTERFINGER POPS
Candy Corn Butterfinger Pops

These are possibly the most adorable and delicious sounding pops I have seen in awhile. And no, this isn”t just a Butterfinger candy bar dipped in candy melts — it”s HOMEMADE. Dear Vanessa from Blog 5 to 9, you are my hero. “NOM NOM NOM” is right!

 

Do you have a favorite Halloween themed treat?

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A day dedicated to coffee!

Happy National Coffee Day!

We hope you had your cup of joe this morning in celebration. Whether you”re an espresso, iced, cream no sugar, or even blended (Frappuccino or Coolatta, anyone?) type of person, we wish you a very happy and caffeine-induced National Coffee Day.

And while you sip your java, feel good about it. Why? There have been researches that show coffee drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson”s disease and dementia. In addition, they have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems and strokes. (WebMD)

This doesn”t mean to load up on the extra cream and sugar, however. And don”t start yourself on an all-coffee diet, either. While your average cup of to-go 16 fl oz coffee is only 14 calories, add half & half and sugar to that and you”re consuming a whopping 125 calories — just for your morning cup, alone. More of a latte person? 143 calories for your 14 fl oz cup. Adding sugar and whipped cream? We”re up to 382 calories. YOWZA. (myfoodapedia.gov)

Basically, don”t drink the extras everyday. As a treat every now and then, go ahead — order that Frappuccino and feel GOOD about it. Just don”t do it on the daily. Opt for your favorite coffee flavor and some light creamer instead. Hey, even add some sugar while you”re at it — 44 calories for the whole shebang (myfoodapedia.gov). With calorie numbers that low, we think you could even drink two cups. Caffeine up!


What”s your favorite way to drink your morning java?


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