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10 healthy snacks that are better than their original

So you’re feeling pretty health conscious with the holidays behind you. No more meals out with friends and family for a while. No more fattening appetizers and excessive cheese platters. But just when you think you’re in the clear: BAM! It’s football playoff season, and you’re right back to where you were in December. Don’t let the playoffs pull you off of your diet this year. Try these tasty substitutes for your favorite football foods: Instead of salty Buffalo Chicken dip and chips… Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks Replace those salty chips with celery for an instant upgrade. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/126804545738840293/ Instead of unhealthy Banana Bread… Baked Oatmeal cups With these easy-to-freeze bite-sized 202 calorie cups, they are an easy, healthy substitution for sugary banana bread. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/462252349232895152/ Instead of antibiotic-pumped buffalo chicken wings… Cauliflower Buffalo Bites It’s the flavor you crave. Put it on something healthier and you’ll never miss the meat.…

17 Lucky New Year’s Traditions from Around the World

This New Year’s Eve people all around the world will clink glasses and toast to the coming year. In the U.S., Midwesterners will cook pork and sauerkraut, while Southerners will feast on black-eyed peas and collard greens. Traditions like these vary around the world, but all have one thing in common — wishes for good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Here are some other fun ways folks will hope to find good fortune with the turn of the calendar. Spain: Grapes In Spain some revelers will celebrate the New Year by eating twelve grapes at midnight. Each fruit is said to represent 1 month of the year, so for instance, if the second grape is sweet, February will smooth sailing. If the third grape is sour, March could get rocky. Italy: Lentils Since lentils resemble little coins, it’s thought eating them on New Year’s will bring wealth and prosperity.…

19 Fun facts about champagne

Champagne is synonymous with celebration, and nothing says New Year’s quite like popping a bottle of bubbly. Throughout the year it might be seen as slightly snobbish, but on December 31 Champagne becomes holiday revelers’ drink of choice in countries all over the world. It seems that simply letting those bubbles fly sets the tone for a festive celebration, but what do you actually know about this fizzy favorite? Here are 19 fun facts about Champagne you likely never knew. 1. There are about 49 million bubbles in a 7500ml bottle of Champagne. 2. A standard-sized glass emits 30 bubbles every second. 3. France has the largest Champagne market (of course). The French consume 162.5 million bottles every year, or about 52 percent of the entire world production of Champagne. 4. Champagne has 3 times more carbonation than beer. 5. The pressure in a Champagne bottle is about 3 times the amount of pressure…

Tortellini skewers are an easy holiday appetizer

We’ve all been there. You have to bring an appetizer to a party, but “veggie tray” has already be claimed from the list. What do you bring when you’re concerned about travel time and keeping an appetizer warm or cold? Tortellini skewers are the answer to this age-old appetizer question. They’re both filling and festive, and the easy-to-eat design, means people will pick this up and they’ll be gone in no time. This dish can be served either warm or cold, so no need to stress about hauling coolers or reserving time in your friend’s oven. And it’s only 4 ingredients! Now that makes for holiday merriment. holiday Tortellini skewers Ingredients 10 ounce package of pre-made tortellini (multi-color make for some fun) 1/4 cup prepared pesto 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienne 1-2 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese about 2 dozen skewers Directions Cook tortellini as the package per the package directions. Drain tortellini and toss with…

8 Christmas traditions from around the world

In today’s globalized economy, the Christmas holiday can seem a little too expected. Images of Santa Claus, decorated evergreen trees, and candy canes be found all over the world. But if you dig a little deeper, you can still find people celebrating the beloved holiday in their own special way — particularly with food. While you’re tearing up tissue paper and singing festive songs this Christmas morning, consider what people around the world might be doing to add to their holiday cheer. https://www.instagram.com/p/BcqXOPkn9mb/?tagged=japankfc Japan Christmas is not an official holiday in Japan, but that doesn’t stop people from waiting in long lines at their local KFC. So why all the love for the fast food joint? December 25 is the one day a year KFCs in Japan serve “Christmas Chicken” — a tradition that dates back to a wildly successful ad campaign from 1974. The campaign was so successful, the people still flock to KFC…

Learn to build a charcuterie board like a pro

During the holidays, when we’re almost guaranteed to be entertaining, the charcuterie board is a brilliant way to keep guests satisfied until the main course comes out. It’s the ultimate make-ahead appetizer, giving guests a fabulous feast without wasting any precious space in the already over-worked oven. In case you’re unfamiliar, or have trouble pronouncing it (like me and everyone else), it’s shar-kood-er-ee. But you can make it easy on yourself and just call it a cheeseboard. (Technically a cheeseboard is primarily cheese, while ‘charcuterie’ is the French word that refers just to the cured meats. But most people today use the terms interchangeably.) The larger platters are more appropriately named for the types of items that are included. Italians call it ‘antipasti.’ Greeks call it ‘mezze.’ Spanish call it ‘tapas.’ It’s all pretty much the same idea — small servings of each culture’s take on breads, spreads, meats, cheeses and snackable fruits and veggies,…

Spicy cranberry and pomegranate, brie crostini bites

Crostini literally means “little toasts.” But don’t let that simple translation fool you into thinking this is some bland breakfast. These tiny bites bring big flavor to the party. The sweet pomegranate seeds pair perfectly with the tart cranberries, creamy brie, crunchy baguette and just the right amount of kick from a jalapeño pepper. (You can leave out the pepper if you must, but you’ll miss out on that delicious sweet heat.) It’s the closest thing to appetizer perfection that can come out of your kitchen this holiday. Cranberry and pomegranate Crostini Crostini Ingredients 1 quality baguette, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp salted butter, melted 8 ounces of brie cheese, softened Cranberry Relish Ingredients 1 pound fresh cranberries, rinsed 1 cup sugar 3/4-1 cup pomegranate arils or seeds 1 jalapeño pepper (adjust according to your love of spice), finely chopped Directions Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a…

Delicious party rings your guests can’t pass up

Party rings are always so inviting. They’re packed with all kinds of goodness, and you can cut off as much or as little as you want to eat. And every circle has a center, meaning a built-in hole for a delicious dip meant to be shared with friends. Sure, there is shrimp cocktail, but there’s a whole world of ideas out there from buffalo chicken to biscuits and gravy. Party rings usually simple to make and pretty to look at, making them the perfect thing to bring to a holiday get-together. Here are 10 party food rings you can make and take to your next party. Buffalo Chicken Crescent Ring It’s easy, spicy, and who doesn’t love buffalo chicken dip? https://www.pinterest.com/pin/154881674664849364/ Garlic knot chicken alfredo ring There are just too many good things in that title to pass up. Yum! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/405183297717303686/ Chili Dog bread ring This would be a hit at any kids party, for…

Here’s why the first glass of champagne will get you drunker

A leading professor of medicine has published a book that dives into the fascinating science behind our vices, from caffeine to chocolate to alcohol. In his book, The Longevity List, Merlin Thomas puts wives-tales to the test to determine fact vs. fiction. He explains that that the first glass of champagne poured out of any bottle will get the person who drinks it more drunk than those who receive the second, third and fourth (and so on) glasses poured from the same bottle, Mail Online reported. Thomas concluded that the fizz is the culprit for the phenomenon because it speeds up the absorption of alcohol into our bloodstream. While other drinks have fizz, champagne or sparkling wine is the most bubbly alcoholic drink of them all. With the pop of the cork, the carbon dioxide held in the champagne starts to escape partly through those tiny gas bubbles you see rising to the surface, but…

20 Spooky Halloween Recipes

Food creativity around Halloween goes way up! I’m always amazed at the things people come up with for this holiday in particular. My theory is that it’s driven by moms up late at night who forgot about their kid’s classroom party — “We only have pretzels and chocolate in the pantry?! Yup, totally looks like Frankenstein!” Either way, these ideas are enviable. But luckily, these crafty folks proudly pasted their ideas to Pinterest for the rest of us to marvel at — and of course copy. Mini Halloween Pizzas It’s genius. Why shouldn’t cheese look like ghosts around Halloween? https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155655730851255379/ Jack Skellington Oreo Pops Everyone’s favorite Halloween movie. Or is it Christmas? … Or is it Halloween? The debate continues. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/201254677082069614/ Skeleton Ribs and Guts Clever. Gross, but clever. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/283726845257060705/ Monster Toes So easy. And a really cool idea, too! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/143481938112679123/ Strawberry Ghosts Again, super simple, but incredibly tasty. Everyone loves chocolate covered…