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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Sandy Bottom Shark Bark

Take a big bite out of Shark Week with this fun and festive Shark Bark. (It’s also great for ocean-themed or shark birthday parties, too!) The “sandy” Ritz cracker bottom tastes like delicious toffee. The swirly water layer is made with melted white chocolate. And if you like a little bloody realism to your Shark Bark, add a few drops of red food coloring! Top with big, blue gummy sharks. Then crack into pieces for an incredibly delicious, totally jawsome dessert! What you will need: cookie sheet spoon parchment paper space in your refrigerator for cookie sheet oven set to 375ºF. Sandy Bottom Shark Bark Ingredients Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 sleeves of standard size box) 1/3 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 packages white chocolate chips blue food coloring red food coloring gummy sharks Directions Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place Ritz…

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Seasonal

Easy life preserver donuts will save you from hunger during Shark Week

Easy life preserver donuts will save you from hunger during Shark Week_3

What’s just as important as sunscreen at the beach? Snacks at a shark party! The 31st annual much-anticipated Shark Week begins this Sunday at 8 p.m.. The fintastic lineup is primed to deliver more than 20 hours of all-new shark stories and remarkable insights into the underwater world of these mysterious creatures. And as you come face to face with some of the most unique shark species in the world and learn about all-too-important shark conservation, don’t forget you’re going to work up an appetite! These cute life preserver donuts will save you from spending all of your time in the kitchen making overly detailed shark themed snacks. You can make the donuts, frost them yourself, then add the red striping, OR you can buy them already iced and just take one easy step! Most grocery stores sell white icing donuts without sprinkles. If you can’t find them, another easy…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Sweet and tart Southern lemon icebox pie

Sweet and tart Southern Lemon Icebox Pie

Lately, my flavor of choice for just about anything is lemon. Come spring, I crave that tart, cool flavor. This cheery lemon icebox pie is the perfect ending to a backyard barbecue, fish fry, or Easter dinner. But don’t get me wrong — I most enjoy it for breakfast the next morning. You will too — don’t judge. So, what makes lemon ice box pie different from lemon meringue pie? The latter is usually made with a lemon custard filling, while the former is made with a mix of citrus juice and sweetened condensed milk. And of course, one is topped with whipped egg whites formed into sky-high meringue peaks, and the other more commonly sweetened with a dollop of whipped cream. If you’re still unsure, know that you could actually use this recipe to make a killer key lime pie, just by swapping out the fruit. If you’re a fan…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Easy Tomato Basil and Gnocchi soup

Easy Tomato Basil and Gnocchi soup_2

Need to thaw out from the winter weather? This recipe combines two of the most delicious cold weather comfort foods on the planet — pasta and soup. A big bowl of this filling soup and you’ll be toasty for hours. What’s even better? It’s ready in less than a half hour. Seriously. A food this delicious that’s also ready in about 25 minutes — you’re going to fall in love with this recipe. If you’re not familiar with gnocchi, you can usually find them in the pasta section at any well-stocked grocery store. They’re often vacuumed-packaged and sold next to the boxed pastas. They might also be in the frozen foods aisle near the ravioli and stuffed shells. So what are they? Confession, this description might be a bit biased because I LOVE gnocchi. They’re these pillowy puffs of pasta with a slightly chewy texture, never tough, always just the…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

The Best Broccoli salad for dinners, potlucks

The Best Broccoli salad with turkey bacon_2

This creative broccoli salad combines veggies, fruits, nuts and dairy with a crumbling of turkey bacon for a delightful side dish that everyone will enjoy. It’s the perfect make-ahead meal that can store in the fridge for up to three days — and I swear, it gets even tastier with a little bit of time. What really makes this broccoli salad great is the tart and sweet Greek yogurt dressing brightened up with a splash of apple cider vinegar. And, of course, crunchy turkey bacon takes any dish to the next delicious level. If you wanted to make a more decadent version, feel free to use mayonnaise and real bacon instead, or save some time by using pre-cooked bacon bits — the kind usually found in the salad aisle. *Note: If you’re going to make ahead, hold off on adding the bacon, apple chips, and almonds or you’ll lose the…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Lemon lovers puff pastry tart

lemon tart

I confess. I have a serious thing for lemons: on my clothes, in my decor, and definitely in my desserts. The more tart lemon flavor in foods, the better. At this point in my addiction, I’m just a step away from biting directly into the bitter fruit to get my fix. Yesterday I had a hankering for something lemony and sweet but rather than fuss with meringues or cakes, I decided to get right to the good stuff. I had a puff pastry in the refrigerator and handful of lemon (because, of course!), so I got to work. This easy tart takes nearly no time. Very thinly slice two lemons and remove their seeds. Coat both sides of the slices in sugar, and arrange on top of the pastry puff. I also scored about a 1/4″ edge around the pastry to help give it a crust to grab on to.…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Loaded Tater Tot Kabobs load Game Day with fun, flavor

Loaded Tater Tot Kabobs load Game Day with fun, flavor_3

Unless you’re a fan of two lucky teams this year, chances are you’re not that excited about the Big Game next Sunday. All the more reason to step up your food game! Everyone knows that Super Bowl parties are really just about the eats anyway. This year, take these loaded tater tots out of the oven right at game time. They’re crispy, hot, and full of flavor. Plus, kids practically go nuts for food on sticks. (Actually, I think we all secretly love snacks on sticks.) Serve them with any number of dipping sauces. I’m from Pittsburgh, so ketchup is a must, but you could also serve ranch dip, sour cream and chives, salsa, mayo, or even mayo ketchup — if you’re into that sort of thing. Of course, any type of skewer or kabob will do. But I fell in love with these adorable little wooden football picks and had to…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Cocoa Krispie Treat footballs, a fan favorite

Cocoa Krispie Treat footballs a fan favorite_meghan_rodgers_1

Are you ready for some football? Of course you are! But do you know what you’re bringing to your friend’s party? This year, let someone else bring the boring chips and dip, while you show up with these adorably delicious Cocoa Krispie Treat footballs. With just four ingredients, this recipe is super easy to make. I melt the butter, add the marshmallows, pour in the cereal, then transfer to wax paper and let it cool. It’s impossible to shape warm, gooey marshmallow, so it will need to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before you start. But don’t wait too long or the mixture will set and become too hard to mold. For the football shapes, I never like recipes that require specific cookie cutters, like — Hello! How many kitchen gadgets do you think I have?! (Actually, don’t answer that.) Anyway, no cookie cutter or special tool required. Footballs…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

A Perfect Christmas Punch

A Perfect Christmas Punch_3

Every holiday party needs a pretty drink to pass around. This punch is festive and so delicious — it will be gone in no time. It’s the holiday season, so splurge on the good stuff — Skip the juice “cocktails” and get 100% cranberry and pineapple juices. Cocktail juices tend to have tons of unnecessary added sweeteners and other flavors. Also, be sure to keep your liquids cold prior to mixing up this punch. This will keep the ice from melting right away and watering down your punch. Another tip: use frozen cranberries and lime wedges instead of ice to help keep your drink cool. A Perfect Christmas Punch Ingredients 3 liters cold ginger ale 6 cups cold cranberry juice 3 cups cold pineapple juice 1 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen whole cranberries 2 limes, thinly sliced ice (optional) 1 liter of vodka or rum (optional) Directions Pour ginger…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Loaded ranch snowman cheeseball

Loaded ranch snowman cheeseball_2

You’ll win at Christmas Eve when you set this ranch snowman cheeseball on the table. Seriously, cocktail shrimp, who? Everyone will be talking about the cute — and delicious — snowman dip! Plus it’s loaded with turkey bacon, green onions, and tons of flavor, so you know everyone is going to love it! Ranch Snowman Cheeseball Ingredients 2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened 1 packet of dry ranch seasoning mix (1 ounce) 2 cups shredded white cheese (I like white sharp cheddar, but mozzarella works too), divided in 2 4 strips turkey bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled 3 green onions, chopped 1/4 tsp finely ground fresh black pepper 1 small carrot 10 whole black peppercorns Cooking spray or oil (for greasing hands) Serve with: crackers, carrots, celery sticks, broccoli florets, bell pepper strips or anything else you like to dip in delicious ranch cheese! Directions In a…

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