Puppy Chow Pretzels

Salty pretzels coated in a sweet chocolatey coating with peanut butter - life really doesn't get any better.

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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Who loves chocolate? How about peanut butter? Now who likes chocolate with peanut butter? I know I raised my hand to all three!

I'm excited to share with you a snack that I have been eating nonstop for the last three weeks - puppy chow pretzels. Puppy chow is traditionally crispy rice cereal squares mixed with creamy peanut butter and melted chocolate all tossed in powdered sugar. Swap out the crispy rice cereal squares with salty pretzels and you've got yourself a sweet and salty snack.

Click to tweet: Chocolate and peanut butter and pretzels covered in powdered sugar - YES, please!

You can thank me later!

When you read through the recipe, I tried my best to include specific amounts. But I mostly eyeball the ingredients especially the powdered sugar. Have fun with the recipe and play around with all types of pretzels - square, twist, sticks, circles, etc.

Puppy Chow Pretzels [Gluten Free]

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Ingredients

• 4.5 cups Salted Pretzels (my favorite is the squares)
• 1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter (this is my favorite)
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Morsels
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1+ cup Powdered Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Melt peanut butter, dark chocolate morsels, and coconut oil in a large microwave safe bowl for 60 seconds
2. Stir mixture. If the mixture is not melted completely, microwave for 15 seconds until melted
3. Gently fold in the pretzels into the chocolate peanut butter mixture
4. Fold in all of the powdered sugar, adding more if pretzels still appear wet.
5. Enjoy!

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Have you ever had puppy chow?

Check out my other gluten-free puppy chow recipe made with Cheerios.

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Candied Almonds

Almonds are chock-full of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, and vitamin E. They make for a great snack to help reduce hunger and promote weight loss. Take those tasty almonds and coat them in sweet cinnamon sugar and you have a delicious snack. Best yet, make a large batch and throw extras in the freezer to snack on later or to put on top of salads. 
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Happy 2017! I hope you all had a fun and safe welcome into the New Year and that this year is one of your best years yet.

The turn of each new year is a great time to reflect on your past and focus on future goals. I know there are loads of you out there making fitness/health goals, educational goals, family planning goals, and life journey goals. I too set aside some time to really get a good grasp on what I want to get out of 2017.

This year will be a year to remember - but so has the past several years.

In 2011, I married the love of my life and moved from Michigan to California so that we could live a happily married life. And in 2012, we moved from Northern California to Indiana for A's job. Then in 2013 we purchased our first home in Indiana.

2015 took us from Indiana to Maryland, where we purchased our second home. And last year, we moved once more. This time from Maryland to Missouri and purchased our third home.

2016 was also the year that we found out we were expecting our first baby - a baby girl! Baby Girl is expected to make her grand appearance in February, and this will be one of the many great events that will take place this year.

So to start the year out, I am planning and prepping for Baby Girl's arrival. The house is being cleaned and organized, and the freezer is being packed with ready-made items. One of these freezer items include delicious candied almonds.

Click to tweet: Almonds are full of healthy fats & fiber. They also promote weight loss.

Several months ago I shared the recipe for gebrannte mandeln, translating to candied almonds from German. They are so tasty as a snack that I eat them by the handful, but they are also really great on salads. Plus they fare extremely well in the freezer so you can make a big batch and just throw them in the freezer for future use. And let's not forget that almonds contain healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, and vitamin E. They can reduce hunger and promote weight loss - we can just forget they are coated in sugary goodness!

Candied Almonds

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons Water
• 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar, separated
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 12 ounces Raw Almonds
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Cooking Directions

1. Using a dutch oven, bring water and 1 cup sugar to a boil over medium heat
2. Add almonds and stir, stir, stir
3. Once the water has dissolved and the sugar starts to stick to the almond (roughly 5-8 minutes, or longer), add vanilla extract and remaining sugar
4. Stir for another 1-3 minutes until sugar is to your desired clumpiness or smoothness
5. Pour onto silpat and allow to cool completely
6. Enjoy!

Did you make any New Year's resolutions?

What are some of your favorite ready-made freezer items?

PIN this recipe for later. 

Cranberry And Nut Cheese Spread

Save yourself the hassle of making a formal meal this holiday season. Instead, line up your table with loads of appetizers and snacks. One great option is this sweet and savory cranberry and nut cheese spread. Recipe below!
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I don't know about your family, but Christmas parties for my family usually involve a lot of food grazing. Food spreads usually include cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, dips, breads, crackers, and let's not forget the cookies. There are so many items to pick at and fill up on without any of the hassle of throwing together a formal meal.

The dishes are typically smaller - either paper plates or napkins usually do the trick. This means less time cleaning dishes and more space in the dishwasher.

I'm always trying to come up with new appetizer ideas during the holidays. It's never a good idea to stray too far into unknown territory unless you allow yourself plenty of time to test out the recipe on yourself. There's nothing worse than hosting or showing up to a party with a flop of a dish!

Luckily for you, this sweet and savory cranberry and nut cheese spread will do the trick for any upcoming party. Heck, it makes for a great early or late lunch - that's what A and I do all the time. Pair this warm cheese with your favorite crusty bread or crackers and allow your guests to go to town. I guarantee you there won't be any left on the plate within just a few minutes.

Cranberry and Nut Cheese Spread

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Total time: 7-10 minutes

Ingredients

• your favorite Boursin Cheese (I used Cranberry and Spice in these photos but the Pepper cheese is amazing too)
• handful Dried Cranberries
• handful Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
• drizzle Honey

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Unwrap your Boursin cheese and place on lined baking sheet or in a oven safe ramekin.
3. Top cheese with dried cranberries, chopped nuts, and drizzle with honey.
4. Bake until thoroughly warmed through - about 7 minutes.
5. Serve warm with your favorite crusty bread or crackers.
6. Enjoy!

What's your favorite appetizer to have during the holidays?
Do you like sweet or savory cheese spreads?
Have you completed all of your holiday shopping yet?
PIN for later. 

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls

Fall gatherings are a great time to whip up your favorite tried-and-true recipes along with some newly discovered items. My biggest problem is knowing when enough is enough and where exactly to draw the line. With these garlic parmesan pull-apart rolls you are combining the classic dinner roll with a deliciously garlic cheese bread - two of the BEST side options for any fall gathering meal. 
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Have you started brainstorming your fall gathering menu list yet? The last five years for A and I have been different every Thanksgiving - we haven't created any traditions yet.

Our first year of marriage, we were living in California during Thanksgiving. We had a dear friend that lived a few hours away and he drove in to celebrate the holiday with us. I whipped up every single fall gathering item imaginable and could have fed our entire neighborhood, but I was only feeding three people. Some of the items included a very large turkey that our friend contributed, mashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, dressing (aka stuffing), etc. It was A LOT of food.

Click to tweet: No your average dinner roll - Garlic Parm Pull-Apart Rolls.

The second year of marriage, we were living in Indiana. Even though we only lived 5 hours from our family up in Michigan, A's work schedule was crazy, making it difficult to travel during the holidays. We ended up having a Thanksgiving dinner for two and swapped the roasted turkey for a roasted chicken. We made the bare minimum to give us a taste of a delectable Thanksgiving dinner.

Our third year of marriage was a challenging time for my family - my Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. A and I made every efforts possible to travel back and forth from Indy to the Detroit area during those few short days. We made our way up to Michigan on Thanksgiving day and ended up eating a quick Thanksgiving dinner then spent the evening with my Dad at hospice.

And then last year, our fourth year of marriage, we lived in Maryland. This year we celebrated two Thanksgivings thanks to one friend celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving and other dear friends that invited us over for their family Thanksgiving celebrations. Because I was not resonsible for making anything, I sat back and enjoyed all there was to enjoy - it was amazing.

This year is going to be different again. As you might know, we are now living in Missouri. We haven't really had a chance to make new friends here yet and A will likely have to work Thanksgiving morning. This means that we will probably have a relaxed dinner with something fun thrown into the mix.

Click to tweet: You NEED to add these to your fall gathering menu!

I wanted to test out a newly developed recipe for garlic parmesan pull-apart rolls to see if they are worthy of this year's fall gathering - and they are!! So I wanted to share the recipe with you in case you wanted to incorporate something new to your menu.

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 14-16 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 dinner rolls

Nutrition per serving: 135 Calories | 19 g Carb | 5 g Fat | 3 g Protein | 2 g Sugar

Ingredients

• 20 ready-to-bake Biscuits (found in the refrigerator section)
• 4 tablespoons Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon Dried Parsley
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan, melt together butter and minced garlic over medium heat.
3. Cut each ready-to-bake biscuit into four pieces and place into a large bowl.
4. Toss melted butter mixture with cut biscuits and parsley.
5. Lightly grease a 12 count muffin tray and place 6 pieces of coated biscuits into each muffin. There will be a few leftover pieces - place those into whichever muffin section you'd like.
6. Top each pull-apart roll with shredded parmesan cheese.
7. Cook for 14-16 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.
8. Enjoy!

PIN for later.

Do you have any traditions for Thanksgiving?

What do you have on your fall gathering menu?

What's your favorite fall food item?

Three-Ingredient Grape Popper Dessert [gluten free and vegan options]

Enjoy dessert each night by swapping out high calories options for something a little healthier. These three-ingredient grape poppers can be made with gluten free and/or vegan options allowing for everyone to enjoy.
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I've always been a big fan of dessert and I'll find any excuse for something sweet after dinner. I believe that regardless of your dietary needs or restrictions, you should be able to enjoy dessert every singe night. I'm not talking about 300 plus calories chocolate cake or scoops of ice cream, but even healthy dessert can be fun and enjoyable.

Oftentimes after dinner I will enjoy yogurt topped with fruit, fruit on it's own, or nuts as a healthier option. You can always find loads of healthy, vegan, and/or paleo dessert recipes all over the web so your options are essentially endless.

But today you don't have to search any further for a healthier dessert option that only requires three ingredients and there is no baking involved. Yep, no baking and minimal ingredients wins every time in my book.

Click to tweet: I want to try these three-ingredient grape poppers tonight!

Now I do not eat a gluten free or vegan diet but that doesn't mean this recipe isn't gluten free and vegan friendly. Just take a look at the ingredient list and find your favorite, dietary-friendly white chocolate bark or baking chips and you too can enjoy these little grape poppers.

Grape Poppers

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Ingredients

• Roasted Peanuts, chopped
• Green Grapes
• White Chocolate Bark or Baking Chips [gluten free and/or vegan optional]
• *Coconut Oil, if needed to thin out melted chocolate

Cooking Directions

1. Chop up your roasted peanuts and set aside on a dish or in a bowl.
2. Wipe clean your grapes by using a damp paper towel. (if you rinse them under running water, the white chocolate will not stick to the grapes and they will become soggy)
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt your baking chocolate in 15 second intervals. If your melted chocolate is too thick, stir in coconut oil until desired thickness is achieved.
4. Dip grapes in melted chocolate then roll in chopped nuts. Set aside on a parchment lined tray and allow to set in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Store for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.
6. Enjoy!

You might notice that I omitted measurements from the recipe. That is because I don't measure for this recipe. It just depends on if I want 10 grape poppers or if I am making for a crowd. Just use your best judgement. And heck, if you are left with extra melted chocolate, pour into a muffin tin and place in the freezer overnight. Then you can store your re-hardened baking chocolate in a baggy in your pantry. 

Are you a fan of dessert?

What's your favorite dessert?

Have you ever had a grape dipped in chocolate?

PIN for later. 

Baked Green Bean Fries

Crispy, crunchy baked green bean fries are a perfect appetizer or snack. Dunk them in your favorite dipping sauce or eat them on their own. 
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Today's recipe doesn't need much introduction and I'm not going to make you read a list of adjectives that explain all the goodness that is within. Instead, let's talk about idioms.

Click to tweet: Crispy, crunchy baked green bean fries are a perfect appetizer or snack. 

I've never been one to completely understand idioms. Not that I don't like a good joke or enjoy sarcastic people, they just don't always make sense to me. This isn't the case for every idiom. Some idioms I misstate and create a whole new meaning.

What is an idiom? It is a word or phrase that doesn't have a literal meaning. So what are some popular idioms?

A bitter pill.

A dime a dozen.

I'm all ears.

Let's call it a day.

Bull in a china shop. 

The last one I never understood for years. In fact, I used to think it was actually said as "a BOWL in a china shop". Well that only makes sense if we are literally talking about a BOWL in a china shop.

Now we can see the difference if I use those two phrases separately.

The dog is like a bowl in a china shop.

The dog is like a bull in a china shop.

Clearly those two have completely different meanings. And all those years that I used the phrase "a bowl in a china shop", I really meant the opposite of what I was trying to say. Thanks to A for pointing out my error a few months ago. Without him, I would be lost!

Moving on to today's recipe - baked green bean fries.

I love fries, all types of fries - french fries, sweet potato fries, zucchini fries, and green bean fries. Regardless, anything crispy that can be dunked in some dipping sauce has my name written all over it.

Baked Green Bean Fries

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

• handful Fresh Green Beans (about 30-40)
• 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour (*gluten-free flour)
• 1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs (*1 cup almond meal)
• 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (*omit)
• 1 large Egg, beaten lightly (*almond milk)
• salt and pepper to taste
• *Substitutions for vegan & gluten-free option

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a baking pan with foil and non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse green beans and cut ends off.
3. Mix italian and panko bread crumbs together in a shallow bowl then season with salt and pepper.
4. Line up two more shallow bowls, one with the AP flour and the other with the beaten egg.
5. Dip green beans in the flour, egg, then bread crumb mixture. Place onto baking pan.
6. Once all green beans have been battered, place in oven on bottom shelf for 20-30 minutes, rotating half way through.
7. Allow green beans to cool for 5-10 minutes.
8. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!

Click to tweet: YUM - can't wait to try these baked green bean fries!

Have you ever had green bean fries?

What are some of your favorite idioms?

Love this recipe? Pin for later. 

Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer

Celebrate spring with friends, a refreshing Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer, and blackberry and brie crostinis. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlackberryAffair #CollectiveBias.

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Spring is finally here and my screened deck is screaming to be used. Let's just forget completely that the temps are in the 40's and that they are predicting snow flurries over the weekend. Regardless, the deck is my happy place when the weather starts to warm.

There is an extremely short list as to why we bought this house when we moved to Maryland - it has beautiful built-ins, it's in a good school district, and has a large screened deck. Those three things sold us on this house. And last spring through fall we had several gatherings on that deck. It's a great extension of our house as we have a large doorwall (apparently this term is only a southeast Michigander term) that we can keep open.

Opening up the house to the outdoors really makes it easy to entertain. Now we haven't held any large parties at our house like we did in Indiana, our door is always open to friends and family. There are often times when a last minute call from a friend will come through saying they are in the neighborhood. This is when I just whip up an easy snack and tasty drinks.

Here's a list of items that I always keep on hand which make it extremely easy to entertain visitors:

- frozen fruit

- rustic bread

- cheese (brie, cheddar, etc)

- Canada Dry™(right now I have the seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale)

- lemonade

- tea

- vodka

Every week while I am grocery shopping, I check to see if I am running low on any of the items and make sure I grab a fresh baguette. Living so close to Giant Food makes it easy to grab everything I need, plus Giant Food is carrying the seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, which is oh so refreshing.

Arnold Palmers remind me of warm weather. They are light and refreshing, but you can customize the drink by turning it into a spritzer. The seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, made with real ginger, is the perfect addition to a plain Arnold Palmer. All you need are equal parts lemonade, tea, and Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, with of course the addition of vodka if needed. Top the beverage off with some frozen blackberries and maybe basil if you have it on hand and you will impress your friends and family.

Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

• one part Lemonade
• one part Tea
• one part Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale
• optional Vodka
• garnish with blackberries and basil

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into an ice filled cup.
2. Garnish with blackberries and fresh basil.
3. *Optional: Add a shot or two of vodka.
   
   

Whenever I am spending time with family and friends, a drink isn't enough. If food isn't being passed around, then I'm not interested. Only kidding! But really, I like food!

So I like to make crostinis and my blackberry and brie crostinis go hand-in-hand with the Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzers.

Blackberry and Brie Crostini

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Rustic Bread baguette
• 1/2 wheel Brie cheese, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup Blackberries, fresh or frozen
• drizzle of Honey
• 3-5 Basil leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Cut baguette into 1/2 inch rounds and place on cookie sheet.
3. Place cut baguette in oven and toast for 3-5 minutes.
4. Once baguette is toasted and crunchy, top with brie slices, a few blackberries, drizzle with honey.
5. Garnish with sliced fresh basil leaves.
6. Enjoy!
   
   

Now go enjoy your spring gathering with the Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer and the blackberry and brie crostinis. Cheers!

Are you a fan of the traditional Arnold Palmer beverage?

What's your favorite fruit to pair with brie?

What is your favorite way to celebrate spring?

Pin for later:

Garlic and Herb Popcorn

This Garlic and Herb Popcorn is sure to be the cure for any popcorn craving you are having. It is buttery and spiced to perfection. 
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I am actually eating some of the remaining S'mores Popcorn while I am typing this post. Surprisingly, it took me a few tries to perfect that recipe so I have some snacking to do. On the other hand, it only took me one try to make a perfect batch of today's Garlic and Herb Popcorn for the fourth day of the Five Days of Popcorn series.

I have always been a lover of all things garlic. I like it roasted and smeared on crusty bread, I like it raw in meals like spaghetti aglio, and I like it sauteed in with onions as the base of a recipe. It's just delicious.

Click to tweet: Garlic & Herb Popcorn perfect for the garlic lover!

This Garlic and Herb Popcorn recipe was inspired by a garlic butter I make to place on top of delicious medium rare steaks. After the steaks have been seared, cooked, and allowed to rest, you just place a nice helping of garlic butter to melt on top. It's amazing!

The garlic butter is made up of butter, minced garlic, salt, and Herbes de Provence. Herbes de Provence is one of my favorite cooking spices. It contains herbes such as rosemary, fennel, thyme, basil, tarragon, dill weed, lavendar, oregano, and marjoram. Talk about an fantastic list of ingredients.

Now that we understand the basis of this popcorn, let's make some!

Garlic and Herb Popcorn

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Total time: 10-15 minutes
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients

• Make your perfect stovetop popcorn
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence

Cooking Directions

1. Once you've made your perfect stovetop popcorn, set it aside.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
3. Stir in minced garlic and Herbes de Provence. If you are not a fan of the bite raw garlic gives off, feel free to reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Drizzle melted butter mixture over salted popcorn and mix well.
5. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: Savory popcorn for the win!

Don't miss the Perfect Stovetop Popcorn, Sweet and Spicy Curry Popcorn, and S'mores Popcorn recipes. 

Have you ever cooked with Herbes de Provence?

Are you a fan of garlic?

Do you prefer sweet or savory snacks?

S'mores Popcorn

Bring the flavors of the summer indoors with S'mores Popcorn!
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Anyone ready for s'more popcorn? I've shared with you how to make the perfect stovetop popcorn for two and some delicious sweet and spicy curry popcorn. But what about s'mores popcorn? I got that covered with today's recipe and the third part of the Five Days of Popcorn series.

I love all things s'mores, from the buttery, crunchy graham crackers to the toasty marshmallows. Now let's talk about the chocolate options - Hershey's bar, Reese's peanut butter cups, Keebler fudge stripe cookies, or anything else you can dream of. I've always made my s'mores the 'traditional' way with squares from a Hershey's chocolate bar. Today I am changing it up a bit and including bittersweet chocolate in with my s'mores popcorn giving it a deep, rich campfire flavor.

Another way I achieve the smokey flavor of the campfire is by broiling all the ingredients on a baking sheet. This toasted up the marshmallows to perfection and ever so gently melted the chocolate.

Click to tweet: Bring the flavors of the summer indoors with S'mores Popcorn!

I'm going to run off and make another batch because all this chatting about melted, toasted goodness is making me hungry!

S'mores Popcorn

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients

• Make your perfect stovetop popcorn
• 2 crackers (or 2 sheets) Graham Cracker, crushed
• 1/4 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Mini Marshmallows

Cooking Directions

1. Once you've made your perfect stovetop popcorn, place it all on a lined baking sheet.
2. Top cooked popcorn with crushed graham crackers, bittersweet chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows.
3. Place under a broiler for 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the marshmallows so not to burn them.
4. Allow s'mores popcorn to cool for 10-20 minutes.
5. Best enjoyed warm!

What kind of chocolate do you top your s'mores with?

Have you ever had s'mores popcorn?

Have you cooked or baked with bittersweet chocolate before?