Seasonal Salad

" 'Tis the Season" Salad

Merry Christmas 2014!!! I hope everyone who is celebrating has a fantastic and fun filled day.  I am sure most of you, like myself, are not eating spectacularly healthy meals like this one today!  I made this a week ago for my husband and I for lunch and it looked so pretty and so "Christmassy" that I had to post it.  I have recently found myself ordering salads in restaurants featuring beets, goat cheese and fruit, three foods I never used to like, or like in salads (fruit).  Honestly the taste of goat cheese alone turns me off, but when mixed together in a salad like this, I love it.  The dark natural colors give away the intense nutrient benefit of the dish, and yet the taste cannot even be described.  The sweetness of the beets, the spicy peppers, the crunch of the pumpkin seeds and the creamy goat cheese, blend together so well that for once, I promise, a completely vegetarian salad is a fulfilling meal.  So maybe not today, but perhaps tomorrow, or as a side dish to some delectable holiday main course, I guarantee this salad will delight both your palate and your eyes. "Tis the season!"

Peppermint Sugar Cookie Pinwheels

Peppermint Sugar Cookie Pinwheels

I seriously thought I would have posted a basic sugar cookie recipe already, but I guess I overlooked that last year when posting all my different versions of the original: (Vegan Coconut sugar Cookies and Vegan Chocolate Sugar Cookies). So here is the most basic sugar cookie recipe that I like to use, of course embellished for a Christmas theme.  Obviously you can use all white flour if you want lighter colored and textured cookies, but I love the hearty flavor and nutritional benefits of whole wheat and love giving cookies as a gift that are slightly unexpected and show people that even delicious treats can be healthy as well.  Some would argue that a "healthy cookie" defeats the purpose of a treat, and while I totally understand that sentiment, sometimes it is nice to be able to indulge while knowing you aren't completely sabotaging yourself.  But I honestly dare you to try these without completely falling in love with them because they are ridiculously good, and like all sugar cookies, they taste even better a couple of days after baking.  So you can enjoy them throughout the entire holiday season.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Happy Thanksgiving, and early Christmas all baked into one!  This delectable dessert brings together my favorites from both holidays (pumpkin and gingerbread) into one taste of heaven. Not too sweet, and full of flavor, this dessert was so good that the large pan of them were eaten by my small family of four within a couple of days.  I actually put half of them into the freezer, only to take them out two days later for breakfast. I found a recipe like this online, but used whole wheat flour, cut the sugar in half and replaced the cool whip with organic whipped cream and a touch of sugar. They do take a little more work than most of the desserts I throw together, but this one is worth the extra effort.  So even if you don't have time today to make something extra for the big feast, this sweet treat will be in season for at least another month, if not all winter!  Happy Holidays everyone!

Vánočka - Czech Christmas Bread

Vánočka - Czech Christmas Bread

This bread is a Christmas tradition in my family and not one year has gone by in my life when I haven't enjoyed it as part of my Christmas morning meal.  In lieu of a big write up here, I will direct you to the bottom of the page where there is a copy of the cover article that I recently wrote for a local magazine highlighting this family tradition. 

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake

Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake

This cake is basically a cranberry version of the blueberry muffin recipe that I made last month, cooked into a cake, with pistachios added for color and a glaze added for decoration.  The red cranberries and the green pistachios make it a beautiful, all natural cake perfect for Christmas dessert.  Because it is made with all whole grains, healthy fats and mostly natural fruit sweetness, it is also a fairly healthy alternative to the average Christmas fruit cake.  And the brandy glaze adds a little adult flare to the already intense cranberry and orange flavor.