Keto Friendly Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

Keto Friendly Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

We’re whipping up more LCHF goodness over at Low Carb San Diego! You can find this deliciously easy low carb broccoli and cauliflower cheese soup recipe posted today. Not only is it minimal ingredients, it takes less than half an hour to make. Plus you can double the batch to heat up later and enjoy all week. Talk about an easy meal plan!

You can find the full recipe here.

Pinterest Inspiration

5 Awesome Family Movie Night Movies For Kids Coming Out Soon

5 Awesome Family Movie Night Movies For Kids Coming Out Soon

I don’t know about you but I love to hoard a few movies from my kids to bust out on lazy days. Or rainy days where we don’t have any other plans. Being able to sneak out a movie that just came out and share it with them is always fun! Plus it’s a great excuse to pop some popcorn and snuggle up. I’ve received a few DVDs for review with the kids and cannot wait to share them with you so you can enjoy your own family movie night soon!

5 Awesome Family Movie Night Movies For Kids - Minions

5 Awesome Family Movie Night Movies

1. Minions

Are your minions… er… kids as excited about Minions on DVD/Blu Ray as mine are? As soon as my daughter heard them announce that Minions were available, she hounded me every day until the day it was released. Talk about pressure when you are trying to save a movie as a Christmas gift! Now that the cat’s out of the bag and the movie won’t be a Christmas gift, we’re looking at other Minions inspired gifts Santa can place in the kids stockings this year. If you have a Minions fan in your home, you won’t want to miss these!

The breakout stars the world fell in love with in Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me global film franchise headline their own movie for the first time in Minions, available on Digital HD November 24, 2015, and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand on December 8, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. A much anticipated prequel to the unprecedented worldwide blockbusters Despicable Me and the beloved sequel Despicable Me 2, Minions is an immensely entertaining film for all audiences called “inventive and hilarious” by Julian Roman, Movieweb.com. The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Digital HD also come with three all-new mini-movies and even more Minions everyone will want to watch again and again especially during the busy holiday travel season.

5 Awesome Family Movie Night Movies For Kids - Wild Kratts

2. Wild Kratts Australian Adventures

PBS is releasing “WILD KRATTS: AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURES” on DVD January 5, 2016. “AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURES” includes three episodes of the PBS KIDS hit series WILD KRATTS, one of which is a bonus story! From exploring how a thorny devil drinks water to learning about a koala’s favorite food, kids can join the Kratt Brothers as they travel throughout Australia and provide insight into some amazing and unique animals.

In the first two episodes on this DVD, the Kratt Brothers explore the Australian Outback. In “Koala Balloon,” the brothers find a stranded koala in the desert. In order to help the koala the brothers work to get their new friend back to its eucalyptus forest habitat. In “Kickin’ it with the Roos,” the brothers are motoring through the Australian Outback in the createrra looking for red kangaroos. When the brothers finally locate a mob of red kangaroos, they run into trouble when the keys to the createrra are stolen by a joey. This episode also features two fascinating birds – a kookaburra and a wedge-tailed eagle!

In the bonus episode on this DVD, “Platypus Café,” the brothers learn about one of the most unusual animals in the world – the duck-billed platypus. In order to get to know this creature, Martin and Chris use the miniaturizer to shrink and enter a platypus burrow.

3. Hotel Transylvania 2

Sony Pictures Animation’s monster family box-office hit HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2, which grossed more than $430 million in theaters worldwide to date, will debut on Digital HD Dec. 22, just in time for holiday viewing and on Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on Jan. 12 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The Hotel Transylvania sequel reunites ‘Drac’s Pack’ of loveable characters, led by “Vampa” Drac (Adam Sandler, Grown-Ups) as they try to put Mavis (Selena Gomez, Spring Breakers) and Johnny’s (Andy Samberg, TV’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) son Dennis through a “monster-in-training” boot camp to bring out his vampire side. But little do they know that Drac’s grumpy and very old, old, old school dad Vlad (comedy legend Mel Brooks) is about to pay the family a visit to the hotel. And when Vlad finds out that his great-grandson is not a pure blood and humans are now welcome at Hotel Transylvania, it doesn’t take long for things to get batty!

4. Captain Jake and the Neverland Pirates: The Great Never Sea Conquest

Captain Jake and the Neverland Pirates: The Great Never Sea Conquest is available to Own on Disney DVD on Jan. 12! Join newly promoted Captain Jake as he unites Never Land’s all-time greatest pirates! When evil mer-witch Ezmeralda tries to take over the Never Sea by awakening the Strake, a legendary three-headed sea serpent, Jake and his crew try to intervene but encounter Lord Fathom and his sidekick Sinker. Jake forms a team of “Never Land League of Pirate Captains” to battle them all and in the process, outfitted with a magical new sword and a powerful new ship, (the Mighty Colossus), he becomes a Captain himself. Loaded with excitement, additional adventures and a powerful message about believing in yourself, this high-stakes, high-seas adventure is oceans of swashbuckling fun for everyone!

5. Snow White

Forever enchanting and inspiring, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs embodies The Walt Disney Signature Collection’s legacy of animation. In this epic story of love and friendship, the kind and beautiful princess Snow White wins the hearts of the Seven Dwarfs and triumphs over the evil plans of a wicked Queen. Share the movie called “The Greatest Animated Film Of All Time,” (American Film Institute) on Blu-ray February 2nd and on Digital HD January 19th, with special features for the entire family!

What’s your child’s favorite movie right now?

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SamsClubMag #CollectiveBias

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts

As the seasons change and winter draws closer, I am still dreaming about pumpkin goodies. I’ve made quite a few delicious foods with pumpkin before and love what a great alternative it is to oils and butter in my recipes (although I’m not one to knock oil or butter!). It just brings a richness to certain dishes and a delicious flavor. Plus it’s full of fiber and vitamins! One thing I’ve missed since changing to a LCHF lifestyle, are the pumpkin muffins, waffles, and donuts I make every year. 

I decided to jump in and start recreating my favorite high carb pumpkin recipes into a lower carb option. I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with the results! While these donuts are a little dense, they have the pumpkin flavor I’ve been craving and pair perfectly with a cup of coffee! I could eat them with or without the frosting. And if you’re not a fan of salty with your sweet, omit the pumpkin seeds on top or chop them smaller!

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts - the perfect LCHF pumpkin treat during the holidays

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts

Serves 8 | Calories: 116 Carbs: 5 Fat: 9  Protein: 5 Fiber: 2

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 1 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar free granular baking sweetener
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting (not included in nutritional info as portions vary):

  • 1 ounce softened butter
  • 1 ounce softened cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon sugar free maple syrup
  • pumpkin seeds (optional)

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts - making the batter

1. Plug in your donut maker to preheat. Mix together the donut ingredients until well incorporated. Batter will be a little thick.

2. Pour or spoon in batter into each well of the donut maker per your donut maker’s guidelines, don’t overfill!

3. Let bake until slightly golden and done inside.

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts - baked in a donut maker

4. While donuts are baking, whip up the frosting by adding all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisking together until incorporated.

5. When donuts are done, dunk them upside down into the frosting bowl. Place right side up onto a plate and top with pumpkin seeds.

And you’re done! Enjoy.

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts - add frosting and roasted pumpkin seeds

Looking for more great recipe ideas? Check out these Healthy Living recipes here! You can find lighter versions of your favorite dishes and don’t have to feel like you’re missing out on anything. Plus you can find everything you need for a lighter holiday at Sam’s Club! We were able to find all of our ingredients in the baking aisle.

IMG_20151208_115956192

Keto Friendly Pumpkin Donuts - perfect with a glass of almond milk

How do you lighten up your recipes during the holidays?

9 Amazingly Delectable Gingerbread Recipes for the Holidays

9 Amazingly Delectable Gingerbread Recipes

I have a confession to make. I’m a bit obsessed right now. Obsessed about gingerbread! And not just the classic cookies and houses (although I have a recipe for those that I share below). I’m talking gingerbread cakes, gingerbread casseroles, and gingerbread bread puddings!

Have a piqued your interest yet? If so, read below to find some deliciously tasty gingerbread recipes from some of my favorite bloggers!

9 Amazingly Delectable Gingerbread Recipes for the Holidays

Soft-and-Chewy-Gingerbread-cookies

1. As I mentioned previously, I have a stellar gingerbread cookie recipe that can be used any time of the year. And you don’t just have to make gingerbread men (and women) if you don’t like! This is great for ornament cookies, various shapes, etc. And the results are a fabulously soft and chewy cookie that’s amazing. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself!

2. Sometimes the classic recipes are the ones we start to crave. Grandma’s cookies. This old fashioned gingerbread recipe from Vintage Recipe Project is definitely one of those. You can find it by visiting their site here

3. But enough about the classics. Bring on some new, innovating gingerbread! That’s exactly what Betsy of BetsyLife did in this gingerbread pineapple upside down cake recipe. OMG! Seriously… how good does this sound? I cannot wait to make it this weekend for the family.

mini-gingerbread-cakes

4. And then there are the cute, mini gingerbread cakes from Made With Happy. Just thinking of them makes me happy! So festive and perfect for parties. The drizzle of icing makes them even more irresistible.

5. What isn’t better with banana? Living Sweet Moments paired it up with gingerbread wonderfully in this banana gingerbread recipe with brown butter glaze. Sounds just as good as it looks!

6. I love a recipe that can also serve as decor as well. And who wouldn’t want these cookies perched on the edge of a mug or added to a place card. These olive oil gingerbread cookies from Family Spice are a bit different than the traditional gingerbread recipe but the results? Well… they’re worth it!

gingerbread-french-toast-casserole-recipe

7. One of my favorite things to make for guests when they come to visit for brunch is french toast casserole. Not only is it super simple to make, but it uses up the leftover bread I might have around that won’t get eaten. How awesome is that? Now this gingerbread french toast casserole from BetsyLife is the perfect spin on this classic crowd pleaser for the holidays. Great for Christmas breakfast! 

8. I can honestly say that I’ve never had gingerbread pudding. But Texas Type A Mom makes it look so good in this pumpkin gingerbread pudding recipe. What kid would say no to that? 

9. To round out our 9 delectable gingerbread recipes is my favorite one of all. My gingerbread cake recipe. Not only is this amazing cake easy to make, it’s also perfect for breakfast OR dessert and pairs well with coffee, ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream. Now it isn’t overly sweet, so if you prefer something on the sweet side, I suggest whipping up some cream cheese frosting.

gingerbread-cake

What’s your favorite way to incorporate gingerbread into the holidays?

LEGOLAND California Holiday Snow Days Are Here

Legoland California Holiday Snow Days 2015

This past Monday our family was invited to head out to LEGOLAND California and enjoy their Holiday Snow Days. Not only did we get to enjoy some fun in the snow, but there are so many fun seasonal things to do at LEGOLAND right now.

As soon as we walked into the park we were greeted with smiles and cheer. I headed over to grab a coffee before we made our way through the park to check out all of the fun celebrations happening. The winter fun runs until January 3rd 2016 and includes festive treats, holiday entertainment, cheerful decorations, family fun activities and nightly fireworks from December 26th through December 31st, 2015. 

Legoland CA Holiday Snow Days Legoland CA Holiday Snow Days - LEGO tree

The Park’s Fun Town transforms into a winter wonderland with two snow play areas for families to throw snowballs at LEGO themed targets, do a little sledding, build snowmen using LEGO accessories, and join in the Holiday Village Build at the LEGO Clubhouse. Plus guests can enjoy a holiday show from the LEGO Friends, Jingle Jammers, and the Holiday Character Dance Party featuring the LEGOLAND elves, Jingle Joe and Tinsel Toe.

Legoland CA Holiday Snow Days - playing in the snow Legoland CA Holiday Snow Days - eating snow

That’s not it! 

SEA LIFE Aquarium is getting in on the fun with a holiday-themed Daily Dive Show, crafting events and “green” holiday tips. LEGOLAND Hotel is also decking the halls with Holiday decor and themed LEGO building contests. Holiday Snow Days continues as LEGOLAND celebrates the New Year with San Diego’s biggest Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party on December 31st.

Legoland CA Holiday Snow Days - sledding

Looking for a fun way to celebrate the holidays? Grab the kids and head out to LEGOLAND for some snowy fun!

LEGOLAND California Resort is extending its Park hours for the winter holiday during these dates: November 27 & 28, December 5, 12, 19-23 and 26-31. LEGOLAND California Resort is also offering a gift for the holiday guests; from November 1st through December 24th 2015, select a date online to visit LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium between November 21st and January 3rd to purchase your one-day hopper ticket for only $90!

All Holiday Snow Days and Winter Nights activities located inside the Park are included in the price of a LEGOLAND California admission ticket.

Planning a trip to Legoland CA soon? Check out our highlights:

For more Legoland CA fun, check out these great posts:
The LEGO Movie 4D at Legoland CA
Legoland Heartlake City
5 Reasons Why Star Wars Lovers Should Visit Legoland California
Top 5 Things to Do at Legoland California When You’re 5

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candle

During the holidays I’m always looking for easy DIY ways to decorate the house. I also love any decoration that could be turned into a makeshift gift. After a little trip to Ikea I found these awesome larger tealight candles that are perfect for making my own candles for different seasons.

This homemade cranberry tealight candle takes a mason jar, some cranberries, and a tealight and makes it into so much more! If you have a few of these supplies lying around why not try your hand at making your own decorative candle for the holidays. Add a bit of twine and you have the perfect centerpiece or mantle display.

How to Make a Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candle

What you’ll need:

  • regular mouth pint sized mason jars
  • bag of cranberries
  • Ikea GLIMMA candles
  • twine (optional)

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles supplies

What you do:

1. Take lid off mason jar and discard flat disc.

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles take off lid

2. Pour in cranberries.

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles  pour in cranberries

3. Stop at the fill line right below the neck of the jar.

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles fill to below lid line

4. Place the candle on top of the berries. Make sure it’s flush with the top of the jar.

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles add tealight

5. Screw on the lid.

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles screw on cap

6. Embellish with twine, or ribbon, and enjoy your candle!

Homemade Cranberry Tealight Candles finished

How do you create a festive atmosphere around the holidays?

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Cranberry Mustard Sauce Paired With Crispy Chicken Strips

We’re enjoying some delicious crispy chicken strips, provided by our sponsor Tyson®, with our cranberry mustard sauce recipe.

Cranberry Mustard Sauce - perfect for dipping!

My son. He’s addicted to chicken strips. Has been since he was younger. It’s the one thing he asks for in restaurants, something I always know he’ll eat when we are hosting an event, and is something I make for him when we eat lunch together on the weekends. But sometimes plain crispy chicken strips – while great for him – are just boring for me.

So I wanted to try something new to spruce them up. And in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to mix a classic Thanksgiving flavor with dijon mustard to create a cranberry mustard dipping sauce. Not only is it flavorful and pairs perfectly with chicken strips, it’s also a great spread for sandwiches and burgers as well!

Cranberry Mustard Sauce - a great dip, spread, or sauce

We whipped this up before we headed off to watch a screening of The Peanuts Movie. We’d already primed them by watching some classic Peanuts movies we had in the house but to be honest I think we were more excited to see the movie than they were. I’ve been waiting for this release for a while!

Tyson® crispy chicken strips are so awesome for a quick pre-movie meal. They’re easy to make and take no time to bake in the oven. And paired with the cranberry mustard sauce, we made the kids lunch something even the adults could enjoy. It was the perfect lunch for the whole family and the kids loved chatting about what we were going to see before heading off to the theater.

Cranberry Mustard Sauce

Cranberry Mustard Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Cranberry Sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Tyson® Crispy Chicken Strips to use to dip

Combine ingredients in a small mixing bowl, whisking until smooth. Serve as a dip withTyson® crispy chicken strips or use as a spread on your next turkey or chicken sandwich!

Tyson Chicken Tenders with Cranberry Mustard Sauce

Tyson at Sam's Club

I picked up theTyson® Crispy Chicken Strips at Sam’s Club during my last haul and I’m so glad I did. With a 3lb bag filled with all natural ingredients and 15 grams of protein I can feed my whole gang. Plus they’re fully cooked! Easy.

Crispy Chicken Tenders dipped in Cranberry Mustard Sauce

How are you gearing up for the new Peanuts movie?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Thanksgiving Tips and Tricks: Party Like A Pro

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sam’s Club. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ahhh… turkey day is nearly upon us and, if you’re like me, you’re about to lose your mind due to the long list of things you need to get done before the big day. Not to mention Christmas right around the corner! Well, in an effort to ease my mind and give myself a bit of time to prep I decided to head out to Sam’s Club® and search for great tips and tricks for planning the perfect Thanksgiving party.

Holiday entertaining can be the ultimate challenge.  But with affordable, gourmet selections from Sam’s Club®, you’ll be party planning like a pro for the best holiday season ever.  Get started at FoodNetwork.com/party, your one-stop source for great tips, recipes and behind the-scenes videos with Sam’s Club® Members.

You can also get tips directly from the pros! Check out Chef Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible Ambush as he ambushes an unsuspecting Sam’s Club member to help solve problems and party plan like a pro.  In this video, Robert provides his ideas for the perfect center plate protein to make sure your next dinner party is a smash!

In addition to great food from Sam’s Club, I’ve also asked bloggers what their favorite ways to help save them time (and sometimes money!) when hosting or attending a Thanksgiving party. If you’re like me and need a game plan to keep your mind at ease, read along to find out all of the great tips I discovered.

Thanksgiving Checklist
1. Create a checklist

One of the easiest ways for me to stay on track with big meals or events is to have a checklist. A place I can put everything I need to do and have the satisfaction of checking off each little box as I go along. Luckily, Tonya Staab wrote a Thanksgiving checklist featured on Blissfully Domestic that should help each of us prep and plan for this Thanksgiving.

2. Prep ahead

One of the easiest things to do when prepping for Thanksgiving is to do things in advance. Rachael Nash Wunderlich of Adventures in Wunderland suggests to make pies and put together casseroles the day before, then on thanksgiving day you just rotate the casseroles in to bake and all you really have to worry about is the turkey and potatoes.

Need help on those potatoes? Check out these mashed potato tips from Dish over Dinner. Or do what I do and make a twice baked potato casserole (recipe coming soon!) that you can prep in advance.

Prepping doesn’t stop with food. Consider setting up the buffet with dishes and decor while placing post its and labels to indicate where dishes should go on the big day. Put out anything you can in advance so you aren’t rushing to put things together on the day of the party. We also set the table a few days before too.

chocolate espresso pecan pie3. Keep drinks and dessert simple

One of the easiest ways to reduce stress is to keep it simple. Delegate some items so that you aren’t burdened with many different dishes. One tip Joann Wooley of Sign4Baby thinks helps a lot is to have your guests be in charge of dessert and beverages.

Now if you really love to bake and that’s your thing then consider delegating out some side dishes instead. Consider this chocolate espresso pecan pie from Baby Birds Farm for your main dessert and then have guests bring other pies to add to the mix. That way you can spend more time on other aspects of the meal.

And drinks can be kept super easy. Ask guests to bring their favorite bottle of wine and then for the kids make this easy crock pot apple caramel cider featured on Catching Up With Kate.

4. Remember food allergies

Its important to remember that not all guests can eat everything on the table. Try to accommodate guests food allergies says Melonie Gallegos. It may be a small change you make to  a recipe or simply preparing a dish without one ingredient but your guests will sure appreciate it!

Know of a guest who’s gluten or dairy free? Try this delicious pumpkin pie I made with coconut milk. Cook it up in a dairy-free, gluten-free crust and you have an allergy friendly dessert!

green bean casserole

5. Make sure to think of the leftovers

No one wants to miss out on the delicious left overs so consider buying 2 turkeys if you are hosting a big family gathering suggests Joann Wooley. Or plan to make a double batch of that favorite casserole everyone loves. And make sure to pick up plenty of goodie bags and dishes from Sam’s Club so you can send leftovers home with your guest. The one thing I always regret each year is not taking enough leftovers home!

7. Don’t Overcook the Bird!

Now I’ve only cooked two turkeys in my life. One with a brine, the other without. And the only thing I was concerned about was dry turkey. So I did a bit of research and found that cooking the turkey with it’s breast down for half of the cooking time allows the bird to cook evenly without overcooking the white meat. By flipping it back over 1/2 way through I can still get that gorgeous golden brown crisp skin everyone loves.

8. Keep it Simple

I had to laugh when a fellow blogger suggested to simply purchase everything already made. Heather Delaney Reese of It’s A Lovely Life mentioned that her best Thanksgiving ever was the year they bought everything at Sam’s Club (and split the cost with friends). Sam’s Club has a truly impressive array of holiday foods from the entire meal-in-a-frozen-box to just the sides (fresh or frozen) to just the ingredients for a homemade feast. Now I’m all about home cooking 99% of the time but when it comes to these giant meals for parties keeping it simple just makes it easier on everyone.

9. Entertain your Guests

There really can be too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to prepping Thanksgiving parties. So make sure you have something for your guests to do (or eat) while you’re finishing up.

Make sure there’s a ball game on for the guys and the black Friday ads out for those who shop early. Some bloggers may have mentioned getting into arguments with their mother-in-law. Jillian Warner of Mommy Testers tip is one we should keep at heart – keep your mother-in-law out of the kitchen! Or simply give her all of the salad fixings and set her at the table to get to work.

Thanksgiving Kiddie Table

10. Enjoy yourself!

With all of the prep and work that goes into a Thanksgiving meal, remember to enjoy yourself and the time you have with your family. Don’t sweat it if something goes wrong. Because you’re with people who you care about and just want to have a good time. Plus… if dinner is a huge disaster there’s always dessert!

How do you keep Thanksgiving stress-free?

Don’t forget to enter the “Holiday Party Planning” sweepstakes running from 10/22 – 12/31/15 and make the holidays just a little brighter! The Grand Prize winner will receive a $500 gift card and 1 year Plus membership ($100 value). 5 1st Place winners will receive a 1 year Prime membership ($100 value). 5 2nd Place winners will receive a Wolfgang Puck 10 piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set ($29.99 value). And 10 3rd Place winners will receive a Kitchen Aid 3pc Chef Knife Set ($15.98 value). 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 21 years or older.  Ends 12/31/15.  To enter and for complete details and odds, visitwww.foodnetwork.com/party. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sam’s Club. The opinions and text are all mine.

Entertaining During The Holidays: Homemade Pudding Parfait with Cookie Crumble

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayPairings #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

Homemade Pudding Parfait with Cookie Crumble

Ah… the holidays are here! And now is the time for holiday cheer… right? One thing I LOVE about the holidays is unexpected guests. Whether it’s friends stopping by to drop something off, family members coming to catch up, or a random neighbor who shows up at your door as you’re sitting down to eat dinner. I’m not joking either. My house may be a mess, my kids may need baths, but I will always have room in my home for our family and friends. Now I would love a little heads up call ahead of time so that I can pretend to pick up before guests arrive.

One of the reasons why unexpected guests don’t stress me out, especially around dinnertime, is that I keep a well stocked pantry and fridge. On any given time I can whip out some Pepperidge Farm crackers to pair with cheese and fruit to keep the guests busy while I prepare dinner. And dinner can be as simple or elaborate as I want. I can whip up a delicious pasta dish in less than 30 minutes. Give me 30 more minutes and I’ll have some homemade pudding to make individual pudding parfaits.  Sometimes I just keep it basic and put a spread of Pepperidge Farm cookies out. It’s good to keep a box of their Classic Cookie Collection on hand just in case. But don’t think you’ll be getting any of the Milanos out of that package if you’re near my husband. He’ll snag them before you even notice they’re gone!

Entertaining during the holidays - simple cheese platter with fruitEntertaining during the holidays - simple cracker and cheese platter paired with wine

Entertaining during the holidays with Robert Mondavi wines

The Cracker Trio pairs well with a variety of cheeses. I love the classics – brie, sharp cheddar, and a salami mozzarella roll sliced up. And since we usually have grapes and some sort of berry on hand, we can put out a simple spread to keep appetites satiated. Plus busting out the Robert Mondavi wines helps too. My favorite? The pinot noir.

The pinot noir also tastes amazing in this pasta dish I just made recently. I grabbed some Barilla Pronto spaghetti and was intrigued at it’s claims to be ready in minutes. With my newly inherited electric range, I can’t get pasta to boil in less than 30 minutes! So frustrating. But after sauteing some onions and browning some steak, then de-glazing the pan with a little wine, I removed everything from the pan and added the pasta. Covered with 3 cups of water and cooked it on high for 10 minutes.

About 20 seconds till the end of that 10 minutes I had a skillet filled with fully cooked pasta. Amazing. All I had to do was toss the onions and beef in with the pasta and sprinkle with some parmesan to create a delicious one-skillet pasta dish in less than 30 minutes from getting out the ingredients to putting the skillet on the table for dinner.

Entertaining during the holidays with easy pasta dishes Entertaining during the holidays with Barilla Pronto Entertaining during the holidays with easy pasta meals

In between cooking the onions, steak, and pasta, I whipped up a chocolate pudding from scratch. It would be the perfect light dessert to end our meal. Plus it was a great way to enjoy our favorite cookies. Pudding is not that hard to make. With a few simple ingredients I can make a silky pudding that can cool and set while we eat dinner. Sometimes I even make an avocado pudding. Interesting AND delicious with it’s greenish tint.

Entertaining during the holidays with pepperidge farm

Homemade Pudding Parfait with Cookie Crumble - a deliciously simple dessert

Homemade Chocolate Pudding Parfait

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a heavy saucepan, heat milk to warm, not boiling. Set aside.

Add sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch into a small bowl and mix to combine.

Pour 1 cup of the warm milk into the bowl with the chocolate mixture and whisk.

Pour chocolate mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, slowly whisking to incorporate together.

Heat over medium high heat whisking frequently until mixture starts to boil and thicken. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour pudding into individual dishes, or one large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that a skin doesn’t form on the top of the pudding. Chill at least 1 hour to cool.

Homemade Pudding Parfait with Cookie Crumble bite

Homemade Pudding Parfait with Cookie Crumble

What you need:

  • milk frother
  • heavy whipping cream
  • 1 batch chocolate pudding (see above)
  • Pepperidge Farm cookies of your choice, crumbled
  • small glass bowls or cups

What you do:

1. Using the milk frother, thicken the heavy whipping cream. You don’t want it super thick but thick enough to form a layer between the pudding.

2. Grab a glass cup and pour in about 1/4 cup chocolate pudding.

3. Top with whipped cream.

4. Add cookie crumbles. I used two types from the Pepperidge Farm Classic Cookie Collection.

5. Repeat once again.

6. Top with a pirouette or other cookie of choice and serve with a spoon!

Pepperidge Farms Cookies at Walmart

Robert Mondavi wine at Walmart

Make sure to visit the Simple Entertaining hub to learn more about the upcoming wine tastings as well as Barilla & Pepperidge Farm demos at select Walmart Stores in November and December. You can find the products I featured above at your local Walmart.

How do you keep entertaining easy during the holidays?

Keto Friendly Side Dish: Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed Cauliflower - the perfect keto friendly side dish to any meal!

I haven’t really mentioned it but after chatting about my new LCHF way of eating, I decided to start a blog solely dedicated to the recipes I try, restaurants I enjoy, and our monthly date nights and how I navigate through the food menus while out and about in San Diego. One recipe I’ve become a bit obsessed with on this way of eating is mashed cauliflower. Now you may be thinking why oh why would you want mashed cauliflower when you can have the real thing? Well on this WOE, a starchy potato loses to cauliflower any day! Plus? I can add tons of fats to this dish to help me meet my macros for the day (I struggle with eating enough fat). Real butter. Heavy whipping cream. And a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That’s all it takes to make this deliciously silky, smooth mashed cauliflower dish.

You can find the recipe, and my new blog by heading over to Low Carb San Diego here.

Like what you see? Follow me on my new social channels at @LowCarbSanDiego on Twitter and on Facebook and see what I’m eating, how I’m doing, and how easy it is to follow a LCHF diet!

Keto Friendly Grilling Meals Mashed Cauliflower with Butter
Pinterest Inspiration

What do you love to mix in your mashed cauliflower?



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