I’ve been sharing several healthier dishes with you lately for your holiday meals. Don’t tell your guests they’re healthier for them, and they’ll never know. If you do tell them, they will probably thank you.
Today I have recipes for mashed potatoes, gravy, and asparagus courtesy of Smart Balance. Mashed potatoes are a staple on most Thanksgiving menus, and asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, so I can definitely see me adding both of these to my Thanksgiving day feast.

New-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes and Onions

2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup Smart BalanceTM …read more

I have a confession to make, I’m a big fan of coconut, so when I saw this recipe for no bake Festive Fruit and Nut Balls I knew I had to include it in the holiday recipes I’ve been sharing here. The best part about this recipe is you can make it up to one month ahead of time, and store them in the freezer.
They would work great for your holiday parties, for a cookie exchange party, or the office carry in. Wherever you take this recipe I’m sure it will be a hit.
The best part is they’re relatively healthy …read more

I enjoy a good glass of wine once in a while, but I’m not a wine critic by any standard. I do know what types of wine I enjoy with certain types of food, but as far as official wine pairings I have no clue.
If you’re not sure what wine to serve with your Thanksgiving turkey, or whether you need to serve a white or a red wine with your ham, you’re not alone. So today I have a few holiday wine pairing tips from the pros to help you pick out a wine to go with your holiday dinner …read more

I really like the holiday dessert recipe I have to share with you today from Seasons 52 restaurant. I’ve had several healthy holiday recipes to share with you over the last week or so, and these pears definitely fit right in.
They’re easy to make, and even though they’ll look gourmet to your guests they won’t break your budget to create.
They would be perfect for a cozy little holiday dinner party. Guests will love the caramelized flavor of the pears. I love the idea of topping them with chutney or cranberries, it definitely adds a nice holiday touch.

Roasted Bosc Pears
Ingredients:

4  Bosc …read more

Around the holidays it’s hard to find healthier food choices. It seems like everything is delicious, but it’s also loaded with calories. When I’m hostessing a party I like to make sure there are healthy options available on the table.
Many times during the holiday season I’m invited to potluck and carry in dinners. Since I never know what is going to be offered, I always try to bring a healthier option to the party myself that everyone will enjoy. Then I know there will be at least one thing there that won’t blow my eating plan completely.
Today I have a …read more

Today I have some cocktail recipes from Partida Tequila to help your holiday guests warm up on those cold nights. These exotic cocktail recipes will go well with your winter party plans (from Thanksgiving, to Christmas and New Years), but they’d also hold up for a Mexican night fiesta for college play off games.
This cocktail trio would also be great for the big football game night. Pair these delicious drinks with freshly-made guacamole and chips, bite-size cheese quesidillas, grilled corn topped with melted nacho cheese, lime juice and cilantro to give guests something to nibble and sip as they watch …read more

With Thanksgiving coming up I thought I’d talk turkey about everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert, pumpkin pie. Yum! One of my favorite recipes for pumpkin pie is right on the back of the Libby’s can, but you don’t have to stick with the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. I thought I’d share some other pumpkin recipes with you today. Just in case you want to put a new spin on your Thanksgiving dessert this year.

I love these cute little pumpkin pie bites
Not quite pumpkin pie, but still delicious, pumpkin cheesecake
Pumpkin pie in miniature, pumpkin tartlets
Looking for a lighter version? Try crustless …read more

Today I have a really cool Halloween treat you can make for your Halloween parties, or to take to your child’s classroom party. This fun spooky spider is courtesy of California Raisins. They have more fun recipes at their website for entertaining all year long.
If you’re looking for more fun Halloween treat ideas you can also check out the list of 50 Fun Homemade Halloween Treats Snacks and Appetizers I put together a while back, that list has some of my favorite Halloween treats on it.

SPOOKY RAISIN SPIDERS
Cost per serving: $.40
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup California raisins
1/3 …read more

What happens when you suddenly find out you’re having a group of friends over to watch the big game on Sunday, and you need to come up with some last minute snacks to feed them?
These Chicken Nachos are a great spur-of-the-moment party food, since you’re likely to have all of the ingredients right in your pantry. If you don’t you should stalk up now, it’s an easy recipe to make at the last minutes if you have all the ingredients on hand.
The best part is these nachos are really quick and easy to make. The recipe is part of Mealtime.org’s …read more

One of my favorite things about Halloween parties is all the different eyeball food ideas you see this time of year, so I thought I’d round up a few of my favorite Halloween eyeball food ideas for you here today.
You can surprise your friends at your Halloween party, or gross them out with these googly eyed food ideas.

I’m starting with these cute little mini eyeball cakes by my favorite Food Network star. These sound like they’d be yummy.
Here are a few more creepy eyeball food ideas for your Halloween party.

Green Gruel With Eyeballs
Spooky Eyeball Tacos
Deviled Egg Eyeballs
Cheese Eyeballs
Eyeball Cupcakes
Eyeball Punch

Use …read more