Wait, That's Popcorn?

I am always on the lookout for healthier snacks and usually chips don't fall into that category. However, I have been diligently searching out alternatives and came across this winner. I love popcorn, but for some reason it never comes to mind when I think of a healthier snack. Good thing someone thought of that for me and put it into a "tortilla chip". Meet PopCorners. It's the "tortilla chip" made with popcorn. I tried the sea salt and couldn't get enough of them. Before I knew it, the bag was gone! They were light and crunchy, perfectly salted and a great way to satisfy your salty snack craving. They come in sweet flavors, like kettle and caramel, as well as cheesy jalapeno and white cheddar. Let's just say I will be conducting some more taste tests. So next time you are reaching for a bag a chips, make sure PopCorners are the ones you grab.

To MAX's!

I know that I recently talked about my first brunch experience at MAX's Wine Dive, but it was so good I needed to go back and share the experience with some more of my friends. Plus I needed to try the red velvet pancakes because that's all I kept hearing about! However since I brought a long a friend, I didn't have to decide between savory or sweet this time at brunch. I got the best of both worlds. The menu this time was a mushroom omelet with jalapeno cheddar grits, eggs any style, and red velvet pancakes. Though I didn't try the eggs any style, it came with homefries, bacon, and toast and it smelled delicious. The mushroom omelet was fluffy and smooth. The thyme and mushrooms gave it an earthy quality and the cheese added a perfect touch of creaminess. The grits were amazing. I haven't had a lot of grits before, but these were smokey from the jalapeno but not spicy. The completed the flavors of the omelet very well.

What's brunch without dessert? These red velvet pancakes, RVP, were topped with a dallop of lemon cream cheese and it was like a fluffy heavenly cloud. It tasted like red velvet, but wasn't overly sweet and the lemon was a nice touch. It added an extra something special and something I will definitely add into my next red velvet cake. If you get a chance to try these, I promise you won't be disappointed. Next up on the menu for my next trip to MAX's wine dive are the Nutella banana crepes and the creme brulee french toast. I would say that there is plenty left for me to, brunch or dinner, so I am sure that I will be back many more times. Thanks again MAX's for such a delicious meal!

Ecco Domani

Wine is a product where there are almost unlimited options. There are always new finds and varietals being produced, so I can guarantee you will never get board. This was a random find while at the grocery store. I realized that the way I have picked wines recently has begun to change. I used to only look at labels, but now I was selecting a specific region and the choosing one based on the label. However, I have not had very good luck recently so maybe I just need to go back to my old ways. Anyways... this Italian Pinot Grigio from Ecco Domani was much better than my last choice. It was crisp and acidic, however what they called floral notes, I thought more of as mineral, earthy aromas. Either way, this was not a fruit laced wine, which was something new for me. I do have to say that it seemed to get better the longer you let it breathe and was better with food then by itself. If you are looking for a great light wine, this would be a good option...plus it won't break the bank. Cheers to the weekend!

Two-Ingredient Cookies

My taste for sweet things comes and goes, so I am trying to look for some healthier options that I won't feel guilty afterwards for eating. This of course lead me on another Pinterest adventure to see what I could find. I was trying to find a recipe for something with the ingredients I have on hand. This is a good way to challenge my creativity and helps a bit with my budget. I had remembered seeing a few recipes for simple banana and oatmeal cookies, so I started searching for those. Low and behold, I found one from iAManRD that used only bananas and oatmeal. Awesome since I happened to have both of those things on hand. Literally all you do is mash two bananas with one cup of oatmeal and bake a 325 for 10-12 minutes. The recipe calls for a potato masher, but oddly enough that is one kitchen tool that I don't have so I went for the next best tool - my hands. With your hands you always have the tools you need, even if it gets a little messy.

I had a few chocolate chips left over from another recipe so I threw those in, along with some raisins. Be careful not to add in too many mix-ins because then the batter won't stick together. You could also try any kind of dried fruit or spices...this is a really basic batter that you can totally make your own. I used two small bananas and got 10 small cookies from the batch. The number of cookies you get will depend on the size of the bananas you use. These will look a little undone because of the bananas, but of the toothpick is relatively clean then they are ready. This is would be great alternative to the traditional banana bread when you have some super ripe bananas and definitely healthier. Plus they tasted exactly like a chocolate chip banana bread, so it's kind of like you get the best of both worlds. 

Sequin

I think that this is the first time that my wine picking method has failed me. I can't say that every wine I have picked has blown me away, but they have all been fairly decent at least. Sequin was not a winner in my book at all! I would have to say that this is one of the worst wines I have ever had. I grabbed it on my way of the store one day because it had such a a fun bottle and it was a moscato, so I figured that I couldn't go wrong with wine that is basically sparkling grape juice. This time I was mistaken...apparently you can go wrong with moscato. It starts out normal and then all of a sudden this weird aftertaste comes and it lingers. I finally gave up on trying to stomach the first glass and it even gave it another try. The second glass was a bit more tolerable, but I will not be buying it again. It's unfortunate, but this is not a wine that I would ever recommend. I guess there's a first time for everything and after so many successful bottles of wine found, it was only a matter of time before one of them would be bad. Oh well. I can say I tried it and didn't care for it, so it wasn't a complete waste.

S'more Cookies Please!

I love s'mores and got really excited when I saw this recipe for s'mores cookies on Pinterest. This recipe from Instructables is easy and not something you will see every day. It's like a chocolate chip cookies with the crunch of graham crackers and toasted marshmallows. I had graham crackers crumbs on hand, but if you don't you get to make your own by quickly throwing them in the food processor. Mix together the graham cracker with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then cream the sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Mix the egg and vanilla with the butter and sugar mixture, followed by the dry ingredients. I decided that I wanted extra chocolate chips in the cookies, so I added them in before putting them on the cookie sheet to bake at 350 for about 6-8 minutes.

While the cookies are cooling, you get to toast the marshmallows. Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet under the broiler. I did mine in the toaster oven, but the ones on the edge didn't really get that toasty. Do not walk away from the marshmallows while they are toasting! It happens quickly and you don't want them to burn. You need to work quickly to use a buttered spatula to move the marshmallows onto the top of the cookie. They cool and then start to stick to the pan and the spatula. I might suggest doing smaller batches so that you can get the marshmallows to the cookies before they cool too much. The finishing touch is a chocolate drizzle. I can honestly say this tastes exactly like a s'more and is one of the best cookies I have made. The gooey marshmallow, the crunch of the graham cracker, and the sweetness of the chocolate is a symphony of flavors! This is a fun treat if you are doing an indoor camping night or a fun birthday treat. They are pretty easy to make and won't be around for long!

Brunch at MAX's Wine Dive

I would have to say the brunch is some of my favorite meals. There is something sweet, something savory, and there are always yummy drinks. For me, when I go to brunch time slows down and I get to relax, catch up with people and enjoy life. However, I don't get to go that often, so I am not really familiar with all the best brunch places. I heard that MAX's Wine Dive had a super brunch and the menu looked delicious! I had actually been there one time before for dinner and had MAX and cheese, which was to die for! I am a huge fan of macaroni and cheese and this one is definitely tops the list, so I figured that brunch would be just as good. Of course brunch stared off with yummy mimosas, so that set the tone for a good time. I got really excited when I saw that the MAX and cheese was a brunch option! I don't usually order the same thing, but this was just heaven in a bowl, so I decided to order it again. I was even luck enough to convince my friend to share with me, so I did get to try something new as well.

Enter chicken wings on jalapeno corn pancakes. I can honestly say that this is probably something that I would never order on my own, but boy was it good. The chicken wings had a nicely flavored coating on them that wasn't too spicy and wasn't too overwhelming. The jalapeno corn pancakes were delicious! The jalapenos provided a smokey note to the pancake, which was nice since I was expecting it to be super spicy. They were moist and fluffy and actually really good with the maple syrup. It was a little bit of sweet and a bit of savory in each bite, plus you got to pick up your food and eat it. MAX's is definitely some where I will be going back to for brunch, as I hear that their red velvet pancakes are heavenly. Guess that means I know what I am getting next time. Whether you are going for brunch or dinner, MAX's is somewhere you need to try, but make a reservation or get there early as it gets really busy.

Cranberry Orange Biscuits

There are times when you just can't make biscuits from scratch, so you need something quick but that still tastes homemade. Thank goodness I found Immaculate refrigerated biscuits. I invited a friend over from brunch and thought that I could throw together some muffins, but then life happened so that muffins didn't. I found these cranberry orange biscuits that would be perfect. They are made with no bleached flour, artificial preservatives, or hydrogenated oil and only 180 calories, so not too terribly bad for you. They come in a package of 8 and are ready in about 10 minutes.They are normal sized, so don't worry about only getting a two bite biscuit. These have real cranberries in it and are flaky and soft. They also come in blueberry and they have some pretty yummy cinnamon rolls as well. This is a perfect substitute for those times you need something quick for breakfast or a midmorning snack and I promise no one will know you didn't make them from scratch. Pick some up today and give them a try.

Delicate Daisy Wreath

The winter has come and gone and the weather is slowly getting warmer, so I figured that it was probably appropriate for me to start on my spring wreath. However, I think like most I have an issue with not having enough storage space, so I wanted to make something that was not so bulky, but simple and sweet. While perusing Pinterest for ideas, I can across the perfect wreath and it couldn't have been simpler to make. It used green fuzzy yarn for "grass" and embroidered daisy flowers to make a field of daisies wreath. Though the link only gave pictures and not the amount of supplies needed, I made by best guess and just went for it. You will need two packages of yarn, ribbon of any color, some straight quilting pins, and 1 1/2 yards of embroidered flower edging. This you will most likely need to find at a specialty fabric store. The daisies I found were yellow, so I used yellow ribbon to match. However, the ones in the original post I found were pink, so I think it's up to you on what color you want to go for. Keep in mind that you will need to find matching straight pins, so it's probably best to not go too crazy.

 The best part about this wreath is how simple it is to make, though I have to admit it is a bit time consuming. Start off with a styrofoam wreath and hot glue one end of the yarn to the wreath. All you do is just start wrapping the wreath in the yarn. You can make the "grass" as dense as you want. I made mine very tightly wrapped because I wanted it to look lush and for the stryofoam not to show through. Keep wrapping and wrapping and I promise you will eventually finish. It felt like forever, but it doesn't require much thinking so pop in a movie and you'll be done in no time.  

Once you get done with the yarn, it's time to add the flowers. I use a wreath hanger, so instead of using the ribbon to hang the wreath, I made a very small bow to put at the top. Next cut apart the daisies and attach them to the wreath using the straight pins. You can put as many on as you like in whatever pattern you want. I tried to do mine in a random fashion and included some on the inside and outside of the wreath. Now you are done! I told you it was super simple. The other fun part about this wreath is how versatile it can be. You can add some wreath picks for Easter or add some other flowers to it if you want to change it up. This is a dainty, feminine, and delicate wreath that will be easy to store and is the prefect way to welcome spring.

Nail Polish Saves the Day!

There is just something that makes me feel so much more put together when I look down and see freshly painted nails. I am not the one to ever have unpainted toes, even though a large majority of the time no one can see them. It's one of the simple pleasures in life that just makes me happy to see pretty toes. However, nails are a much different story. There is a lot more wear and tear that goes on with day to day tasks that won't allow my polish to last more than a day or two. With that in mind the effort of me doing my nails and having it last for such a short period of time, doesn't make me that inclined to have them painted all the time. Enter Sally Hansen InstaDry nail color. This is one of the fastest drying nail polishes I have used and gives you the perfect looking manicure in two coats. I was in a pinch and decided to go for the Sonic Bloom color, a bright red with a hint of orange. I know that it will be time to repaint my nails by the time I get done writing this, but with nail polish that is a breeze to put on there's no excuse for me anymore to not paint my nails. So if you are like me and some how can't make your polish last for more than a few days or need a quick polish change, these InstaDry polishes are the way to go!

Butternut Squash Ravioli

I know this is a bit out of season, but I guess better late than never..especially when it comes to food. I bought some butternut squash ravioli at Trader Joe's earlier in the fall and never got a chance to try them, so I recently decided that it was time. I am sure that they don't sell them in the store anymore, but in case they do, you should give them a try. If not, then you have something to look forward to next year. These little pasta pockets are filled with a heavenly butternut squash stuffing that has a hint of nutmeg and fills you with the inner warmth you crave on a chilly winter's day. They are pretty filling and would be perfect with some salad and garlic bread for a super simple and easy meal. Trader Joe's has some really delicious varieties of raviolis, so even if they don't have the butternut squash ones, don't be afraid to try a different one. Let's just be honest....these days the times when we need a fast dinner are becoming more frequent and though they aren't the epitome of a healthy meal, they are probably better for you than fast food. If you are enjoying things in moderation, then one pasta dinner won't kill you. Just make sure to serve it with healthy veggies to balance it out.

Cheers to Super Bowl Sunday!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! As much as people say this day is about football, let's be honest. It's all about the food. Whether you are doing a huge party or a small get together with a full meal or tons of snack foods, food is the tie that binds us all together. I know that beer is usually the drink of choice this day, but since I am not a huge beer lover, I am mixing it up and going with the wine (slightly less caloric than mixed drinks, though sometimes not as fun). I was wondering the wine aisles and found this fun looking bottle of wine called esteio vinho verde from Portugal. I had never had a vinho verde before, but I decided to give it a try. Plus the label said it was a sweet and fizzy wine, so I thought it could be interesting. Vinho verde is a region in Portugal and the name means young wine, however, I was slightly disappointed to find that this wine was neither sweet nor all that fizzy. It was slightly acidic, crisp and had some mineral hints. I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of a moscato, but it wasn't my favorite. I definitely tend to enjoy more floral and fruit aromas in my wine. However, if you like a crisper wine, be sure to give this one a try.