Cinnamon Muffins With Quaker® Simply Granola Streusel

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

People may find this hard to believe but until I was 31 years old, I did not wake up in my own home on Christmas morning. I spent 30 Christmas mornings waking up at my grandparents' house in West Palm Beach. It was an amazing tradition and loved waking up with my cousins and grandparents all together to open presents.

Since Santa brought our gifts to West Palm, our immediate family had a tradition where Santa would stop by our house in Vero on the night of the 23rd and fill our stockings. Even as adults in our own homes my parents would have us all come over (and beg us to spend the night) and open stockings together before we left for my grandparents.

After opening our stockings we would all sit down together for a breakfast of chocolate chip muffins and chocolate santas. A delicious breakfast but one that may or may not have been lacking in nutritional value. We would always tell ourselves that we would be sitting down to a huge lunch at my grandparents house so we didn't need much. However, as the day went on we would be running late, hit traffic, or arrive to my grandparents to find that there was some kind of crisis with the traditional Christmas play the younger cousins would put on and somehow it would be 2:00 and we wouldn't have eaten lunch.

This year I am going to be prepared for a long day with a breakfast that is a little more filling. These Cinnamon Muffins with a Quaker® Simply Granola Streusel are the perfect hearty breakfast treat for the holidays. The addition of Quaker® Simply Granola into my favorite cinnamon muffin recipe means that these will last you through morning. The crunchy granola, dried apples, cranberries and almonds are a perfect way to spice up any holiday recipe.

These are best served warm with some butter or jam on the side but they can be reheated too if you want to make them the night before. I used Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Apples, Cranberries & Almonds but any of the other varieties would work great as well. Be sure to check out other flavors like Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Honey & Almonds and Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Honey Raisin & Almonds next time you are at Walmart.

Cinnamon Muffins With Quaker® Simply Granola Streusel
For the muffin mix:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Apples, Cranberries & Almonds 

For the streusel 

• 3 tablespoons butter melted
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup Quaker® Simply Granola Oats, Apples, Cranberries & Almonds 

1.) Whisk milk, egg and melted butter until well combined. Set aside.

2.) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

3.) Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don't over stir. 

4.) Line or spray a muffin tin. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon spoon one scoop of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle in some Quaker® Simply Granola and then top with a second scoop of batter. For a richer muffin, you could layer in the streusel mixture instead of the granola. 

5.) To make the streusel, simply combine all the ingredients together until the melted butter has moisten everything completely. The mixture should be crumbly. Top each muffin with a generous scoop of the streusel. 

6.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes of until the tops of the muffins feel firm to the touch. 

RITZ Crackers Christmas Tree With Goat Cheese & Fig Bites

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

Have you ever been to a party where you aren't 100% comfortable with the other guests? Like you know them well enough to be at a party with them but maybe not well enough to eat and talk with them at the same time? It's always such a dilemma for me especially when there's good food. Do I make myself a plate and then awkwardly try to eat and hold a conversation at the same time or do I skip the food and socialize without my hands and mouth full? Neither one seems like a perfect answer.

This holiday season I decided to save my guests the tough decisions and make an appetizer that can easily be eaten on the go without the need for making a plate or wielding a cheese knife. These Goat Cheese & Fig Bites are the perfect grab and go snack. They take my favorite cheese and spread combo and sandwich it between two buttery RITZ Crackers for an easy to eat treat that leaves your hands free for saying hello to people you haven't seen since last Christmas.

Not only are they ridiculously good but they are also really simple to make. I was able to grab everything I needed at Walmart including the goat cheese and fig preserves. My store usually has both near the deli but also check jelly aisle for the fig too if your deli doesn't have it. Also be sure to use the ibotta app to earn cash back on your RITZ Crackers too. 

What makes these delicious little bites even better is how they can be easily arranged into a Christmas tree to display them for party guests and make them even easy to grab in between conversations. I added a little extra garnish with dried cranberries and grapes but you can skip them all together or just go with whatever you have on hand. I used a cake stand for my display but you could just as easily set it up on a platter or right on your appetizer table. I can't wait to see what other spreads I can try next. I'm thinking cream cheese and pepper jelly or maybe even a whipped feta variety. For now I'll leave you with the 2 step recipe for assembling the goat cheese and fig version.

Goat Cheese & Fig Bites

• 70 RITZ Crackers
• 4oz package of goat cheese
• 1 jar of fig preserves
• green grapes and dried cranberries for garnish 

1.) Beat together the goat cheese and about 2/3's of the jar of fig preserves using an electric mixer. Let it set up in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

2.) Spread a teaspoon of the mixture on a cracker and sandwich it with another cracker. Let them harden in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. 

3.) To assemble the tree start with a circle of crackers (I used seven with one in the middle) and layer in circles as you stack.

4.) Garnish with dried cranberries and sliced green grapes. Serve immediately.

15 Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren't Pie

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I'm going to tell you a secret- I don't really like pie, at least not in it's traditional form. Thanksgiving desserts for me have always been about chocolate or apple or mint- anything non-pie really.

So in case you share in my unAmerican love of all things not pumpkin pie, here are my favorite non-pie Thanksgiving desserts.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

Pumpkin Spice Brownie Cookies

Gingerbread Twix Dip

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes With Brown Sugar Icing

Peppermint Bark Ritz Bites

Butter Pecan Toffee Cookies

Candy Apple Dessert Cheeseball

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Brownie Bites

Pumpkin Bars

Salted Caramel Cookie Cups a'la Mode 

Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Pumpkin Spice Ganache 

Candy Apple Cupcakes

Buckeyes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies

Dutch Apple Pie In A Jar with Apple Spice Cool Whip (technically not pie!)

Make sure to visit my Fall Flavors Pinterest board for more delicious recipe ideas!

Over 125 Thanksgiving & Fall  Recipes! 

Baked Brie With A Spiced Rum Pecan Glaze {Holiday Party Cheese Display}

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

 

I would like to think that I am pretty experienced when it comes to throwing parties. Justin and I love to entertain and ever since we have been engaged we have thrown an annual holiday party and big end of summer BBQ. In early years our parties were pretty basic. Chips and salsa, burgers and hot dogs, maybe a veggie tray if we were feeling crazy. As the years have gone on, we have continually felt the need to step it up as we get older. Better food, classier decorations, a wider selection of drinks were all on the menu this year.

Now that we are 30 and basically adults, I wanted to take our food, especially our appetizers, to a whole new level this year. Cheese is always the star of the party in our family so I decided to go with a cheese display as the focal point of the appetizers. It turned out perfectly- easy, classy and a huge hit with family and friends.

For the display I served:

• An assortment of Town House crackers
• Baked Brie with a Spiced Rum Pecan Glaze- recipe below
• Cheesy Chipotle Dip- recipe here
• 4 cheeses- two varieties of goat cheese and two harder cheeses
• Nuts- pistachios, cashews, almonds, salt & pepper peanuts and mixed nuts
• Grapes and Apple slices

Even with over 30 guests this display fed everyone easily. The variety of crackers was great because it allowed people to pair the various cheese and dips with different textures and flavors depending on their preferences. I loved that all I had to do for most of the display was set out the items a few minutes before the party. 

To save time and stress, I actually pre-set up the entire table minus the refrigerated items and pre-made the dip and brie earlier in the day. 30 minutes before guests arrived I put the dip and the brie in the oven so that they would be the perfect temperature when every got there. The dips went quickly but since it wasn't too hot it was nice to be able to leave out the cheeses, crackers, nuts and fruit so that people could snack on them even after dinner was served. 

Pretty much everything you see tablescape wise in these photos was purchased at Target either this year or during last year's after Christmas clearance sale. The hanging sign was a DIY kit that was actually surprisingly easy to make and the plates, paper placemats and food labels were all found in the holiday entertaining section. I got the little clear tapas plates as a nod to the mini cheese plates we had at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival this year and I love how cute they looked when guests made their own little plates. 

Justin and I consider ourselves to be "tapas" people and often eat our own mini versions of this on our at home date nights so the cheese display was a natural, larger extension of that (minus the dip and baked brie of course). I love how simple yet so filling it all is and I really feel like it added a nice touch to this year's party. And if my guests have anything to say about it, I imagine it will make an appearance at future parties as well. 

My favorite thing on the display had to be the baked brie. I love how easy it is to prepare when it looks like something complicated. You can adjust the ratios depending on how you like your brie but I try to stick with a 3-2-1 ratio of brown sugar to pecans to rum. Personally I prefer the traditional, butter Town House crackers with it but a lot of our guests paired it with the pretzel chips this year. 

What are your favorite holiday appetizers to serve each year? Do you have tried and true family favorites or do you mix it up? I would love some new ideas so be sure to share in the comments!

Baked Brie With A Spiced Rum Pecan Glaze

• Small wheel of brie cheese
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon spiced rum
• Town House crackers to serve it with

1.) Remove the brie from the wrapping and using a sharp knife shave off some of the rind on the top. This makes the cheese easier to spread once it is heated.

2.) In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pecans and rum. 

3.) Place brie in a small baking dish or brie baker if you have one. Top with the mixture.

4.) Bake covered for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until sides are bubbling and cheese looks melted. 

5.) Serve warm with crackers. Be careful about serving this too soon, the sugar mixture can get very hot so be careful. 

Enjoy!

Easy Crock Pot Christmas Candy & A Holiday Dessert Party {Oatmeal Recipes For The Season}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker. All opinions are mine alone. #QuakerUp #MyOatsCreation #CollectiveBias

When I think of food during the holidays, I don't think about turkey or stuffing or sweet potato casserole. For me, the best holiday food memories center around desserts. For our annual Christmas party, I always try to come up with new and different dessert recipes and this year I decided to have a "trial run" dessert party to test out a few oatmeal recipes I wanted to serve.

A few family and friends were happy to help me out and be taste testers and give their suggestions on the set up of the dessert table. Since we were serving a full dinner and lots of appetizers for our upcoming party I knew that the desserts needed to be bite sized because guests tend to like to grab something small right after dinner but then head back as the night goes on for a few more treats. 

I have a few rules when it comes to preparing desserts for parties. It must be easy to make ahead. It needs to be something people can eat while standing around and mingling. And there must be a variety of options for all different tastes. I personally find it hard to serve things like cakes and full pies at large parties and the single serving treats eliminate the need for putting out utensils too. This dessert table meets all of those requirements. 

As will all of my parties, I went with disposable where I could. The tablecloth, napkins, plates and serving cups were all purchased last year at Target during their after Christmas clearance. Each year I go bright and early on the 26th and stock up for the following year. I literally buy everything down to the cupcake liners for my future party. Going early means I can usually still shop with a theme in mind and as you can see this year's party featured a variation of traditional red and green stripes and chevrons.

I like to add a little height to my dessert displays because it makes it easier for guests to see and reach their dessert options. Individual cups of trail mix let guests snack on the go and then easily throw the cup away when they are done. This eliminates the need for people sticking their hands into things or having to scoop it out of a big bowl which will inevitably lead to trail mix all over my floor. 

This year's dessert table had a few tried and true favorites as well as some new additions. I served:

• Easy Crock Pot Christmas Candy- recipe below
• My Mom's Butterscotch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies- recipe here
• Buttermilk Cupcake Bites- recipe here
• Sweet & Salty Quaker Oatmeal Squares Trail Mix- recipe coming soon
• An assortment of Christmas candy

The Crock Pot Christmas was a huge hit this year and I have been requested to make more for Christmas day dinner as well. It was so easy because unlike a lot of candy recipes where you have to temper the chocolate just right or use a double boiler and risk scalding yourself, all this recipe took as throwing melting chocolate in a mini crock pot, waiting 15 minutes and then stirring in a few ingredients. You can easily modify this based on what you have on hand but my favorite combo is the one in the recipe below: oatmeal, toffee bits and peanuts. Just one of these is filling enough to satisfy even the biggest of sweet tooths. 

Quaker Oats are always a huge part of holiday (and year round) baking in our family and this year's special winter packaging available exclusively at Target was too cute to pass up. It was actually on price cut (varies regionally) and I had a great printable coupon so I was able to stock up for the season at a really good price. Be sure to grab some next time you are out shopping and visit Quaker on Facebook & Pinterest for even more holiday baking inspiration.

Easy Crock Pot Christmas Candy

• 20-24 oz. melting chocolate or almond bark
• 1/2 cup of Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 cup of toffee bits
• 1/2 cup of salted peanuts 

1.) Chop up chocolate and place in a small crock pot or slow cooker. Let melt on medium for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. 

2.) Once the chocolate is melted stir in the oatmeal, peanuts and toffee. 

3.) Line a mini cupcake tin and using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop the mixture into the liners. 

4.) Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to let the candy harden. Can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.