Stay Warm with Chicken Noodle Soup

Whether we like it or not, winter is pretty much upon us. In fact, where I live there is currently a snow storm going on outside and with the entrance of winter, comes the colds and the flu. What better a way to stay warm and also ward off illness than to indulge in some savory chicken noodle soup!

You will need:

5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts – parboiled, cut into chunks
1 quart canned or boxed chicken stock
1 large white onion
3 minced garlic cloves (from the jar)
3 large peeled, carrots, cut into coins
3 celery stalks, chopped
Thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and pepper
Uncooked egg noodles, or ditalini – that’s good, too

1. Place the chicken stock and 1 quart of cold water into a large pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add all the veggies …

Relieve, Refresh and Revitalize with Cabaret Brewed Chocolate

Cabaret Brewed Chocolate is probably unlike any other drink you’ve had before. Made by brewing whole raw cocoa beans in water, sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice and reduced into a concentrated syrup, brewed chocolate is a light, chocolate drink with the same consistency as tea.

Taking inspiration from the ancient Mexicans, the makers of Brewed Chocolate realized quickly why the ancient Mexicans valued it so much. Adding a teaspoon of Brewed Chocolate to just 4oz of water, after about 20 minutes you realize something…different. You realize that all of your stress is gone, the day before melts away and you are calm, content and refreshed. Brewed Chocolate is the ultimate treat to have about an hour before bedtime.

This calm and relaxed feeling comes from something called theobromine, a cousin of …

Stop Buying Granola, You Can Make Better at Home

Granola has many different uses; there are several granola-based cereals on the market that people buy so often that they should consider buying stock in the cereal company, but you can also use granola in simple salads, hand it out in small containers or a serving platter to guests at a party, bring it as a contribution to a potluck and can also be eaten as a light, healthy snack for yourself and for small children. While companies certainly profit off of the standard, cardboardesque granola they manufacture, the big secret is not only can you make granola from home, but you can make better granola. Try out this recipe for maple nut granola.

You will need:

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips, (see note) or flakes
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup …

Halloween-Inspired Cocktails

More often than not, when you think about Halloween and celebrating Halloween, most people’s minds go directly to children, trick-or-treating and making sure the kids don’t eat all of the candy they scored during the night as soon as they get home, but Halloween doesn’t have to be extremely kid-friendly. I know some of the parents out there are going to get a little jarred when I let this news slip, but here it goes–Holiday celebrations can pack a little punch for the adults, too!

Really!? Oh yes, and this Halloween, I think you deserve a cocktail.

Whether you’re laying low this Halloween, throwing a fabulous party, or plan on watching classic scary movies after the kids are in bed, these Halloween-inspired cocktails are sure to be a hit!

Bloody Mary

(You knew it was going to …

Top 10 Produce You Should Buy Organic

Ideally, everyone would be eating the freshest and safest foods possible–Everyone would be eating 100% organically, however, budgets are tight and a great deal of people simply cannot afford to purchase a great deal of organic foods. That’s completely understandable, I can’t afford to eat all organically, but it is important to make sure you’re purchasing some organic foods, mainly produce.

Produce, as many may know, contains a great deal of pesticides if not grown organically and more than 80% of the most common pesticides are potentially carcinogenic, meaning that they contain an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the increase of its propagation. Scary, right? I know! Luckily, the Environmental Working Group has put together a downloadable wallet guide containing the worst and best produce, in terms of pesticide …

Deliciously Spooky Crescent Mummy Dogs

I saw these cute Pillsbury crescent mummy dogs in an ad on a website and because they struck me as a new twist on something I have made several times for myself (come on, who doesn’t like a hot dog wrapped in a delicious Pillsbury crescent roll?), I immediately went looking to see if there was an actual recipe on Pillsbury’s site for them and I was so pleasantly surprised to find that there was so I can share it with all of you.

These adorable mummy hot dogs will most definitely be a big hit with the kids, especially helping you wrap the hot dogs like mummies. The first thing I thought of when I saw them was that they would go over very well served with a hearty and warm soup …