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With a little bit of planning ahead you can plan the whole day Christmas menu in advance, so that on Christmas day you won’t be breaking a sweat. I’m here to help you plan your holiday menu with Christmas ideas and recipes from breakfast, to appetizers, main dishes, desserts and cocktails, with many that can be made ahead. Choose Your Breakfast or Brunch Dish Of course, any great Christmas day starts with a hearty breakfast or brunch, so here are a few ideas for recipes that are fit to feed a crowd....

Like our stuffed tomatoes, stuffed bell peppers, and stuffed butternut squash, zucchini boats are an excellent main course for a delicious meal with your family. They are also fantastic for meal prep as they last for days. The secret to the best zucchini boats is to use the scooped-out flesh of the zucchini as part of the stuffing. We used the same technique for our stuffed zucchini with ricotta and stuffed eggplant, and you guys loved it!...

When it comes to food combining, I’m often asked what you can eat on top of oatmeal for a properly combined meal. Most people like to top their oatmeal with fresh fruit (which is also a healthy choice), but vegetables make an even better option when it comes to streamlining your digestion and reducing bloat. Fruit digests very quickly, and is also very cleansing. Because of that, people who practice food combining believe it’s best to eat fruit on its own, so that it can digest quickly and have its nutrients absorbed as efficiently as possible....

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. Eggplant caviar makes a great party appetizer or “zakuska”. It’s an old Russian favorite. You can enjoy it as a spread over toast for breakfast, lunch or even dinner, maybe a mid-day snack and when you can’t sleep at night because you can’t stop thinking about this eggplant caviar ;). I’ve been testing several eggplant spread recipes and so far this is my favorite....

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake Where are all my chocolate lovers at? This flourless chocolate cake is one of the easiest recipes you’re going to make all year! And because it’s gluten-free, it’s a cake that almost everyone can love! I know you can’t go wrong with most chocolate cake recipes but you really cannot go wrong with this one specifically! Why you may ask? Mostly because it calls for only a handful of simple ingredients, I’ve paired it with a delicious ganache recipe, and the final product comes out tasting like a chocolate cake and a chocolate brownie had a baby!...

There really is nothing better than fresh mango juice while mangoes are in season! Whether you buy them in bulk, find them on sale at the grocery store, or you’re blessed with a friend that has a mango tree, if you have a bunch of mangoes this is a great way to use them up! It’s sweet, it’s slightly tangy, and so perfect to bring the tropics to your home....

Nothing like a sugar rush at 8 a.m. to wake you up. Though I haven’t had a real cinnamon raisin biscuit in years (Hardee’s don’t seem to exist on the west coast!), I suddenly had a craving for them this weekend and decided I must attempt my own version. Not surprisingly, mine are grain-free and naturally sweetened with honey–> making them a much healthier option, without the dreaded sugar rush to follow....

The Best Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe Baking is one of my all time favorite things to do! Especially when I bake something as adorable and delicious as these Garlic Knots! Don’t let the knots scare you, they are incredibly easy to make. I’ve baked my share of rolls in my day, from these Classic Dinner Rolls, to Best Ever Dinner Crescents to these Brioche Buns, but I have to say these garlic knots are some of my favorite!...

Gingerbread Loaf I want to talk a bit about this gingerbread loaf, which gave me a hard time until I got it just right. Had to make it 3 times before it turned out perfect. My issue with the first 2 was that the middle kept sinking which did not make for a pretty loaf, tasty but not pretty. Fooled around with the recipe a bit, turned down the temperature in the oven and finally ended up with a beautiful loaf....

This is probably because my mom didn’t like the effort involved in making a crust. (I get my kitchen laziness from her– if it’s not quick and easy, I’m not doing it!) Why make a crust for pumpkin pie after making an entire Thanksgiving dinner? All of the flavor is in the filling, anyway. The same logic can be applied to this quiche. All of the delicious flavor I love is packed in this protein-rich filling, and the crust just seems like unnecessary effort that could be better used doing other things… like sleeping in, if you’re lucky, or playing outside with your son who wakes up WAY too early on the weekends....

How to Make a Healthy Peach Crisp This gluten-free peach crisp is easy to make, using fresh or frozen peaches. When they are in season, I love using fresh peaches because all you have to do is slice them up before getting started. I don’t even bother to peel them, since there’s nutrients in their skin! (This does lend a red hue to the filling, though.) When using fresh peaches with the peel on, I like to slice them very thinly, so that they will cook quickly and become very tender....

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,Had a small cranberry nose,And if you ever saw it,You would even say it glows. It’s true. If you hold up one of these Rudolph pops against a light source, you’ll notice that the cranberries do “glow” a little. Rudolph has a special place in my heart because I had to sing about him during a 5th grade winter concert. Tell me, who hasn’t been forced to sing Christmas songs (or any well-known children’s song) in front of a large group of parents?...

The Best Goat Cheese Cheesecake Recipe I mean, come on! Isn’t it beautiful? I wasn’t entirely sure what this goat cheesecake was going to entail but when I saw those figs at the grocery store I couldn’t resist! Figs are delicate and loaded with sweet flavors not to mention perfectly accompanied with a drizzle of honey and tasty pistachios. This cheesecake has so many different dimensions. The goat cheese is creamy but also a little tangy and it is blended into a light, fluffy, dreamy mixture with honey and lemon zest....

Super Easy Granola Recipe This is my favorite granola that I absolutely love for breakfast, and always use it in my yogurt parfait. There’s absolutely nothing better than starting the morning off by topping fruit and yoghurt with some healthy crunchy nuts, filling oats, and a little sweetness from the coconut and maple syrup. Healthy Simple and Easy Filling Perfect for Breakfast Versatile – customize with your favorite ingredients Granola is one of those perfectly versatile foods because you can do so much with it....

I can’t believe it’s Easter already, I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything. I haven’t even colored eggs. Oh well, it’s all good! And it’s snowing, yay, 2nd day in a row, but it’s two warm outside, because the snow isn’t really sticking to the ground, but it sure is trying! As promised, here is this delicious green beans and chanterelle mushroom side dish, with bacon and walnuts nonetheless. The perfect accompaniment to a nice roasted leg of lamb....

My husband was craving a hearty meat-and-potatoes style dinner, and that’s exactly what he got. Sometimes he really is a great source of inspiration when I’m creating recipes! We found these gorgeous tomahawk style pork chops and I had to find a way to make them shine. Since we’re right in the middle of grilling season, I thought it would be a shame not to utilize the summeriest of cooking appliances....

You will love this easy dip idea if you are in charge of making Halloween party food. In just minutes, you can create a “spider web” on your favorite dip! Plus, it’s a healthy snack during candy season. Kids and adults will love this fun spider web dip. Bonus Halloween dip ideas are below, too! Easy Halloween Dip Tutorial Start by making a batch of your favorite bean dip. (Printable recipe below!...

Healthier Beef Chili Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m so very thankful to all my loyal readers. It’s because of you that I keep this blog going. I love to read all your comments and I thank you all for all your support. Since it’s not Thanksgiving in Canada, no turkey roast here, but I do have a hearty chili recipe to share with you that is just to die for! For the longest time I used to be afraid of making chili, but it’s really one of the easiest recipes you can make....

At the end of the starter workshop, we each took home a starter for our own bread making. Starters that have fermented for a while can take the place of commercial yeast in sourdough bread recipes. We each named our starters in the class. The idea is that if we give the starters a name, we will be less likely to neglect it. I named my starter “Two Trees” because the Chinese character for my family name, Lin, consists of two trees written side by side (林)....

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. Granola Video Tutorial We always have granola on hand for breakfast at our house, and it’s such a staple for us that I included it in my New York Times Best Selling Cookbook. I know you’ll love this granola recipe as well since it is easy to make and starts your morning off with a healthy boost of energy without refined sugar....