Healthy Recipe Books and Favorite Cookbooks of the Season

Nothing like a good cookbook filled with healthy recipes and beautiful photography to inspiring me to get in the kitchen. Whether following a recipe step-by-step, tweaking as a recipe makeover,” to fit my dietary needs, or just using the recipe idea launch pad for my own creativity, I refer to my personal library of healthy cookbooks, surprisingly, just as much or even more than going to Pinterest. Here are the new Healthy Recipe Books and Favorite Cookbooks of the Season (along with a couple past favorites) that I can’t keep my hands off this month.

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Blue Cheese, Cherry and Pistachio Spread | Low Carb, Keto

Blue Cheese, Cherry and Pistachio Spread is a creamy, dreamy addition to your holiday menu – or even simple snack for every day. Blue Cheese Cherry Pistachio Spread - low carb and keto friendly

As we close out these last few months of the year in high gear, it’s always nice to have a 5-minute holiday appetizer in your back pocket  – and this spread (or dip) is a festive, flavorful and fast winner! Even with a bit of dried fruit, this low-carb recipe can work as a treat for those on the keto diet. Read on to get this keto-friendly and low carb appetizer recipe. Continue reading

 7 Ways Women Can Blast Middle-Age Belly Fat

One of the biggest queries I get from my mid-life friends is how can I get and stay lean? Many of these same ladies in their 40s, 50s and beyond are telling me they eat well, they exercise, and still yet, they can’t get rid of the stubborn pounds that show up around their middles. And, I believe them because many are workout buddies and so I see the struggle firsthand. We can largely thank pre-menopause and menopause for this unwelcomed fluffiness. The changes can be so frustrating and stressful, that many (even the once dedicated) decide to throw in the proverbial towel and allow their fitness to turn into fatness . . . but that’s not healthy, mentally or physically! Ways Women Can Blast Middle Age Belly Fat

While we can’t completely beat the “the change,” there are ways to keep ahead of this stage of life and minimize unwanted symptoms – like belly fat.  Read on to learn 7 Ways Women Can Blast Middle-Age Belly Fat – you’ll feel better and you’ll #BeYourBestBeast – that’s the personal hashtag / mantra I live by! Continue reading

Autumn Crunch Quinoa Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Keep meals fresh, fit and seasonally flavorful through the holiday season with my Autumn Crunch Quinoa Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

Autumn Crunch Quinoa Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This quick and easy quinoa salad features a cornucopia of fall’s signature flavors including dried cranberries, shaved Brussels sprouts and pumpkin seeds. Plus, it’s all tossed with a homemade, “just-whisk-in-the-bowl” vinaigrette made with apple cider. Continue reading

Lower Carb Pumpkin Maple Tres Leche Cake

It might seem like pumpkin is on repeat here, but nothing wrong with trying to find another way to enjoy pumpkin this time of year – am I right?! Lovers of this seasonal flavor sensation will love my Lower Carb Pumpkin Maple Tres Leche Cake, a not-so-classic take on a popular Mexican dessert (which means “three milks” cake in Spanish).

Lower Carb Pumpkin Maple Tres Leche Cake

 

Not only does it (lip) smack of pumpkin spice and maple, this pretty much sugar-free cake is free of table sugar (duh), taking the cake down from 56g carbs to just 18g carbs (and 500 calories to 358 calories) thanks to natural sweetener alternatives . . . aka, it’s sugar swap time!  Impress your guests with this feast-worthy and feel good yet low-carb dessert for the holidays – hint, hint, Thanksgiving dessert idea! Continue reading