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I am hosting a holiday party and you are invited! 

I wish I could invite you all. I love to host gatherings. Unfortunately, I haven’t hosted as many as I usually would in this COVID world. But if I were to host one this holiday season, you would be invited, and below is what I would serve you. 

It has all the right things - fresh, healthy, and super tasty. A balance of good quality proteins, veggies, carbs, and fats. Ingredients that are minimally processed, not artificial, and mostly real food. Savory and sweet that you can feel good about eating.

Jen’s Holiday Party Appetizers Picks

• Crudite with Hummus - raw veggie slices with a favorite store-bought hummus drizzled with a bit of olive oil on top
• Goat Cheese Appetizer with Honey, Fig, & Pistachios - served with almond flour crackers
• Blistered Green Olives - tastes good warm or cold
• Shrimp Cocktail - thawed, frozen cooked large shrimp and good quality cocktail sauce
• Sweet Potato Bruschetta - a combo of simple and bold flavors
• Maple Rosemary Roasted Nuts - made with almonds, cashews, and pecans
• Fudgy Chocolate Tarts - the bite-size, mini ones

What healthy ones would you add to this? Comment below and let me know. 

I wish you a healthy and enjoyable holiday season!

Jen

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One Thanksgiving, my husband, daughter, and I stayed in this lovely bed and breakfast, Great Oak Manor. It is located on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. A sweet lady, Holly, and her friendly husband, Richard, ran this stately property with beautiful views.

Every morning she provided us guests with amazing gourmet breakfast items. Though the offers changed each day, one item was a staple--the most delicious homemade granola I have ever...like EVER...eaten. 

When we left there, I still craved that granola and so did my daughter. Many granolas, especially the ones you find in the grocery store, are full of added sugar and refined grains and don’t taste very good. And believe me, finding a good granola recipe is hard. 

So, I reached out to Holly and asked if she would share her incredible granola recipe with me. 

She happily did and the next day, my daughter and I made a batch. It barely lasted a week. 

Holly also agreed that I could share it with you all. So I am saying “You are welcome” in advance because if you try this recipe, I promise you will be thankful.

Some tips and ideas:

• I store the granola in overly large Mason jars.
• Be sure you let the granola cool completely before storing it.
• It makes a great gift around the holidays or when delivering a meal.
• For a more balanced breakfast idea, top plain, whole Greek yogurt with this granola. The Greek yogurt gives you added protein.

If you give this granola recipe a try, please share your experience with us in our private Facebook Group.

To your best health and wellness,

Jen

Holly’s Gourmet Granola

Serves: 10-12  

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups thick cut oats (not quick cooking)
• ¾ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (can use sweetened)
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup golden raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the oil and maple syrup in a 2 cup glass mixing cup and microwave for 90 seconds. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and set aside. CAUTION: the mixture will boil briefly with the addition of vanilla and cinnamon. Be careful.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Add the oil & maple syrup mixture and mix with a spatula until very well coated.
4. Spread the granola onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Stir and bake an additional 12 minutes or until just lightly browned.
5. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to a week. It also freezes well and will keep for a couple of months.