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These tempting appetizers will stimulate your appetite like no other. They’re also a great way to set the tone of your celebration. You can keep it simple with chips and dips or make it fancy with Caprese phyllo cups. Having a romantic evening with your partner? Kick it off with something naughty like hanky panky! Or maybe you’re going solo! Don’t worry, these scrumptious starters will keep you company. No matter how you plan on spending Valentine’s day, these appetizers will surely make your day....

Chicken Piccata I realise it sounds totally obnoxious to call this a “better” Chicken Piccata. I should clarify and say that this is a better one to me. This dish is a wildly popular Italian-American classic that I’ve tried making over the years following other recipes. I’ve just never been impressed with the results though, leaving me feeling that I’m somehow missing out on the enjoyment of this dish. I always found the lemon sauce mouth-puckeringly sour to the point of wincing....

Preparation Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party for kids this year or are bringing a dish to someone else’s celebration, we’ve got plenty of options to serve to your little trick-or-treaters; what’s more, these recipes will tempt them to eat something beside candy on this sweetest, spookiest day. We find the best way to encourage kids to eat savory foods on Halloween is to offer a combination of fun themed foods and crowd pleasers like mac and cheese....

Preparation Whether you’re looking for an extra-special dessert recipe to make for an important occasion—like a holiday, birthday, or dinner party—or want to close out a family meal with a statement-making sweet treat, you just can’t beat Martha’s Bread Pudding. In true Martha style, it’s a next-level comfort food, a dessert that combines rich brioche bread with heavy cream and milk, plenty of eggs, currants or other dried fruit, orange zest, and a touch of brandy....

1¼ cups chocolate milk, reduced-fat 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup egg product, refrigerated 1 cup Greek yogurt, strawberry flavored ½ cup Kellogg’s® Low Fat Granola Original Multi-Grain cereal, without raisins 1 medium banana, ripe, sliced 1 cup strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or combination, sliced, fresh 2 tbsp. powdered sugar 2 tbsp chocolate syrup 2 tbsp almonds, toasted, slivered Whisk together milk, flour, and egg product in a medium bowl until smooth....

This recipe comes from a new book by Lisa Huff (SnappyGourmet.com): Kid Chef Bakes- The Kids Cookbook for Aspiring Bakers. This is such a great holiday gift idea for the young cooks and bakers in your life!! I like that the book includes great, step-by-step instructions for the recipes. Nothing is complicated, and it’s all laid out in an easy-to-read format. There are side notes on each recipe sharing tips for substitutions, helpful hints, troubleshooting and food facts....

Preparation Potatoes, especially French fries, get a bad rap for their perceived lack of health benefits since they are high in carbs. Until now, that is. Researchers from Purdue University are changing the narrative around this root vegetable. As part of a new study that was published in the journal Nutrients, researchers found that eating potatoes and baked French fries actually helps control your systolic blood pressure levels even more than taking potassium supplements....

Using only 5 ingredients which are all healthy and natural, a base of green tea which provides many nutritional benefits is infused with ginger, lemon, and cinnamon. Combined with healthy eating and regular exercise this delicious fat-burning tea will help to shed those excess pounds. Learn how to make fat burning tea by following these steps: Related Video

“Gingerbread Boxes and Mason Jars are my solution for a Christmas centrepiece/gift which is a more sensible size than making a gigantic Gingerbread house that won’t get eaten.” Last year I made a Gingerbread House for my family Christmas dinner. Other than the fact that tins of lentils I used to stabilise the walls got trapped inside the house (I forgot they were there when I put the roof on) and that the house went a bit lopsided when I was driving to my mother’s house (hence the ribbon around it), I was rather chuffed with my efforts....

Grapefruits are a valuable source of vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants. In this recipe, we combine grapefruits with carrots and apples to provide additional nutrition and a natural balance of sweetness to counteract the bitter properties of grapefruit. Related Video

Shrimp is a great way to add protein to your diet. Not to mention, it is also a versatile type of seafood you can use just about everywhere. From being cooked in luscious butter and fragrant garlic, to being ordered in restaurants as part of the cocktail menu, or simply being mixed with fried rice, there are various ways to use shrimp. What Shrimp Tastes Like For those who are new to seafood or have no experience cooking with shrimp, they are actually decapod crustaceans....

Preparation Jetted tubs are a luxurious thing to have, but if they aren’t cleaned correctly, these tubs can quickly turn into a nightmare. Worst case, jetted bathtubs become virtual cesspools of gunk, bacteria, and mold; this is especially true with some older models, says Leanne Stapf, the COO of The Cleaning Authority. We asked Stapf to share a step-by-step guide to cleaning a jetted tub, which is something that should be tackled at least one per month....

It seems that too often, sweet potatoes take a back seat to traditional potatoes. Regular potatoes get a lot of the spotlight when it comes to being mashed, roasted, french fried and more. But… how many times have you been to a restaurant, party or social gathering and there’s been a sweet potato dish that blows everyone away? That’s right, when sweet potatoes do get their time to shine, everyone LOVES them!...

Have you ever tried to make one of Jamie Oliver’s 15 minute meals? I did. I made Ricotta Fritters with Tomato Sauce and Zucchini Salad. I really tried to make it in 15 minutes. I even followed his “rules”, where you start with all the ingredients on the counter, washed and ready to go, the pan on the stove on high heat and a full kettle of boiled water. It took me just over 20 minutes to get on the table so not bad on timing....

2 cups white sugar ¼ cup light corn syrup ½ cup water, plus additional 2 tbsp 1⁄8 tsp salt 2 egg whites ⅔ cup almonds 35 caramels 24 oz milk chocolate chips In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil and add salt. Heat to 270 to 290 degrees F or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard but pliable threads....

When it comes to southern dishes, I only trust the best. Paula Deen’s recipe for squash casserole never disappoints. With a combination of summer squash, onions, cheddar, parmesan, and sour cream, this casserole is incredibly sweet, savory, and creamy. The bottom layer alone is already such a treat. But the golden crushed crackers on top make it so amazing. I’m usually not a fan of meatless casseroles, but this one is an exception....

My never-ending quest to be healthy and feel great means I’m making small changes this year in my eating habits. So far so good… I’m cutting down on sugar, eating more fruits and vegetables, and subbing healthy grains like quinoa for white rice. As far as I’m concerned, those are some positive, healthy changes. There is nothing my family loves more than a rich and creamy pasta recipe. I lightened this one up a bit with a lighter cream sauce, and I used the whole wheat pasta to make it healthier overall....

Preparation West Elm is a go-to destination for household décor, and if you’re in the market for a soft, stunning rug, it’s time to check out the retailer’s offerings: During their limited-time warehouse sale, you can take up to 50 percent off your favorite pieces. Consider the West Elm Distressed “Nadine” Rug (from $1,219.50, originally from $1,355 westelm.com), pictured above. The rug has vintage appeal and is sustainable sourced with 55 percent viscose and 45 percent wool....

Smoked Salmon Dip I consider this dip a bit fancy pants because the cost to make this is probably about 2 to 3 times the cost to buy a tub from the supermarket. Whereas usually, I’m chirping “this recipe is better AND cheaper than store bought!”, like these copycat Gourmet Crackers which I swear is about 80% cheaper than buying them and I double swear that they taste better. But in this case, the homemade version costs more....

New on Parade Magazine‘s blog this week: 12 BEST FALL MUFFIN RECIPES… inspiration for weekend breakfast baking! Another new one to share: 25 BEST WEIGHT WATCHERS SOUP RECIPES… because it’s getting colder outside and because we want to eat light so we can fit into our winter clothes from last year! More new! » 15 WAYS TO EAT PUMPKIN PIE FOR BREAKFAST… without actually eating real “pumpkin pie,” of course!...