This Gingerbread Spiced Nuts recipe is sponsored by Fisher Nuts.

‘Tis the season…for so much, right? The holidays for my family feel very low key this year, and I have to admit, I kind of like it. Between a new baby and transitioning into a new house, there just isn’t much extra time (or let’s be honest, energy) for stuff that really isn’t all that important as it has been in the past. For example, our tree, our stockings, and a few decorations are up, but I am wondering what’s in the 3 other large plastic bins sitting in the garage marked Christmas and if I really need all that “stuff”. I’m not missing anything so I guess I don’t need it right? Maybe next year it’ll come back out…but for now, I’m truly enjoying Simple. I’m also a little (a lot) behind on Christmas shopping (hello Amazon Prime), Christmas cards and pretty much everything else relating to the holiday..although I’m proud that I did get manage to get about 1/3 of my Christmas lights out in the yard. 😉

Like I said, the theme for this year’s holiday for me is truly…Simple. And it’s ok.

Speaking of simple, this spiced holiday nut recipe is pretty simple – just the way I like it! Although I mentioned our holidays are more low key this year, we are still spending time with family and friends and of course when people get together there is usually food involved. Spiced nuts are always a welcomed treat at any get together and they can’t be easier to make – take it from a slightly sleep deprived mom who is not spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately. These nuts take less than 20 minutes to put together and that includes oven time. You can package them up in a pretty holiday tin to take with you to a holiday party, or set them out for guests that are stopping by. Of course you can just treat your kids to some as an after school snack, I’m sure they won’t mind. 🙂

I was inspired by the flavors of the season when I made these nuts using Fisher’s Nuts. I used a blend of Walnut and Pecan Halves but any combination of nuts will work. These bake up in just 10 – 12 minutes, you know they are done when you start to smell something delicious in the air!

Happy Snacking!

(more…)

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**Giveaway Now Closed** Congrats to Erika of Itzy’s Kitchen!

You are going to want to make this granola. I insist that you make it, actually. Not only will it make your house smell incredible, but it is the perfect snack to take with you while you are running errands in the car, watching tv, or just playing around on the computer. It’s great sprinkled over yogurt or even some vanilla ice cream. I warn you though, portion it out because you might be surprised at how much you can eat of it in one short sitting. It is definitely addictive.

This Cranberry Spice Granola recipe is the first of many recipes I have flagged from a new cookbook written by my colleague and blogger friend, Kelsey…also knows as The Naptime Chef. I’ve been following Kelsey’s blog for years, and recently got to know her even better through writing for Babble’s Family Kitchen blog together.

What you will love the most about her cookbook (which is now available on Amazon) is that there is something for everyone in the book. The premise behind her blog, and now her cookbook, is that you don’t have to compromise on good eating after having kids because your time is limited. Kelsey finds a way to create and recreate recipes that fit into a busy parent’s schedule. And I love the “naptime stopwatch” she includes with every recipe, making it easy to plan ahead.

A few dishes I’m anxious to try are Orzo with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts, Soba Noodle Salad, Baked Sesame Tomatoes, Sticky Orange Drumsticks (my daughter will LOVE these!) and the Artichoke Lasagna. Did this list just make you as hungry as it did me?

In the meantime though, I’ll just continue to snack on this granola.

If you have never had homemade granola, then you’re in for a treat. Homemade granola is incredibly versatile, change it up based on what you have on hand. I happened to be out of the pecans that were called for in this recipe, so I easily subbed in sliced almonds.

The Naptime Chef's Cranberry Spice Granola

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I cut this down to about a 1/4 cup)
• 3 cups old fashioned oats, not quick cooking)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (I used the unsweetened variety)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (I used sliced almonds)
• 1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with a little vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, nuts, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gently stir together with a spoon until the oats and spices are completely mixed. In a separate bowl, combine oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup and apple juice or cider and pour over oat mixture. Stir the oats carefully and gently until completely combined and coated with the liquids.
3. Spread the oat mixture on your baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take your baking sheet out of oven and carefully stir the granola so that it will toast up evenly. Place back in oven and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven and add cranberries to granola, stirring to combine. Let cool.
4. Once cooled, store in a cool dry place in a container with a tight fitting lid.

Recipe from The Naptime Chef, with permission

Giveaway:

One lucky winner will receive their own copy of The Naptime Chef cookbook

Starts today, Saturday, March 10 and ends Thursday, March 15 at 12 noon (EST)

(Sorry, giveaway open to US readers only. Winner will be chosen randomly using Pick Giveaway Winner plugin application – winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be selected.)

To enter into the giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite snack is.

Additional Entries can be earned by:

(leave a separate comment after you complete each item, each comment will count as an entry)

1. “Like” Aggie’s Kitchen on Facebook. (if you already a fan, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

2. Follow @AggiesKitchen on Twitter (if you already follow, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

3. “Like” The Naptime Chef on Facebook.

4. Follow @TheNaptimeChef on Twitter

5. Share about giveaway on Twitter: “I want to win The Naptime Chef cookbook from @aggieskitchen http://su.pr/19C84T #giveaway ”

6. Share about giveaway on Facebook with link to this post.

7. Subscribe to Aggie’s Kitchen RSS feed.

(and of course…I’m required to tell you…)

Disclaimer: I received my own copy for review for this giveaway but as always my opinions on this blog are always my own.

The post The Naptime Chef’s Cranberry Spice Granola {Recipe and Giveaway} appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I stumbled onto this wing recipe on A New York Foodie right before Super Bowl Sunday.  Wings were on the menu, but I hadn’t decided how I wanted to cook them yet.  I loved the flavorful list of ingredients that went into the marinade.  Don’t be intimidated by the length of the list…what’s great about marinades is you do most of the work ahead of time, then the marinade does rest of the work while you go on with your day.  I let the wings sit in the marinade in the fridge for about 8 hours.  They baked up nicely and we enjoyed them alongside some crunchy veggies for dinner.

Caribbean Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 1 habanero, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 7 pounds chicken wings

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.

Recipe from Sunny Anderson, Food Network

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