Holiday #Recipe ~ Rosemary Nut Mix #homemade #gifts #HappyHolidays #amblogging #food

I am not a crafty person.  I’m creative, in terms of dreaming up plot twists and developing characters, but the closest I usually get to designing gorgeous gifts or beautiful centerpieces is adding pictures I love with instructions I probably can’t follow to my Pinterest boards.  I’m in awe of people who have that kind of talent.

But I can follow simple recipes—emphasis on simple—and a few years ago, my sister-in-law, who always hosts Christmas with a dazzling display of gourmet foods and stunning decorations, served a nut mix that I just couldn’t get enough of.  And hey, it’s nuts—a good-for-you food, packed with protein, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.  Even with the seasonings, it’s a healthy choice compared to most baked treats.

So I asked her for the recipe, and now around the holidays, I make huge batches to share with friends and family.  It’s both spicy and sweet, and—warning—highly addictive.  I buy cute jars with chalkboard labels to package them in and add little tags with a personal note.  If you’d like to give it a try, please find the recipe below!

2 ½ cups of assorted unsalted nuts.  I use cashews, almonds, walnuts, and pecans.

2 T fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

½ t cayenne pepper.  Use less or leave out if you’re averse to spicy.

2 t dark brown sugar

2 t sea salt

1 T unsalted butter, melted

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Mix the remaining ingredients.  Toss the nuts with the mixture in a large bowl.  Enjoy!

A jar of these would make a great gift, maybe even paired with a book!  Reading is a proven stress-reliever, and we can all use that during the busy holiday season.  It’s easy to gift an e-book to someone via email, and it often costs less than the price of a card!  My latest novel is The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, a ghost mystery/romantic suspense that recently won the RONE Award at InD’Tale Magazine for Best Paranormal 2019!  This title was also named Best Romantic Suspense of 2018 by N.N. Light’s Book Heaven Reviews, one of the Top 3 Best Books of 2019 at Read Free.ly, and a Top 40 Pick of the Best Paranormal Romances of all time at Reedsy.  If you--or readers on your list--enjoy some spooky suspense mixed with romance, please check out the blurb below!  (This title along with others also available as an audio book!)

A dangerous ghost brings them together...
but will they survive long enough to find happiness?

After tragedy strikes, Callie Sinclair is left with a gift she never wanted—the ability to communicate with ghosts. But when a desperate widow begs for her help, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the strange occurrences at Hillwood Farm. She quickly realizes she’s dealing with a dangerous presence beyond anything she’s ever experienced, and something else becomes equally clear—the only other living person in the house, Mrs. Turner’s handsome grandson, thinks she’s a scam artist. While she’d prefer to just ignore him, her heart beats a little faster every time he’s nearby.

Luke Turner doesn’t believe in spirits. He’s moved back to restore the family farm, but living on the property serves a dual purpose—he can watch out for his grandmother. He’s not happy about the sudden appearance of a self-described psychic, or his inexplicable attraction to her. His initial suspicions crumble as evidence points to an actual haunting, but he’s still determined not to fall for Callie—the past has taught him it’s best to avoid relationships.

As Callie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she becomes the target of a vengeful spirit, and Luke can no longer fight his feelings for her. Unable to resist their desire, passion ignites…even as the paranormal activity escalates to a final deadly confrontation.

Friday #Fitness - 7 Day Detox Challenge #nutrition #health

While I usually cover topics pertaining to my writing career on this blog, occasionally on Fridays I dedicate a post to fitness, my other passion.  I've been a group exercise instructor and personal trainer for 25 years, and along with that comes an interest in eating healthy in order to fuel my body.  But of course, eating healthy isn't always fun--it isn't even always possible--and I allow my cravings to get the better of me more than I care to admit.  So when the head trainer at our gym suggested a (voluntary) 7-day "detox" for employees and members interested in cleansing their system after summer indulgences, I decided to join in.  Misery loves company, after all, and at least this way I would have the support of a group!

Then I saw the instructions:  (side note:*I am not a doctor--check with one before a cleanse*)


• No alcohol
• No added sugar of any kind (includes anything that ends in “ose”, agave ,honey, maple syrup, artificial sweeteners such as stevia and truvia)
• No dairy (includes whey protein)
• No grains or gluten (includes bread, rice, wheat, oats or gluten free snack foods)
• No canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
• No legumes (any beans or peanuts or peanut butter)
* Only healthy fats, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil

* Try and eat foods that are antibiotic-free, organic, wild caught, and grass-fed
* Fruit is allowed
* A gallon of water a day

I admit, I balked a bit.  It's so restrictive!  But we all told ourselves we could do anything for 7 days, and I'm proud to say that today is Day 5, and aside from breaking down and pouring some skim milk in my coffee, I've stayed strong.  It was especially hard on Tuesday, when we found out my son's mysterious fever was in fact mononucleosis, and he would not be able to play soccer for weeks, which was a huge blow for him.  I was so upset I could not fall asleep, and the little voice in my head suggested I go get a glass of wine.  But I resisted, and while I will admit the first few days of this detox made me feel horrible (apparently that's a normal response as the body cleanses itself), I do feel much better now.  And once I get to Day 7, I know I'll add things back with a greater attention to ingredients and nutritional value.

So what did I eat?  Here are some of the things I've relied on to get through this:      

I made an egg bake to eat all week for breakfast: - greased a casserole pan with coconut oil, mixed eggs, onions, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes and baked until firm.  Would have been better with cheese but all in all it was not bad.

To have a snack ready to heat up, I made a casserole of roasted veggies: eggplants, sweet potatoes, red onions, and butternut squash, tosssed with olive oil and rosemary.  Quite delicious!

I had bags of salad ready to go, which I garnished with black olives, chicken strips, and sesame seeds or almond slivers.  Olive oil and balsamic dressing.

Since mayo was not allowed, I mixed drained tuna with avocado.  Really good, if you can get past the green color!

I made plain ground turkey and mixed it with fresh salsa, with carrot sticks and cucumbers dipped in fresh guacamole as a side.

Stir-fry became a staple, and I did lots of chicken, peapods, peppers, and mushrooms in sesame oil.

For snacks, I did almond butter on apple slices, deli turkey wrapped around dill pickles, assorted nuts, and fresh fruit smoothies.  And lots and lots of water, per the guide!

I'm glad I've stuck with it in order to give my body a chance to get rid of the toxins it absorbed over a very busy and fun summer!  But I'll admit I'm looking forward to that first glass of wine...at least it's a natural product, right?  Two days to go!

Homemade #Christmas Gifts - Rosemary Nut Mix #Recipe

I am not a crafty person.  I'm creative, in terms of dreaming up intricate plots and developing characters, but the closest I get to designing gorgeous gifts or beautiful centerpieces is adding pictures I love with instructions I know I can't follow to my Pinterest boards.  I'm in awe of people who have that kind of talent.

But I *can* follow simple recipes, and last year my sister-in-law, who always hosts Christmas with a dazzling display of gourmet food and stunning displays, served a nut mix that I just couldn't get enough of.  And hey, it's nuts--a good for you food, packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.  Even with the seasoning, it's a better choice than baked goods filled with refined flour and sugar.

So this year, I asked her for the recipe, and I made huge batches to send to friends and family.  It's both spicy and sweet, and--warning--highly addictive.  I bought cute jars with chalkboard labels to package them in, and I sent them out to the people I won't be able to see over the holidays.  Here's her recipe, in case you want to try it:

Love these cute
chalkboard jars!

2 1/2 cups of assorted unsalted nuts - I used cashews, almonds, walnuts, and pecans

2 T fresh coarsely chopped rosemary - luckily, I have a rosemary plant on my patio!

1/2 t cayenne pepper - use less or leave out if you're adverse to spicy

2 t dark brown sugar

2 t sea salt

1 T melted (unsalted) butter

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Mix the remaining ingredients.  Toss the nuts with the mixture in a large bowl.

Yes, that easy!  Enjoy :)

And remember - reading is the ultimate stress-reliever, so if you need a good book (at a great price) to help de-stress during the holiday rush, try my new Young Adult Paranormal Romance for 99 cents - relive first love and lose yourself in supernatural secrets and suspense!

DIVINE FALL KINDLE

DIVINE FALL NOOK