A treasury bonanza (treasury Tuesday).

Hello! It's been a while so I wanted to pop in to say "Hi," and to let y'all know I'm still alive and kicking over here. Life's been pretty busy recently, and I just haven't had the time or energy to blog. With the holidays coming up December's guaranteed to be another busy month as well. I'm hoping to get back to blogging regularly in the new year. For now, enjoy these lovely treasuries that I've been featured in this month.

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!

Literary Second Life

San Diego Red Gold & White Christmas

Geographia

Cute and Quirky Christmas

Het Wilhelmus!

Healthy recipe substitutions (guest post by Bridget Sanderford).

Today I'd like to introduce you to Bridget Sanderford. She is a freelance writer for CulinarySchools.org, which is an excellent resource for anyone who is thinking of attending a culinary art school. She's sharing some of her best tips and tricks to make healthy substitutions in your recipes with us (I added the photos). Take it away Bridget!

Healthy Recipe Substitutions

Cakes and cookies are delicious treats, but they aren't necessarily the best foods for you to eat. Some of our favorite foods are often loaded with too much fat and sugar, making them unhealthy indulgences. However, that doesn't mean we have to avoid these treats completely or only enjoy them once in a blue moon.

Lighten these cuties up!

There are many healthy substitutions you can use to make your recipes healthier so you can enjoy your favorites more often and without guilt. Here are a few common substitutions you can try to make your recipes healthier:

Sugars

Refined sugars plague a number of dishes, especially baked goods. However, you can use natural sweeteners to make these dishes just as sweet while also improving their nutrient profile. Here are a few ideas:

• Unsweetened applesauce. Substitute one-to-one in place of sugar.
• Vanilla. Use half the sugar and add a teaspoon of vanilla to enhance flavor while reducing overall sugar.
• Cacao. Chocolate starts as cacao and then lots of sugar and milk is added. Cacao gives you the flavor without all the extras.

Some other substitutions include:

• Stevia (a natural herb with zero calories)
• Raw honey
• Dates
• Fruit

You will have to experiment with these ingredients to determine the amounts to substitute to make up for the same sweetness as sugar. 

Image source

Fats

Butter, oils, and cream are in so many dishes, both sweet and savory. Fortunately, there are many healthy recipe swaps you can make so that these dishes aren't as fatty. Here are a few ideas:

• Cooking spray. Use this to line your pans or skillets instead of butter or oil.
• Egg whites. Use two egg whites instead of a whole egg.
• Greek yogurt. Use in place of sour cream for less fat and far more nutrients.
• Evaporated skim milk. Use one-to-one in place of cream.

Some other possible substitutions include:

• Broth
• Avocado
• Prunes
• Bananas
• Applesauce

Many of these can be substituted in place of butter or oil. You must experiment with your particular recipe to find out what ratios work best to preserve flavor.

Of course, there are also many fat-free or reduced-fat versions of foods such as meats and dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheeses. Opting for lower-fat versions is an easy way to cut the fat without making substitutions or sacrificing flavor.

Image source

You don't have to give up on your favorites dishes because they are loaded with unhealthy ingredients such as fat and sugar. You can try some of these substitutions to make healthier versions of those dishes so  you can enjoy them whenever you want.

What are your favorite recipe substitutions to make your dishes healthier? Share your tips in the comments!

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance writer and researcher for Culinaryschools.org, where recently she’s been researching pastry chef degrees and top culinary art schools. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting, and working on her first cookbook.

I link up to these parties.

Removing jar labels (testing Pinterest).

If you're anything like me, you have about a gazillion things pinned that you want to try out "someday." Well, last week I decided that "someday" had finally come for a few of those pins. The first one I tested was this pin from Don't Waste the Crumbs on removing stubborn jar labels.

Jars make simple and sweet vases when they are all cleaned up.

Fall in red (treasury Tuesday).

This collection makes my heart happy. Red is perfect for this season.

Fall in Red by Yenny Cocq

Mini rum cake (recipe).

This rum cake recipe is one of my go-to desserts to make. It always gets a fabulous reception, and there's never any leftovers (and easy to make too!). In fact, I've already shared this recipe once as a bundt cake. The other day, I decided to try making mini versions using muffin tins, so that I could bring some to a few friends, and keep some for myself. I quickly whipped up the batter, portioned it out, put it in the oven, then thought to myself "Wow, this cake is so easy to make!" Then I noticed the box of vanilla pudding that was still sitting on the counter... oops!

Crazy things we tell kids (silly stuff).

The other day, I happened upon this comment thread about the crazy things that our mothers told us, and that we tell our children. I was cracking up reading it, and it made me think of some of the crazy things my mom used to tell me too (let's just say wild imaginations run in my family). Now some of these are just plain silly, some of them are borderline genius, and a few of them are almost mean, but they all amused me. 

image source

Since reading through the entire comment thread is slightly time consuming (I think I giggled at least an hour of time away), I decided to condense it into a list. Most of these are adapted from the Reddit thread, and a few are sprinkled in from my childhood (see if you can guess which ones).

Peanut butter and apple sweethearts (Get your chef on).

It's time for the third Get Your Chef On challenge, and this edition is all about peanut butter! To be honest, time sort of snuck up on me. I had grand illusions of baking, but the weather never cooled down enough to turn on the oven, so this is sort of an un-recipe (but pretty darn cute if you ask me).