DIY Decorate Your Own Cookie Bar

What an adorably perfect holiday party idea... thought of by me! :)

Melting Snowman red velvet cookies!

My gripe with adorable Christmas cookies is that they never taste good!  So I sought to make adorable snowmen that were actually delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Box red velvet cupcake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
cream cheese frosting (homemade recipe on blog, or buy pre-made)
black and red icing
Marshmallows
Rollos or reeces bells for hats (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine one  the box of Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix, eggs and and vegetable oil. Whisk.

Form teaspoon size balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking pan about one inch apart. Slightly pat down the top of each ball with the backside of a spoon or spatula.

Cook for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely

frost with cream cheese frosting and stick a marshmallow into the frosting.  Decorate with colored icing to create a scarf, buttons, arms, eyes and nose. 

frost the top of the marshmallow and add the rolo or reeces bell (if desired)

I only did a few with the hats -- mostly because I was really going for delicious on this one and I thought the hat was candy overkill.  But it's a matter of preference - if your guests have the sweetest of tooths put the hats on!

I also made some smiling or some sad they were melting...

but they were all scrrrrrrumptious!

Red Velvet Christmas Woopie Pie Cookies!

It's so easy, I'm almost embarrassed to post this - BUT they are such a hit, that I feel compelled.

Directions:
1. Prepare the DUNCAN RED VELVET CUPCAKE MIX as directed for cookies
2. Cook, Let Cool, then Frost!
3. Sprinkle coconut flakes between cookies and pat down on frosting.

They travel easy, look so festive, and taste delicious!

****BONUS****  I have also made these with pumpkin cupcake mix (nix the coconut flakes).  Similarly delightful. :)

Mock On Stage Pageant Questions for the Bitter-hearted Runner Ups

Considering I'm quite bitterly boycotting my identity as a 'pageant girl' ever since I aged out and didn't get one chance to compete in Miss America and Miss USA unfairly chose the prettier, smarter, taller candidate over me...  I've decided to make a new list of pageant questions for my loyal pageant fans to practice.

(But wait - I don't want to lose you forever pageantinas!  Scroll back a few months to get pages upon pages of real pageant questions, essay samples, walking tips and pageant diet do's and dont's)


On Stage Q&A.  All answers are.. well of course.. world peace.

Do you believe that all vegetables should be treated equally regardless of their color?

Do cabbage patch kids promote childhood obesity? 

Explain quantum physics using only facial expressions. 

How does eating Smart Food Popcorn contribute to a higher IQ?

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

What would you say to someone who doesn't believe in World peace?

Why are fried chicken pieces referred to as chicken fingers?

Please recite your favorite Popsicle joke. 

How long would it take a 5 foot snowman to melt in 63 degree weather?

If you were a painting, would you want to be hung landscape or portrait?

Do you feel that subbing butter for margerine is unamerican?

do you think the government should ban red velvet cupcakes for their addictive qualities? 

Do you think it's unethical for baby carrots to be taken away from their parents and bagged for sale at such a young age?

One Day in LA - as a local!

Greetings from the Entertainment Capitol of the World!  Los Angeles is known for celebrity sitings, swaying palm trees, studio lot tram rides and activity laden piers.  And while I agree that a trip to So Cal would be incomplete without a healthy exploration of the tourist traps, there is much more to Los Angeles than what fits in your travel pamphlet.

For the purpose of this insiders guide to exploring LA as an angeleno, I will assume you have already taken your hop-on-hop-off tour and checked off 'standing on the Elvis star' and 'noshing on a hotdog from Pink's'.   Let me further surmise you have strolled Venice beach to buy some hemp jewelry and embarked on the VIP tour of Paramount studios.  Excellent.  Now return your convertible mustang, put away your celeb hungry cameras, trade in your 'I Love LA' tshirt for some vintage threads on Melrose and let's see what this city of Angels is really all about, shall we?

We will wake up early, stop for bobas at Urth Cafe and take off down the Pacific Coast Highway for Zuma Beach.  After a healthy dose of wave catching, it is a quick stop at Reel-In for the freshest fish

Winter in LA

(APPEARS IN FALL 2013 PUBLICATION OF FGM MAGAZINE)

At The Grove Tree Lighting

While the majority of the country is bundled up and hunkered down in hibernation through the winter months, Los Angeles will drop to long sleeves and heat lamp weather.  Nonetheless, winter should be embraced for all its scarf wearing and hot chocolate drinking glory.   And this is how:

In my mind, nothing beats a New England snowy wonderland, but the holidays in Southern California can still be magical if you do your research. Nearly every night from Thanksgiving to the New Year marks a different public celebration.  My holiday activity checklist includes at least one tree lighting, a stroll down Rodeo Drive at night, The Marina del Rey boat parade, ice skating and maybe even a trip to one of the theme parks.  For tree lightings, The Grove and The Americana both put on impressive shows with 100 foot trees, special guest performances and even

Healthy Pumpkin Soup!

(AS POSTED FOR CARE-PILOT 11/2013)

Healthy Pumpkin Soup

Let's talk pumpkin, shall we?  This fall favorite packs a significant source of vitamin A and is high in fiber.  A serving of pumpkin contains over 3 grams of iron, which keeps our immune systems running properly and helps us stay cold-free.  Furthermore, the nutrients that give the vegetable it's beautiful orange hue have been suggested to protect us from developing lung cancer, prevent heart disease, and reduce inflammation.  Pumpkin packs a punch!

With temperatures dropping, I thought what better way to incorporate more pumpkin into my diet than with a delicious and nutritious pumpkin soup!  Now I used a crockpot, but the recipe can be made just the same in a stovetop pan under medium-low heat!


Hope you enjoy this recipe, I know your body will!

Chelsea's Healthy Pumpkin Soup

What you'll need:

-2 pie pumpkins, or 2 cans of pumpkin puree
-1 cup apple cider or apple juice

Beat the Holiday Stress!

BEAT THE HOLIDAY STRESS! (PUBLISHED AT CAREPILOT.COM NOVEMBER 2013)

 From watching a loved one open a thoughtful present to decorating every corner of my home, the holidays still awash me with a magical joy.  While this feeling does brings me back to my childhood, the merriment isn't quite the same.  And no, it is not because I discovered Santa's secret.  It is because the holidays are now clouded with a heavy stress.

Will I be able to buy everyone presents?  Are my presents good enough? How can I find the time to throw this holiday party?  Will my kids be disappointed?  How come I can't just stop after one cookie?

...and, unfortunately, the list goes on.  Even for a deck-the-halls diehard like myself, the holiday stress can be suffocating.  But not this year.  I've devised a fool proof plan to keep our merriment high and our stress levels low this season!

1. Gift Giving.  Contrary to what the department stores want us to believe, the emphasis does not have to be on buying the most lavish presents for your loved ones.  Start with a budget, and then stick to it.

The BEST Healthy Apple Crisp

(PUBLISHED ON CAREPILOT.COM, NOVEMBER 2013)

The age old saying "An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away" holds quite a bit of truth.  Not only are apples rich with antioxidants, they also provide an impressive amount of fiber.  This perfect handheld snack carries Vitamin C, b complex vitamins that keep the nervous system functioning properly, and phytonutrients to help protect the body from the effects of free radicals.  As if that wasn't enough, apples are also rich in calcium, potassium and phosphorus!

Apples are a great snack year round, but is there is nothing more quintessential for fall than apple picking.  I thoroughly enjoy dragging in an overflowing bag of hand picked apples, but there are only so many apples I can snack on each day before my prized fruit starts to go bad.   Most will turn to

Healthy Chicken Piccata

Chicken is a staple for dieters looking to trim down and tone up.  But there is only so many nights we can grill chicken and serve it with steamed vegetables before we turn to pizza and pasta out of boredom.

So this week I took one of my favorite chicken dishes, chicken piccata and tweeked it into the most healthy version I could.

Chicken piccata is simple. A lemon and caper sauce over pan fried chicken.  And what better way to jazz up chicken then with lemon.   Lemons aid in keeping your immune system in top shape, help cleanse the liver, and are packed with vitamin C, citric acid and magnesium!

So throw on the apron, pull out the fancy plates and get ready to impress with my quick, easy, and healthy chicken piccata recipe.

What you will need:

INGREDIENTS
-chicken breasts (1 breast per person)
-whole wheat flour