Happy Friday, my friends! This has been a week full of testing out Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes, and I’m so excited to share them all with you! Starting today with these delicious smoked salmon filo cup appetizers, which true to this blog post title, are completely irresistible! I made one batch of these, and they were gone in an instant! So you’ve been warned!
These hors d’oeurves might look and taste fancy, but they’re actually incredibly easy and can be prepared the day ahead.
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What I love about these is that they’re perfectly bite-sized. As much as I love appetizers like crostini, they can be kind of awkward to eat at a cocktail hour. I much prefer to serve these smoked salmon apps, which can be eaten a little bit more elegantly haha!
Makes 24 appetizers
Ingredients:
2 packages of frozen filo dough cups (12 cups per package)
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 oz smoked salmon
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon dijion mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 packages of frozen filo dough cups (12 cups per package)
Directions:
Follow the directions on the filo dough cups, and bake them accordingly – usually about 3 minutes on 375.
Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor, and run until combined, about a minute. Add the remaining ingredients, and run until everything is incorporated. Spoon or pipe the salmon filling into the baked filo dough cups, and garnish with fresh dill.
If preparing these the day ahead, make the salmon filling and store in an airtight container. Bake and fill the filo cups the day of your event.
We’re already a week into November (what!) and Thanksgiving is just two short weeks away! I’ve been working away at holiday recipes, and am so excited to share these pumpkin white russians with you today! They’re creamy, pumpkin spicy, with just a hint of coffee from the Kahlua! Basically a spiked pumpkin spice latte – I mean what can be wrong about that??
In our family we like to take our time on Thanksgiving, enjoying conversation and catching up with each other for a while before actually sitting down for dinner. When I started working on this holiday cocktail, I was imagining how delicious these would taste while we nibble on some appetizers like these mini savory apple pies that I shared last week!
Ingredients:
(Makes one drink)
2 oz Vodka
1 oz Kahlua or Baileys
1 oz heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (with any leftovers you can make pumpkin spice latte cupcakes!)
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker half full of ice, and shake well to combine. Serve over ice, and garnish with a little more pumpkin spice or cardamom if you’d like!
Oh wow, I’ve been thinking about this post since this summer, and it always felt so abstract! Then I looked at my calendar today and realized that just like that, it’s here! Exactly one year ago I hit publish on my first post, having no idea what I was doing. Let’s be honest – I still probably have no idea what I’m doing haha! But that’s part of the fun, and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned!
Well first of all, I have to start this post with a huge thank you to you, my readers! I am so grateful for every article you’ve read, every post you’ve shared, pin you’ve saved, and every comment/message you’ve sent. It seriously warms my heart, and makes every late night and early morning worth it.
Ok, on to the tips! I have learned soooo much in this first year. I started out not even knowing what I didn’t know, and certainly not knowing how to get where I wanted to be. While I hardly have all the answers yet (what fun would that be, anyway!), I get a lot of people asking for tips and tricks for starting their blog. What better time than my one-year anniversary to share some of what I’ve learned!
1. Don’t Let Naysayers Bother You
This was really, truly, a difficult lesson for me. Hitting publish on those first few blog posts made my heart pitter patter out of control. I wanted my content to be well received and enjoyed, and I didn’t want to be made fun of because I was trying something a little out of the box. And you know what? Some comments did make their way back to me, but it helped me come to an important realization. When someone has icky things to say, it’s a reflection on them. Not you. If you have a dream, no matter what it is, don’t for one second let anyone else get in the way of it.
2. One Thing At A Time
When you start dipping your toe into the humongous infinity pool that is blogging, it can be so overwhelming! Every time you turn around you learn about some other thing that you’re not doing that’s apparently critical to success. It’s pretty easy to let that stress you out, because there is A LOT in the behind the scenes of your blog that you never knew existed, and only 24 hours in the day! So just identify one thing you want to learn that week, month whatever. When you’ve mastered that skill and it’s second nature, it will be easy enough to start working on the next task. I keep a biiiiiig list of all the things I would be doing on my blog in my dream world, and that way I can keep my eye on the prize and always keep moving in the right direction.
3. Invest In A Nice Camera
Buying my Canon DSLR is one of the best things I did for myself and my blog this year. You can take nice photos with your iPhone, but in such a visually focused industry, a nice camera is a must to take your blog to the next level. In a similar vein, I’m really glad I also invested in photography lessons. I had never used a DSLR before, and was totally intimidated. Now I will never take my camera off of manual!
4. Set Realistic Goals
Ok, I’m actually still trying to work on this one! So do as I say, not as I do haha! I’m impatient, want huge success yesterday, and set really ambitious goals for myself. The problem is that then when I don’t achieve them, it makes me lose sight of the fact that I actually accomplished a lot! Sit down and really think about what you can realistically accomplish in a week, month, year, whatever. You can always reevaluate if you’re amazing and leave your original goals in the dust!
5. Stay Authentic
Be yourself, and don’t try to imitate anyone else. I think people can really sense authenticity, and it’s the “it factor” that makes me excited to follow and connect with new bloggers everyday. This one also comes down to why you’re starting a blog in the first place. Share about the things that really genuinely excite you, and your readers will be able to sense that.
6. Just Do It
Not everything needs to be, or will be, perfect. Want to start a blog? Just do it! Trying something new can be scary and overwhelming, but that’s how we learn and grow, right? Don’t spend your life having a clear idea of what you want to do, but never hitting play on your own story. You only live once!
Now it’s time to pop the bubbly (or my new favorite rosé!), celebrate a fun first year, and toast to the year ahead! Cheers!
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It’s November, and cold-weather months are just around the corner! If you’re from a part of the world that experiences freezing cold temperatures, you know that the change in climate can wreck havoc on otherwise happy skin. Today I’m sharing the biggest skincare mistakes to avoid this winter, and hope it helps prepare you and your skin for the frigid temps ahead!
Mistake Number 1: Skipping Your Humidifier
The biggest complaint people have about their skin in the colder months is dry, itchy and sometimes even cracking skin, which is caused from the lack of moisture in the air. Adding a humidifier to your winter routine is a great way to combat the dryness. You can even just keep it running in your bedroom at night – that’s enough to make a world of difference.
Mistake Number 2: Continuing With Your Usual Skincare Routine
Since your skin is begging for extra moisture this time of year, your normal skincare routine just isn’t going to cut it! Adding a moisture-rich face wash, like this Luminous Cleanser Balm, will help keep your face clean and clear, and will also replenish moisture to your skin. By the way, as someone with combination skin I always used to confuse moisture with oil. This face wash won’t add oil to your skin, if you’re worried about that like me. It’s just gentle and doesn’t strip your skin like other cleansers. Every evening before bed, I also add this Hydralift Moisturizer. It feels super light going on, but true to its name, this cream packs a much-needed moisture punch. This cream is powered with hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture from the air and seals it into the skin. It doesn’t get better than that!
Mistake Number 3: Taking Hot Showers and Baths
Oh man, this one is so hard for me! I love soaking in a hot bath with a nice glass of wine after a long day. How do you know it’s too hot? If you start to sweat at all, it’s too warm. Another trick is to use a body oil like coconut oil on your skin before stepping into the warm water. This helps to create a protective barrier for your skin.
Mistake Number 4: Forgetting To Drink Water
This is the skincare mistake that I’m most guilty of! In the summer months when it’s hot, it’s a lot easier for me to remember that I need to hydrate myself. But in the winter I’m way more likely to forget. If you’re dehydrated, your skin will pay a high price. If you’re noticing that your lips are chapped, for example, that’s a key sign that you need to up your water game. I like to sip on hot cups of herbal tea while I work, and also keep a water bottle with me in the car. If your lips are already chapped, try this Smooth Beauty Balm to remedy the situation fast. I keep this on my bedside table and rub a little in at night, waking up to happy lips every morning! Also if you or anyone in your family gets dry skin around their nose from those pesky winter sniffles, I’ve heard this balm works wonders!
Interested in learning more about these, or other Ever products? You can join the group I’m part of here!
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What’s the only thing better than a delicious sweet apple pie? A savory one! After our apple picking adventure this fall, I was on a mission to think of all the best apple recipes, and I think this one might be my favorite. These mini apple pies are full of sizzling bacon, crisp apples and aromatic herbs, enclosed in a delicious buttery crust. Perfect for a fall brunch or holiday appetizer!
These mini savory apple pies are really easy to make, and can be made ahead of time and warmed up when you’re ready to enjoy them! I’m serving these as an appetizer for thanksgiving, and I love that they can be done before so I can spend more time with my family.
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1 Tbs pieces
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ice water
Filling Ingredients:
Six strips of bacon
One apple (I prefer tart granny smiths)
One small onion, diced
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
To make the crust, add the flour, salt and butter to your food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add the ice water little by little, just until the dough forms a mass on the food processor blade. I usually only use about 1/8 cup. Divide the two into two pieces, form each piece into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and let cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours. It can stay in the fridge longer, just take it out about 15 minutes before rolling if it’s been in there a while.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f. Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, and turn your chilled dough onto it. Sprinkle a little flour onto the dough and your rolling pin, and roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. (This rolling pin is amazing, because you don’t have to guess at the thickness! It rolls your dough evenly to the specified measurement every time!). Using a biscuit cutter or small bowl, cut 4 inch circles out the dough. Lightly press each circle into the well of a standard muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Let cool, and reduce the temperature to 350.
To make the crust, start by frying the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon to a plate, and add the remaining ingredients, apple through black pepper. Cook in the bacon grease over medium-low heat, for about 5-10 minutes or when the onion starts to become soft and translucent. Then it’s time to stuff our crusts! Press the apple filling into each crust, making sure to get them as full as you can. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350. You’ll know they’re done when the crust is lightly golden brown.
If you’re making these ahead of time, they’re easy to reheat! Put in the oven at 250 for 20 minutes, and they’ll be heated through!
For more autumn inspiration, check out my fall fashion posts here, here and here, and my pumpkin spice latte cupcake recipe here!