easy nutella ganache
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Easy Nutella Ganache Recipe (she: Susan)

BySusan

Did you know world Nutella Day was February 5th? You’re not alone, neither did I!

My children love Nutella so I’m always looking for new ways to use it. Typically, I use it alone on a sandwich or with peanut butter. I created an easy Nutella ganache recipe to dip some favorite snacks in. We dipped strawberries, animal crackers and pretzels- all were a hit. Ganache can be made with a few simple ingredients. One note- it doesn’t harden like tempered chocolate; it’s a bit softer. You should refrigerate to set it before serving.

Hearty Chicken Stew w/ Butternut Squash & Quinoa ~ Olives from Spain
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Hearty Chicken Stew w/ Butternut Squash & Quinoa ~ Olives from Spain

ByRebecca

Olives are one of my favorite foods! Maybe it’s because of my Greek ancestory, or maybe it’s because olives are just plain awesome. They’re naturally sugar-free and have lots of good monounsaturated fats. They’re delicious in salads, soups, spreads, or just by themselves. I love the variety of colors, flavors and how healthy they are….

This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a favorite Olive Garden copycat recipe. It's a perfect winter soup that's easy-to-make and family friendly! www.orsoshesays.com #chickensoup #gnocchi #olivegarden #chickengnocchisoup #soup
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup ~ Olive Garden Knock-Off!

ByMariel

Maybe it’s because I’ve had a cold since… oh, Christmas. Really! Is this happening to anyone else?? The never-ending sickness? Right when I think it’s starting to get better, the next day it’s worse than before. Sooooo annoying. Anyway, I want soup for every meal of the day right now. The hotness feels so good on my throat and warms my chills. Mmmmm…. soup.

One of my favorite places to get soup is at Olive Garden. You could probably relate, I’m sure. They have some great ones! My latest fave has been their Chicken Gnocchi Soup.

Grandma’s Amazing English Toffee (she: Kara)
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Grandma’s Amazing English Toffee (she: Kara)

ByMariel

Hi my name is Kara (friend and neighbor to the talented Mariel) I am a SAHM to 3 girls and one boy and wife to my handsome hubby! I love the month of February! I love the “love is in the air” feeling, the cute decorations, the color pink, giving my favorite people something special, and the yummy treats!

February also reminds me of my sweet Grandma that recently passed away. She was one of the most loving and positive people I knew. I have great memories of going to her house and eating the yummy candy she would make for holidays. One of my families favorites is her English Toffee.

Pecan Craisin Baked apples
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Pecan Craisin Baked Apples (she: Cynthia)

ByCynthia

Are you looking for a quick easy and delicious dessert for your family? Try baking these wonderful Granny Smith apples, filled with goodness! This recipe is so easy you can have the kids help you with the preparation. Not only can you have this as a dessert, you can also have this for breakfast served with a bowl of oatmeal. I’m sure you will fulfill your dose of fiber for the day.

I love cooking dishes that are not only tasty but are good for you. As they say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Keep reading to see how I put together these pecan craisin baked apples:

Buttermilk Syrup for Banana Pecan Pancakes!
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Buttermilk Syrup for Banana Pecan Pancakes!

ByMariel

Last weekend, one of my new contributors took me to breakfast. It was awesome, for several reasons. One of them being because SHE is awesome. (Check out her blog, Lindsay Ross Blog!) The other reason is because I got to have the yummiest pancakes that I’ve been thinking/drooling about ever since. And, so I made some. Bad, bad girl. I can’t stop eating them and I’m going to gain a million pounds! Aghhh! We’re leaving on a cruise this weekend, and here I am splurging already.

So, these are mega-easy. (Mega is my new word-of-choice, just so you know.) Oh, maybe I should tell you what they are first…

Banana Pecan Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup … a.k.a. Heaven, On Your Plate.

Coconut Cinnamon Waffles Recipe from @foodapparel
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Coconut Cinnamon Waffles (she: Christina)

ByChristina Lakey

Christina from FoodApparel back to visit! I am such a sucker when it comes to breakfast. Seriously, you start talking about breakfast and you have my full attention. I just love everything from a good hash to a smoothie to omelet to french toast. You name it! And I will definitely eat it any time of day. In fact, my family used to have Sunday Waffle Night when I was growing up. We would just cook mounds of waffles and find whatever we could in the fridge for topping- jams, whipped cream, lots and lots of syrup, fruit, yogurt…… This was a good day at my home.

Well, keeping in the tradition, I still enjoyed lots of good breakfast even after I left home. And I would visit my brother often who lived in the same city as me when I was attending college. He and his wife never disappointed with the meal spread. He introduced me to the idea of Coconut Cinnamon Waffles.

Russian Tea ~ Perfect for Sore Throats & Chilly Weather!

Russian Tea ~ Perfect for Sore Throats & Chilly Weather!

ByMariel

Sore throats have been rampant at my house. The minute we think it’s clearing up, it’s back and worse than ever. Bleh. I recently stumbled across a recipe for Russian Tea. I had never tried it before, but it sounded nice, hot, and maybe even soothing for our sore throats. But, most of the recipes I found had Tang in it and that sounded kinda icky, but I loved the idea of a citrus cider, as opposed to apple cider, which I had been drinking daily. I finally found a recipe that didn’t use Tang and I was so excited… but, I didn’t love it. So, I did what I usually do… call my gourmet-chef-mother and beg her for help. She had just the recipe for me and I love it.

princess cupcake tutorial
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Princess Cupcake Tutorial … Wish-Come-True (she: Adelle)

ByAdelle Belnap

Hey Everyone! It’s Adelle from Packed with Fun, the official blog for Get Away Today. I hope you’ve been having a great New Year! Over the holidays we put together a Not-Quite-Midnight Ball for my little princesses and their friends so that they could celebrate New Years Eve without staying up all hours of the night. You can read all about it here. It was a perfect princess party and one of the highlights was the Wish-Come-True Surprise Cupcakes. They were so easy and so much fun to make, plus the girls all loved them. If you have a princess party coming up, or just want to surprise your princess, try out this princess cupcake tutorial.

25 Delicious Freezer Meal Recipes (she: Mariah)

25 Delicious Freezer Meal Recipes (she: Mariah)

ByMariah

A few weeks before I had my little boy, one of my good friends and I got together to have a little “freezer meal-making” party. With our husbands happily playing the Playstation in the basement, we got busy. We went to the grocery store to buy all of the ingredients we would need and then came home and started throwing stuff in freezer bags. In just a couple hours we had 8 different freezer meals each, all ready to go. It was so quick, easy, and fun! Plus, now I had 8 meals that I could make for my family that literally took no more effort than dumping the contents of a Ziploc bag in a crock pot and turning a knob!

The Absolute BEST French Onion Soup You'll EVER Have
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French Onion Soup- The Absolute BEST You’ll Ever Have! (she: Kristi)

ByKristi

Good morning! I’m SO over-the-moon excited to be here today sharing my very first guest post as an OSSS contributor for 2015 – I’m looking forward to sharing here on the fourth Thursday of each and every month! If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, I’m Kristi, the gal behind making it in the mountains where I share all sorts of budget friendly DIY projects as we work to transform our builder basic home into a rustic mountain retreat.
I know, I know … everybody claims that their recipe is THE BEST, right? I promise friends, this one is the real deal! It’s the best French Onion Soup I’ve ever had! I mean EVER! Cross my heart, hope to die. But don’t take my word for it – go ahead and try it for yourself. It’s SO easy to make that there’s really no excuse not to.