Easy Entertaining Round Up

Do you love food? 'Tis the season for hosting parties, gathering friends and family, and eating. This means a multitude of opportunities for cooking and entertaining.

I love food and hosting company, but I sometimes have a little entertaining anxiety. Will the food turn out okay? Do I have all the ingredients? Will my guests like the food? Did I make enough food for everyone? How can I make sure the food will be ready in time or at the same time?  Most people are at least a little concerned about entertaining. 

Let me help take some of the stress out of entertaining. Here are some of my favorite ideas to take the fear out of entrees. With this Entertaining Made Easy series, your fears will be eased, and you will become a better host or hostess.

I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. And, tag me, @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do. You may be featured on the blog, Twitter, or Instagram.

Easy Entertaining: 8 Simple Sides

Easy Entertaining: 6 Easy Entrees

Easy Entertaining: 5 Breakfast Entrees for Entertaining

For more recipes, tips, and encouragement from a registered dietitian (RD), follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Edition

Three Delicious Hummus Recipes

Easy Entertaining: 5 Breakfast Entrees for Entertaining

I love breakfast! I love to eat breakfast foods any time of the day. Breakfast allows you to serve sweet foods, savory foods, or both! I think that makes breakfast especially great for entertaining. Breakfast has an ease about it. It can be very informal but still feel special. Breakfast is approachable.

If I'm eating breakfast at a restaurant, my toughest decision is whether to choose something sweet or something savory. If that's the hardest decision of the day, you know that's a great day! So, I would encourage you to offer something sweet and savory when hosting a breakfast or brunch.

Here are some ideas for a great breakfast options that can be prepared ahead of time.

Quiche or Frittata
These easy entrees only differ by one ingredient. A quiche has a pasty crust with an egg-based filling. A frittata is simply a crust-less quiche. Quiche and frittatas are easy ways to use up leftovers. This frittata features mushrooms, asparagus, and cheese. It is delicious!

French Toast Casserole or Bread Pudding
I was making a French toast casserole recently, and I thought to myself "I'm making bread pudding for  breakfast." Dessert for breakfast; what a meal! I like the idea of a bread pudding because it can be sweet or savory. My RDtip would be to use skim or nonfat milk for the custard for a lighter French toast casserole. This French toast is peach and pecan. Peach is one of my husband's favorite flavors, and I love pecans. What a great marriage of flavors!

Pancakes or Waffles
Make a large batch of pancakes and waffles. Freeze the extra. Frozen pancakes and waffles reheat easily and are ready whenever you need them.

Parfaits with Homemade Granola
I love making homemade granola. It makes the house smell fantastic! I make granola about once a month with old fashioned oats, pecans, almonds, brown sugar, honey, and warming spices. I'll post my recipe soon. Parfaits are like a healthier breakfast sundae. A parfait elevates humble granola, yogurt, and fruit to a fancy layered breakfast treat. Add fresh herbs for a flavorful garnish to further elevate your parfait.

Breakfast Sandwiches
This is a great way to use leftovers from the week. Think about what breads you have leftover: biscuits, wheat bread, rolls, tortillas. Then, fill them with leftover protein: ham, turkey, egg, etc. Add cheese, veggies, and enjoy! Leftovers never tasted so good!

I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. And tag me @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do and maybe even feature you on the blog or Instagram.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

 Easy Entertaining: 8 Simple Sides

Easy Entertaining: 6 Easy Entrees

Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Edition

RDtipoftheday's Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving Edition

Welcome to a new series Friday Favorites. I will be sharing my favorite things from blogs I read, favorite recipes, and much more.  My goal is to share my favorite reads and save you time wadding through the web. Hope you enjoy the new series! You can also tag me, @RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter to let me know of anything you want featured on Friday Favorites. Also, tag me if you make any of my recipes. Enjoy this Thanksgiving edition of Friday Favorites!

Thanksgiving:
Are you looking for something quick, easy, and healthy to bring to Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving? Check out this Thanksgiving themed crudites platter. Fill the turkey with your favorite dip; I love light salad dressings or hummus with veggies.

A mindful eating tip for the holidays and everyday.

Folow my Pinterest boards and Thanksgiving board for recipes, ideas for celebrating healthier holiday, and easy entertaining ideas.

I love the idea of making personal seating cards. This would be a great job for the kids to personalize your tablescape. http://magnoliahomes.net/personalizing-your-tablescape/.

Holidays are for spending time with people you love. I would love to learn and cook with this talented lady; here are Ina Garten's favorite Thanksgiving recipes. http://www.instyle.com/home-decorating/entertaining/ina-gartens-favorite-thanksgiving-recipes#359797.

Recipes:
We celebrated National Sandwich Day on 11/2/15: Here are some yummy salad and soup recipes to accompany your favorites sandwiches.

Cobb Salad

Easy Tomato Basil Soup

Songs:
Have you started to listen to Christmas music? Or, are you holding off until Christmas? If you're still holding off, here are a couple songs about food or at least reference food or eating in the title.

Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
Jambalaya by the Carpenters
Sugar Cane by Missy Higgins
Falling in Love at the Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg

Did I leave out any of your favorite food-related tunes? If so, let me know in the comments below.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 


If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

October 2015 Favorites

September 2015 Favorites

August 2015 Favorites

Easy Entertaining: 8 Simple Sides

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you likely will have parties to attend, meals to prepare, and many guests visiting. It can be easy to get stressed out, but that's not necessary!  In this blog series, easy entertaining, I am sharing some of my tips for easy entertaining and recipes that are quick, easy, and most importantly delicious!  I am taking some of my favorite holiday recipes and giving them a RDtipoftheday healthy tweak. I'm excited to share these recipes and hope that this will help you have a happy and healthier holiday season.

To make entertaining easier, I would encourage you do offer a few different sides that are easy to prepare. That way, you have a variety of food choices, but you did not make complicated dishes. I also like to think about using different cooking methods to make sure you can prepare all the dishes at the same time. So, I like to make something ahead of time (think salad or crudites), something in the oven, and something on the stove top. This helps keep the oven from getting too full or trying to cook to many things on the burners. To help, here are some examples of simple sides made by me, RDtipoftheday.


Simple Sides

Crudites Platter with Hummus

 Roasted Brussels Sprouts

and Steamed Carrots

Green Bean Bundles
using lower fat turkey bacon

Butternut Squash Salad with Pecans

Asian Almond Green Beans

Black Pepper and Honey Glazed Carrots
add black pepper for a sweet and spicy treat

Turkey Crudites Platter
with Homemade Hummus

Cobb Salad

Great for holiday leftovers!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 


If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

Easy Entertaining: Entree Edition

Being a Good Hostess Series

Being a Good Hostess: Part 1 No Pressure Entertaining

Being a Good Hostess 2: Three Simple Steps to Meal Planning

Being a Good Hostess 3: Shortcuts for Easy Entertaining

Entertaining Made Easy: 6 Easy Entrees

I love people; I love food. So naturally you would think I would love entertaining. You would be right, but I sometimes have a little entertaining anxiety. Will the food turn out okay? Do I have all the ingredients? Will my guests like the food? Did I make enough food for everyone? How can I make sure the food will be ready in time or at the same time? AHHHH?!?!?

Sorry for the mini freak out. Most people are at least a little concerned about entertaining. The most fear usually stems from the dreaded entree - the center of the meal. Here are some of my favorite ideas to take the fear out of entrees. Hopefully with this Entertaining Made Easy series, your fears will be eased, and you will become a better host or hostess.

1) Casseroles
I love a casserole! You throw several things together in one pan, bake, and serve! They usually have a grain, meat, and cheese or sauce component. Who doesn't love cheese? Who doesn't love a sauce? Or a cheesy sauce!?! Casseroles are also  a great way to entertain because they stretch the protein or meat component of the meal, which tends to be one of the more expensive food items. So, casseroles are quick, easy, inexpensive and most importantly delicious!
Try: Mexican Casserole, Lasagna, Baked Ziti. . .

2) Build Your Own Salad
I love this idea! Maybe it's the dietitian in me, but if you are worried about entertaining, this is a great solution! Offer your guests choices. Try 2 types of lettuces, 2-3 vegetables or fruits, 1-2 crunchy things (like nuts or baked tortilla strips), 1-2 proteins (meat, beans, etc), and 2 types of cheeses, and 2-3 types of salad dressing. Your guests get to pick and choose what they like, and they assemble the entree themselves. I like the idea of having a couple "recipe cards" to help guests pair ingredients to make fantastic salads. Stay tuned for 5 fantastic salads.

3) Fajita or Taco Bar
This is another easy entree. Grill some chicken and steak or brown some ground beef or turkey. Assemble some toppings. And you are ready to have a party. Your grocery list would look something like this:
Fajita Bar: Corn and flour tortillas, meat for grilling, onions, bell peppers, sour cream, and cheese
Taco Bar: Soft tacos, hard tacos, ground meat, lettuce, tomato, onions, salsa, sour cream, and cheese
You have a party for under 10 ingredients!

4) Breakfast Bar
I love breakfast. I love breakfast in the morning, as a mid-morning brunch, or in the evening as "brinner." Sauce some bacon or sausage, have a few sides (think biscuits, scones, fruit, jam/jelly), and you are ready to start your day . . . or a party!

5) Baked Potato Bar
This bar is as simple as it sounds. Bake some potatoes a few hours before the party. Set out toppings - BBQ meat, sour cream, cheese, chives, broccoli, and chili. This is great for your friends who are gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian. You can pick-and-choose toppings to fit personal diet preferences. *RDtip: watch for gluten in some BBQ sauce and chilli's.

6) Soups
Soups hold really well. You can keep them warm through a party in a Dutch oven or slow cooker on low for <4 hours; always remember food safety! 
One of my sweet friends that I've known since middle school came to visit me recently. She brought frozen gumbo with her. That was the sweetest idea! I made rice and cornbread to accompany her delicious gumbo. I love the idea of bringing something with you as a house guest as a way to say thank you. So, thank you sweet Mal for your thoughtfulness. May Mal inspire you to celebrate the holidays and remember to be thankful for those around you.

So, those are some ideas for easy entertaining with easy entrees. We will go into more specifics in this series to give you even more entertaining ideas. I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. And tag me @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do and maybe even feature you on the blog or Instagram.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

7 Quick Breakfast Ideas to Jumpstart Your healthy Day

 Cobb Salad: A Quick, Easy Lunch or Dinner

Kids Eat Right Month: How Do I Make a Healthy Meal?

Spring Salad Recipe: Fresh Fruit and Spinach Salad

Happy National Sandwich Day: November 3

It's National Sandwich Day! Sandwiches are my go-to, quick lunch. One of my undergraduate professors banned students from using sandwiches in our meal plans. Apparently, all nutrition and dietetic students eat turkey sandwiches for lunch and "prescribe" turkey sandwiches to their imaginary patients for all meal plans! I still love sandwiches and never seem to tire of making them or eating them. Here are some yummy salad and soup recipes to accompany your favorites sandwiches

Cobb Salad

Easy Tomato Basil Soup

Winter Vegetable Soup

Enjoy these yummy accompaniments to your favorite sandwich. And, celebrate sandwich day! For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

October 2015 Favorites

Thank you for all of the love this month! October has been a busy month in the very best way. I finished some projects and got to travel. I'll be posting more on that soon. 
If you missed any of the posts this month, here are the top five favorite posts you visited this month. Enjoy!

RD School: How Can I Become a Registered Dietitian?

Tips for Trick-or-Treating

Using Technology as a Health Tool

3 Steps to Healthier Eating

Let me know if there are any nutrition-related topics you would like me to write about. You can comment below. 
For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

September 2015 Favorites

August 2015 Favorites