Spiced Candied Bacon on a Stick with Chocolate Drizzle

The end of summer is near and that means everyone is going to try to get in a final few barbecue parties before the first snow. Okay, maybe it really is too early to actually reference snow, but what I'm getting at is that you need look at these next few outdoor parties with reckless abandon. Go out with a bang. Throw caution to wind and get ready to WOW with bacon on a stick.

Bacon on a stick isn't exactly the healthiest thing I've ever made, but  everything in moderation is key. A little maple syrup, a thick slice of bacon and a dollop of chocolate - it's an appetizer and a dessert all rolled into one. It's a bacon bouquet. It's food art.

Fire up the oven or grill, warm the chocolate and tape your mouth shut so you don't accidentally eat all the bacon sticks before you get them to the party. These Chocolate Maple Bacon Sticks WILL be the hit of the party. We need more meats on sticks.

Healthy and Delicious Chocolate Fig Smoothie

I greet every day with a smoothie and my birthday day was no different. Though I did yearn for something that felt a little indulgent I didn't want to start my day down a path of destruction by 7am.

My special day smoothie would involve fresh figs, I knew that much for sure since a few figs found their way to me via a local CSA. Chocolate just seemed to be an interesting compliment to the figs.  Thanks to the raw cacao stocked in my pantry I got a great antioxidant boost without turning my healthy breakfast treat into a diner-like fattening shake. The almond milk and hemp seeds pack in a big boost of protein too.

This smoothie is so rich and delicious, you would never guess it's packed with so much nutrition and protein. Start any day with Fat and  Happy love in your glass, you just may have to admit you like healthy foods.

Polenta with Ginger Mushrooms

In talking with a friend recently, she mentioned how she could use some help for extending her healthy cooking knowledge and skills. Quinoa salad is great, but seven days a week will wear on anyone's palate.

I choose to work with polenta because it's so tasty, versatile and easy on the pocket book. Serve it creamy with any kind of ragu or warm, savory topping and it's a hit. Or pour it into a pan and let it setup up (think jello with structure) then cut it into shapes for a Gluten Free bruschetta, sandwich bottom, or even for a new take on a crouton.

This savory ginger mushroom topping is a pleasant surprise. The ginger gives such a light, zingy punch that you don't typically expect with sauteed shrooms; it really moves the polenta out of the traditional Italian mindset.

Start with this healthy and satisfying Fat and Happy polenta dish and then see how many creative versions you can come up with.

Yummy Grilled Dessert Pizza

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Living the healthy life keeps me feeling energetic and youthful; but that doesn't mean I don't indulge in a treat once in awhile.
 
Someone suggested a dessert pizza at the end of a grilled pizza party the other night. It wasn't something I had planned but it only took me a about 30 seconds to start digging around for suitable toppings.

Almond butter spread across the pre-baked dough and then a layer of jelly made for a great sauce. A sprinkling of dark chocolate, coconut flakes and nuts became the topping. Finish the pie with a  couple of minutes on the grill to heat it all and crisp the bottom. Delicious and crowd pleasing!

Eat a mostly plant based diet and do get some exercise. And always remember that an occasional Fat and Happy treat keeps the dulls away.

Mushroom Brown Rice Risotto

I'm craving warm, hearty dishes due to a mid-summer cold snap. Can a dish satisfy those cravings and deliver a big bowl of nutrients at the same time?

Enter risotto. This risotto is made in the typical way of slowly adding broth to the rice which allows the exterior starch on the rice to become creamy; I just substituted in brown rice for an extra delicious nutty, nutrient boost. Add in mushrooms, ginger, garlic and the whole dish is a big bowl of healthy comfort

Don't keep this one till Fall, it comes in handy all Fat and Happy year round.

Asparagus and Quinoa Stuffed Mini Peppers

Spring time is the best time to enjoy asparagus, but with cold weather and late planting seasons, quality batches of these delectable green stalks are still available into the summer. It's a versatile vegetable and you can't really go wrong no matter how you cook it whether wrapped in prosciutto or dripping with a runny yolk.

In this version, I lightly saute asparagus with mushrooms, ginger and garlic, sizzle the mixture with fresh orange juice and stuff it a pepper along with quinoa. It makes for a super lovely presentation and it tastes just as good as it looks.

Asparagus is a good source of folic acid (helping our bodies convert food into energy) and potassium (an electrolyte that helps to maintain normal blood pressure.) These super stalks help us against pain, aging and inflammation.

So now you have lunch, light dinner or side salad that acts as Fat and Happy powerful as it tastes. Enjoy today before asparagus season fades away until next year.

Asparagus, Cabbage and Couscous Salad with Orange Sriracha Vinaigrette

Tis the season of outdoor concerts and movies and evening picnics in the park. It's also the time of year those of us living in the cold climates gain the opportunity to eat more raw food.

This is a fairly simple salad of raw cabbage and asparagus but it gains a bit of heartiness and chewiness from the couscous. The real kick is tossing the whole mix with the Orange Sriracha Vinaigrette- it's a great combination together and brings the vegetables alive.

Napa cabbage is a friendlier cabbage than most, in my opinion. It's high in antioxidants, folates, Vitamins A, K and C and it gives a great crunch to any salad. Asparagus is rich in fiber, supports our immune system, helps our fight against inflammation, has anti cancer benefits and helps to regulate blood sugar. Power packed nutrition in one fun and tasty salad.

Pack the basket, head to your nearest park and pull out this Fat and Happy picnic loving salad. It will leave the crowd comfortably satisfied.

Watermelon Beverage Dispenser aka Cocktail Keg aka Jungle Juice Jug

Sometimes you see an idea that is so fun you just have to recreate it. And it's a bonus if this idea boarders on reliving your college jungle juice days.....ok it doesn't boarder on it, it dives right into a frat party head first.

The Watermelon Juice Dispenser is case in point. I didn't come up with this idea (you can do a search and see other variation on this) but with the help of eager friends we carved this one up and it became the hit of the party.

It's actually fairly simple. Cleaning out the watermelon and turning it into juice might be the most difficult, not to mention messy, part.

A quick hole at the bottom of the belly, screw in a faucet or whatever dispenser you are using, pour in your juice and voila. Cocktail Keg. Drink Dispenser.

Below you'll find the basics to create this nifty beverage dispenser and then I list three watermelon punch recipes you can play with. For extra fun, I carved a little face in my watermelon. Put some fun in your next party with a handmade Fat and Happy Cocktail Dispenser.