You can watch the video below to see how easy and fast this charcuterie board is to make!

Keep the ingredients simple!
Everything I used to make these date night Valentine’s Day charcuterie boards:

Thin Crisp Triangle Triscuits
Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Everything Flavor
Raspberry Jam
Candy Hearts
Mini Chocolate Bars
3 Pepper Colby Jack Cheese
Cranberry Cheddar Cheese
Peppered Salami
Purple M&Ms
Grapes
Salted Mixed Nuts
Kombucha

Some of my favorite movies to watch on Valentine’s Day

1. The Proposal
2. You’ve Got Mail
3. My Best Friend’s Wedding
4. Pretty Woman
5. 13 Going on 30
6. Notting Hill
7. How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
8. Wedding Planner
9. 27 Dresses
10. The Best of Me
11. A Walk to Remember
12. The Last Song
13. Never Been Kissed
14. Dirty Dancing
15. Just go With it

More charcuterie boards you may love!

Question for you!

1. Are you a sweet and savory mixer?
2. Candy hearts or chocolate bars?
3. What is your favorite romcom?

I had so many people asking for this recipe when I made it on the 4th of July! It is delicious, but look how pretty and refreshing it is for summer! You can customize this recipe in many ways. Change up the pasta, swap the cheeses, and use different vegetables or meats.

One of the best parts about this recipe is how easy and quick it is to make. There is no baking involved, and it’s a great last-minute option if you’re heading to a summer party or need a last-minute dish for a potluck.
 

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Ultimate Summer Pasta Salad

The easiest summer pasta salad to throw together!

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword charcuterie, pasta salad, summer, potluck, salad, refreshing, no bake, party, appetizer, cheese

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 4-5 Cups Cooked Spiral Pasta you can use gluten-free!
• 1/4 Cup Italian Dressing I used Olive Garden's
• 1 1/2 Cups Diced Pepperoni
• 1 1/2 Cups Diced Salami
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 1/2 Cup Cubed Cheddar Cheese
• 1 1/2 Cup Cubed Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 Small DicedRed Onion
• 2 Cups Sliced Grape Tomatoes
• 1 1/2 Cups Diced Cucumber
• 2 Cups Cannellini Beans
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Onion Salt
• 1 Tsp Honey

Instructions

• Toss all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and top with parsley.

  Add more Italian dressing if you you wish!
• Serve cold!

Questions for you!

1. Are you a fan of summer pasta salads?
2. Do you feel like the months are flying by?
3. What are you most excited about this summer?

This week has been flying by. I finished up my grocery shopping yesterday before the aisles go empty. We have a 100% chance of snow on Sunday, which is unheard of for South Carolina! I am so excited because I love the snow, and it’s even more special when it comes only once a year. But snowstorms down here mean the roads shut down, the grocery stores go empty, and people don’t know how to react. Being from Iowa, we used to have to drive to school in piles of snow, and roads were plowed before we even woke up. I can’t say I miss it, though! I would never trade in my December 70-degree weather for that.

Last Sunday, I made the most delicious baked jalapeño Burger wontons for dinner to go with our Caesar salad. We used to make these jalapeño burgers in the summer, so Kyle wanted to try them rolled up in a wonton. They were so good, and between the two of us, there were only a few wontons leftover! This is a great last-minute recipe idea to whip up if you have people coming over or for a Superbowl appetizer. It took about ten minutes to prepare and ten minutes to bake. We dipped ours in ketchup, but they would also be good in a cheese sauce or aioli.
 

I love using wontons for appetizers because the combo possibility is literally endless. 

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Cheesy Jalapeño Burger Baked Wontons

Tasty little appetizers that are easy to make!

Course Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword wontons, appetizers, burger, dinner, hamburger, jalapeño, cheese, cream cheese, party food, snacks, fun dinner recipe, finger food

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Wontons

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Lb Hamburger Meat (turkey or beef)
• 1/2 Small Yellow Onion chopped
• 2 Medium Jalapeños chopped
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese
• 24 Small Wontons

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees
• In a bowl, combine hamburger meat, chopped onions, chopped jalapeños, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and brown sugar together.
• Add the mixture to a pan on medium-high. Cook the meat thoroughly, and mix in the cream cheese.
• Evenly distribute the filling onto the centers of the wontons. Roll them tightly, and add them to a baking sheet.

  optional* I brushed the leftover grease from the pan onto the tops of the wontons to give them a golden finish
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Use ketchup or a creamy aioli for dipping sauce!

I hope you enjoy these easy cheesy appetizers!

Questions for you!

1. What filling flavor should I add to wontons next?
2. Are you expecting snow this weekend?

I didn’t know what to do with the rest of my day because I originally planned on spending my day traveling, so I started cleaning, repacking, and thought, “heck, why not blog since I’ll be leaving my computer behind!” I will get lost in a new book this weekend instead of spending it on screen time. One of my goals for the new year is to start my book club again, but maybe with fewer books each month to keep the expectations reasonable! Hoping this weekend sparks my book club interest back up.
Yesterday, I made one of my mom’s recipes for a fun snacking tray. My parents are staying at our house while we are gone, so I stocked up the fridge with a few of their favorites. Since I was a little girl, my mom has been making this cheeseball recipe. She made it on Christmas Eve, Superbowl, and anytime we had people over for a party. If you’ve been a long-time reader, you’ve probably already seen it on the blog. I usually keep it in a ball shape or form it into a football. I thought it would be fun to reshape it into a tree to keep it festive for the holidays. I was so happy with how cute it turned out! You should make this if you have any holiday parties coming up. It’ takes about 20-minutes, doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, and it’s delicious. People will be begging you for the recipe! During my demonstration speech class my senior year, I made this recipe, and it was a big hit.

I always use red and green bell peppers to make it seasonal in December. The combination of the red and bell pepper adds so much more flavor to the dip. If you’re not a big fan of peppers, you can leave them out or add less. If you want to spice this recipe up, you can add jalapeno peppers or jalapeno powder.

This dip reminds me a lot of the pimento cheese dip you get at the grocery store (but way better.)
 You can use your hands to mix all the ingredients or an electric mixer. Definitely keep the mixer on low if you decide to go that route. Make sure to grab your spoon and give it a taste test. Determine if you need more garlic, onion, orange, lemon, or pepper! I always end up adding more orange or garlic.

If you’re going the low-carb route this Christmas, this cheeseball is deliciously dipped with cucumber, carrots, and celery! If you choose all gluten-free crackers and pretzels, this is a great gluten-free friendly recipe.

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Holiday Tree Cheese Spread

The best recipe to spice up any holiday party this year!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese, party, dip, charcuterie, appetizer, cheese and crackers, finger food, holiday, christmas

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 16 Ounces Plain Cream Cheese
• 2 1/2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Yellow Onion finely chopped
• 1 Medium Green Bell Pepper finely chopped
• 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Juice freshly squeezed
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Dill
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts finely chopped

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, lemon juice, orange juice, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, and dill together.

  *you can use your hands or an electric mixer to combine. If you use an electric mixer, keep the speed on low.
• Use a spoon to give your cheese spread a taste test. It may need more citrus, garlic, or other seasonings to get it to your liking.
• Form the cheese mixture into a christmas tree (or any shape!)
• Coat the tree with chopped walnuts.

  You can add tomatoes and bell peppers to make it even more festive.
• Surround the tree with crackers and vegetables for dipping. This cheese spread is also good with carrots.

How cute did this tree turn out?! You can shape this into a tree, a heart, a football, or an Easter bunny! I can’t wait to see what you do with this recipe. You’re going to love it!

Cheers to the cheese lovers!

Questions for you!

1. Do you have a recipe you’ve been making since you were a kid?
2. Do you like dips on the sweet side or the savory side?
3. Do you have holiday plans for this weekend?

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Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

The most delicious and creamy cranberry chicken salad recipe served on a multigrain croissant with fresh arugula greens.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy chicken salad recipe, chicken salad, multigrain croissants, chicken, shredded chicken, cranberry pecan chicken salad, dairy free, picnic, summer food, yum

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Cold Shredded Chicken (easiest with rotisserie)
• 1/2 Cup Light Mayonaise
• 1/2 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tbsp Tahini
• 1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Dillweed
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
• 3 Tbsp Chopped Celery
• 1/4 Cup Pecan Halves
• 1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries

Instructions

• Coat the three cups of shredded chicken with light mayonnaise, honey, tahini, and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl.
• Season the chicken with black pepper, dill weed, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Give it a little taste test to see if it needs any extra seasoning.
• Fold in the chopped red onion, celery, pecan halves, and dried cranberries.
• Slice a multigrain croissant (or your choice of bread) in half and top it with 3/4th cup of the cranberry pecan chicken salad and a handful of fresh arugula or spinach.

 You can make the same recipe using tuna or even crushed chickpeas to make it vegan (swap the mayo for veganaise.) There are so many ways to make this recipe your own! And if you don’t like cranberries or pecans, try using chopped apples, sesame seeds, or dates. I hope you all enjoy this recipe! I can’t wait to have it all summer long.

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite way to eat chicken salad?
2. Do you like summer picnics?
3. Favorite meal to have by the pool/beach?

I hate to brag, but it’s 77-degrees in South Carolina today. I am over the moon excited, and I cannot wait for spring! I  know it’s not officially spring, but it’s been raining and heating up fast.  We will finish the patio makeover later today, and I can’t wait to share that project with you. I will eventually put up a new home tour since almost everything has changed in the past few months. Things are starting to fall into place.
Now that it’s March and Easter is just around the corner, I’m going full-force into spring recipes! I have to confess. I have officially fallen into the Tiktok trap. I can’t quit it. Everyone on Tiktok is so funny, and the comment sections are pure comedy. I’m glad I waited longer to sign up because, girl, have I wasted hours this week just browsing videos. Since I was spending so much time on the app watching other people’s videos, I’ve decided to start my own TikTok. I’ve been posting easy recipes and have many garden/home videos saved in my drafts that will go live soon. I didn’t realize how fun it was. Now, you won’t see me on there dancing and pranking Kyle, but I’ll be doing a fun day in the lifestyle videos, cleaning, home decor, gardening, and tons of recipes! I already have some up! My username is taralynntiktoks, so say hi if you use that app.

Have you ever had those ham and cheese sliders with poppy seeds? Well, today’s recipe is sort of a spin-off from those. I wanted to make something fun and unique for an Easter brunch. My mom always makes ham on Easter, so I always correlate the two. I thought the idea of putting the ham and cheese into a pie crust basket would be the cutest Easter brunch appetizer. They’re so easy and fun to make! They’re definitely eye-catching and a perfect way to level up your sandwiches. Oh, and THEY TASTE AMAZING!! You can fill these pie-style sandwiches with whatever you want. Don’t like ham and cheese? Try it with turkey, bacon, peppers, onions, and honey mustard. Oh, that may be what I make next. It’s a cute idea that you can customize! I’d love to hear some of your ideas on what kind of pie sandwich I should make!

By the way, you can purchase gluten-free pie crust to make this recipe gluten-free friendly.  

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Ham and Cheese Basket Pies | Simply Taralynn

Leven up your sandwiches with these ham and cheese basket pies.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword sandwich, ham, cheese, brunch, easter, spring, picnic, kid-friendly, pies, poppy seed sandwich,

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Pies

Author Taralynn McNitt

Cost $12

Ingredients

• 1 Package Honey Ham
• 6 Slices American Cheese
• 2 Ready-to-bake Pie Crust
• 3 Tbsps Melted Butter
• 1 Tbsp Poppyseeds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425-degrees.
• Use a pizza cutter to slice the pie crusts into thin strips.
• Weave eight of the pie strips together to form a "basket."
• Top the strips with ham and cheese.
• Close up the basket by folding over the strips and pinching them together with your fingers. You can cut off any excess strips.

  This layer won't be as pretty, but that's ok since it's the bottom.
• Flip the baskets over and transfer them to a baking sheet.
• Coat with melted butter and sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
• Bake for 15-minutes, let them cool for about five minutes and then cut the excess cheese off the edges to clean them up.

This recipe was super fun and easy to make. They are extremely budget-friendly, too!

I love that they look like little Easter baskets. I hope you all enjoyed this fun little ham and cheese basket tutorial! You can watch the video on my TikTok

Questions for you!

1. Which app do you spend most of your time on?
2. What kind of sandwich basket should I make next?
3. What recipe reminds you of spring?

Since I made about 24 of these biscuits,  I decided to store them in my freezer, and whenever I want one, I can throw it in the oven to warm up or toss it in the microwave if I’m feeling lazy. These cheesy garlic biscuits have:

• Almond Flour
• Milk
• Eggs
• Butter
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Thyme
• Onion Powder
• Cheese – Cheddar of Mozzarella

You all know I’m a fan of big bowl recipes.

First, you need to sift the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and baking powder together.

Add in the milk and eggs, mix well.

Stir in the melted butter and fold in the cheese.

Add 1/4 cup sized scoops into a greased muffin pan (top with cheese if you want.)

Cook for 15-18 minutes at 350-degrees.

Let them cool in the pan for 10-minutes. 

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Low Carb Cheesy Garlic Biscuits | Simply Taralynn

These low carb cheesy garlic biscuits are gluten-free and only have 4g of carbs per biscuit!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword garlic bread, cheesy garlic bread, red lobster biscuits, low carb, keto, low carb bread, dinner, gluten-free, dinner recipes

Prep Time 6 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Resting 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

• 2 Cups Almond Flour
• 2 Tsps Garlic Powder
• 2 Tsps Onion Powder
• 2 Tsps Thyme
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 Tsp Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheese

Instructions

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees
• In a large mixing bowl, sift the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix in the milk and the eggs.
• Stir in the melted butter and fold in the cheese.
• Grease a muffin pan and add 1/4 cup scoops of biscuit batter to each slot.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean!
• Let the biscuits cool in the pan for about 10-minutes.

Watch the video to see how easy these muffins are to make!

The perfect biscuit texture! Honesty would be hard to tell the difference between these biscuits made with almond flour and regular flour. They are so close! You’re going to love this recipe, and I can’t wait to hear what you think! Makes sure to come back and tell me how your muffins turned out if you make them!

Questions for you!

1. Would you dip these in marinara sauce or dip them in soup?
2. Are you team savory or sweet?
3. What low-carb recipe do you want to see next?

I also made sangria-inspired spiced wine for the evening. I say “sangria-inspired” because I left out the added sugar and brandy that you would typically add to a sangria recipe. We didn’t want to get too turnt up during a relaxing night by the fire. Kyle and I had lunch at Reid’s Fine Foods earlier that afternoon, so I picked up some specialty items in their market on the way out. Reids has a counter dedicated just to make the perfect charcuterie board. I quickly got overwhelmed by watching people order things like “seafood salad” and types of meats and cheeses I’d never be able to pronounce correctly. And the seafood salad wasn’t what I was expecting. It looked like mini octopuses and naked calamari. Although I’m sure it tasted amazing and made the charcuterie board more sophisticated, I went with the candy corn route instead.

While I was there, I picked up some crackers, dried okra (yum!), pepper jack and habanero cheese, cheddar, salami, prosciutto, dry coppa, sweet soppressata, milk duds, date and nut goat cheese, fig jam, and a French baguette. I added dried and candied orange slices and pumpkin seeds from Trader Joes. I candied the walnuts with butter, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice. And for the candy corn trail mix, I added a bag of candy corn to cashews, almonds, cranberries, and pecans.  In two large bottles (from IKEA), I added two cinnamon sticks, apple slices, and orange slices to the bottom. In one, I poured Chardonnay, and in the other, I poured Pinot Noir. It’s delicious when you let the wine chill overnight with the fruits. The flavors were so good, and the hint of spice from the cinnamon was perfect for Fall.  My cute little cheese knives and gingham leaf plate are from Hobby Lobby. The candles are also a fun touch for a charcuterie board! The best part is that it only took about fifteen minutes to set-up! It’s perfect for any last-minute party, and the leftovers (if there are any) are always just as good the next day. The coziest night with neighbors!   Can’t wait to make another board and watch Hocus Pocus (yes, again) by the fire!

.Questions for you!

1. What do you put on your charcuterie board?
2. Are your leaves starting to change where you live?

Tuesdays are for tacos. Whatever day it is, I’m here for it! I mentioned in my recap post yesterday that I finished a round of Whole30. Since finishing, I’ve been introducing foods back into my diet, and these chicken taco nachos were one of the first things I ate. These aren’t too far from being Whole30, but the Daiya cheese and added sugar in the taco seasoning surely aren’t welcomed. Even though there was only 1 gram of added sugar in the serving, it’s still sugar. Seeing that on the label made me realize the importance of making my taco seasoning and skipping ou ton the convenience of products, although that’s what I usually depend on. So, if you have any favorite taco seasoning recipes, make sure to leave them in the comments!

I don’t want to go on about Whole30 here because I’m saving that post for Friday! Instead, I’ll share this yummy dinner we had the other night.  
I’m sure this comes as no shock to any of you, but Kyle and I love watching Bachelor in Paradise on Monday nights. The show is so ridiculous, and yet, we can’t look away. We decided after playing bags (or cornhole) we’d make a big pile of nachos and watch our show before bed. The whole nacho thing was planned days in advance and that’s why I had all the ingredients.

This recipe takes about 20-minutes to make and would be perfect for a quick appetizer for a party, football game, or work potluck. You can customize it too!

You can use any chips you want, real cheese instead of dairy-free, tofu instead of chicken, and load it with sour cream or jalapenos if you want! It’s fun to make it your own.
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Next, cook up your ground chicken (or tofu, black beans…) and add one packet of taco seasoning. I used the Simply Organic Taco seasoning packet.
Pour the entire bag of chips into the casserole dish.

Add the chicken and cheese over the top! 
Bake for 12-minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Add sliced tomatoes, red onion, shredded lettuce, avocado, and your extra ingredients to the top! I ended up adding a ton of salsa and habanero ranch onto my plate with the nachos.

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Chicken Taco Nachos

20-minute dinner that is dairy free, gluten free, and grain free!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword dairy free, gluten free, grain free, dinner, nachos

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 276kcal

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 packet taco seasoning simply organic
• 1/2 cup cheese daiya
• 1 bag chips grain-free Siete
• 1/2 cup baby tomatoes chopped
• 1 medium avocado sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded lettuce

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 400
• Cook the chicken on the stove top.
• Mix in the taco seasoning.
• In a large casserole dish, add the chips. Add the chicken and cheese on top.
• Bake 12-minutes
• Top the warm chips with your toppings! Add the tomatoes, onions, lettuce, avocado, and anything extra you want!
• Enjoy!

Notes

Per Serving: 275 Calories, 20g Carbs, 3g Fiber, 13g Fat, 18g Protein

I hope you guys enjoyed this little quick dinner idea! We may make these again for college football this weekend. I’m also talked about doing buffalo cauliflower wings…

I realize I throw a lot of my dinner into my recap posts, so I’ll try my best to start writing up recipes for them!

Questions for you!

1. What is one topping you must have on your nachos?
2. Are you team tacos or team nachos?
3. What did you have for dinner on Monday night?

My mom is meeting up with me this afternoon so we can go for a walk with the dogs and enjoy a quick break in the rain. Before I head out, I want to share a quick guacamole recipe with you all! What would a Friday night be without guacamole? Not a very exciting one…

I have always loved making my own guacamole because most recipes call for cilantro, and I am NOT a cilantro lover. Yes, I’m one of those “it tastes like soap” kinds of people. I also love adding flavors like garlic, onion, and my secret ingredient, cumin!

I also want to thank you all for giving me the extra boost and confidence to start creating videos. I’m learning how to navigate the whole “YouTube” world, and it’s so fun. I have many videos planned but don’t worry, I’ll always stick to blogging as my main squeeze. It’s just fun to try out new platforms and change things up a bit. And since I’ve been diving into making videos, I decided to put together a guacamole tutorial. The homemade guacamole recipe video is at the bottom of this post!
Guacamole is literally good on anything. I like it on sliced bread, on my eggs, with my chili, with chips, crackers, and for dipping vegetables into! It’s become one of my favorite low carb snacks. I could eat an entire cucumber with guacamole in one sitting. No shame, no shame. 
Avocados are one of my favorite superfoods! They are filled with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. I could eat them for every meal
Lately, I’ve been topping my rice cakes with guacamole as an afternoon snack. It’s a delicious treat for an afternoon pick-me-up after my dog walks.

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Homemade Guacamole

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 4 Large Ripe Avocados
• 1/4 Cup Sliced Red Onion
• 1/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes Sliced
• 2 Tbsps Lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tsp Cumin

Instructions

• Slice the avocados in half, and scoop them into a mixing bowl. 
• Mash avocados with a fork.
• Add onions, seasonings,  tomatoes, lime juice, and mix well. 

Questions for you!

1. Do you like cilantro?
2. What recipe would you like me to film next?
3. What’s your favorite way to eat guacamole?