Nicole

Twin Dragon Products Plant-Based Appetizers

Please note, this post is sponsored by Twin Dragon Products. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

It’s that time of year again when we all enjoy gathering together with friends and family. Dinner parties, cocktail parties, tree-trimming parties, football parties, and Real Housewives viewing parties (only at my home, maybe?!?)!

No matter the kind of party you prefer, they all have one thing in common. Peoples gotta eat, and everyone loves appetizers! Because come November there are two things that people truly need to sustain themselves: Treats and trees! Seriously, those are two scientifically proven facts. I like to think to think so anyway.

If you’re looking for a few new recipes for your next holiday soiree I’ve put together three new, plant-based appetizers that I hope you’ll find helpful. Each featuring Twin Dragon products, including wonton, egg roll, and dumpling wrappers. Products conveniently, and affordable, located at your neighborhood Albertsons, Shaw’s, Von’s, Stater Bros, Lucky’s, Food Maxx, Fred Meyer, QFC, Cub Foods, Rainbow Foods, Safeway, Associated Stores, Price Rite, Shop Rite, Winco, Price Chopper and Gelson’s retailers.

Friends, please enjoy the following recipes this season at home:

My first recipe: Air Fryer Dumplings! Friends, this first recipe is one of the best and easiest way to cook amazingly crisp potstickers right in your air fryer!

After this, you’ll never want take-out dumplings ever again. Promise! I love that these dumplings are small enough that you can eat a portion as an entree, paired with edamame, a salad, or traditionally as a holiday appetizer. Complete versatility!

Plus, you can freeze these as needed so you can satisfy your potsticker fix whenever, wherever. Keeping in mind that I also used Gardein crumbles and green onions or shallots to bulk this recipe, but of course, this is an optional addition to the recipe. For which you could just as easily create a non-plant-based option too!

I serve this appetizer with a sauce comprised of equal parts honey, green curry paste, and low-sodium tamari. Its one of my go-to sauces, but of course use what you have on hand! These dumplings are so good they pair well with most sauces. Homemade or otherwise!

Air Fryer Dumplings

A savory plant-based appetizer perfect for holiday parties at home!

1 pound shredded cabbage, 2 carrots, peeled and shredded, 1 cup shredded Napa cabbage, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 green onions, thinly sliced, 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and 40 wonton wrappers.
In a large bowl, all ingredients. Fold and together to combine. To assemble the dumplings, place wrappers on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the center of each wrapper. Using your finger, rub the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pinching the edges to seal. Cook in a single layer for 5 minutes in air fryer at 370 degrees. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

The filling in the dumplings does not have to be cooked prior to wrapping.

To freeze, place uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet overnight. Transfer to freezer bags.

If you’re anything like me then you to love egg rolls! But a trip to most grocery stores features products chock full of preservatives and nitrates, which is why I love my recipe for Avocado Egg Rolls with a creamy guacamole dip!

Seriously, these egg rolls are so good! Again, these egg rolls made with sundried tomatoes and fresh baby avocados, are air fryer-ready, can be made ahead and frozen, and will be stars at your next holiday party this season! And with them taking under 10-minutes to make, they are a true no-brainer.

For these egg rolls, I like to pair with a simple guacamole. To make this, simply mash one avocado (per 8-10 rolls) and add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt, a dash of organic lemon juice, garlic powder, and a dash of hot sauce. And that’s it! Simple, delicious and easy to make!

A word of caution: Pace yourself! I can eat a half dozen of these myself in one sitting. They’re that good! Here’s how to make them:

Avocado Eggrolls

A simple, savory, 5-minute eggroll appetizer perfect for holiday parties this year at home!

3 large ripe Avocados, sliced 1 tbsp chopped cilantro ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil. chopped ½ tsp salt Egg roll wrappers water (for sealing edges of eggrolls) oil (for frying) For the Creamy Cilantro Ranch Dip: 1/2 cup Mayo 1/2 cup Sour Cream 1 tsp Gourmet Garden Garlic (or 1 tsp minced garlic) juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1 green onion 1/2 tsp salt

To assemble eggrolls: Place sliced avocado, cilantro, and salt in a bowl and gently stir to combine. Put a few slices of avocado in the center of the wrapper, and top with a couple pieces of sun-dried tomatoes. Using your finger dab a little water along the outer edges of the wrapper all the way around (to help seal the egg roll shut).
Roll up the eggroll by folding up the bottom corner halfway to cover the avocado mixture. Fold the right and left sides of the wrapper towards the center, creating what looks like an open envelope. Roll the base of the envelope (folded portions) towards the remaining corner. Make sure all edges are sealed shut.

Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers until the avocado mixture is gone. Place the egg rolls in your air fryer. Cook for 5-minutes at 370 degrees. Remove from oil to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly and cut and an angle.

Finally, a little something to satiate your sweet tooth this holiday season! Baked Banana, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Wontons!

These banana wontons are your perfect last-minute solution for the holiday season: Healthy, crispy and super quick to prepare with only 3 ingredients.

This recipe is like a mini version of traditional Filipino Turon but baked in the air fryer, not fried. For natural sweetness, I used very ripe bananas but if yours aren’t that ripe just add a bit of honey, palm coconut sugar, agave, or organic turbinado sugar.

Then along with peanut butter and 40% organic cocoa chocolate squares, these wontons are nutritious and filled with antioxidant goodness! Here’s how to make them:

Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Banana Wontons

A light, crispy sweet treat perfect for holiday parties this season!

1-2 bananas, sliced 20 wonton wrappers, and organic chocolate chips or chopped cocoa squares.

Slice banana into rounds.
Place 1-2 banana slices and about 2-3 chocolate chips just below the center of each wonton wrapper.

With your finger, brush some water around wrapper edges, fold down into a triangle and press edges together to seal.

Air fry wontons for 5 minutes at 370 degrees until golden brown and crispy.

Friends, those are my three must-have plant-based appetizers this holiday season. Be sure to try these recipes at home. Also be sure to check out the above-mentioned JSL Foods Twin Dragon wonton, egg roll, and dumpling wrappers at your local retailer. also be sure to check out my other recipes and boards for new and upcoming recipes this holiday season! Now I want to ask, what’s your favorite holiday appetizer to make at home? I can’t wait to read your recipes below!

Connect with JSL Foods Twin Dragon brand:

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3 Last-Minute Chores to Tackle This Fall

With winter just around the corner, it’s time to conquer those end of season deep-cleaning outdoor chores that help you and your family enjoy a clean and comfortable home this season.

Personally, I love seasonal cleaning- it helps me prepare for the upcoming holiday season in a non-chaotic, orderly, and somewhat fun manner. And what better way to usher in the upcoming fall season than a clean, orderly home?

With this in mind, I want to share with you all how I break down my own season chores as part of my Fall Cleaning Chore Checklist. A list to help you get your home in its healthiest shape before the winter season ahead. Here’s how to get started:

Patio:

When it comes to outdoor cleaning, I always make sure to start with my patio areas. With cleaning the stone walkways and storing patio furniture, umbrellas, and summer toys.
If you own a pool: Drain the pool, if applicable. Close it up for the year.

Winter Maintenance:

I also like to perform a general outdoor maintenance checklist to include making sure the caulking around windows and doors is in proper order and inspect external doors and garage doors for gaps which can cause drafts. I also like to make sure the exterior windows are cleaned and, weather permitting, touching-up paint as needed. Another area of measure includes cleaning gutters and making sure to insulate and drain exterior spigots. Finally, make sure to clean out birdhouses and feeders. Then purchase new feed accordingly.

Roofs:

One of the lessons I learned first and foremost as a homeowner was to maintain the integrity and value of my home by valuing my home’s roof. Maintaining your roof allows you to maintain the beauty of your home’s exterior, maximize and protect your dwellings investment, help prevent health issues within your home, and save money over time preventing higher energy bills at home.

All of which start with a clean, properly maintained roof at home! And for homeowners who are seeking a more singular less weekend warrior approach to roof maintenance this season, then you should definitely look into seasonal roofing services before the official start to winter this season.

With professional roof servicing being typically quoted by the square foot and tile type. However, the size of the job, roof pitch, landscaping and overall severity of the stains are also factors that can influence the overall cost. Costs as necessary as they are affordable to most homeowners at home.

Let’s also not forget how slippery fall leaves can be. Why risk the potential hazards of slips and falls when you can trust the care of one of your homes best lines of defense with professionals? After all, the upfront costs of having your roof professionally cleared and cleaned, along with gutter cleaning services, can help maintain the value of your home, help prevent nasty repairs during the dead of winter, as well as being able to prevent costly repairs during the nastier parts of the year.

Friends, those are the three seasonal chores you should be attending to at home before the start of winter next month. Now I want to ask, what are seasonal chores you are currently undertaking at home to prep your home this fall? Share your thoughts below!

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2018 Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday shopping. The hustle. The bustle. The overcrowded stores! Make gifting simple this year with our top picks for the whole family. Take a look through our catalog style guide featuring easy click and buy hover links. Simply hover your mouse over an item and for convenient purchasing!

Whether you are shopping for the ladies, fellas, fuzzies, kiddos, or the house itself, there’s something for everyone in this guide! There are even a few zero-waste things too!

So sit back and browse the guide. You never know what you’ll find!

Now, I want to ask, what items are still left on your holiday shopping list? Do you have any hard-to-shop-for folks on your list? I’d love to hear all about your must-have holiday wish list below!

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Finding The Right Label: Achieving “Closure” After A Stressful Incident

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Closure is one of those notions that everyone has an extremely subjective opinion of. Some find it incredibly unhelpful, but some use it as a concept to draw a line in the sand. Whenever we’ve been through a stressful incident in life, and our mental health is greatly impacted, closure is one of those things that can provide us with what we really need, but others might want something completely different in order to move on with their life. But when addressing the subject of closure, are there any things that we can do in our lives that enable us to move on, and therefore achieve this idea of closure, but without labeling it so?

Understanding What You Cannot Change

When we experience conflict, and we struggle to emerge from the ashes, especially if we get our pride dented, a lot of this is to do with our own approach to control. When a situation occurs that was beyond our control, we can go one of two ways, we can blame others for it, or we can blame ourselves.

And when we are coming to terms with an incident of this stature, whether it’s a conflict, a car accident, or an argument, part of the reason we cannot let it lie is that we weren’t given our opportunity to “control” the situation. For example, if someone broke up with us and didn’t get an adequate reason why right out of the blue, it’s hardly a surprise that we feel that we are left hanging. But so many things in life are out of our control, and once we get our heads around this, we can finally begin to make sense of the situation, and what we can do about it.

Understanding What You Can Change

The one thing we can really change is our attitude to the situation. Sometimes it’s about having another perspective on events, which is why friends and family are so helpful, or it could be something like professional help. Not just counselors, but if you are looking for closure in the form of justice, law firms like Greene Broillet & Wheeler could provide that stepping stone to justice and redemption. When we go through a troublesome time, help comes in many forms, but it’s down to us to understand what we can change.

The one thing we can really alter is our perception of events. This is the trick to most therapy; by altering attitudes, from a negative disposition to a positive one. And achieving closure, however you want to categorize it, is very simply about being able to progress with your life after a stressful incident. When achieving this sensation, we can spend too long chasing something that we don’t necessarily need.

Closure is a feeling that we will know when it envelops us. We can spend so long dwelling over a specific incident that we are actively holding us back from achieving this closure. But whatever you want to call it, from “freedom” to “a more relaxed mindset”, achieving closure is something that can be done.

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7 Healthy (Yet Delicious) Foods You Might Not Have Tried

Many health conditions and diseases are often tied to the foods we eat, adopting a healthier diet can be one of the best things you can do for your body and mind. However, this doesn’t have to mean that you have to sacrifice your sense of taste to do so, as there are foods out there that taste wonderful while also being really healthy for you. Here are some of them for your reference and convenience.

Milked nuts

Milk is one of the healthiest and arguably one of the tastier things you can include in your diet. It’s creamy, it’s got loads of vitamins and calcium, and it’s very filling. However, if you’re watching your waistline or are lactose intolerant, then you might want to go with its plant-derived alternative, namely healthy milked nuts or nut milk.

Nut milk is essentially milk made from nut varieties such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and more. A glassful contains just as much calcium as a regular glass of dairy, as well as a creamy taste that carries with it the distinct note of the nut it’s derived from. Best of all, it comes with absolutely no lactose and far fewer calories! Grab a glassful of healthy milked nuts right now and enjoy milk as you’ve never enjoyed it before.

Goat cheese

This exotic type of cheese tastes amazing and even a little bit indulgent. However, you can easily apply it to your favorite sandwich bread or recipes without any guilt, as it has less fat per serving than other cheeses. It also has a healthy amount of protein, calcium, and 3% of the recommended daily intake of iron in just one single ounce.

Air-popped Popcorn

While popcorn is a movie going staple all around the world, there’s a good chance that you haven’t consumed its healthier form—namely air-popped popcorn. Making it is simple: dump fresh corn kernels into a non-stick pot with a tight-fitting lid, place it over a stove on low heat, and shake the entire thing every couple of seconds. The lid will keep the heated air inside, while the non-stick coating will ensure that no kernel will stick to the pot no matter how hot it gets. The end result is popcorn that’s a lot healthier than the kind you buy at cinemas and sporting events, with only 83 calories per cup. Just add salt, no fattening butter or oil required!

Ghee

We all know how too much butter can be unhealthy for you, both for your circulation, waistline, and digestion. However, the Indians have discovered that if you clarify butter by melting it and then skimming off some of its fat before use, you can make it tastier and also healthier to use. This clarified butter is called ghee. You can use it as cooking oil or a butter alternative to taking advantage of its high vitamin content, lowered fat content, and subtle nutty flavor.

Purple potatoes

If you’re a potato aficionado but you want to replace your normal everyday spuds with something healthier, then pick these purple beauties instead. Not only are purple potatoes rich in potassium, but they’re also rich in anthocyanin, the antioxidant that can help reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. It’s also responsible for its attractive purple color!

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is essentially fermented cabbage, and it contains a whole lot of fiber as well as a ton of essential vitamins such as iron, manganese, copper, sodium, magnesium, and calcium. It’s also got a moderate amount of protein to help build muscle. Finally, the fermentation process lends sauerkraut a probiotic quality that can improve your digestion and gut health upon consumption.

Kimchi

If you want your fermented cabbage to have a bit more kick to it, then you can’t go wrong with Kimchi, Korea’s take on the fermented vegetable. A single serving is loaded with vitamin A, B, and C, all essential vitamins to keep your body healthy. Just like sauerkraut, it contains probiotics that help you digest better. Spoon it over rice or soups for added spice and healthiness!

Conclusion

Healthy eating doesn’t have to feel or taste like torture. Include these tasty and delicious foods in your diet and you’re sure to look forward to every meal instead of dreading them, while still enjoying the benefits of a vitamin-filled and nutritious diet.

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5 Tips To Clear Pipes & Septic System At Home

Disclosure: I am being compensated for sharing this information by rotorooter.com. Opinions remain my own.

I love older homes. The character, charm, and build-its are bar-none! But living in an older home can also present homeowners with your fair share of routine maintenance problems, especially when it comes to your home plumbing pipes.

It goes without saying that I’ve encountered my share of clogged pipes at home. But over the years I’ve found several ways to combat clogged pipes at home. So if you are looking for more DIY pipe maintenance tips at home, here are my 5 go-to tips for keeping your home pipes clear:

Know the structure of your home

Every old home is different. Because of the materials used in the pipes, the angle of the pipes, the structure of the house, the soil and the trees in the yard. All of these elements can work to cause you problems with clogs. Knowing the plumbing structure of your home can save you tons as you will be able to tell plumbers where specific areas of plumbing in your home are and beat the on-the-clock fees of having a plumber sort out the layout of your home pipes for you!

A quick tip: Many city manager’s offices and mortgage companies keep copies online of building permits and home blueprints. These maps often contain plumbing maps. Ask for a copy and keep it in your files and access your map before contacting your local plumbing company!

Remove Trees

Sometimes, plumbing issues can be deeply rooted. Many issues involving clogged pipes, backed-up sinks, and slow-to-drain bathtubs came from tree roots in your front yards. So if your problem is roots from trees, you may need to remove some of the trees near your home’s foundation that is causing the problem. Although its always regrettable losing the trees, tree removal services can be less costly and damaging over time than repeated pipe clearing services. Also, consider root dissolvers.

Products with strong enzymes specifically targeted to dissolve tree roots in pipes that do not affect the life or structures of older, established trees, water tables, or wells. Treating your roots should be done twice a year, in the Fall and Spring. When seasonal ran expose tree roots from dirt and sediment.

Limit What You Put Down Your Drains

Even though your garbage disposal says it can eat anything, that doesn’t mean you really should be putting everything down your sink’s drain pipes. Common pipe cloggers in the kitchen include flour, rice, and other glutenous products! Greasy products should also not be drained in sinks.

Don’t Put Hair Down the Bathroom Sink

Hair doesn’t disintegrate quickly. Even with enzymes. Which lead to clogged, messy pipes at home. Before you push that wad of hair off your brush and down the drain, consider composting it instead! For even better prevention, use a reusable hair catcher on your shower drain to catch your tressed culprits in action!

Keep reliable pipe-clearing products on-hand at home

Having the right products on-hand to clear your drains is vital when you own an older home. For our home, we use the Roto-Rooter® line of at-home products to help keep our drains cleared at home. Remember those commercials on TV with the catchy tunes? Me too!

The Roto-Rooter® home line of products is more than just a jingle. They contain more active ingredients than any other product in the market and the right viscosity to provide the fastest and best-in-category performance but are safe for all types of pipes and septic systems.

When you want professional results, you should buy professional products. Like the Roto-Rooter® home line of products!

Roto-Rooter® has introduced a complete line of powerful and fast acting drain and septic care products. With the Strongest National Brand on the market. Each product has been formulated to meet the demanding requirements of professionals and homeowners, with older homes like myself, who expect professional results.

This past year I was given the chance to review a few of Roto-Rooter’s products, which are their Gel Clog Remover, Hair Clog Remover, and Septic Treatment. All have performed well. Beyond my expectation.

My standout product? The Roto-Rooter® Gel Clog Remover. A safe-to-use product for home pipes, septic systems, and garbage disposals. With Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover, the clog is gone within minutes and my pipes are left clean and cleared!

We use the gel clog remover monthly to avoid costly and messy backups. It’s our go-to for pipe care and prevention at home! For more information, click here.

Those are my 5 Simple Steps to Protecting Your Pipes at Home. I encourage you all to utilize these tips in helping to keep your pipes clear at home, especially in older homes! And to check out the full line of the Roto-Rooter® home line of products to help keep your pipes, drains, septic systems, and garbage disposals working their best at home.

You can also check out my other posts in on this product line, clogs 101 maintenance, and drain-care too! Now, I want to ask, what are your best tips for keeping your pipes cleared at home? I’d love to hear them below!

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Dr. Elsey’s Clean Tracks Multi-Cat Strength Clumping Cat Litter Review

This post is sponsored by Chewy.com expressed here are my own.

Cats can be picky. Some cats will use nearly any litter. Others will refuse to use pelletized litters. Trial and error is the key to lasting litter training success.

From personal experience, I suggest trying several varieties of cat litter to find the best fit for your pet. We literally inundate our cats with their litter. One of our favorite tips for litter continuity is to leave your litter packaging about your home, to allow your pets to become acquainted with the scent of the litter.

Once you have found a litter that seems to be accepted by your cat, don’t switch to another kind. Even if it may seem more convenient for you. Litter brand continuity is uber important to cats. For us, we chose Dr. Elsey’s Clean Tracks Multi-Cat Strength Clumping Cat Litter.

We find that Dr. Elsey’s is a low-maintenance, high-quality, affordable cat litter solution. We also love that it can be conveniently found on Chewy.com.

I also love that this litter helps to lock away odors that can lead to the face you make when your house indicates you have litter boxes nearby! You know, the super stinky litter box odors that can make even the most dignified person’s face look like a petrified tree! Luckily, Dr. Elseys offer consumers a wide range of products, so every cat owner can find the best litter for their cat’s needs, which means that you’ll never have to make another Stank Face again.

It is also made with paw-activated plant extracts that release a fresh scent on contact, which means that a hint of freshness will be released only when needed! Then the unique Carbon Plus technology clumps and grabs odors, allowing the powerful antimicrobial agents to eliminate odors entirely. Allowing out cats litter boxes to be clean and fresh whenever he needs them!

A few other things we love about this litter:

Made with paw-activated fresh scent and even more antimicrobial agent to fight even the toughest odors created by multi-cat households.
It features Carbon Plus technology and plant extracts help to destroy litter box odors
Has highly absorbent granules of clay form solid clumps to allow for an easy litter-box cleaning
Helps to reduce tracking throughout the house.
You can confidently enjoy up to 10 days of long-lasting freshness at home with each use
This is America’s first clumping cat litter made from a premium blend of natural minerals and clay

Which is why this litter is our go-to brand for all of our cats. So be sure to purchase Dr. Elsey’s Clean Tracks Multi-Cat Strength Clumping Cat Litter from Chewy.com. After all, your cats deserve it!. It’s the feel-good way to keep your homes fresher and to protect your cat’s urinary health. Even our other love bug, Shadow, approves this message too!

Now I want to ask, are you the adoptive guardian of a shelter cat? And do you pamper your pets with Dr. Elsey’s litter at home? Share your stories below!