{"id":6108,"date":"2023-12-08T11:44:15","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T16:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/?p=6108"},"modified":"2023-12-08T11:44:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T16:44:15","slug":"holiday-treats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/2023\/12\/08\/holiday-treats\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Treats"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the holiday season, when it becomes frosty outside and flurries are in the air, I love to stay cozy by making some of my favorite holiday treats. Every holiday, I like to make festive appetizers for my family and friends. Sometimes, it is pulled from a family cookbook, and other times it is a new creation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are looking for new recipes to try during the holidays, read along for some of my favorites and the traditions behind some!&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-6111\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1178\/caprese-wreath-overhead-842x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"465\" height=\"585\"><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.asouthernsoul.com\/caprese-salad-christmas-wreath\/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1702055678389255&amp;usg=AOvVaw3jkMLOa4k3pf5GTrtswR9x\">Caprese Wreath<\/a><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are anything like me and are obsessed with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, this spin on a classic caprese salad is right for you! This recipe calls for simple ingredients and a quick prep time!&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ingredients:&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cherry tomatoes&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Small mozzarella pearls&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Basil&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Balsamic Vinegar&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Olive oil&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seasonings of your choice&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Making the Wreath:&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You will first need a large circular serving plate, or as big as needed for the party you are serving.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take the fresh basil and lay it around the outer layer of the plate to emulate leaves on a wreath. You should have about two layers of basil once finished.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once the circle shape of the basil takes the shape of a wreath, you will need a small bowl to place in the middle of the plate. This is where you will put the balsamic vinegar for dipping.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Next, wash, rinse, and drain the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls. In a separate bowl, mix olive oil, salt, pepper, and other seasons you\u2019d like.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Remove the tomatoes and mozzarella pearls from the bowl and place them onto the serving plate on top of the basil. Organize them around the bowl that has the balsamic vinegar in it and sprinkle any additional basil.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Enjoy!&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tip:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keep toothpicks handy so that your party can create their own caprese skewer!&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6114 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1178\/delish-cranberry-brie-bites-vertical-2-1666379151.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"367\" height=\"577\"><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.delish.com\/holiday-recipes\/thanksgiving\/g8\/thanksgiving-appetizers\/?slide=45&amp;epik=dj0yJnU9bHA0T25Zd1pzcFRGRmhlWXZFTDljeUNLRXpnaVUwR0gmcD0wJm49VW5tUTZmMllaZ3pKZnFwWGNqMlk1dyZ0PUFBQUFBR1Z6TTNJ\">Cranberry Brie Bites<\/a>&nbsp;<br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These cranberry brie bites are an easy appetizer to start your holidays off right! You will need only a few things.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ingredients:&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">8 oz tube of Crescent Dough&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">8 oz wheel of brie&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00bd cup of cranberry cause<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00bc cup of chopped pecans<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creating the perfect bite:&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray to help eliminate the dough sticking to the tin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On a flat surface, roll out the Crescent Dough large enough to cut it into small squares. Depending on the size of your tin, cut accordingly to fit the amount you can create, and place the dough into the spots.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Begin cutting the brie into small pieces so they can fit into the dough in your muffin tin.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Top your bites with a drizzle of cranberry sauce and a sprinkle of pecans for crunch.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bake for fifteen minutes or until the pastry is a beautiful golden color.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Enjoy!&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6115 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1178\/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-11.25.54-AM-936x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"459\" height=\"515\"><\/p>\n<p><b>Always End With a Sweet Treat: <a href=\"https:\/\/sugarspunrun.com\/buckeye-recipe\/\">Buckeyes<\/a>!&nbsp;<br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Christmas, my grandma reveals the dozens of cookies she has made over the few days of preparation. With endless options to choose from laid out on snowflake plates, my first pick is always a Buckeye \u2013 a delicious peanut butter and chocolate creation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ingredients:&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creamy peanut butter<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Butter&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Powdered sugar&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chocolate&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Making the treat:&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, in a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar. Mix until combined.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slowly start pouring in the powdered sugar while mixing continuously until a thicker dough begins to form.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you have dough, take about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a small ball in the palm of your hand. Continue rolling until the mixture is gone, then place them in the refrigerator to chill.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Begin to melt the chocolate in a separate bowl. Once melted, remove the balls from the refrigerator. Using a toothpick, dip the chilled peanut butter ball into the chocolate and place it on a sheet to once again chill in the refrigerator until they are ready to serve.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Enjoy! <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the holidays, my family and I love to stay active in the kitchen and bake treats. I hope these recipes will bring you holiday cheer and a full belly! Thank you for reading this week\u2019s holiday blog. Happy holidays!<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\nBy Tara Roumes<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During the holiday season, when it becomes frosty outside and flurries are in the air, I love to stay cozy by making some of my favorite holiday treats. Every holiday, I like to make festive appetizers for my family and friends. Sometimes, it is pulled from a family cookbook, and other times it is a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4739,"featured_media":6118,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2023"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4739"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6108"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6119,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions\/6119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/inside-rec\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}