Better-for-You Holiday Entertaining Tips and Recipes with Almond Breeze
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The holidays are coming! Are you ready?
I feel more prepared than ever before thanks to a special event I recently attended sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze – the Blue Diamond Holiday House. With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Christmas right around the corner, I was delighted to attend an event designed to help attendees plan festive, merry, and better-for-you holiday events themselves. And, they succeeded!
I left the Blue Diamond Holiday House with tons of Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining tips and plenty of inspiration for insta-worthy memories. As we look towards the upcoming holiday rush, I am here today to share all the holiday entertaining tips I gleaned from Blue Diamond that you can easily incorporate into your holiday meals and parties.
My Visit to the Festive Blue Diamond Holiday House
Walking into the Blue Diamond Holiday House thrust me headfirst into the merriment of this special time of year. The event space was beautifully decorated with multiple Christmas trees, and simple but elegant décor. The tablescapes were to die for. The food spreads were elaborate and tasty. And, the Almond Breeze Almondmilk beverages added to the holiday cheer.
What’s not to love? Blue Diamond did a fabulous job of showing how to create festive meals using their almond-based products. But, unlike some events I attend where it is just pretty to look at and something I would not dream of recreating, this was different. I left feeling inspired and ready to create beautiful and better-for-you holiday memories with my family.
Why This Event Has Me Ready to Ring in the Most Wonderful Time of Year
The Blue Diamond Holiday House nailed it when it comes to entertaining inspiration. The various tablescapes were beautiful, and ones that would be relatively easy to recreate. Ultimately, when it comes to holiday meal planning, a big part of what makes the meal from different from every other meal you eat around the table is the décor. The event showed how to pull it all together. Plus, as an Instagram-lover, I could envision insta-worthy shots in my own home using their tablescape inspiration.
Plus, I learned that I can plan a holiday meal that is both tasty and better-for-you. With family and friends who have dietary restrictions and unique food preferences, it can be challenging to design a menu that will make everyone happy. This event showed me this is not the case! By using Almond Breeze Almondmilk, I can plan a menu that everyone can eat and enjoy.
How I am Using Almond Breeze to Create Better-for-You Holiday Memories
While I certainly walked away from this special event with loads of entertaining tips, I am most delighted to share all the things I learned about how to use Almond Breeze Almondmilk to create better-for-you holiday memories.
We all know the holidays involve a lot of socializing and eating. However, most of that eating is not so good for you. Between the desserts and drinks, it is no surprise that many people pack on the pounds over the holidays. But the holidays are a time when we should get to indulge a little bit! That’s why I was so happy to discover I can use Almond Breeze Almondmilk and enjoy the same tasty holiday treats without the guilt.
First things first, I plan to stock my pantry with Blue Diamond shelf-stable Almond Breeze Almondmilk. This means that not only will I have what I need on hand whenever the mood for a holiday treat crosses my mind, but I will also be prepared if a holiday visitor with dietary restrictions joins us for a meal.
Next, I plan on eating and drinking all the holiday treats I usually feel guilty for indulging in without the guilt! By substituting Almond Breeze Almondmilk, I can indulge without fear. My belly won’t bloat, and my scale won’t start to tip. Even better, I can rest easy knowing I am making better-for-you choices for my family as we gather around the table.
And, gather around the table is just what I plan to do! The holidays are best spent with the ones you love, sharing food, and making memories. I can’t wait to bake holiday cookies with my daughters and eat them together around a table as we ring in the holiday season and the new year.
Ways to Use Almond Breeze to Make Delicious Better-for-You Holiday Treats
While Almond Breeze Almondmilk can be used to make a ton of delicious treats, I am just going to share with you some of my favorite ways to use it. By playing it smart with Almond Breeze Almondmilk, I can enjoy all these treats guilt-free (and so can you!).
Eggnog Made with Almond Breeze Almondmilk
Eggnog is one of my family’s favorite holiday indulgences, but it is not the lowest calorie drink to guzzle. A better option is to make eggnog using almond milk. This recipe has been adapted from Dave Zinczenko at ABC News.
Ingredients:
40 fl oz Almond Breeze Almondmilk
6 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions:
Crack and open 6 eggs. Place in a bowl.
Whisk together almond milk and spices in a medium-sized saucepan.
Heat the liquid over medium-high heat for approximately five minutes or until steam appears. Whisk occasionally.
Slowly (very slowly) pour ½ cup increments of the heated liquid into the egg bowl. Do not pour it too fast or it will cook the eggs rather than combining. Whisk to combine.
NOTE: If you are in a rush, Blue Diamond also makes Almond Breeze Almondmilk Nog. Hooray!
Holiday Sugar Cookies with Almond Breeze Almondmilk
Holiday sugar cookies are the best! Not only are they tasty, but it is also a fun tradition to make them with my kids. Fortunately, by using Almond Breeze Almondmilk, I don’t have to worry about my family eating too many over the holiday season. This recipe comes from Blue Diamond.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1½ cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
3 to 4 Tbsp. Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk; divided
Decorator sugar or sprinkles
4 cups powdered sugar
¾ cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
3 to 4 Tbsp. Almond Breeze Vanilla Almondmilk
Food coloring
Directions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with wax paper.
In a large bowl, beat 1 cup shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, scraping sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cream of tartar. Mix on low speed until well mixed. Add 2 tablespoons of the almond milk and beat until smooth.
Form into 1¼” balls, using rounded tablespoonfuls of dough. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Spray flat bottom of measuring cup or drinking glass with cooking spray; dip in sugar. Press each cookie flat, dipping into sugar every other time.
If desired, lightly brush tops of cookies with remaining almond milk and sprinkle with colored decorator sugar or sprinkles or leave plain and frost when cooled.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove to cooling racks.
In a large bowl, beat powdered sugar, ¾ cup shortening, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the almond milk with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, adding almond milk for desired spreading consistency. Tint as desired with food coloring.
Plus, it is a better-for-you option alongside that morning coffee
Finally, I have discovered the joy of using Almond Breeze Almondmilk instead of creamer for my coffee. During the busy holiday season, I need all the coffee I can get. Now, I can still enjoy a rich and delicious coffee without all the dairy creamer I usually add. Now I wish that Almond Breeze would come out with a coffee creamer that would be the perfect complement to my morning cup.
Stock your pantry with Blue Diamond products to prepare for a merry and festive holiday season!
