We love snacking on nuts and dried fruit and are constantly make little mixes of whatever's around the house. This particular mix is the perfect balance of salty and sweet. It's a great afternoon pick me up to snack on during class or at work. Be careful, it's seriously addicting! 

Add popcorn to a bowl.

Mix in dark chocolate medley. 

Add banana chips, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries. 

Add trail mix to mason jars. 

Cheers!
MK

Lowell's Wine List is located at the adorable Faucette House in Elon, North Carolina. The quaint and inviting shop offers 250 to 300 different wine selections and their inventory varies each week. The wine is carefully selected by the store's owner, Lowell Faucette, who can also accommodate special order items. 

Not only is Lowell's a great place to pick up a bottle of wine, but it's also an awesome spot to go with friends. They offer wine tastings by the glass and "theme tastings" all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. When we visited this past week, we enjoyed a glass of Kerner and a delicious cheese plate with our friend Emily on the front porch. It was the perfect way to spend our afternoon! On-going discounts are always available as well. Lowell's offers 10% off all non-sale priced items when you buy six or more bottles.

We're also doing a giveaway with Lowell's Wine List for two $10 gift certificates, which means two winners! The giveaway opens today and closes Monday at noon. Follow the instructions below to enter. 

Cheers!
MK

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with fruit and veggie "chips"- banana chips, kale chips, beet chips and especially apple chips. It's amazing how a couple hours in the oven and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon can transform an apple and make them taste exactly (or even better in my opinion) to the store bought version! 

Prep Time:  less than 10 minutes (as long as it takes you to slice apples) 
Cook Time: 2 hours 

What you'll need: 

• Mandoline slicer or very sharp knife 
• Parchment paper 
• Baking sheet 

Ingredients: 

• Two large apples (I used Honeycrisp) 
• Ground Cinnamon 

Cheers!
MK

"There is an app for that", could not be more true for K and I. From cooking to fitness and everyday tasks, we use apps to help us with pretty much everything. Here are a couple apps and websites we're loving lately.

The Skimm- While not an app, this is an amazing free online service that everyone should take advantage of. Their slogan, "we read, you skimm", explains their purpose quite well. The Skimm is a daily email subscription that provides worldwide headline and US news for the day in an interesting and easy to read format. As a busy college student I find myself stuck in a bubble from the outside world, but waking up and reading The Skimm every morning keeps me informed of whats going on in the news. 

Map My Run:  This is a great app for every level of runner. Map My Run tracks pace, calories, routes, and mile times whether you're walking, running or biking. The app also has features that track improvement in time and pace as well as the option to log your food intake and keep track of nutrition. My favorite part of the app allows you to search routes other people have done in your area. Makes finding a new route a lot easier! 

Happy Cow:  My mom read about this app in a New York Times article and knew I would love it. As a vegetarian, eating out can always be a challenge but Happy Cow makes it much easier. Happy Cow is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant guide, which provides the user information of veg friendly restaurants around you anywhere in the US. The app shows other users rating and reviews, menus and links to the website as well as providing directions to the restaurant. 

Net-A-Porter:  This fabulous online premier shopping website has really brought their app A game. Recently launching their own fashion magazine Porter Magazine, their new app is equally amazing. The app allows users to scan pages of the magazine and online shop right from the page to your phone or ipad. You can send items to your wish-list or share them with a friend at the ease of a message or email. A must have app for fashion addicts like us. 

What are some new apps you have been using lately? 

Cheers!
MK

Cheers!
MK

I couldn't be more excited to share this recipe with everyone! It's my new favorite meal and not to mention its healthy, delicious, and easy to make. My mom and I found it in the Williams-Sonoma magazine, but you can also find it here. We've found you always need more zucchini than they suggest because the zucchini shrinks once it's cooked. The Spiral Vegetable Slicer is the best investment we've ever made.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

What You'll Need

• Spiral Vegetable Slicer (only $39.99 at Williams-Sonoma!)
• Medium sauce pan

Ingredients 

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 butternut squash peeled, seeded & diced (you can buy it already diced!)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 6 zucchini
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus shaved cheese for garnish
• Lemon-Thyme Dipping Oil for drizzling 

Let us know what you think! 

Cheers!
MK

My family is typically dispersed all over the country: New York, North Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado and California, so we do not get to be together very often. But, when we do, it's bound to be a good time. For my aunts 50th birthday she insisted we get together and chose Central Coast California to celebrate. Here is a little taste of the amazing long weekend we had!  

My sister decided that we had to drive down the coast on the scenic California Route 1. While I was hesitant at first because it is twice as long as driving down the main highway, the spectacular views down this historic route were definitely worth the carsickness we all felt winding down 123 miles of edgy coastline. 

We had a lot of fun trying all of the different wineries and breweries in the area. In downtown Cambria we loved the Moonstone Cellars tasting room and the Cambria Beer Company. 

Here's an amazing shrimp recipe that's both healthy and delicious. It's easy to make and only takes about 20 minutes.

Ingredients: (serves 4-5)

• 2 tbs. minced garlic 
• 1 1/2 lb. uncooked clean/peeled shrimp
• 1 cup chopped parsley 
• 1 large organic lemon squeezed 
• 3 tbs. olive oil 

Let us know what you think!

Cheers!
MK

Since our schedules are so busy and jam packed, there is often no time for a big lunch. Therefore, we always make time for these delicious and satisfying protein packed snacks between classes and meetings. 

1) 5.3oz Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt with 2oz POM pomegranate arils: 140 calories, 16g of protein.
2) .5 cup Lactaid cottage cheese with one Wasa whole grain cracker:  140 calories, 14g of protein.
3) 2 tbsp MaraNatha almond butter with one medium banana: 240 calories, 8g of protein.

Do you have a favorite go to snack for those crazy busy days? Let us know. 

Cheers!
MK

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, here's an awesome alternative to mozzarella sticks from SkinnyTaste.com. It's the perfect game time snack and is an absolute favorite of ours! 

Ingredients: serves 4

• 10 oz eggplant
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt and fresh pepper
• 1/2 cup Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg white
• oil spray 
• 1 cup marinara sauce for dipping 

Let us know what you think or tell us your favorite game time snack.

Cheers!
MK