Last Minute Simple Holiday Treats: Marble Bark

Indulge in the perfect blend of simplicity and flavor with Marble Bark! This irresistible treat combines creamy swirls of chocolate in a beautifully marbled design, creating a delightful snack that's as satisfying to look at as it is to enjoy. Perfect for gifting, sharing, or savoring all to yourself!

Marble Bark

In need of a last-minute holiday treat that's easy to whip up? Marble Bark is not only stunning to look at but also incredibly simple to make and irresistibly delicious!  Even if you're new to the kitchen,  bark is so simple and foolproof that anyone can make it—it's a perfect recipe to try with kids for some fun, hands-on creativity!  With just 4 simple ingredients, this bark recipe is an easy and stress-free treat that delivers big on flavor and presentation!

Marble Bark is the ultimate treat that checks all the boxes—it's beautiful, delicious, and incredibly easy to make. Whether you're looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert, a thoughtful homemade gift, or a festive addition to your holiday table, this treat has you covered. The combination of rich dark and creamy white chocolate, crunchy almonds, and bursts of jewel-like dried fruit creates a flavor and texture experience that's hard to resist. Plus, it’s a no-fuss recipe that comes together in minutes, making it perfect for busy schedules or last-minute plans. Impress your loved ones with a treat that looks gourmet but is delightfully simple to prepare!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• semisweet chocolate chips

• white chocolate chips

• Dried cranberries, cherries, and golden raisins mix

• Roasted almonds

• Optional: Parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Substitutions and Variations

Substitutions

• Semisweet chocolate chips → Substitute with dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or a chopped chocolate bar.

• White chocolate chips → Use white chocolate melts or almond bark.

• Dried cranberries, cherries, and golden raisins mix → Swap with any dried fruit you have, like apricots, blueberries, or figs.

• Roasted almonds, chopped → Replace with any nuts or seeds, such as pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or sunflower seeds—or omit entirely for a nut-free version.

Variations

• Nut-Free Delight: Skip the nuts and use crunchy toppings like pretzel pieces, crushed cookies, or toffee bits for texture.

• Festive Colors: Use holiday-themed sprinkles, colored candy melts, or edible glitter to match the season or occasion.

• Peppermint Bark: Add crushed candy canes or peppermint candies for a cool, minty twist.

• Salty-Sweet Combo: Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt or incorporate salted peanuts or pretzels.

• Spiced Up: Mix in a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or even chili powder to the chocolate for a unique flavor profile.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Melt Chocolate Gently: Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each, to prevent it from burning. Alternatively, use a double boiler for a more controlled melt.

• Smooth, Even Layers: When spreading the melted chocolate on the baking sheet, use a spatula to create an even layer. If you want a thinner bark, spread it out further; for thicker bark, keep it more compact.

• Swirling Chocolate: For a perfect marbled effect, drop spoonfuls of each chocolate onto the sheet and then swirl them together gently with a toothpick or knife. Don’t overdo it—just a few swirls create a beautiful design.

• Use Parchment Paper: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy removal and cleanup. The bark will lift off without sticking.

Notes

• Chocolate Quality: The better the chocolate, the better the bark will taste! Consider using high-quality chocolate chips or even couverture chocolate for a smoother, richer finish.

• Toppings Placement: For the most visually appealing bark, press the toppings gently into the chocolate before it sets, ensuring they stick well without sinking too deep.

• Even Thickness: To avoid uneven bark, try to spread the chocolate as evenly as possible. If you want a uniform thickness, consider measuring the spread with a ruler or using a shallow tray.

• Experiment with Flavors: Don’t hesitate to add flavor extracts (vanilla, almond, or orange) to the melted chocolate for an extra layer of taste.

• Portioning: If you want smaller pieces, break the bark into irregular chunks after it has set, or use a knife to score it before it hardens completely, making it easier to break into pieces.

• Gift Packaging: Marble Bark makes a great gift! For a festive touch, wrap it in clear cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or place pieces in small mason jars with labels.

     Equipment     

• glass bowls - microwave safe prep bowls

• spatula - a kitchen workhorse

• baking sheets - sturdy and multiple sizes

• parchment paper - pre-cut 100pcs great buy!

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Marble Bark

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
6 oz white chocolate chips
3 - 4 Tbsp dried cranberries, cherries, and golden raisins mixed
3 - 4 Tbsp roasted almonds, chopped

Line an baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until melted and smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Place white chocolate chips in another microwave safe bowl and heat chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth (about 1 1/2 minutes).

Pour melted semisweet chocolate into prepared pan and spread with a spatula in to a large rectangle (don't spread too thin). Dollop melted white chocolate by teaspoons over the semisweet chocolate and swirl together with a wooden skewer.  Top with dried cranberries, cherries, and raisins.  Top with chopped almonds.  Place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the bark is set.

Using the parchment paper lift and place bark on a cutting board; either cut into squares or break off into pieces.  Pack in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.  

Fall Flavors: Quinoa Harvest Salad

My Quinoa Harvest Salad is bursting with fall flavors! Apples, pears, dried cranberries, quinoa and spinach are doused with a cider vinaigrette for a healthy, seasonal salad!

Quinoa Harvest Salad

When Fall hits I start wanting all the seasonal ingredients I can get.  I decided that our first salad of the season would combine some sweet/tart flavors mixed with multi colored quinoa.  I love to make large salad that we can eat with meals and as a snack all week long.  This one is perfect for that.

Tart apples, sweet pears, and tart dried cranberries are mixed with quinoa and baby spinach then tossed with a delicious cider vinaigrette.  It's the perfect harvest salad!  Never made your own vinaigrette?  Let me show you how easy it is.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

Produce
Pears - I used D'Anjou
Apples - I used Envy

Baby spinach

Nuts and Dried Fruit
Dried Cranberries

Grains

Quinoa - I used a multi-colored variety

Pantry Items

Olive Oil

Apple Cider Vinegar

Dijon Mustard

Garlic clove

Substitutions and Variations

• Change up the salad greens:  Use any dark leafy green such as chopped kale or arugula

• Try adding squash: Roasted butternut or sweet potatoes

• Add nuts:  Think pepitas or pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds - or go nut free

• Change up the dried fruit:  go with raisins, golden raisins, dried cherries, or even apricots
• Try a different grain:  bulgur, farro, or quinoa would all be great choices

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Make Ahead:  cook your quinoa on the weekend and then refrigerate until you make the salad during the week.
• Apples come in many varieties:  try Gala, Jazz, or Golden Delicious

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Quinoa Harvest Salad

serves 6

Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 apples, diced (I used an Envy apple)
2 pear, diced (I used D'Anjou)
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/4 olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tsp garlic, minced

pinch of salt & pepper to taste

Cook quinoa according to the package directions. Don't forget to rinse the quinoa to remove the bitterness.
Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl combine the cooled quinoa, apple, pear, dried cranberries, and baby spinach.  Toss to combine.  

In a small jar mix together the apple cider vinaigrette ingredients.  

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat.  Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.  

Weeknight Menu: Grilled Sumac Chicken with Israeli Couscous Salad

A 30 minute meal filled with Mediterranean flavors is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Grilled Sumac Chicken with Israeli Couscous Salad

Here's a great weeknight menu I tried through the Marley Spoon food service.  It's grilled chicken flavored with sumac served alongside an outstanding Israeli couscous salad.  Sumac is a wonderful spice that is bright and citrusy.  It's used here in a marinade for the chicken but there some many wonderful uses.  You can basically use it like you would a lemon or lime.  Sprinkle it on top of fish, salads, rice, hummus, potato chips, and even over popcorn!

The Israeli couscous salad is just as delicious and is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken.  A base of arugula is filled with items like couscous, mint, almonds, and cranberries and is doused with the most wonderful lemon dressing.  Done in 30 minutes this dinner is easy to pull together and tastes amazing.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts
• sumac - I use this one
• lemon
• sugar
• olive oil
• Israeli couscous
• almonds
• fresh mint
• arugula 
• dried cranberries

Substitutions and Variations

• Switch up the protein with chicken thighs, steak, or pork

• Use spinach instead of arugula

• Switch to small couscous (Moroccan) or use quinoa or farro. Note: the measurements in the recipe will need to be altered if you are using a smaller type of grain.

• Dried cherries would be a great substitute for the cranberries

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• There are several types of couscous.  The small Moroccan style is very common. Pearl or Israeli couscous is a larger version, roughly the size of a pea, which we use in this recipe.

• This salad is perfect for any leftover grains as well.

• I used an indoor grill pan but you may grill the chicken on an outdoor grill.

Tools

• grill or grill pan.  I have this one and this one.

• medium saucepan.  I use this one.

• microplane or grater

• fine-mesh strainer - I use this one.

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Grilled Sumac Chicken with Israeli Couscous Salad

serves 2

Chicken

2 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons sumac
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper

Dressing
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Salad
1/3 cup Israeli couscous
2-3 Tablespoons almonds, coarsely chopped
2-3 teaspoons of fresh mint, coarsely chopped
2 cups arugula 
2-3 Tablespoons dried cranberries

For the chicken:  In a large bowl add sumac, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.  Pat your chicken dry then lightly score the top of the chicken with a sharp knife 4 or 5 times (only cut the surface, do not cut down in to the chicken).  Add the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat.

Bring a medium saucepan with salted water to a boil on the stove.  Meanwhile make the dressing.  In a small bowl combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, and salt & pepper to taste.  Whisk until combined and set aside.

Add couscous to the boiling water and cook until al dente 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain in a fine mesh colander and place in a large bowl.  Add half of the prepared dressing and toss to coat.

Preheat a grill pan on medium high heat.  Add chicken to the grill pan and cook 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through and browned.  Remove to a plate and cover with foil.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

To finish the salad, add arugula, cranberries, almonds, and mint to the couscous.  Toss to combine and season with salt & pepper to taste.  

Slice chicken and serve with salad, or on top of the salad.  Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

A handful of winter fruits turn in to an outrageously good fruit salad.  Top it with a sweet/tart lemon poppyseed dressing and you'll be craving this dish all winter long!

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing 

Fruit is essential in our house, and we eat a ton of it.  We are in heaven during the spring and summer months due to the abundance of fresh fruit, but come wintertime we feel a little cheated.  That is until I came across this recipe for a winter fruit salad.  The salad has a combination of pears, apples, tangerines, bananas, kiwis, and dried cranberries.  If that isn't good enough it is topped with this amazing dressing that includes lemon juice, honey, oil, and poppyseeds.  This salad is sooooo good that I've made it three times in that last 2 weeks!

This salad is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and snacks.  Because of the lemon in the dressing the apples and pears don't turn brown so this would be great for a picnic in the park. 

However you decide to serve it make sure to do it quickly.  If you love fruit, this is going to be a new favorite in your household too!

When do I serve fruit salad?

• Brunch or breakfast
• Snack time
• After school snack
• Dessert
• Lunch as a side dish
• Use this to top waffles for breakfast or dessert
• Top Greek Yogurt with a big scoop
• Top ice cream for dessert
• Perfect over pound cake or angel food cake

What Ingredients do I need?

• apples
• pears - we love D'Anjou
• kiwis
• bananas
• tangerines or mandarin oranges
• dried cranberries
• lemon
• poppyseeds
• honey
• canola oil

Substitutions and Variations

• add dried cherries instead of cranberries
• add pomegranate arils
• use fresh orange juice in the dressing instead of lemon
• any of the fruit may be left out
• substitute you favorite pear
• use a tart apple instead of a sweet one
• add grapefruit segments instead of tangerines
• add orange segments instead of tangerines
• add blood orange segments instead of tangerines
• swap out pineapple for any of the fruit

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Double the recipe to serve a larger group
• This best eaten the same day however, the fruit salad will keep an extra day in the refrigerator but the bananas may tend to get a little mushy.
• The lemon juice in the dressing will keep the apples and pears from browning
• To make ahead prep the tangerines and kiwi, but I would cut the apple, pears, and banana pretty close to serving.

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Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing 

serves 4

Dressing

1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon poppyseeds

3 Tablespoons canola oil

Pinch of sugar

Salad

1 Envy apple, cored and diced

1 D'Anjou pear, cored and diced

1 banana, sliced

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 tangerines, peeled and segmented

1/3 cup dried cranberries

To make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar whisk together lemon juice, honey, poppyseeds, sugar, and oil until well combined.

For the fruit salad: In a salad bowl toss together all of the fruit then pour just enough dressing over top to coat.  Start out with about 1/2 and add more if needed.  Toss to coat gently.  

Serve immediately for best results.

adapted from:  Cooking Classy

Holiday Best Snacking Board

For a weekend or a pre-holiday meal, enjoy my Holiday Best Snacking Board with savory dips, a variety of dippers, along with some nuts, fruits, and sweets.  

Holiday Best Snacking Board

What better way to get people to join you at the table than with a wonderful snacking board that holds a plethora of delectable goodies.  A snacking board is the ultimate and easy way to gather.  They are great for parties when we can all have them, but for now they are the perfect way to bring the family together.

With some help from Trader Joe's I was able to pull together two outstanding snacking boards.  You don't have to make things homemade all the time, so take some help from some special gourmet items and put together a spread that's healthy, appetizing, and filling.  

The first board is full of toppings and dipping vessels.  From hummus, to a goat cheese log, to crostini that you put together your way with a variety of toppings.  The second board is full of finger snacks.  From dried fruits, to various nuts, and some sweets thrown in the mix.  This is definitely a sweet & salty board.  

All together we have one decadent meal ahead of us!

When would you use a snacking board?

• Family get-togethers
• Game night
• Girls night
• Pre-holiday meals
• Holiday snacks
• New Year's eve
• An appetizer party
• Movie night
• Weekend Brunches
• Snacking Lunches
• Cocktail parties
• Pool party

What ingredients do I need?

For the:  Finger Food and Dipping Board

• Mango Salsa
• Crumbled Feta Cheese
• Trader Joe's Spicy Hummus Dip
• Homemade Bruschetta (recipe below)
• Homemade Butternut Squash Crostini (recipe below)
• Homemade Crostini (recipe below)
• Tortilla Chips
• Trader Joe's Pistachio Pomegranate Crisps
• Trader Joe's Brioche Toasts
• Carrots
• Cucumber slices
• Bell pepper slices
• Trader Joe's Cranberry Chèvre Fresh Goat Cheese

For the:  Fruit, Nuts, and Sweets Board

• Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars Shortbread Cookies
• Trader Joe's Candied Pecans
• Dried Apricots
• Marcona Almonds
• Walnuts Halves
• Pecan Halves

Substitutions and Variations

• For the dips try pico de gallo, tzatziki, white bean dip, other flavored hummus, spinach & artichoke, jams, fruit salsa
• For the dippers try pita bread, pretzel chips, bagel chips, or pita chips, 
• For the vegetables try celery, broccoli, endive, and snap peas
• Don't like nuts, do an olive tray, or a sweets only tray
• Add more fresh fruits such as strawberries, grapes, and sliced apples
• Add other dried fruit such as apples, pineapples, figs, and dates

Kitchen Notes and Tips

• Use a large wooden tray or platter as your board
• Make sure your tray is food safe, otherwise line with a piece of parchment paper
• Arrange big items first on your board and fill in with the smaller items
• Use most of the space on your board for an abundant look
• Dips and spreads should be placed in small bowls and spread out in different areas on the board 
• Fill in the spaces under the dips and spreads with the dippers. 
• Fan pieces for a nice look
• Groups similar items together for impact

Butternut Squash Crostini

cubed butternut squash (store-bought)
olive oil
salt & pepper
garlic powder
ground sage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the cubed butternut squash into small bite sized pieces.  Place on a large rimmed sheet pan, and drizzle with olive oil.  Season well with salt, pepper and garlic powder plus a small sprinkle of ground sage.
Toss to evenly coat and roast about 25-30 minutes or until the squash is fork tender but not too soft.  To serve use place feta cheese and some squash on a crostini.

Bruschetta

2-3 ripe Roma tomatoes seeds removed, finely diced, and gently patted dry 
3-4 fresh basil leaves sliced into thin ribbons
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Combine diced tomatoes, basil, and minced garlic in a bowl.  Drizzle olive oil enough to coat.  Stir to combine and allow to rest for flavors to develop 30 minutes.   Place in a small bowl to serve.

Crostini

1 baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
flaky kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat both sides of bread with olive oil and arrange in single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until golden and slightly crisp. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Honey Almond Apricot Granola

The ultimate healthy granola recipe flavored with honey, almonds, apricots, and coconut which is baked until golden brown and delightfully scrumptious! 

It's the holiday season and I have a lot of new recipes to share with you.  To get them all out to you I will be changing my post format slightly.  I'll be streamlining it to get the most recipes out to you.  The new format will include:

• Description of the recipe
• Primary and alternative uses for the dish
• Key items to make the recipe
• Substitutions and variations
• Kitchen Notes and tips
• Most importantly "THE RECIPE"

I hope you enjoy the this format.  Please leave me feedback on what you think and if you feel anything is missing.  Happy Holidays! 

Honey Almond Apricot Granola

Granola has become a staple in many houses.  It's a trend that you see in a lot of restaurants and can be made so many different ways.  Making it at home allows you to have control over the ingredients, cutting back on salt and sugar that frequent the store bought variety.  Plus another great reason to make your own is that it is so cheap to make, and it is EASY.....so so so easy to make at home.  

This recipe is one of my favorites made with good local honey for sweetness, some chopped apricots for tang, nuts for crunch, and a little sweetened coconut for flavor.  Try it soon, you won't believe how easy this is to make and it will last for a few weeks stored in containers.

What do I use granola on?

• Sprinkle on top of yogurt
• Sprinkle on apples and bake them
• On top of ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Roll bananas in them and freeze them
• Sprinkle on salads
• Top off you oatmeal with it
• Eat is with milk like cereal
• Make a yogurt parfait
• Add it on top of chocolate bark
• Add it on top of brownies

What ingredients do I need?

• good honey (I try to buy a local honey)
• old fashioned oats
• sweetened shredded coconut
• sliced almonds
• canola or grapeseed oil (flavorless oil)
• dried apricots
• golden raisins

Substitutions and Variations

• use unsweetened shredded coconut
• use coconut shavings
• leave out the coconut
• use chopped cashews, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts
• use dried figs, dates, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, or cherries
• leave out the raisins or use currants or black raisins 

Kitchen Notes and Tips

• Make sure to watch the granola closely as it cooks.  It browns easily.
• Make sure to stir occasionally during the baking cycle.
• All the mixture to cool on the sheet pan before adding in the dried fruits.
• Use a large sheet pan so you have a lot of surface area
• Use parchment paper on the pan if you would like
• Store in an air tight container for a few weeks

Enjoy!!!

Honey Almond Apricot  Granola

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 

1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/4 quarter cup honey
3/4 cup small diced dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350ﾟ. 

Toss the oats coconut and almonds together in a large bowl.  Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl.  Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir until all the nuts and oats are coated.  

Pour on to a large baking sheet pan. Bake stirring occasionally with a spatula until the mixture turns golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally.  Add apricots and raisins. Store in an airtight container.