Name Change and Happy New Year!

Hello!  I hope you are all enjoying the last few days of 2011!  It is always crazy to me how quickly the days pass.  I can clearly recall specific moments from the very beginning of the year, and here we are, just a few days away from 2012.

For me, the transition from one year to the next offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on triumphs and struggles, and to create new goals and reevaluate old ones.  One goal I had this past year was to start a food blog, and I achieved that when I started A Big Bite of Happy at the end of July.  However, as much as I loved it, I was not able to post recipes as often as would like, and have realized that I have many other passions that pull me in many different directions and also have the desire to share.

Therefore, I have renamed my blog Long Live Passions to accommodate some of my other interests besides food, recipes, and health.  However, I will still post new recipes and will create a page with all of my recipes listed for easy access if you are not interested in the other things I will be posting.  I am changing the nature of the blog to incorporate other "passions" and feel hopeful that this will increase the amount of posts I am able to create!

Thank you for reading my blog so far! Wishing you the best in the days and new year ahead!

Pumpkin, Flax, and Walnut Granola

Granola is a perfect snack that goes well with so many foods, and is even wonderful by itself!  While store bought granola can be very delicious, sometimes it is overly processed and packed with fat and sugar.  Making homemade granola is very easy, and you can control exactly what you put into it!  This recipe is very healthy since nearly every ingredient has a health benefit of some sort!  And it is so YUMMY!!!

Hakuna Frittatas!

These mini frittatas are one of the easiest and most delicious recipes!  They are definitely real crowd pleasers, and upon having them, some of my friends changed the words of the song "Hakuna Matata" to Hakuna Frittata!

What exactly is a frittata?  I suppose if you are the type of person who reads food blogs, then you would know, but I have been surprised by the number of people I know who have no idea as to what a frittata is.  Well, a frittata is essentially a baked omelette.  The preparation is very similar, but instead of cooking it on the stove, you bake it in the oven.  This recipe is baked in a muffin pan and is a wonderful way to use up eggs.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is definitely one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, and this recipe is so delicious I sometimes eat it by itself!  It is super easy to make too!

The "before"

And "after"- such a beautiful color!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I can't believe the month of October is nearly over!  That being said, I knew I needed to post a pumpkin recipe, and these pumpkin cupcakes are delicious!  These cupcakes have very little fat due to the pumpkin and applesauce, and you can't tell that whole wheat flour was used!

Guilt-free?

I absolutely love looking at recipes on various blogs and websites!  In fact, I'm sort of obsessed with it.

However, the other day when I was recipe hunting, I felt disappointed by how many recipes contained the words "guilt-free" in the title or introduction.  I am aware of how many of us like desserts or other "guilty" foods and am also aware that people, in general, want to be healthier, or even lose weight without "giving up" their favorite "indulgences".  On the surface, this is a nice idea.  I know I might even be more likely to click on a recipe that is "guilt-free".

But, what do the words "guilt-free" mean for our society?  Why do we attribute the word, or the feeling, "guilt" with foods?  There are people everywhere who struggle with food.  We fight cravings, diet, binge, eat too little, make excuses, and engage in many other behaviors that wreak havoc on our mental health.  On top of this, we are constantly bombarded with images of what we should look like or what is "healthy".

What I want to propose is that we stop attaching the word "guilt" to what we eat, whether it is "healthy" or not.  As a human being, you do not deserve to feel inferior or worse about yourself because of what you eat.  You should eat what you want and not have second thoughts.  I know it's hard to do this with negative messages surrounding us, but try to dismiss the shoulds and can'ts and guilt from your vocabulary.

Obviously, health is still important, and I know I am personally always open to a healthier re-make of another recipe I enjoy.  However, if you try to stay balanced and listen to when you are full for the most part, you don't have count every calorie you consume, or worry about consuming your favorite treats.

Have a wonderful day, beautiful people!

BEST MAC AND CHEESE EVER!!!! (and it's healthy too!)

I love macaroni and cheese.  I think I could honestly eat it every single day.

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover a much healthier version of the classic that is prepared a little differently.  Basically, in this recipe, you cook the pasta in milk instead of water.  As you are cooking, some of the milk cooks out and the starch released by the pasta helps thicken the sauce, without using cream or other sources of fat.

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

When life gives you very ripe bananas, make a smoothie!

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie
Makes about 2 cups of smoothie

Chocolate Almond Oat Snack Balls!

I am sure everyone can relate to the times when you are extremely hungry and craving something sweet instantly. Being a college student, this is a great recipe I created for these "must eat right now" moments!

Chocolate Almond Oat Snack Balls

Welcome to my blog!

Hello! Regardless of what brought you here, thank you for stopping by!

I have wanted to create a blog for a some time now, and am very happy to have finally created one! My motivation behind creating A Big Bite of Happy is the desire to create delicious, yet healthy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy. I am not "fancy" by any means, and I will try to create recipes that are simple and fun for everyone, no matter what your cooking/baking ability!

Why the title "A Big Bite of Happy"? Well, I am a very optimistic and passionate person, who cares about and enjoys a wide variety of things. Cooking, baking, and eating are just some of these things. I try my best to live my life to the fullest, and therefore tend to take "big bites" and really go for it when I try new things, even if I take on too much! Something that makes me the happiest is when others are happy with themselves, their lives, and when they fully accept themselves the way they are. I want this blog to be a space of positive energy, and for readers (that's you!) to feel that they matter as individuals and that they are awesome, unique, and beautiful people who deserve to be empowered and inspired. I hope that after leaving this blog you will feel better than before you arrived, or at the very least you will have a yummy recipe to try out!

I look forward to all that lies ahead!