Winter Health Tips Podcast with FBS and @Nozin

The Full Belly Sisters were recently featured on a podcast—and on the Nozin blog—on which we share tips for keeping your family healthy this winter. We talk about everything from breastfeeding to garlic to probiotics! Listen in (just press the "play" arrow on the internet radio link below) when you get a chance...

How do you stay healthy during cold and flu season?

Listen to internet radio with ParasolCommunications on Blog Talk Radio

Bleu Cheese & Yogurt Cucumber Bites w. Cranberries

I'm a snacker. So when I saw this yummy idea for Pomegranate Cheese Cucumber Bites on Sugar-Free Mom I knew I had to make them. They were so simple, straightforward and nutritious...right up my alley. Hers were red and green for Christmas entertaining; mine are too late for the holidays, but I love the color scheme and the balance of savory and sweet, so I'm thinking they're great all year long.

I made some changes to suit my tastes and to match what I had in the fridge. Adding some yogurt (and cutting down on the cheese a bit) makes them a little less rich; it also provides a tartness that counterbalances the sweetness of the dried cranberries. 

My cucumber was pretty enormous. I used less than half of it to get the 16 slices I used for this dish. I just made these for myself as part of my post-workout lunch; if you're making these for a crowd, it's easy to make larger amounts. I cut them on a slight diagonal for more surface area on which to put the topping.

Ingredients
yield: 16 bites

• English (seedless) cucumber, cut into sixteen slices, about 1/4" thick
• 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large scallion, chopped (reserve some of the chopped greens to top the bites)
• 1-2 tsp. dried cranberries, minced
• freshly-ground salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl stir together the yogurt, cheese and scallions, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can make this yogurt-cheese mixture the day before; it's not necessary but it actually gives the flavors a chance to meld well.

Arrange the cucumber slices on a large plate or platter. Top each slice with a small dollop of the yogurt-cheese mixture. Then sprinkle the reserved, chopped scallion greens and the minced cranberries over all the bites.  

I ate a few before they had a chance to make it
to the platter. Oops!

The whole platter is less than 250 calories, so whether you're eating it yourself or sharing with friends, you can really dig in!

Top 10 Popular Posts of 2012: Zucchini Potato Pancakes, Cannoli Ice Cream & more!

Check out 2012's most popular posts on our blog: everything from Crockpot Caramelized Onions to a Green Grilled Cheese Sandwich to some breastfeeding tips for new moms! Some of these posts were actually published in 2011, but gained momentum again this past year and shot to the top!

10. Zucchini Potato Pancakes: Regular latkes are kicked up a couple of notches with the additions of zucchini and scallions, as well as untraditional ingredients like whole wheat flour and flax meal.

9. Homemade Peppermint Patties: Just three, real-food ingredients. Seriously simple and seriously yummy.

8. Crockpot Applesauce: It's super easy (you don't even need to peel the apples), packed with nutrition, and so much tastier than store-bought applesauce!

7. Flourless Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Cookies: Whether you're avoiding grains or you're just looking for a quick and tasty cookie recipe, this one's for you.

6. Foolproof Caramelized Onions: Not only can you make LOADS of onions at one time, but when you make these caramelized onions in the Crockpot, you don't have to worry about burning them! Add them to omelets, sandwiches, mashed potatoes, or to my quick Caramelized Onion Soup with Mushrooms & Asiago.

5. Cannoli Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate & Pistachios: The lightly-sweet ricotta base of this ice cream makes for a simple and pretty nutritious dessert. Did I mention it tastes divine?

4. Cauliflower Fried Rice: This one-pot meal is positively packed with veggies (including the cauliflower cut to resemble rice), but your kids will hardly notice! It's so delicious and fun and simple, you'll be making it all the time.

3. Cauliflower Popcorn: If you're cutting carbs or trying to include more veggies in your diet, this scrumptious recipe is for you! I warn you: your mind might be blown because it really does taste like popcorn.

2. Green Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Filled with spinach, avocado and gouda, this sammie is a fresh take on a standard grilled cheese. It was one of our most shared posts on both Pinterest and Facebook. It's soooo gouda (har har)!

1. Five Things to Do in your Baby's First 24 Hours to Help Ensure Breastfeeding Success: This post really took off, especially on Pinterest, where it has been pinned and re-pinned countless times. It's had more than six times as many pageviews as the next most popular post on our blog. And we truly hope it is helping some new milky mamas get their breastfeeding relationships off to a good start.

Happy New Year, friends!

from Justine & Flannery, the Full Belly Sisters