Vegetarian Appetizer Recipe

This is one of my favorite appetizers, and its moderately healthy with the raw veggies. Plus, its colorful and absolutely delicious. We recently had a family gathering, so transformed an ordinary veggie pizza into a Veggie Christmas Tree in celebration of the holiday season.

You should add this to your list of apps this holiday season…seriously, so good!

Veggie Christmas Pizza
recipe adapted from my mom 

Ingredients
1 8 oz. package of refrigerated Crescent Rolls
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dry dill weed
1 tsp dry minced onion
2 cups finely chopped veggies {to keep in line with holiday colors, we used broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper and thin carrot sticks}
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onions

How-To
Spread Crescent Roll dough on ungreased cooking sheet
Press seams together
Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes {watch it so it doesn’t get too brown…you want it golden brown}
Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed and minced onion in a medium bowl
Once crust is done, let cool
Spread the cream cheese blend on the cooled crust
Use a knife to cut the ‘pizza’ into a large triangle tree, and use ‘unused tree parts’ for gifts and a tree trunk…and don’t forget to use a star cookie cutter for the tree on top

Arrange ‘tree’ and ‘tree accessories’ on a platter.

Decorate with veggies. You can even get creative adding ‘bows’ and ‘ribbon’ to the gifts. So fun!


Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve
Remember to cut the tree into pieces prior to serving so everyone can get a piece. You can ‘re-piece’ or place the small pieces together into the shape of the tree.
NOTE: Make 2 veggie pizzas because it will be gone in 2 minutes.

Enjoy.

{images via Tutto Bella}

peppermints on pizzazzerie

Today is such an exciting day for us here at Tutto Bella. Courtney, the talented and adorable woman behind the wildly successful entertaining site Pizzazzerie, featured our Peppermint Wonderland photo shoot today. Check out the post here.

We spent some time last week broadening the potential for our peppermint candy serving tray we featured last year, and we’re thrilled the results. Not only can you create a tray for your holiday party, but now you can create a frame and coaster too. See all the fabulousness and tutorial at Pizzazzerie.

And, it gets even better. We are thrilled to offer the set red and white chevron stationery from the shoot at our etsy store for a special holiday price. Click here to view and order.

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to the wonderful team we worked with to create the Peppermint Wonderful…

Location: Mom and Dad’s House {thanks mom and dad}…yes we pulled this off with 4 kiddos running/rolling around
Photography:
 Meredith Moran Photography
Marquee Lights: Saddleshoe Signs
Tabletop Accessories and Stationery: Fleur de Lis, a paperie

pumpkin dip

If you’re looking for that easy, no-bake, semi-healthy appetizer for this year’s Thanksgiving party, snack for the kiddos or even a treat to share at the office this week, look no further. This pumpkin dip is delish.

Pumpkin Dip
recipe adapted from friend and former colleague, Elizabeth

1 8oz package cream cheese
1 can {15 oz} pumpkin puree
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ginger

 Serve with ginger snaps, apples, graham crackers and pears.

{images via Tutto Bella}

pumpkin seed treat

We carved pumpkins last night with the kids, and being the health nut that I am, I took the opportunity to make carving pumpkins not only fun, but also nutritional by saving and roasting the pumpkin seeds. Raw pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamins B, C, D and K, essential fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. They can help lower cholesterol with their high levels of fiber, help to prevent the enlargement of the prostrate and promote bone health. Plus, they are a yummy snack!

Why not share all the health benefits of pumpkin seeds with dear friends? After you carve pumpkins with your friends/family this year, save the seeds for a healthy snack and give as a small token of thoughtfulness to a friend. I made the tags, “you are pumpkin pie spice and everything nice, that’s what friends are made of,” using a pumpkin template online and Microsoft Word, and attached them to a mason jar {my fave…everything looks cuter in a mason jar} with black and white twine.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Thoroughly wash the seeds after they’ve been removed from your pumpkin.
Spread the seeds out to let them dry. You can pat with a paper towel.
Rub them sparingly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Roast at 350 degrees for 15-16 minutes {watch them carefully as they will go from being perfectly roasted to totally burned within a minute or less}.

Oh, and as for the fun part, Jameson wanted a dragon, Gabriella wanted a heart and Jackson, well, we opted to carve a cute smiley pumpkin face.

{images via Tutto Bella}

october recap

We’re happy to report that we have our ‘bug’ debugged {fingers crossed that didn’t jinx it}, and our blog is back in business. So, while our posts have been live on the web, you {all our fabulous readers} have not received them via email. So, during your relaxing {or busy} weekend, take the time to catch up on all the fabulousness that’s been happening at Tutto Bella.

If you love chocolate or you’re looking for the perfect party dessert, read all about this chocolate mousse. Yummy.

The colors of the rainbow have never looked so good than when Drew Coleman, Event Consultant at Life Design Event Planning, and his team set up this shoot – seriously, so pretty.

It’s the time of year to bundle up…don’t forget to bundle up your home accessories too with these fuzzy sweater ideas. 

After you carve your pumpkin this year, make this spiced pumpkin seeds recipe.

Looking for a Longchamp bag steal…look no further than here.

We are head over heals for this lovely vintage glamorous shoot. 

This creamy Italian pasta recipe will have your guests asking for seconds, and you reigning as a domestic goddess.

If you like a good deal like we do, you will love these fall steals.