2014 - Petite Haus

Angelina December 22, 2014 Christmas

Christmas Pictures and a Happy New Year!

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Christmas is here in just a few days. I’m sure most of you have started your holiday traveling.

I want to give a shout out to my mom who has her birthday this week. Happy Birthday Mom!

I thought I’d just share some pictures from last year’s Christmas posts…

Unfortunately, I have to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Not to mention I also worked Thanksgiving this year and I work New Years’ Eve and New Years’ Day… clearly my scheduler hasn’t been thinking about my holiday schedule this year… Enough of my whining (hey it’s my blog and I’ll whine if I want too!).

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Will be back with more posts in 2015!!

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Angelina December 18, 2014 Christmas

Christmas Glitter Putz House Village

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I did away with my old Department 56 village and put together this glitter putz house village.

The mini Santas are tiny little candles I picked up at HomeGoods. I made the glitter path ways to match the houses with some cardboard and German glass glitter.

It lights up at night with some string lights that I got from Homegoods. The houses are from Homegoods, Tuesday Morning, and Pottery Barn.

I like my updated look. The Dept 56 village was really cute, don’t get me wrong, but it had been in the family for 20 some years and I was bored.
Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com
Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays, Foodie Friday

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Angelina December 15, 2014 Christmas

Christmas House Tour 2014

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Welcome to Peonies and Orange Blossoms’ Christmas House Tour of 2014!
First you are greeted with a fresh fir wreath:

Next, you step inside and notice the living room. I hung wreaths with a santa and reindeer garland this year.

A closer look… I just can’t get over how cute this garland is!

Then you are greeted by the tree…

You notice a little wooden Christmas village tucked away with a pyramid…

This spinning pyramid catches your eye too..

You see the Snowmanland table…

This vignette is hidden in the hallway…

The nativity scene moved this year to this little table…

The new Christmas glitter village…

And one last look at the Christmas living room…

Thanks for stopping by!
Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.comLinking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays,

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Angelina December 13, 2014 Christmas

Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars

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I LOVE the cranberry bliss bars at Starbucks. But… they are like 300 some calories. AND they cost money.

I have been looking for some recipes on pinterest and baked one and it was DELICIOUS. Now it’s time to share it with y’all.

This recipe is not my own. The original recipe is from Skinny Mom. I did alter a little bit, I like having some orange with the cranberry, the original recipe did not call for it.
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (Gold Metal)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

For the Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup white chocolate chips, melted (melt in 15 second increments until melted in microwave)
1/3 cup dried cranberries,
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp orange zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.

In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended.
Fold in white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cranberries. Spread batter into the greased baking pan.

Bake 10 – 14 minutes, until the edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, fresh orange zest, and vanilla until well-blended.

Frost the bars once they are cool and sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.

Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve chilled, it tastes better!

the cookie bar pre-frosting!

The great part is that these bars are only 150 calories… half the amount of calories of the original bar. AND they taste just as good!!

Pictures are my own. The recipe is from Skinny Mom.

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays, Foodie Friday

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Angelina December 13, 2014 Christmas

Snowman Land

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Next to the tree sits the buffet table… completely full of my nutcracker Santas, Steiff snowmen, and my favorite gingerbread advent calendar!

The banner below says “greetings”. I didn’t know where to put it this year so I went with this spot.

Pinecones are from the yard…

My favorite nutcracker!

Thanks for stopping by!
Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com
Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays, Foodie Friday

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Angelina December 11, 2014 Christmas

Spotted… Cute Christmas Stuff!

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

So while Christmas shopping this year… I spotted some awfully cute Christmas stuff! You can see in my post here some other things that caught my eye….

How cute is this reindeer topiary?!?

Or this collection of topiaries? Of course it’s from Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach.

How cute is this display of new Christmas Juliska?

I have always wanted a canopy bed… I LOVE how they put greenery on the posts!

This was at Anthropologie…

These poinsettias were so beautiful.

Love this French chair with the ribbon and wreath!

This tree was very beautiful as well, it is on Main Street in Disneyland!

I could not believe how pretty the castle looked at night in Disneyland!

And this was on my drive around looking at Christmas lights. Do you drive around looking at Christmas lights too?

Thanks for stopping by!

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com
Sharing with: feathered nest fridays, http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com

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Angelina December 8, 2014 Christmas

Christmas Tree 2014

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Here is my Christmas tree for this year:

Doesn’t it look pretty? I love the lights on at night.

The tree topper is a cardinal. I just can’t get him to sit perfectly straight. I love the burlap and tinsel “Merry Christmas” mini garland at the top.

A look at the tree during the day…

…Then at night:

Hope you enjoyed looking at my tree as much as I do!

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays,

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Angelina December 4, 2014 Christmas

Nutcracker Christmas Tablescape

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Time to unveil my Christmas tablescape! This year the theme was nutcrackers! Not like The Nutcracker, but actual nutcrackers!
Drumroll…

Nutcracker Christmas tablescape
I couldn’t fit ALL my nutcrackers on the table since I have a narrow French farmhouse table, but this will do!

A view from the other side…

You can’t tell in the pictures, but the placemats are nutcracker placemats! Here I took a picture without the charger and before I put the lights on…

Plates and Mugs: Juliska “Winter Frolic”
Nutcrackers – By Steinbach and Christian Ulbricht
Starry lights- Homegoods
Napkins – Williams Sonoma Tartan
Placecard Nutcracker holders – eBay, but done by Kurt Adler
One last look…

I hope you enjoyed my Christmas tablescape this year! I’m liking it a lot!

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday, Wow us Wednesdays!Tablescape Thursday, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays,
written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

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Angelina December 1, 2014 DIY projects

Easy DIY Coaster Ornaments

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This is a really simple project. How many times have you been in the store and found some cute coasters, but you don’t know what to do with them since you have so many coasters already?

Well, I found a project for you! You can easily turn the cardboard coasters into Christmas ornaments.

It’s really simple. It’s actually a pretty cheap way to get a whole bunch of ornaments.

Here are the steps:
1. Find a cardboard coaster you like.
2. Drill a hole in the top.
3. Use a ribbon of your choice (I used baker’s twine) and tie it through the hole.
4. Hang on tree.

Total project cost: the coasters were $4, I think there are 8 in the set. I already had the bakers twine. So… $0.50 for a cute ornament! Where can you find that in the store??

These ornament coasters were found at Tuesday Morning, they are by “Michel Design Works”.

I kinda like the green baker’s twine as it blends in with tree, as you can see below!

Here are some other cute coasters that I think would make cute ornaments:

Letterpress Christmas Deer Coasters - Set of 12 - Red and Green Holiday Coasters, Hostess gift, Ready to Ship

etsy, Dinglewood Design $8

Fluid Ink Letterpress, Etsy, $12.50

Antique Ornament multicolored letterpress coasters, set of 8

pink orchid lettpress, etsy, $12

Alright, that should do it! Now go turn your coasters into some ornaments!

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays, Foodie Friday

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Angelina December 1, 2014 Uncategorized

Holiday Gift Guide 2014

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I have put together some of my favorite gifts in my Christmas Gift Guide this year.

Let’s take a look!

For the Fashionista…

I love this Pendleton wool jacquard coat! It is very fashionable, especially this year with the various tribal prints hitting the runways. It is also extremely warm! Pendleton “Tillamook Toggle” Coat, $249

Pendleton Tillamook Toggle Coat

For the Fitness Guru…

This is an awesome product that lets you track your steps, distance, sleep, and calories… Fit Bit Flex, $100

Fit Bit Flex

If the fitness guru in your family is also into fashion, Tory Burch came out with this cute line of products too: a necklace and several pretty bracelets! Only problem: you also have to buy the fit bit, so the true price is $100 plus the price of the Tory Burch accessory. Tory Burch Fit Bit, $175

Tory Burch fit bit collection

For the Beauty…

This eye palette by Urban Decay has been a #1 best seller for a few years now. It has fantastic colors that look great on all skin tones. You can get it here: Urban Decay “Naked” Palette, $54 There’s reason why they also came out with Naked 2 and Naked 3 sets…

Urban Decay “Naked” Palette, $54

For the Guys…
Patterned mens’ socks are very in right now. They look cool. The guys may not like clothes for Christmas, but they will like these socks!

Topman assorted socks 5-pack, $25

For the Techie…
This Bowers and Wilkins wireless speaker produces orchestra-quality sound from the size of a little box. It works really well with your Apple products, too! Bowers and Wilkins Z2, $199

Bowers and Wilkins Z2

Under $20…

This holiday gift set of pretty red nail polish for the holidays is pretty! It is a great gift for under $20 and would also make a great stocking stuffer! Deborah Lippman “Jazz Standards” Nail Polish , $19

For the Hostess…

This is my favorite Christmas scent. It is a great hostess gift! “Frasier Fir” candle, by Thymes, $18

“Frasier Fir” candle, by Thymes, $18

For the College Student…

This game is awkwardly inappropriate… and fun! Perfect for the college student. Cards Against Humanity, $10

For the Little Kids…

This marble maze is sure to amaze the kids. I remember having a similar thing when I was a child and I loved it! Marble set, $26, Amazon.

MegaFun USA Marble Fun Run 80 Piece Set w/Mega Marbles

For the Girls…
This Frozen doll set of Princess Elsa and Anna are sure to be a hit. Or… pretty much anything Frozen-related.

Disney Frozen Royal Sisters Doll (2-Pack)

Disney Frozen Royal Sisters Doll (2-Pack), $34, Amazon

For the Boys…
Boys like legos. They have been around for a long time. This, new themes came out for legos. This minecraft lego set is sure to be a hit!

Lego Minecraft, $34

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Angelina November 29, 2014 Christmas

Christmas things that caught my eye… but I didn't buy.

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

Here are some things that caught my eye whilst shopping around for this Christmas season. I didn’t buy them due to budget, but I like them!

This holiday candle by Nest. I’ve seen it at so many places. Actually, I’ve smelled it too! There I am, shopping around, and I smell something good! And I look for the scent… and it’s this one. Although I don’t know if it beats my FAVORITE Christmas scent, Frasier Fir by Thymes.

Nest “Holiday” candle,

Williams Sonoma Christmas Peppermint Bark. It’s SO good. But I never buy any. Just “sample” it. Why is it so expensive? Why is it better than all the knock offs??!

Peppermint Bark, Williams Sonoma

I wish I had a video of these candle lights below. The flame DANCES. It looks like a REAL candle on the tree! It’s so cool!

Luminara Dancing Christmas Candles

Oh geez, Juliska. WHY did you have to go and redesign your dinner plate to make it cute? Maybe next year… I’ll keep my eye out on you…

Juliska Winter Frolic Scallop Dinner Plate

Saw this cute stocking holder at Anthropologie. It’s not very Christmas-y. But I liked it. It seems solid, would do well holding a stocking that is full!

Snow Hopper Stocking Holder at Anthropologie

My husband and I have eyed these trees for several years. They look really cool. The question is, where do we put it?? We don’t have room right now. You can’t hang ornaments on them really.

Birch Holiday Lit Tree, Restoration Hardware

This year Restoration came out with this string of ornament lights. They look super cool!! They are also super expensive. Le sigh.

Starry Glass Bulb String Lights, Restoration Hardware

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Angelina November 24, 2014 tablescape

Thanksgiving Tablescape #2

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I got sick of my pumpkin Thanksgiving tablescape. So I made this one for Thanksgiving.

The pinecone is from my yard. I let it sit away from the bugs for 1 month before I brought it inside. Hopefully no spiders crawl out!

I printed off a name and used a gold pen to highlight the edges. Simple but elegant.

Unfortunately I didn’t take very many pictures. The centerpiece is just faux candles and birch candles.

Posted at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday, Wow us Wednesdays!Tablescape Thursday, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays,

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Angelina November 22, 2014 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

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Today I’ve rounded up my recipes that are perfect for Thanksgiving. I have appetizers, sides, salad, soup, and dessert lined up for you! The only thing I don’t have is a turkey.

To start, I recommend this cranberry salsa. It’s tangy but sweet. It’s also my #1 pin on pinterest.

Cranberry salsa Recipe

These homemade onion rolls were a hit last year. They are good!

Thanksgiving Onion Roll Recipe

This is a nice healthier alternative to plain ol’ mashed potatoes. It’s mashed cauliflower with a potato or two thrown in. I will be eating these this year instead of carb filled mashed potatoes.

Healthy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

This is a nice vegetable side dish you can serve. Plus, it adds some pretty color to your table!

Autumn Roasted Carrots

If you’re one to serve salad at Thanksgiving, this is a nice Fall harvest salad. It has cranberries, apples, pecans, and a honey mustard dressing.

Fall Harvest Salad

If you’re a soup person, this is a nice soup to serve for Thanksgiving. It could also be the “main dish” for your vegetarian friends.

German Pumpkin Soup (Kurbissuppe)

If you serve multiple pies at Thanksgiving or are not a pumpkin pie person, this is a GREAT apple pie. It is so so good, I highly recommend it.

The Best Apple Pie Recipe

Hopefully you found a recipe you want to try this year!

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

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Angelina November 20, 2014 Appetizers and Sides

Cheese Gougère

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Ever had a cheese gougère?? No? Well, you are missing out. They are so delicious.

We made them for Thanksgiving appetizers last year… and they were gone in two seconds.

A Gougère is basically a French cheese puff. How could it not be good?

Gougères!

Gougères:
Ingredients:

1 cup water
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

Directions
1. Boil the water and butter. Combine the water, butter, and salt into a 2 to 4 quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigoursly until the mixture comes together and resembles mashed potatoes.
3. Return the pan to medium-low heat and stir for 3-5 minutes to dry out the dough. The dough is ready when it glistens and is thick enough to hold a spoon upright.
4. Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the dough on medium speed until it stops steaming.
5. Continue beating and add the egg in four additions. Wait until each is absorbed before adding the next. The dough should be a creamy batter in the end. Now beat in the cheese.
6. Heat the oven to 450F. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto lined sheet pans. (line with parchment paper or silicone baking mats). Space them at least one inch apart.
7. Bake for 5 minutes then turn the heat down to 350F. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. The gougeres are finished when they are puffed and deep golden brown and dry to the touch. They will feel light and hollow when you pick them up.
8. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm.

piped out and ready to bake!

finished product!

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays, Foodie Friday

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Angelina November 18, 2014 Appetizers and Sides

Black Bean Sweet Potato Bites Recipe – Healthy Thanksgiving Appetizer

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

This is a great recipe for an appetizer this Fall! What’s great about it is that black beans and sweet potatoes are extremely healthy foods. Perfect appetizer for those with high cholesterol, diabetes, dieters, and also vegetarians!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Bites

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes, unpeeled
1 can black beans
1 tsp cumin
salt
optional: dash of chili powder or cayenne pepper
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the sweet potatoes approximately 1/2 inch thick, and place in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the bottoms are browned.
While the potatoes are baking, simmer the can of black beans over the stove. Add the cumin to the black beans and a little salt. If you like your beans with a kick, add a dash of cayenne or chili powder. Simmer for approx 10-15, until the liquid has boiled off.
Now that the sweet potatoes are done in the oven, add a scoop of black beans on top of the round. Add some crumbed cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.

Tips

If you want your appetizers more bite sized, choose a narrower potato as those are the base.
Instead of cumin and chili powder, you could always add your favorite Mexican spice mix to the beans (like Mrs. Dash’s chipotle mix).

healthy Thanksgiving appetizer

Linking up with these fabulous link parties: The Scoop!, Inspire Me Tuesday,Wow us Wednesdays! Centerpiece Wednesdays, Creative Ways, Home Sweet Home , Feathered Nest Fridays, Foodie Friday

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

Christmas Pictures and a Happy New Year!

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Christmas Glitter Putz House Village

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Christmas House Tour 2014

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Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars

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Snowman Land

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Spotted… Cute Christmas Stuff!

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Christmas Tree 2014

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Nutcracker Christmas Tablescape

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Easy DIY Coaster Ornaments

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Holiday Gift Guide 2014

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Christmas things that caught my eye… but I didn't buy.

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Thanksgiving Tablescape #2

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Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

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Cheese Gougère

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Black Bean Sweet Potato Bites Recipe – Healthy Thanksgiving Appetizer

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