You know how much I love cheese and crackers. And if you don’t, know that if we don’t have cheese and crackers in the house, the world is just not right. I grew up eating cheese and crackers almost every night and I’ve since continued that habit. This recipe combines the two – cheese and crackers bundled up in one package? I’m in!

I’ve seen the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) episode (twice!) where she helps her friend plan and prepare a cocktail party and she makes these cute little blue cheese & walnut crackers. Both times I’ve thought they would be kind of fun and I finally got around to making them. I think they would be fabulous alongside some champagne myself and that is how I plan to enjoy the ones that I don’t give away!

Blue Cheese & Walnut Crackers - adapted from Ina Garten

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 8 oz blue cheese, crumbled and at room temperature
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water for egg wash
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Cream together butter and cheese. Add flours, salt and pepper and mix until it is in large crumbles. Add 1 Tablespoon of water and mix until combined.

Dump flour on counter and roll into a long log. (I wanted my crackers a little smaller, so while Ina says to roll into 12 inch log, I did about double that). Brush log with egg wash and roll in chopped walnuts, pressing them into the log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days.

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Cut the log into thin slices (about 1/2 inch) and place on baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool and serve at room temperature.

This post is part of the Healthbuzz December series, Holiday Health, by Foodbuzz.

Although you may be tempted to skip lunch the day of a holiday party, so that you can fully enjoy yourself, it’s the last thing you want to do. I like to have a “lighter” lunch but one that is very filling and full of vegetables, since they are often lacking at parties. This allows me to enjoy myself at the party, and indulge in a glass of egg nog or two, all knowing that the first two meals of my day were great ones.

Extra Veggie Salad - 2 servings – inspired by the Kind Diet

• 4 cups romaine lettuce, torn
• 2 cups spinach ribbons
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup cucumber, sliced
• green onion
• 1 avocado, sliced
• chicken breast, beans or tofu
• 2 Tbsp toasted walnuts
• 2 Tbsp olives, sliced
• 2 Tbsp flax oil (or olive oil)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• few drops of truffle oil

Clean, chop and assemble all veggies and toppings.

Whisk together lemon juice, flax and truffle oil, salt & pepper.

Drizzle dressing over salad and toss.

This salad provides about 5 servings of vegetables, good fats and vitamins, fiber from avocado and nuts, protein from chicken, beans or tofu, omega-3 fatty acids (the good fat!) from flax oil and luxurious flavor from the truffle oil. It’s perfectly balanced and equally as delicious.