It is officially awards season, which means that Sunday nights will be spent watching all of the beautiful hollywood stars in their amazing gowns from the comfort of our cozy couch in my jammies 🙂

Just because I’m cozy in my pjs doesn’t doesn’t mean that I can’t have snacks that are as fabulous as the celebrities strutting the red carpet…

I dressed up JUST for you guys in honor of these fabulous appetizers:)

I made a delicious and in my opinion AWARD WINNING appetizer spread that will be sure to please anyone (even if you aren’t watching an awards show!) BUT it would be perfect for the Grammy’s this weekend 🙂

This award winning platter contains bites and nibbles that are delicious, nutritious, low FODMAP, and sure to please a crowd.

Here is what is in the spread:

• Macadamia Nuts
• Spiced Pecans (recipe below!)
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• White Cheddar Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Carrots
• Red Bell Pepper
• Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites (recipe below!)
• Black Olives
• Green Olives

How do you make your appetizer spread look truly “award winning?”  Get creative!

Find cute jars and bowls, and let your imagination run wild.  After all, making it look great is half the fun 🙂

And here are the recipes that I mentioned above!

Spiced Pecans

low FODMAP and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw pecan halves
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp low FODMAP taco seasoning
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy.
3. Mix the maple syrup and spices into the egg whites, then add the pecans and stir to coat.
4. Spread the coated pecans in a single layer onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat!)
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, until it appears that the egg is no longer liquidy.  Usually, it is right around the time that the nuts become very fragrant.  That is how I can tell they are done!
6. Allow to cool on the baking sheet.

**These nuts are great to toss into salads, eat as a little sweet treat, and of course they are delicious on my Award Winning Appetizer Spread.

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites

Another amazing low FODMAP appetizer that is very simple (yet slightly fancy) to put together.

Ingredients:

• 12 cucumber slices about a half inch thick
• 3 oz of smoked salmon (I used Chicken of the Sea Smoked Salmon)
• 4 tsp homemade mayo
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dehydrated chives (found in the spice aisle)
• dash of salt

Directions:

1. Arrange the cucumber slices on your favorite serving plate, or on your Award Winning Appetizer Spread.
2. In a small bowl, combine the smoked salmon, mayo, paprika, chives, and salt.
3. Break the salmon up with a fork and stir all the ingredients together.
4. Top the cucumber slices with about 1 Tbsp of the smoked salmon mixture.
5. Enjoy!

Now, if you are like me you have lots of things going on (brand new puppy, puppy school, MY school, etc) and it’s not always easy to get to the store in time for a big event like this 😉  Even if it is just you and the hubby or a couple of girlfriends in your cozies drinking wine and eating these delicious appetizers…you still gotta find the time to get to the store, right?

Luckily, Walmart Grocery has this super convenient delivery service that is brand new in the Denver area.  I ordered all my appetizer supplies from Walmart To Go, and was very pleased with the cost and ease of the entire process.

To read a little bit more about my experience with Walmart Grocery, you can check out my post about my Food Prep Party!

Your Turn:

• Anyone truly hosting a Grammys party this weekend?  If so, what’s on the spread?