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    Madalynn hasn't had a chance to post much lately for a couple reasons: She doesn't have a computer presently and she has been working hard on her career. But, behind the scenes she is still a strong presence here at 3 Winks Design. Today's post is one she had a strong influence on. 

    I remember the days when at Christmas I would just cook the same sugary, fatty, delicious treats all through the season for everyone! But not so anymore!  Now there are so many differing diets to think about! Maddy is vegan, a son is on Keto, Lindsey has to stay away from fats.  
     So, I have some offerings for today's Friday Faves that will fit the bill for the vegan and even help with those other 2 a bit as well.  (I am not sure about the Keto, but at least for the vegan and the no-fat!) 

    In apast post, Maddy shared the idea of making Oreos look festive. This time I made them with red and white sprinkles.  Just be sure to use vegan frosting to edge them before rolling them in the sprinkles.  I made mine with vegetable shortening and coconut milk.  Oreos are already vegan by themselves.  Maddy was so happy to hear that news!  Don't they look pretty stacked on that plate like a flower?  (Hmmm, that gives me an idea!)

     When Maddy showed me aquafaba and what it could do, I was amazed.  What is aquafaba you ask?  It is the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans!  You just drain it into your mixing bowl and it whips up like meringue!  Add 3/4 c. sugar and 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar and there you go.  You may also add vanilla if you would like.  I put the "aquafaba" in a piping bag and piped them onto parchment paper.  Then, you bake them at 250 degrees F. for 2 hours! Look how much one can of garbanzo bean liquid made!

    So, after you use the aquafaba, what will you do with the left over garbanzo beans?  Make humus of course!  Here is a large recipe for your Christmas party crowd! 

​Garlicky Humus For A Crowd

    See!  Vegans and low-fat eaters can easily enjoy Christmas treats with the rest of us!  Not only that, all of us omnivores like them, too. 

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     It may be hard to believe this, but there are people out there, people that you may know, who do not like chocolate!  WOW!  MIND BLOWN, Right?  And, while I adore chocolate and sometimes (most of the time) crave it, occasionally it is nice to have something that is not chocolate, if only to help you appreciate chocolate even more!  And what, I ask you, could be a runner up to chocolate?  Cheesecake of course!  
     Yesterday, Lindsey talked about sharing cookies with friends and neighbors as a way of giving service as we participate in #LightTheWorld this Christmas season.  So, I thought I would give you another choice of something that everyone will love you for if you include them on your treat platters! It is so great to get a little bit of cheesecake that isn't over the top filling but gives you that creamy, rich goodness. 
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     My recipe is an adaptation from Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book.  In it, he has a cheesecake square recipe that uses lemon and walnuts.  I prefer pecans if I going to eat nuts in a dessert, which I don't usually care for.  But in this case, they are ground finely and used in the crust, instead of getting in the way of the delicate creaminess of the cheesecake part. Then, just a few pecan pieces are scattered on top.  Also, I love the taste of oranges during the holidays.  They just say Christmas to me.  And, finally because I have a large family and wanted to give some of these away, I needed a larger recipe.  So, I came up with my Orange Pecan Cheesecake Bite version and I have to tell you, they are delicious and while they are baking, the smell is wonderful. It really does smell like the holidays! 

Orange And Pecan Cheesecake Bites

There you go! Some scrumptious cheesecake without too much guilt! Soon, I will show you what my goodie platters look like as we get ready to deliver them! 
    I need to head over to DollarTree.com and find platters I can order in bulk! Some come as low as 12 in a package and some up to 48, so be sure to check as you shop online.  Remember you can get free shipping to your store for you to pick your order up there! 

Hey Guys! Lindsey here! I had plans to share something else with you today, but I've been experimenting and it isn't quite right yet so that will have to wait for another day... in the mean time. I've been reflecting a lot this year on how I want to celebrate the holidays in our home now that we have a little one. Christmas is a magical time of year with Santa and gift giving, but I want to focus on what we really need to be celebrating this Christmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. As you may or may not know, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does a Light the World campaign every year to help people give and serve this time of year to help us all feel the light of Christ in our lives and focus better on the true reason for the season.

This year the Church has divided it by weeks, and this week we are encouraged to especially focus on lighting our community through service. There are a lot of big ways to serve, but one of my favorite ways at Christmas time is to make treats and take plates of goodies to people to tell them Merry Christmas and let them know you're thinking of them! Well, right here on the blog we have already shared posts on some great holiday Christmas recipes!

At this link you can read about 16 Cookie Recipes to Share this Christmas!

At this one we turned some of our favorite recipes into new holiday favorites just be tweaking them a little.

Whatever you do to celebrate Christmas, I hope you'll take a little time to bring some light into the world. I know Jesus Christ is the Light, and if we try to be like Him a little more each day, we'll feel that Christmas Spirit all year long.