Sweet, salty, and packed with protein. Trail mix is the perfect companion for a long hike in the woods, a road trip, or just keeping with you in your backpack because you never know when you might need it. Here are 31 of our favorite trail mix recipes provided to us by some of our blogger friends.

 Chicken Tenders are one of the most versatile menu items out there. The sheer number of options to coat a chicken tenderloin with and sauces to dip it in allow for incredible freedom. Plus, there's the debate of whether to fry it or bake it. For me, I prefer to bake my chicken tenders since while I do enjoy fried foods, baking is so much easier to clean, safer, and healthier. So, with dreams of sunshine and palm trees in my head, I prepared these baked Crispy Crunchy Coconut Chicken Tenders evoking the sweet and spicy Caribbean flavor that I love!

Sometimes you just need to have fun and that's what this recipe is all about. Chicken tenders are one of my favorite meals to order out at restaurants but they are insanely easy to make at home too. Let's have some fun though and kick it up a notch by adding some color and funky fruity flavor in the mixture. Everyone in your family will love these Crunchy Rainbow Baked Chicken Tenders... even adults!

Nachos are one of the great American party foods. It's uniquely American in that it took inspiration from another culture and then made it ours. That's what American food is all about - taking the best from around the world and then making it even more awesome. So in that spirit, I introduce you guys to nanchos! That's right, Indian inspired nachos using nan instead of chips and a blend of spicy and exotic Indian spices.

For the past few months I've been using Premier Protein shakes as a quick meal replacement for breakfast and mid-day snacks. The other day though, I came across an interesting idea - instead of using creamer for your morning coffee, try Premier Protein Caramel flavored shake instead. This way you get a nice cream flavor plus a hit of sweet caramel without worrying about adding extra sugar or fat.

Being on the west coast is weird sometimes - we are three hours off from games that start on the East Coast and that means our tailgating foods are generally closer to brunch than dinner. Personally, I like to spice things up and I'm tired of the traditional recipes. Sure, you could have wings and mostaccioli but let's do something different. That's why I created this Brazilian-inspired omelette recipe featuring some products provided to me by the folks over a babbleboxx to create our own tailgate brunch experience.

So you've probably experimented with whiskey before when preparing BBQ but sometimes the occasion just calls for tequila and so that what we tried. This recipe is a fairly simple smoked brisket recipe with light hints of tequila that help pair it well with a nice full glass of high-quality agave spirits such as our favorite, Don Julio 1942.

Pasta mixed up with cheese has been a favorite dish for centuries. It has a long history of being both a dish enjoyed by foodies to one enjoyed by the poorest of people looking simply for a tasty treat to fill their hungry bellies. As a result, you have an almost infinite number of macaroni and cheese recipes with each person having their own twist on the classic. Today's recipe comes to us from Bellwether Farms, an artisan creamery located in Sonoma County, California and features their Bellwether Farms Carmody.

One of the things I love about cruising is the food. It's not always the "best ever" but each cruise line has some iconic dishes that fans absolutely crave and savor the memories for months and years after the cruise. In the case if Carnival, their Warm Chocolate Melting Cake is undisputedly one of the best deserts at sea. While virtually all cruise lines offer a variation of a "chocolate lava cake", Carnival's is just that much better and we've got the secret recipe below. However, the other thing I love about cruising is that you can always make things better and the crew loves to make guests happy. That is true on almost every cruise I've taken with Carnival and it is certainly true the night we took Carnival's Warm Chocolate Melting Cake to the next level by adding melted peanut butter!

Looking for a tasty treats to keep you warm and happy this winter? Here's some suggestions from our friends over at Guiness and Bulleit!

While many people might look at English muffins simply as a platform to hold melted butter and some jam, for me they are much more versatile than that. In fact while I love them for breakfast and brunch there are a bunch of other uses for them as well. You can find more of those on the Bays English Muffins website, but for today we created a special recipe that combines two of my favorite flavors – French Toast and Cinnamon Sugar Toast.

I love taking classic items and kicking them up a notch (or three?). One of my favorite lunches to make is a classic grilled ham and cheese. While there’s nothing wrong with simply throwing some random ham and cheese slices between pieces of bread and grilling it – we can do better than that! When you want the ultimate grilled cheese experience, it’s important to focus on the best ingredients available and that’s why this one stars Eckrich Black Forest Ham.

When you are young and still on the "chase", date night is something you look forward to but over the years it can become redundant, expensive, or just something to put off until next week. Unfortunately, as wonderful as marriage and long-term relationships can be there's a trap that you need to avoid called complacency. Here's some tips to overcome that and impress your date with how much you care for her.

Asking a chef or cook what their secret recipe is one of those things that I generally try to avoid. After all, there's always more to a great meal than simply a set of directions. That being said, after trying some of the famous Gator Gumbo at Peace River Seafood in Punta Gorda, Florida I just had to ask for the chance to share it with you guys. It's THAT good... and what's even better is that they even have a pet alligator in the pond out back... because of course they do, It's Florida!

Las Vegas has been a foodie town for generations and despite the fancy new places that open up every week, there are still some classics left in town like the Golden Steer Steakhouse. Founded in 1958, it saw the golden years of "Old Las Vegas" and a list of celebrities a mile long, including: Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, Tony "The Ant" Spilatro, Natalie Wood, Nat "King" Cole, Joe DiMaggio, Elvis Presley and Mario Andretti. In 2009 Bon Appetit Magazine even featured it in their feature, "The Best Steaks On Earth." Now, they are revealing some of their famous recipes and we've got a few samples to share!

Buffalo wings are one of the most popular snacks for football parties - or even just snacking anytime. However, they tend not to be very healthy. Even when grilled vs fried, there's a lot of fat in the chicken skins. As a healthy alternative though, why not try cauliflower instead? These Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Bites are not only a more healthy alternative to traditional wings but they taste great and provides an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids among other nutrients.

Typically when we think of summer grilling season, the featured meat is steaks, burgers, sausage - and maybe chicken. Rarely though do I hear people talking about grilled buffalo-style party wings but these are amazing on the grill and a bit healthier than frying or even baking in the oven. Of course, that health benefit typically goes out the window when you cover them in sauces. It's all about personal responsibility though and I love options that allow people to make choices.

For most of you, winter is in full swing right now and that means it's time to warm up with a steaming bowl of hearty soup. I've also found that for some reason there seems to be a lot of spiral cut hams on sale right now. Perhaps it's just that "after the holidays" inventory close out, but who am I to complain. My only problem was that I end up leaving an awful lot of meat on the bone after eating the slices. So, instead of throwing them out - let's make soup!

To many people "turkey" is just basic - bland, dry, and not that exciting.  but I like to take things over the top and experiment a bit. So that's what I did here with an innovative twist on the classic breakfast sandwich.

This recipe might seem a bit odd at first, but it ends up being a delicious way to eat your veggies in a whole different way. It's quick and simple to make these Curry Roasted Peppers, Peas, and Carrots and they make a fantastic "movie snack" too!