Photo 95: Sweet Goodness

Nutella and Cheerios. 

An amazing late night treat.

Recipe #360: Energy Bites

I am such a snacker, but have to really watch myself because it is so easy to snack on unhealthy things. So most times I really don't keep much of anything in my house to avoid temptation. But I came across these a while ago on pinterest and followed it to a recipe found here. It is nice to have an option sometimes that will fill you up in a good way!

You need:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

• mix all ingredients together
• chill for 30 minutes
• roll into small balls (I used a cookie dough scoop to help.) I made about 30 balls.
• store in container in the fridge. should last for about a week!

the recipe called for 2/3 cup toasted coconut but since Will doesn't like coconut, I put the sunflower seeds and butterscotch chips in instead. One little ball was the perfect snack for me. I haven't down a calorie check on it yet, but you definitely only need one or two to fill you up! :)

Recipe #353: Grilled Corn and Avovado Salsa

I had an avocado that was about to go bad so I decided that I needed to use it up quick! I did a quick search and found a recipe here that I loosely followed. It was also a perfect way to use up the leftover corn and zucchini I had from last night!

You need:
1 avocado
1 ear of  grilled corn
slice or two of grilled zucchini
lemon juice
olive oil
crushed red pepper

• open avocado and cut into large pieces
• cut corn of the ear and mix with avocado
• add in small pieces of zucchini
• sprinkle in some crushed red pepper
• stir in two spoonfuls of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil

Recipe #296: Hummus Take 2

Happy Spring Break to me! The house is clean, the fridge is stocked with groceries, and now it is time to catch up on blogging! I have several recipes to share, so we will see how far I get tonight!

So I was trying out another recipe from the fabulous Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day and decided to try their hummus recipe. I have made another one a while back but am still searching for a recipe that I like the best.

This one was pretty delicious, i think because of the lemon zest which was definitely better then just lemon juice.

You need:
1 can of chick peas, drained
juice and zest from one lemon
2 garlic coves, chopped
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
paprika
olive oil

• add chick peas, lemon juice and zest, garlic, tahini and salt to a food processor and start mixing until smooth. (if you are using a small one like me I would recommend doing it in two batches...I should have done that!) you may need to add a little water to help produce a smooth dip. 
• spoon into a serving bowl, sprinkle paprika on top and drizzle with olive oil. 

A delicious way to enjoy your veggies or Mediterranean Beef Wraps!

Recipe #269: Bird Food

In February, the day before our trip up to Indy and Chicago, a bird decided to enter our house and reek havoc on our lives for 12 hours or so... First he went into an opening in a vent and we thought he had found his way out of the house. Not so. The next morning as we are packing up for our trip I start to hear things that can only mean one thing...the bird is still in the vents! We located his location and set a trap!

broken up ritz crackers and peanut butter!

Well we thought that he had disappeared again and we were going to have to leave with him hanging out in the vents under the house (not ideal!) when he reappeared in the the trash can trap, nibbling on the crackers and peanut butter. Long story short, he managed to escape in the house again, but in less then 20 minutes Will had captured him for good and he was released from our house!! YAY!

So I named this recipe in honor of the little bird who wanted to live in our house!

You need:

 ritz crackers

peanut butter

banana

• cut banana into chunks
• spread peanut butter over crackers 
• top with a banana

Alex loved them too! :)

Recipe #252: Hummus

This is my aunts recipe. I have always wanted to make it and finally got Tahini to make some thing else so got to make this too! At first I thought it was too lemony, but that flavor kind of evens out after a while!

You need:
16 oz can of chick peas, drained
1/4 cup liquid from chick peas
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

• blend until smooth.
• top with a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes

Recipe #251: Baked Sweet Potato Chips

I had one sweet potato left and used the long slicer on my grater to cut thin slices of sweet potato.

You need:
1 sweet potato, skin peeled off (it makes it easier to grate...i found that out about half way through! :) )
olive oil, salt and pepper

• slice sweet potato with the long slicer on grater (or with a mandolin slicer)
• toss wiht some olive oil, salt and pepper
• lay in a single layer on cookie sweet
• bake at 450 until they start to brown, turning one time

Recipe #213: Chocolate Popcorn

I found an idea here, and decided to make some last weekend.

You need:
1 cup Chocolate melted
4 candy canes
popcorn

• melt chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted
• break candy canes and crush in mini food processor then mix in chocolate
• pop popcorn
• stir chocolate into popcorn 
• allow to cool spread out on wax paper
• Enjoy!

Recipe #181: Cinnamon and Sugar Popcorn

On a regular basis Will and I like to have popcorn for dinner. Especially after a big lunch! So tonight was one of those nights, but I decided to add some sweetness in there!

You need:

Air popped popcorn
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cinnamon and sugar

• pop popcorn and put in a gallon sized ziploc bag
• melt butter, pour in bag and shake up
• pour in cinnamon mixture and mix up

enjoy!

Recipe #149: rollo pretzel bites

I didn't get to take a picture of it but the original is found here. Super easy and delicious!

You need:
1 bag rollos
synders snaps
pecan halves

• unwrap rollos
• lay snaps out on a wax paper lined baking sheet
• top with rollos
• put in oven preheated to 250 for 4-5 minutes
• take out and press a pecan on the top of each one!

very similar to the pretzel sandwiches found here

Recipe #136 and #137: Apple Pie dip with Cinnamon and Sugar Chips

This was another find on pinterest! Originally from here. I doubled the recipe.

You need: 

for dip--

4 cups diced apples

4 Tbsp lemon juice

6 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp flour dissolved in 2 tsp water

• Combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small pan
• heat until boiling, stirring often
• add flour/water mixture
• heat until thickened
• great warm or cold!

for the chips--

8 tortillas

4 Tbsp butter melted

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp sugar

• cut tortillas into sixths
• lay on a greased baking pan
• brush with melted butter
• sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top (i had mixed together before adding)
• bake at 410 until golden brown, 8-10 minutes

Recipe #134: Pretzel Sandwiches

Okay, this is one recipe you really need to have! It is so easy and so delicious! I made it for my teacher inservice on Monday. I found it on pinterest and it is originally found here. Easy and delicious, I actually just make a few tonight to eat for a snack! (It has been a really long week!) The hardest part is really just opening up the candy! The original author used just hugs but I used reese's cups and coconut filled kisses! (which i think were my favorite)

You need:
1 bag of synders snaps
1 bag of hershey's hugs
1 bag of mini reese's cups
1/2 bag of coconut kisses

• preheat oven to 300
• spread pretzels out on a wax paper covered baking sheet
• unwrap candies
• put one candy on top of each pretzel
• put in oven for 2 minutes. (reese's cups might need 3 minutes)
• let it rest for another minute after you take out to continue to soften
• put another pretzel on top and press down
• put in fridge to cool for about 15-20 minutes
• EAT! :)

Recipe #99: Chocolate Covered Preztels

There are so many ways to do this, but this was just a quick and easy one so that we could have a sweet snack tonight while we catch up on White Collar! Of course, Alex isn't cooperating by going to bed, so I am not really sure when this will happen!

You need:
pretzels, any kind or size
cup full of chocolate to melt
sprinkles or coconut to top!

• melt chocolate in microwave
• dip pretzels into chocolate and try to coat evenly, use a knife to help you pull them out
• sprinkle on toppings
• let it sit in fridge to cool down 
• enjoy!

Recipe #95: frozen chocolate banana sticks...

This takes me back to matsuri times in Japan...Chocolate covered bananas with little sprinkes. This is a great snack, especially when you are in the mood for an ice cream treat!

You need:
3 bananas, halved
1-2 cups chocolate
sprinkles

• put a popsicle stick through the banana halves.
• freeze bananas on wax paper. (i put mine in the freezer before going to school and then got them in the afternoon, so I am not sure how long it takes to freeze)
• melt chocolate in a mug
• Dip each banana in the chocolate until evenly coated.
• Sprinkle on the sprinkle, 
• Freeze for another 15 minutes.

Recipe #94: Peanut Butter and Banana Wraps

This is a great snack or even breakfast! Got the idea from pinterest but originially a betty crocker recipe I think!

You need:
one whole wheat wrap
2 Tbsp peanut butter
half of a banana
some chocolate chips

• Heat the wrap up for about 15 seconds
• Spread PB over wrap
• Cut up banana and add on top
• top with chocolate chips 
• wrap it up

Enjoy!

Recipe #92: Chocolate Parfait

This evening I needed a sweet treat, but didn't have ice cream. This was a yummy and hopefully slightly healthier alternative.

You need:

Vanilla yogurt

granola

chocolate chips

coconut

Pour some yogurt in a bowl

top with granola, chocolate chips, and coconut

enjoy!

Recipe #74: Peanut Butter Bananas

This is a perfect snack, or breakfast, but Will thinks it is strange. You eat it and be the judge!

You need:
a banana
spoonful of peanut butter

• Spread the peanut butter on the banana
• Enjoy a protein filled snack
• Yes it counts as a recipe! :)

Recipe #52: Puppy Chow

We had to bring snacks to work today, so I decided to make Puppy chow. Don't worry, it is not for dogs, but a delicious treat for people! It is super easy to make.

You need:
9 cups of Chex cereal (or just the whole box)
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• Measure out the chex into a large bowl
• In a small sauce pan melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter
• Pour chocolate over chex mix. the best way is to pour a little bit at a time so that you can mix it up and get the chex evenly coated.
• In a 2 gallon ziploc bag pour in the powdered sugar. 
• Carefully add the chex in, close up the bag and shake it up until the chex has been evenly coated with the powdered sugar.
• Pour out onto a wax-paper covered cookie sheet to let it cool. Once cooled put in an air tight container and enjoy!

Recipe #29: Trail Mix...

So I need chocolate tonight, but instead of just eating chocolate chips, I decided to make trail mix. The nice thing about making your own is you can put whatever you want in it, so your sister won't leave all of the soft tasting pretzels because she doesn't like them! :)
So with chocolate chips as my start I looked around to see what else I had to add and it ended up delicious!

get some:
chocolate chips
pretzels
raisins
dried cranberries
coconut
cereal of your choice. i used some oat bran
also nuts, i don't have any on hand, but almonds would be delicious.

pour amounts of your choice into a container. put the lid on it and shake it up!

Don't eat all at once! :)