Peanut Butter Banana Bites

You can make this snack early in the day and freeze it, or you can make them and server them right away.  

I also have had the kids help me and make them - and I have made them for the kids. 

We have topped them with nuts, dried fruit, cereal and trail mix! - This recipe is too easy and too delicious not to share with you. 

You can use almond butter or sunflower nut butter, but I feel like those butters are thinner and if you want to use one of them, I like the method of rolling the banana in the nuts with the butters spread on the outside. 

Red Monster Smoothie

I just love this Red Monster Smoothie - I am still trying to love the green ones as much as the rest of the whole world does. 

 

 I really like to buy lots of berries when they are in season and freeze them for making smoothies and nice cream. Berries never seem to last as long as I would like them to in my fridge. 

If you are using frozen fruit, go ahead and leave out the ice - you'll have a plenty frozen smoothie. And I really do like to use water in mine, anything else just adds sugar and calories that you won't miss. And adding more water, which your body will thank you for! 

 

Watermelon Raspberry and Lime Pops

You know those times when you buy a watermelon and it just isn't as good as you want it to be.  You don't want to waste it, but it isn't going to be delicious to just eat.  I have a solution for you - add some raspberries and lime and make popsicles!

It's a genius idea, refreshing and cold it is everything a summer treat could need to be!

The perfect way to enjoy that watermelon that you swore was going to be perfect and then turned out to be a little bit less than. 

Let's Get Popping! Some of the Best Ways to Flavor Your Favorite Whole Grain

One of my most favorite things to snack on in the whole world is popcorn. Since I love to share with you my healthy favorite things, I am going to share with you some of the most delicious ways to top this amazing whole grain.

A whopping 3 cups of air-popped popcorn is a mighty filling whole-grain snack yet only has 92 calories, plus 19 g carbs, 3 g protein, and 4 g fiber.

For the best and most even flavor distribution put half your popcorn in a bowl then sprinkle half your toppings / seasonings and then the second half of your popcorn and then top with the rest of your toppings / seasonings. I like to then put a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and shake shake shake. 

Here are some other ways that I like to top my popcorn. 

Sweet - 

Chocolate Chips ( or any flavor chips for that matter). I like the mini ones. This can get messy, but boy is it ever delicious. 

Cinnamon Sugar - used melted butter or coconut oil and then sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mix. (most of us have one). Try pumpkin pie spice or chai spice as well and sugar and powdered ginger or nutmeg. My mouth is watering just typing this. 

Maple Butter - Mix together 1 tsp of melted butter and 1 tsp maple syrup and drizzle it over your popcorn. It is a good thing this one goes so fast, because it can get soggy. 

Marshmallow - Instead of using your regular crispy rice cereal use popcorn to make these easy treats. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate -  Toss with 1/4 teaspoon each cocoa powder and cinnamon. 

Fruit Salad- Toss with 2 tablespoons each dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, and raisins.

Pumpkin Pie -  Toss with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon each allspice, ground cloves, and nutmeg

Caramel -  In a small saucepan, simmer 1 1/2 teaspoons olive or coconut oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Drizzle over popcorn and toss.

Chocolate Peanut - Toss popcorn with 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon peanuts.

Swiss Mix - Toss with 1/4 cup mini marshmallows and 1 tablespoon hot chocolate mix.

Spiced Nut - Toss with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, and 1 tablespoon each sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raw unsalted slivered almonds

Agave Crunch -  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon agave nectar and toss with 2 tablespoons granola and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Savory - 

Barbecue Popcorn - with brown sugar and paprika this recipe is sure to please at your house. 

Garlic Oil and Pecorino cheese - You can use any specialty cheese with this recipe. I find it just fine to omit the salt that the recipe calls for. 

Italian Seasoning - (oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, marjoram, and basil) with olive oil.  This one tastes like Pizza Popcorn!

Parmesan Parsley - Toss with 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh parsley.

Truffles - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon truffle oil and 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss

Sesame - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons gomasio (toasted sesame seeds and nori seaweed. Can’t find it in your grocery? Use 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds)

Orange Rosemary - Toss with 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon orange zest, and 1 dash garlic powder

Vegan Cheese - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Lemon Pepper - Toss with 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn and 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

You just use almost any prepared seasoning that you have Old Bay with Lemon Pepper and butter is to die for, as well as Caribbean Jerk Seasoning. For all of us ranch fans out there, we can use a packet of Ranch Dressing mix. 

Spicy - 
Spicy Paprika - Toss with 3/4 teaspoon chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. 

Thai - Toss with 1 teaspoon each curry powder and dried basil, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and zest of 1 lime.

Chipotle Chocolate -  Toss with 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder and 1/8 teaspoon chipotle seasoning.


Cajun -  In small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon each cumin, garlic powder, dried basil, dried thyme, and paprika; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; and 1 dash cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Drizzle over popcorn and toss.


Chili Lime -  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and a few shakes of Tabasco. Toss with 1 teaspoon each freshly squeezed lime juice and lime zest, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon each chili powder and chili flakes

Wasabi -Toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and 1 finely crumbled sheet nori.

Sweet Chili - Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 dash each garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Microwave mixture on high for 15 seconds. Drizzle over popcorn and toss with 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

How can you not love a snack that you can make so many different ways and still be healthy eating it. If you can, use a mister for your butter or olive oil. (or cut it out all together). What a great way to get your daily whole grains! 

Beet and Bean Dip - Ginger Beet Hummus

Isn't that just gorgeous? Don't you want to just dive in? 

Beets are one of my most favorite foods in whole wide world. I love them anyway that I can get them. so making them into a delicious dip was a given for me. 

When I made this dip and set out the rainbow of veggies my kids came flocking to it. They all ate it and loved it. The flavors of the hummus (tahini, cumin and ginger) really balance out the earthy flavors of the beets. Its so yummy on everything!

I have a really detailed tutorial for you on roasting beets at home - without making a huge beet juice mess all over your kitchen.  Its Here!  

You can also buy beets pre-roasted, but with farmer's markets in full swing - there are LOTS of beets available and you can eat the greens - and you can roast a bunch, freeze some for later, keep some in your fridge for salads and make this yummy dip!

If you love this dip, don't be limited by just dipping veggies, chips and pita, you can spread it on sandwiches, you can use it in wraps and you can add it to Buddha bowls, rice bowls and veggie bowls. YUM! 

Fresh Watermelon Mint Lemonade

I love a good drink! I know how that sounds, but I love to make a sweet icy treat and sit out in my porch swing with Joseph and enjoy the last few hours of the summer day. 

I made this lemonade because the watermelon that we bought was not good. It wasn't sweet and juicy and I couldn't get anyone to eat it. So I decided to see if I could use it up in a drink. 

I had lots of mint because I ordered a mint plant with my grocery pick-up order and they didn't have one... so they gave me 3!! packs of fresh mint leaves. I was swimming in it. 

I love to make lemonade by putting whole lemons (that I cut the peels off of) in my blender, so I thought I would test this out.  It is Delicious! So sweet and refreshing and the mint and watermelon together are just perfect. You'll wonder how you didn't put them together before. 

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola Bars - No Bake

I love making my own granola bars, they are so darn easy.  I can put a lot less sugar in them than the ones that you buy in the store and I can make all sorts of wonderful flavors. 

They store great in the fridge, and I wrap them up in plastic wrap so they are a great grab and go breakfast or snack. 

You'll love the fresh fall flavors of these, seriously who can't get enough pumpkin nowadays! and I think the dried cranberries add the perfect about of sweetness, but you can add mini chocolate chips as well, and they'll be just as fantastic!

 Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup nut or seed butter of choice
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ cup chopped pecans (substitute pepitas or sunflower seeds)
¼ cup craisins

Directions

In a food process or blender, combine the oats, pumpkin puree, nut or seed butter, syrup, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract. Process on low for a few seconds. Scrap sides as needed. Process just until mixed well (note: some of the oats will remain whole).

Transfer mixture to bowl. Fold in pecans and craisins.

Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment.

Transfer mixture to loaf pan, spread out and press down firmly (very firmly - this is important).

Place in freezer for 30 minutes before slicing into 8 bars or 10 squares.

Bars hold up best if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Black Bean Dip

We recently had a big TV watching weekend. You might be having them too with all the football on TV or the baseball playoffs, or Star Wars marathons. - Who knows? 

Ours happened to be church services, but it is lots more wonderful than it might sound, and we always have fantastic food. I usually buy our twice a year bag of fritos and some bean dip and it is gone before I blink.

But last week I thought, that's it, I am not paying another 4.00$ for chemicals and oil, I am going to make my own. And I can tell you, I am never going back - and we are now going to be having bean dip a whole heck of a lot more than twice a year... more like twice a week!

I wasn't sure if my little household blender without the fancy name could handle it, but it did amazing!  The high setting wasn't doing a thing, but I accidentally hit the lowest setting instead of OFF and it started to blend perfectly. I could't believe it. 

So grab yourself a bag of chips and a few cans of beans from the pantry and get blending!

Ingredients

2 cups canned low-sodium black beans (drained and rinsed, save 1/2 cup of the liquid)
1 tablespoon vinegar
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin (if you like)
1 tablespoon onion (chopped)


Directions

Place the drained black beans, vinegar, and chili powder in a blender; if using cumin, add that too.

Blend until smooth.  Add some of the bean liquid to make the dip easy to spread.

Top with the onion; place in refrigerator for about an hour to chill.

Simple Blender Hummus

Once upon a time, I was actually afraid to try hummus. I was really so nervous, I really am laughing at myself remembering it right now. I think my first taste of it was probably an almost invisible amount. And I remember thinking... this tastes a lot like taco seasoning. - is that a strange thought. 

Now I am an all sorts of hummus fiend.  A Fiend! I tell you. 

It makes the best spread on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise and it makes a great dip for all kinds of veggies. But at the rate that my family eats hummus, buying it for 4.00$ for a small tub gets pretty dang expensive for my family. This essentially costs me the price of a can of beans. I have bought some tahini, and it was not expensive and is frankly lasting Forever!  

If you have a fondness for hummus, I must encourage you to make your own. It is out of this world! I am a crazy food hero in my family since I make this. 

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
2 tbsp good quality tahini
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water as required to process
1/2 tsp salt

Additional olive oil, paprika, sumac & chopped fresh mint/parsley for garnish or 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded (optional, depending on the heat you want!

Directions

Measure out the ingredients

Place ingredients into the blender, liquid first (excluding the water)

Followed by the dry ingredients.  Add the water as you process, adding only what you need to create a creamy thick hummus.

 (if you have a high powered blender, you will need less water, if you have a more everyday use blender, you’ll want to use more.)

How Do I Make Dinner From the Farmer's Market?

For most of the year I meal plan by looking at the ads in my local paper and store advertisements, then based on what is on sale, I make my menu plan and then do my shopping. 

It makes the most sense to me to plan first and then with what I already have on hand make a shopping list and then buy the food. 

But in the summer months when my local farmer's market opens and begins to sell a lot of produce and the farm stands by my house are open for business. I do my menu planning a little bit backwards, But I'll explain to you why that makes sense. 

When you get to the farmer's market different things will be on sale depending on what time it is in the season. 

When the markets by me open, they sell a lot of greens, lettuce, kale, chard - the peas are one of the first crops to come on and cherries are pretty early as well. 

When the weather starts to turn really warm, it is just too hot for a lot of the spring crops but the summer fruits and vegetables start to be widely available. I able to find tomatoes, corn, peppers, melons, cucumbers, new potatoes, carrots, beets - I always try and find basic fresh ingredients, cilantro, green onions, and garlic, those are items that I like to almost everything.

Depending on how early or later (or right in the middle) you are in the season, prices and availability will vary. Right now, with the weather and conditions, my local market is over-flowing with tomatoes, the harvest it way larger than planned and so I can get them for a lot less than I would normally pay.  

I buy at the market, what is the most in season and costs the least, those first peaches might be tempting, but they can still be very costly. 

Once I have made my purchases at the market, I bring all home to wash and prep them. Cut up carrots and wash and spin my greens for storage. I actually husk my corn and store in in a plastic zip back for quick cooking and ease of storage, corn with the husks still on can take up a lot of room in the fridge. 

The Big Salad - The first night. we always have a big "salad". Since I am chopping and washing and spinning we just have that for dinner. It isn't really structured and most of the time, I let everyone make their own. This week, we had sliced tomatoes on a plate, sliced cucumbers, fresh corn and I cut a watermelon. It doesn't really look like a salad, but that is what I try to make the first night, since my main focus is on getting everything clean and stored in a way that will make it last all week. 

The Snack Platter - This is actually one of my family's favorite meals. I get all the produce (that I don't have specific plans for) out of the fridge and begin to assemble a platter, I put carrot sticks, lots of times I am able to get both broccoli and cauliflower from my market. I always add whatever fruit is in season, cherries, apricots, pears, peaches and eventually apples. I usually with make some hummus or a veggie dip with greek yogurt and slice some cheese. If the platter is looking a little thin, I'll add some whole grain crackers and we're good to go.  ** This is also a Great end-of-the-week meal, since you can just pull out everything that hasn't been eaten yet and hasn't be used yet. 

Pasta and Veggies - Don't get too caught up in the "I don't have a recipe for pasta". You can make it hot the first night and cold for lunch the next day. Cook your pasta (any shape), and add your veggies. You can add them raw if you like, I usually steam them for this, since I have a bit pot of water boiling anyway. For sauce, I mix a bit of olive oil and a dash of vinegar with some mrs. dash seasoning and it is good to go. It's different every time, so I never feel like I am eating the same thing. If you are nervous about making your own sauce, buy a bottle of Italian dressing and just use that. It can be cold or hot, you can add some grilled chicken or I love to add a cans of beans to mine for a bit of protein. Don't forget greens can be Amazing in pasta! - My favorite pasta to make has lots of spinach. 

Roasted on Bread - This might sound a bit crazy, but trust me, it is so darn good. 

Here is my "recipe" for Cheese Toast with Skillet Veggies. 

The reason that I like this one so much is that you can use it towards the end of the week, when things are looking a little... Uh, less fresh.  You can toss your veggies in a hot skillet, I put mine in the oven and roast them at 425 degrees. Spread some soft cheese on toasted bread and then pile high with veggies. Although it sounds a little bit "rustic" this is a really impressive dinner. It is fancy rustic and if you want, you can pretend that you paid 17.99$ for a plate of it at a fancy restaurant. 

Don't be afraid to buy things at your farmer's market because you aren't sure what to do with them.  Let the produce speak for itself, I buy lots and lots and lots of peaches and I have never a peach pie in my life. We eat them on cereal, with yogurt in parfaits, plain and in smoothies. When you start to eat food fresh from the farm it actually tastes better - I think carrots taste entirely different from my local grower that the baby carrots that I buy in the store during the winter months. Let the food speak for itself.  Pile all your goodies on a plate and call it dinner.  - If I pile it onto a platter and call it "snacks" my kids will eat it up and ask for more.