Sweet and Salty Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 1.5 cups pretzel sticks
• 1.5 cups mini peanut butter sandwich crackers (365, Trader Joe's, or Ritz)
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir.  Put the bowl back into the microwave and heat for an additional 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth when stirred.  Add the vanilla extract and stir again.  

Add the cereal, pretzels, peanut butter crackers, and se salt to the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture. Gently stir until the mixture is evenly coated.

Pour the mixture into a large Ziploc bag. Add the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake until the puppy chow is well coated.

Spread on parchment paper or waxed paper. Let sit until cool and chocolate is set.

Additional Notes:

Store the puppy chow in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If it is warm in your kitchen, store the puppy chow in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the puppy chow for up to 3 months.
*www.twopeasandtheirpod

Chocolate +PB Stuffed Dates (aka Snickers hoax)

 

I love dates, but an added perk to their taste is the health benefits of them.  These taste exactly like a Snickers bar, and they're the perfect snack to grab to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

Pitted dates (I like Joolies brand.)

Natural peanut (smooth or chunky) or nut butter of choice (I like Kirkland's Organic PB.)

Chopped chocolate of choice (I used a variety of Hu chocolate bars.)

Chocolate chips of choice (I used dark) with a little drizzle of coconut oil to thin the consistency

Toppings: pistachios, hemp hearts, flakey sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Slice pitted dates down the middle and open (like a baked potato). 
   
   
   
    
2. Fill them with chopped chocolate and little dollop of peanut/nut butter.
3. Freeze on parchment-lined baking sheet for about an hour.
4. Melt chocolate chips + coconut oil (30 second/half power increments) and dip date into chocolate to cover entirely.  Shake off excess and transfer back to parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Before it fully hardens, sprinkle tops with some favorite toppings: flakey sea salt, crushed pistachios, hemp seeds...
6. They'll last in your freezer for about two weeks!  Enjoy!

*www.rachaelsgoodeats.com

Cottage Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup cucumber, diced or sliced in rounds (pictured above) (Use minis if slicing in rounds.)
• ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 1 cup full fat cottage cheese (IMO, Good Culture brand is by far the best!)
• ½ - 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (I love the Graza "drizzle" EVOO.)
• Fresh herbs (dill or parsley are best) (I used a couple pinches of dried dill and it was great!)
• Cracked pepper and flakey sea salt

Directions:

• Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and a crack of pepper and toss to combine.
• Add cottage cheese + vinegar to a shallow bowl and stir to combine. Scoop veggies on top with a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid from the veggies.
• If desired, toss to combine.  Top with herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, cracked pepper, and flaky sea salt. Enjoy on its own or served with pita chips or bread. (Siete Dip Chips are a fave at our house!)

*www.eatingbirdfood.com

Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 box any white cake mix
• 1 tub light Cool Whip
• 2 (5 oz.) containers vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 cups chocolate chips (If you're using mini chocolate chips, one 10 oz. bag is plenty!)

Directions:

• Combine cake mix, cool whip, and yogurt and mix using a stand/handheld mixer until thoroughly combined.
• Gently fold in chocolate chips until thoroughly combined.
• Serve with fruit, graham crackers (Scooby snacks or graham sticks are super convenient), or Nilla wafers.  Refrigerate leftovers.
  *www.kalekouture.org

Oven "Fried" Pickles

Ingredients:

• 1 c. sliced pickles
• 1 c. panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Ranch dressing, for dipping
• 
  
• Directions:
• Preheat oven to 450° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat pickles dry with paper towels.
• 
  
• In a medium shallow bowl, mix together panko, butter, dill, garlic powder and cayenne. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
• 
  
• Working in batches, toss pickle coins in flour until lightly coated, then toss pickles in eggs. Dredge the pickles in the panko mixture until fully coated.
• 
  
• Place pickles on prepared baking sheet and bake until the coating is golden and crispy, about 12-15 minutes.
• 
  
• Serve warm with ranch dressing.

*www.delish.com

Cutest Ever! Sweet Potato Pizza Bites

my kids gobbled these up!  

feeling adventurous?  feel free to change the toppings of your pizza bites to your liking!

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1-2 Teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil
• 5 Tablespoons marinara or pizza sauce
• 1 cup grated, packed mozzarella, weighing 2-3 ounces (I used whole milk mozzarella.)
• 15 slices of pepperoni, about 2 ounces (I used this brand and quartered the slices.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash and trim the sweet potatoes, and cut them into ½ inch slices. You should have about 15 slices.
3. Brush the top of the sweet potato slices with oil (next time I'll try garlic infused) and place them on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the bottoms have browned and the sweet potato slices are almost tender.
4. Remove them from the oven and flip them over so the browned side is facing up. (Mine weren't browned, but I did a "fork" test on one of the slices and it was almost tender.)  Top each slice with about 1 teaspoon of marinara/pizza sauce. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella evenly over the top of each sweet potato slice, and top with one slice of pepperoni each.
5. Place the sweet potato slices back in the oven, and bake until the cheese is molten and the edges are crispy, about 5-8 minutes.
6. Serve immediately!

Notes:

You can cook the sweet potato slices to the halfway point and store them in the fridge if you want to plan ahead for a party.

*www.getinspiredeveryday.com

No Bake Energy Bites

so yummy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats.)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (I used unsweetened.)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional) (I used dark chocolate chips.)
• 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar (I used honey.)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes.
2. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
3. Makes about 20-25 balls.

*www.gimmesomeoven.com

HEALTHY! Frozen Granola Bars

these are so so so good and super healthy and easy!

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana, mashed


1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice)


1/4 cup coconut oil


1/2 cup maple syrup


1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats


1/2 cup shredded coconut


1/2 cup mini chocolate chips


1/2 cup raisins (or ANY dried fruit)

Directions:

Mix together the wet ingredients (mashed banana, peanut butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup) in a large bowl.  Following, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula. Your mixture will be wet and gooey.

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment and spread your mixture evenly, being sure to press down to pack it into the pan.  Now all you have to do is pop it in the freezer and wait until it is firm.  At least an hour. - See more at: http://ohlardy.com/frozen-granola-bars#sthash.zInsHslk.dpuf

After I have my gooey mixture, I add all of the dry ingredients that I want to use. - See more at: http://ohlardy.com/frozen-granola-bars#sthash.zInsHslk.dpuf

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment and spread your mixture evenly, being sure to press down to pack it into the pan.  Pop it in the freezer and wait until it is firm. 

When firm, remove from pan and cut. Some pieces may fall off but will stick back together nicely. Wrap all of the bars individually in foil and then put them in a Ziploc freezer bag to store.  The bars are delicious straight out of the freezer.  These will become completely gooey and melted at room temperature, so it is best to eat cold.

Enjoy!

*www.ohlardy.com

Cookies 'n Cream Puppy Chow

This is the perfect treat for those with a sweet tooth! 

Can be made in 10 minutes flat!!

Ingredients:

“Cookies” Puppy Chow


•               6 oz semi-sweet chocolate squares (or chocolate chips)

•               1 teaspoon shortening

•               3 cups Rice Chex cereal

•               4 Oreos, crushed into a fine crumb

•               2/3 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar

“Cream” Puppy Chow


•               6 oz white chocolate squares (or white chocolate chips)

•               1 teaspoon shortening

•               3 cups Rice Chex cereal

•               4 Oreos, crushed into a fine crumb

•               2/3 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar

Directions:

1.             Begin by crushing 8 Oreos (cream still in tact) into a fine crumb using a blender or food processor. Add half of the Oreos to one large zipped-top bag and the half of the Oreos into a 2nd large zipped-top bag. Add 2/3 cup of confectioners' sugar to each bag. Set aside.

2.             Set out two large bowls. One for the "cookies" version and one for the "cream" version. Pour three cups of Chex cereal into each bowl. Set aside.

3.             Using two small bowls, melt the semi-sweet chocolate and shortening together in one bowl using the microwave. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring after each time. Mine took about 1 minute total. Repeat with white chocolate and shortening in a separate bowl.

4.             Pour semi-sweet chocolate over 1 bowl of cereal, white chocolate over the second bowl of cereal. Stir gently to coat each. You do not want to break the cereal up. Pour the mixtures each into the reserved zipped-top bags. Seal the bags and shake until all the cereal is coated with the sugar/Oreo mixture.  Combine into one large sealed container.  Discard excess powder and enjoy.

*www.sallysbakingaddiction.com

Cinnamon Almonds

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg white
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. almonds
1/4 c. water

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In another bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy.  Add the almonds and coat thoroughly, and then mix coated almonds with the cinnamon sugar mix.
3. Prepare your slow cooker by spraying it with cooking spray.  Add the cinnamon almond mixture and turn it to low.
4.  You want to cook for about 3-4 hours, but stir every 20 minutes (check after 3).  In the very last hour, add 1/4 cup water and stir well.  This will ensure a crunchy coating and help the mixture to harden.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the almonds onto the sheet to cool.  The almonds should be pretty sticky so be sure to seperate them the best that you can and let them cool!  

*www.therecipecritic.com

Get 'Em

Ok, so this has absolutely nothing to do with a making a simple  
dinner/appetizer/dessert/veggie/smörgåsbord per say, but I promise you, these items surely need to be on your next Costco run shopping list.  Swear.  And let's be honest, Costco is kinda sorta always bratty about discontinuing things that you really really start to love without warning, so it is in your best interest to go and get these yummy treats.  Soon.

Um, yum.

...and yum.

K? K.

Coconut Milk and White Bean Spread

Good for you!

Ingredients:

(This makes about 3/4 cup dip.)
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bulb of roasted garlic
zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4-1/3 cup canned light coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
green onion, sliced (optional)

Directions:

Add beans and roasted garlic to a food processor and pulse then process until combined and smooth. Add in orange juice and zest, pulsing to combine, then with the processor on stream in coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper, then taste and add additional salt or coconut milk if desired. Top with green onions or any other delicious addition that you would like. Serve immediately. Can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

*www.howsweeteats.com

Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

Ingredients:

Six clementines, peeled and segmented (I also pulled off as much pith as I could.)

One 4 oz. chocolate bar (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cocoa.)

Coarse sea salt

Directions:

Lay clementine slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Melt chocolate in either the microwave or a double boiler (I used the microwave, so just continue to stir after 30-second increments.)  Dip half the clementine in the chocolate then sprinkle with sea salt. Continue with remaining slices.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from www.howsweeteats.com

A Tribute to Alli: Kid-tastic Pizzadillas...Fun Snack ORRR College Meal!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil (I put canola oil on a paper towel and simply spread on cookie sheet.)
• 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas (I used regular.)
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 ounce turkey pepperoni (optional)
• 1 cup marinara/pizza sauce

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
• 2. Brush canola oil over a jelly-roll pan, and top with tortillas. **I spread about a tablespoon of pizza sauce on the tortilla before next step... Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over each tortilla, and divide the pepperoni (optional) among tortillas. Top each with 3 more tablespoons cheese. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully fold each tortilla in half. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until browned and crisp, turning after 5 minutes. Serve with marinara/pizza sauce.

*Cooking Light Magazine, August 2011

Simple Dinner Exception....Oh-So-Good Granola Bars

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. whole-wheat flour
2 T. ground flaxseeds
1/2 c. Grape Nuts cereal
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 beaten egg
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. canola oil
1 16 oz. package mixed dried fruit bits
2 T. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Set pan aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, both flours, ground flaxseeds, Grape Nuts, and ginger. Add egg, applesauce, honey, brown sugar, and oil. Mix well.
3. Stir in fruit bits, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
4. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely on a wire rack. Use edges of foil to lift cooked granola from pan, and cut into bars.
   
5. Makes 24. These are really good, and really good FOR you.
   

*Fitness Magazine

Hidden Valley Ranch Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 DRY Hidden Valley Original Dressing Mix

1.5 tsp. lemon pepper

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

1.5 tsp. dillweed

3/4 c. oil

bag of thick, broken pretzels

Directions:

1. Put pretzels in microwave safe bowl.  
2. Mix all ingredients with the pretzels and cook for 1 min 3o seconds.  
3. Do this 3 times, stirring between each time.