Firecrackers

 

I have been on a cookie binge lately.  Something about the cooler weather just makes a good batch of butter, flour, and sugar too irresistible!  My taste buds love it, but my skinny jeans do not.  So although I have more yummy cookie recipes to share (even some more pumpkin varieties) I am going to take a detour to savory town with these delicious Firecrackers.

When I haven't been baking amazing cookies, I have been watching football.  Actually, sometimes I have been dong both!  It's been a pretty good fall.  I love to munch on foods while I am watching football.  And these firecrackers are perfect "munching" food.  Just be careful because it is too easy to accidentally munch on the entire batch!

No-Bake Homemade Granola Bars

I'll say it.  I'm cheap.  I don't like spending money when I don't have to, and I love saving some change at the grocery store.  In general, I try not to buy a lot of processed foods.  They are full of mystery ingredients and can be pretty pricey.  Plus, I like to make stuff myself.  Why would I buy something I could make it?

A great example of this is granola bars.  There was a time in my life when I used to eat a granola bar every afternoon as a snack.  They are convenient, delicious, and if you choose carefully, they can even be healthy.  But you can certainly pay a price for that convenience.  And who knows what you will find in them?  Fortunately, making  your own granola bars at home is easy and cost effective.  Plus, this allows you to tailor your bars to your own personal taste.  

Peanut Butter Dip

Some things are just right.  Peanut butter and chocolate are magical together, as we have discussed over, and over, and over, and over.  When I found a recipe for this peanut butter dip, which has both peanut butter and cream cheese, I knew I had found something special.  And then I thought about how I could use chocolate graham crackers as the instrument for dipping.  I am pretty sure I started drooling instantly.

And upon making it, it was everything I thought it would be.  Rich, creamy, and peanut-buttery.  And then I scooped some on a chocolate graham cracker.  Wow!  This one is definitely a keeper!  Peanut butter, chocolate, and cream cheese....holy cow!  I know I missed Monday, but I didn't lighten up this recipe, and I wanted to share it with you before Super Bowl Sunday.  Because you have to serve this.  You just have to.  So let's call this a Makeover Thursday recipe.  It doesn't have the same ring to it, but it tastes just as good!

Twix Caramel Popcorn

Believe it or not, I used to think I didn't like caramel popcorn.  As a kid, when my family got one of those bins of popcorn for Christmas, I stuck with plain stuff, and maybe took a handful of white cheddar.  But no caramel for me.  I also thought I didn't like chocolate.  I was a very stupid child.  Now I know that I love both.  Unfortunately, maybe I love both a little too much!

I saw this recipe for Twix caramel popcorn on Two Peas and Their Pod's website and knew I had to try it.  Caramel corn drizzled with melted chocolate and garnished with Twix bars sounds pretty darn good to me!  I bought a big bag of Twix Fun Size candy bars and have been playing around with adding them to some goodies while trying to keep my husband out of them.  Some of my experiments have been more successful than others.  Some days I have been more successful at keeping my husband out of the Twix than others.  This recipe came from a tested source so it wasn't much of an experiment.  But it was totally successful!

Health Tips: Smart Snacking

Today I want to talk about something that can make or break any diet plan: snacks.  I am an avid snacker.  You don't want to be near me if I haven't eaten in more than 3 hours!  Snacking has become a normal part of our culture, and it can be helpful in trying to lose weight.  Eating small meals with a snack between keeps blood sugar from dropping, and appetites from soaring.  Unfortunately, it is often times a diet buster.  We are constantly bombarded by junk food that is marketed as snacks.  Chips, cookies, candy bars, crackers, pop, etc.  In my nutrition counseling, I have seen first hand how these poor snack choices can add up to a lot of calories and pounds.  

Fortunately, snacking can be a part of a healthy diet.  But instead of using snacks to derail your diet, think of snacks as an opportunity to fit in foods you currently don’t get enough of.  Think about your typical diet and how much you eat from the different food groups.  Are there foods you eat too much of?  Are there foods you don’t eat enough of?  The typical American diet is heavy on carbs and meat and low in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy.  If you’re not sure how you are doing, the website http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ is a great place to find out!

Now that you have an idea of which foods you need to increase or decrease in your diet, here are some healthy snack ideas from the different food groups:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

A few weeks ago I shared with you some of the great health benefits of beans and vowed to share some recipes with you.  (Check it out here if you missed it!)  Last week I posted a recipe for honey-roasted chick peas.  Today I am sharing another way to enjoy chick peas as a healthy, delicious snack: hummus!

If you're not familiar with hummus, let me get you up to speed.  It is a Middle Eastern dip made of mashed chick peas that is usually accompanied by olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini (sesame paste), and served with pita bread.  And it is awesome!  Add some roasted red peppers, and you have something really special on your hands!  If you aren't a huge bean fan, hummus is a great way to trick yourself into adding beans into your diet.

Maple Pecan Pie Popcorn

Today I would like to introduce you to a new snack I tried that is now near and dear to my heart.  It's sweet, it's salty, it's crunchy, it's highly addictive.  It's maple pecan pie popcorn!  I saw this recipe tucked into a corner in a Rachael Ray magazine and I knew I had to make it.

So this weekend I popped up some air-popped popcorn and set out to make this yummy sounding treat.  Then I looked a little closer at the ingredients and did a little calorie math in my head.  I love doing calorie math, but I didn't love the sum I was getting.  I was taking an innocent, actually healthy, snack food in air-popped popcorn and adding about 450 calories worth of sugar (syrup and brown sugar) and 800 calories worth of fat (butter).  That didn't sound right.  I did the math again.  Yep, I was about to take 200 calories worth of popcorn and add over 1200 calories of sugar and fat.  Not cool.  And although nuts are considered healthy, even the chopped pecans in this recipe were going to contribute and additional 560 calories.  Ouch!

Homemade Whole Wheat Honey Graham Crackers

I guess I am on a homemade kick.  Earlier this week I posted my homemade hot dog buns.  Yesterday I posted my peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough dip, and promised I would share what I used as a worthy carrier for this fantastic treat.  And that carrier is homemade graham crackers.  Aren't I fancy?

I think I decided to make my own graham crackers because that seemed easier than going to the store and buying some.  And they were actually really easy.  The whole process of making these probably took a little longer than going to the store, but the hands-on time is quick.  The fact that they are fresh, preservative free, and delicious is just a bonus.  These had a delightful buttery taste and just the right amount of sweetness.

Honey-Roasted Chick Peas

Every girl has a vice.  Mine is dessert.  After super, I always crave something sweet.  It is safe to say I have trained my brain that end of the day = sugar!  While I typically turn to cake, cookies, pie, or some other high calorie, nutrient lacking treat, sometimes I want something healthy to satisfy that craving.  Enter, honey-roasted chick peas.

These are crispy, crunchy, and sweet.  And they're beans!  To clear up any possible confusion, chick peas and garbanzo beans are one in the same.  Who would have thought beans could turn into such a satisfying snack?  In the name of full disclosure, it is important to remember that chick peas, like all beans, are not calorie free.  A half cup has about 110 calories.  But, unlike most sweet snacks, these are a great source of fiber.  So I don't recommend eating an unlimited amount of these, but have a handful or two and satisfy your sugar craving without the guilt!