Snacks Archives - Page 3 of 4

Crunchy Pecan Granola

August 10, 2011

Crunchy Pecan Granola

Completely unrelated to granola…It’s been a hard week.

Thanks for all your kind words. And thanks for still checking in, even though things have been a bit unpredictable around here.Today, I’m thinking about my grandpa, but I’m writing about granola. I guess the balance of remembering and moving on takes time. If you’ve done this before, maybe you can relate.

[Read more...]

posted in: Breakfast, Everyday, Snacks 10 Comments

Real Strawberry Lemonade

July 29, 2011

Hello, beautiful.

Fresh Cut Strawberries

You are red, sweet, and seductive.

You should meet my tart, juicy, yellow friend.

Fresh Lemons

In fact, you should meet in a blender with sugar.

And then I’ll take all your seeds out so you can be smooth.

Real Strawberry Lemonade

And the three of us will spend the summer together.

…Have I introduced you to my friend Rum?

Real Strawberry Lemonade with Ice

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Real Strawberry Lemonade

Author: Pinch of Yum

Serves: 3

Ingredients

10 strawberries
juice of 4 large lemons
⅓ cup sugar
1¾ cups water
rum?

Instructions

Puree strawberries (minus the green part…) in a food processor.
Juice the lemons – use a juicer if possible – and add the lemon juice to the food processor. Add the sugar and puree again for 15-20 seconds.
If you want to take out the seeds and pulp of the strawberries, strain it through a cheesecloth. Yes, I bought a cheesecloth!
Pour into a pitcher, add water, and stir. Add ice cubes and refrigerate until chilled. For the adults, pour in a little rum!

What’s your favorite summer drink?

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Creamy Basil Dip

July 22, 2011

Good news, bad news.

Or should I say good news, good news? Good news: Every year, my family takes some time during the summer to go up to a cabin in northern Wisconsin. And that time is now! Today!

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posted in: Sandwiches, Snacks, Vegetarian 3 Comments

Garlic Edamame

July 20, 2011

Garlic Edamame

Ahh, this. Now this is a crave-able vegetable.We had a mini sushi party with my sushi-expert cousin.He told me to make edamame with garlic, so I did. And it’s heaven-sent and it’s coming up in a minute.But first, more of this.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

July 18, 2011

It rained, and I got desperate.

So desperate that I’ll have you know I drove to the gas station across the street for some last-minute cookie ingredients. Such as sugar and pretzels and Reeses Pieces.

How could I seriously be out of white and brown sugar?

Don’t ask. Just thank the gas station employees who keep me stocked with sugar. [Read more...]

posted in: Cookies, Dessert, Snacks 9 Comments

Creamy Garlic Scape Dip

July 11, 2011

Pass me an Altoid. Or five.But save a few for yourself, because you aregoing to want to make this dip.

As much as I love this dip, my motto is that you can never be too prepared – who knows when Prince Charming will waltz into your life and… take a whiff of your breath? Not to mention my husband moving in for a garlicky goodnight kiss?What’s a girl to do? I need the dip, but I still want the fresh breath kiss. So here’s the plan. Serve the creamy delicious garlic dip to Bjork, and once he’s good and garlicky, he won’t be able to smell the garlic on my breath!

Mwahaha. [Read more...]

posted in: Snacks, Vegetarian 3 Comments

Wild Rice Flatbread

July 8, 2011

Today is just another day.

Just another day when I will get myself out the door to teach subtraction with double zeros and how to read the word “stared”. I bet you even read that wrong.

You almost read “started”, didn’t you? Along with 95% of the fourth grade population.

Sigh. [Read more...]

posted in: 5 Ingredients, Gluten Free, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian 3 Comments

Cinnamon Sugar Radish Chips

June 28, 2011

Cinnamon Sugar Radish Chips

I know, right?

Totally crazy.

And totally delicious. I don’t know how it happened, but it did.

In my mind, radishes fall in the same category as beets: earthy, red, and dirty tasting. And never to be experimented with.

You thought I was a radish lover? You are wrong. [Read more...]

posted in: Lightened Up, Snacks 36 Comments

Spicy Hummus

June 27, 2011

Spicy Hummus

Today is the day. The day that I stop living out of a suitcase. And stop going out to eat 4 times a day. And start doing my hair again.

It’s time to go back to a little place called work. Because kids need to learn, and I need to be productive. Which includes doing my hair.

To the average person, summer school might seem like a curse. Teachers are supposed to have summers off, right?!

(I have now typed teacher’s about 4 times. This is a telltale sign that teacher’s such as myself should definitely not have the summer off.) [Read more...]

posted in: Gluten Free, Snacks, Superfoods, Vegan, Vegetarian 1 Comment

Waffle Berry Stacks

June 7, 2011

Waffle Berry Stacks

It’s hot.

Like, 100 degrees hot. This is Minnesota – we are capable of handling cold extremes like nobody’s business, but the hot? I’m shriveling up like a raisin.

That could have something to do with the fact that I work in a room that has no air conditioning. Repeat: none. Oh, and did I mention that 24 ten-year-old bodies also share the space with me? Just imagine the smell. I dare you.

Berry Waffles

This heat has brought me to new levels of irrational behavior. For example, taking my shoes off at work.

Stepping on the carpet, finding out that it’s wet with humidity, and putting the shoes back on.

Throwing my shoes in the garbage immediately once I get home.

Wearing questionable ponytails for 5 straight days.

Bumping up the only fan in the classroom to level 3 and angling it directly at my desk.

Telling the kids that they don’t need the fan.

And apparently, now I’m eating breakfasts that could have come from a kid’s cookbook.

These truly are my favorite summer treats, sometimes for breakfast and sometimes for a snack. And sometimes for a pick-me-up to remind me that there’s only 3 days left in that sauna of a classroom.

Waffle Berry Stacks

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Waffle Berry Stacks

Author: Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

1 frozen waffle
cottage cheese
sliced fruit (I’ve done strawberries, bananas, peaches, blueberries, etc)

Instructions

Toast the waffle.
Top with cottage cheese and fruit.
Drizzle with honey or sprinkle with sugar.

These would also be great topped with vanilla yogurt, greek yogurt, peanut butter, or any combination of toppings!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a fan to set up.

posted in: Breakfast, Everyday, Pancakes, Snacks Leave a Comment

Lemon Berry Smoothie

June 2, 2011

Lemon Berry Smoothie

I made a salad for dinner. I didn’t plan on it being gross, but it was totally gross. I mean, gross in a way-too-good-for-you kind of way.

I don’t know. I just don’t even want to talk about it.

But I do want to talk about this smoothie.

Lemon zest + fresh berries + ice cream = sweet, refreshing bliss!

Blender

You can’t get this novelty from one of those ice cream trucks.

And I’m talking about the ones (OK, specifically the one that I saw today) that is operating out of an all-white conversion van, with scary, too-friendly music playing from the inside of the van, probably on a tape player, and “ICE CREAM” window clings stuck on the side against the wood paneling.

So I guess it wasn’t all white after all. There was definitely some wood paneling.

But still.

You won’t find Lemon Berry bliss there, so when you see that thing pull into your neighborhood, you might as well run.

Pouring a Lemon Berry Smoothie

I also enjoyed this Lemon Berry Smoothie because it was just begging to be served with some kind of a lemony sugary rimmed glass. I don’t know much about rimmed glasses, but I do know that lemon zest and sugar can, and should be, eaten straight up with aspoon.

And for the record, fresh strawberries dipped in lemon zest sugar is possibly my new favorite summer snack. Or “light” dessert.

I dare you to try this. Zest a lemon and rub it together with some sugar. Dip a fresh strawberry in it. Seriously. See if your life is ever the same again.

I should have dedicated a whole post to that.

Sugared Strawberry

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Lemon Berry Smoothie

Author: Pinch of Yum

Serves: 2

Ingredients

4 scoops vanilla ice cream
lemon zest (to taste)
about 10 fresh strawberries, or berries of your choice
cream or milk

Instructions

Blend together the ice cream and the berries.
Adjust the consistency by adding cream or milk.
Stir in lemon zest and serve with a lemon-sugar rimmed glass or fresh strawberry!

Lemon Berry Smoothie with Strawberries

One last thing. I have exciting food blog/photography related news to share with you sometime early next week. Here’s my hint: Photoshop.

Speaking of Photoshop, I’m curious for all you food bloggers: what do you use to edit your photos? I’m trying to learn Photoshop, but it’s causing extreme feelings of frustration leading to overeating of salted dark chocolate. And I need an intervention.

posted in: Dessert, Snacks, Sweet Things 1 Comment

Spicy Corn Salad

June 1, 2011

Spicy Corn Salad

Hello, friends.

Welcome to the land of church picnics, school potlucks, and camping food.

The land where everything has mayonnaise, salads have crushed Fritos in them, and the only vegetable on the table is corn. And nobody thinks twice about it. [Read more...]

posted in: Quick and Easy, Salads, Snacks, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Baked Zucchini Fries

May 27, 2011

Baked Zucchini Fries

We can probably all agree that hard work pays off.

But let’s make it more personal. Have you ever had a baby? Because I certainly have not, but I have suddenly become aware of all that is new motherhood thanks to my friend and her adorable new little one. [Read more...]

posted in: 5 Ingredients, Lightened Up, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegetarian 6 Comments

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Hummus

May 5, 2011

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Hummus

Whoa. Hold the phone. This idea is either absolutely crazy, or a stroke of sheer brilliance. And I’m going with the latter.

Ever since last summer when I made my own hummus for the first time, I have been making batches of garlicky, red peppery, and salty hummus that are somehow gone after 1 day. Not that I’m pointing fingers or anything… [Read more...]

posted in: Dessert, Snacks, Superfoods, Sweet Things Leave a Comment

Green Monster

April 4, 2011

Between Naked Juice and various health blogs, Green Monsters have been hot for a while now. So as much as I’d like to take the credit for this genius idea, adding spinach to a smoothie is nothing new. Except it is new to me, because I always turned my nose up at the green, health-nutty vibe of a smoothie made with spinach.

I come to you today with good news! I’ve gotten over my grossed-out, freaked-out phase. I gave it a try. And this green, healthy smoothie tastes good. I would even go so far as to say it tastes great.

Green Monster

If I can get Bjork to drink a smoothie with spinach and flax it (and ask for seconds), you know that it’s got to taste pretty darn good. And he didn’t even go running for the Fruity Pebbles afterwards – this greenie is filling!

Besides all the nutritional benefits, it’s even kind of nice to look at! Serving it in a wine glass doesn’t hurt, either. Bonus: it matches my favorite green napkins (the ones that are in all my food pictures… time to go shopping?)!

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Green Monster

Author: Pinch of Yum

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 cups + of spinach
2 bananas
1 cup cottage cheese
⅓ cup milk
2 tbs. flaxseed meal

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the blender in order given (so spinach is at the bottom). Blend until smooth. (Maybe it’s just my blender, but I can never get it to be completely homogenous. Usually I have lots of green flecks in it from the spinach, and you can see the flax a little bit.)
Add ice cubes (optional) and blend until no ice chunks remain.

All of this green is most definitely in preparation for tomorrow’s post, so drink up!

posted in: Breakfast, Everyday, Gluten Free, Lightened Up, Snacks, Superfoods 3 Comments