Here's looking at me kid

For the Sweet Tooth | Almond Joy Muddy Buddies

I have fond memories of teenage slumber parties at the age where at least one of my friends could finally drive. Driving was important to us girls at our parties, because innevitably (at midnight) we would decide that our party was ill-prepared, and we needed to make some Puppy Chow, aka Muddy Buddies. Off we would go to the 24-hour grocery store where each of us would buy an ingredient, and then we would rush home and put together the chocolate-peanut-buttery deliciousness and munch away while talking about boys, independance, and what life had in store for us.

These days we have less sleep-overs, but still crave the sweet and crunchy treat from our childhood. When I saw this new version of Puppy Chow, I knew I had to make my own adaptation to share with my now grown-up friends during a weekend stay at Catherine's new home. Chocolate, almond-butter, and coconut all coating a crunchy cereal- sounds like the best way to enjoy a sweet snack inspired by a favorite candy bar of mine- the Almond Joy. (And now I have the old commercial jingle stuck in my head!)

I N G R E D I E N T S :

• 9 C Corn Chex
• 2 C Almonds
• 2 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 3/4 C almond Butter
• 1 t Vanilla Extract
• 2 C Powdered Sugar
• 2 C Shredded Sweetened Coconut

M E T H O D :

Set aside 1/4 C of shredded coconut, and in a food processor (or coffee grinder), mix together the powdered sugar and shredded coconut until is becomes a fine powder. Then, add the reserved shredded coconut, mixing with your hands to ensure there are no clumps.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the almond butter and chocolate chips for 1 minute on high. Stir until completely melted and add your vanilla extract to the creamy mixture. In a large bowl (preferably one that has an optional lid), pour the warm mixture overtop of the Corn Chex and almonds. Gently fold together- impatience here causing the cereal to break, so take your time! Now add the powdered sugar and coconut mixture, again gently folding in, just to make sure the powdered sugar is not stuck all in one place- don't try to completely coat the cereal just yet!

Now is where your bowl's lid comes in handy*. Place the lid securely over the bowl, and shake the cereal like a samba dancer. When you remove the lid, make sure the cereal is evenly coated. If you need to add more powdered sugar, go ahead and add it now. Once your cereal is coated desirably, pop the bowl in the freezer or refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

*If you do not have a large bowl with a lid, the cereal and powdered sugar mixtures can be divided and placed into large freezer bags, shaken, and chilled in the bags until ready to serve.

The Snack Files | Cheesy Quinoa Dippers

It's easy to get lost looking at tempting desserts and bacon-laced appetizers while browsing food on Pinterest. But recently I found this Cheesy Quinoa Bites recipe from Becky of So Very Blessed, and thought, finally! A healthy snack that I can customize and enjoy many different ways.

My adaptation of Becky's recipe results in an Italian style quinoa nugget, a perfectly savory snack when dipped in marinara sauce. Next time, I think I will try making a Mediterranean style quinoa nugget by substituting feta cheese in place of the provolone and mozarella, switching curry spices for the Italian seasonings I used this time, and tahini sauce instead of marinara. The wheels are turning!

I N G R E D I E N T S :

• 3 C cooked Quinoa
• 1.5 C Carrots, shredded (I did mine in a food processor)
• 1.5 C Cheese (I used a mix of mozarella and provolone)
• 3 Large Eggs
• 3 Green Onions, chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 3 T Corn Starch
• Seasoning to taste (I used salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings)
• Dipping Sauce of choice (I used Newman's Own marinara)

M E T H O D :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients, except for your dipping sauce, and scoop out into a non-stick or greased muffin tin, filling each section half way. Using a spoon, press down the nuggets, especially around the edged, to avoid burning on any part of the batter that is sticking up. Bake for 20 minutes, and serve hot.

Makes approximately 1.5 dozen nuggets.

The Breakfast Files | Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal

The night the hospital nurse told me I could finally eat solid food again in the morning, I literally dreamed about oatmeal. I'm a silly girl, but to me, a heathfully loaded bowl of oats is the perfect, if not craveable, way to start the day. Of course, the oatmeal they brought me in the morning was worthy of only nightmares, but as soon as I came home, my mother made me some oatmeal just the way I like it. Even my no-hot-cereal-eating husband loves this healthy version of oatmeal! "It tasts like apple pie!" His words, not mine. Though I whole-heartedly agree.

The trick to this recipe is cooking the oats with apple in milk instead of water.

I N G R E D I E N T S   F O R   O N E   S E R V I N G :

• 1 Cup of Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 small apple, chopped (I used Gala)
• Cinnamon to taste (I just used probably 1/16 of a teaspoon)
• 3/4 Cup of milk (I used skim, not non dairy milk should work too!)
• Honey to taste

• optional: apple slice for garnish (and eating, of course!)

M E T H O D :

Combine all ingredients except for the honey in a small sauce pan, cooking on low temperature for 5-10 minutes, or until oats get a little mushy. Be sure to stir frequently so the milk doesn't burn and the oats don't stick to the pan. When finished cooking, I usually leave the lid on the pan for a few minutes so everything softens up a tiny bit more.

Pour into your bowl of choice, top with the apple-slice garnish, and drizzle with honey. You'll love the dimension that the cooked apples and cinnamon give to the oats, and I promise, when adding honey to the cooked apples, you won't even miss the sugar!

The Lunch Files | Curried Veggie Burger Pita

I'm headed into my second trimester of pregnancy this week (woo hoo!), and I've been ecstatic to find my normal appetite returning. Two weeks ago I made a mild curry dish, hoping the carrots, rice and potatoes would be subtle enough for me to actually stomach- but no dice. So now that I can stand to smell yummy food again, I thought I'd give curry another go! This time in the form of a veggie patty.

I have tried this veggie patty recipe before, but attempted to blend the ingredients in a blender. Big mistake. The second time around worked much better, but I think I might've blended it too well, because the batter sort of turned into paste. Still, I cooked up some patties and found that they kept their shape better when reheated the next day. Such a yummy, satisfying lunch. And not too shabby in the health department, either!

M Y   C U R R I E D   V E G G I E   B U R G E R   P I T A   I N C L U D E S :

• Arnold's 8 grain Pocket Thin
• hummus (spread on inside top and bottom of pita)
• green lettuce
• spinach
• thinly sliced tomato (two slices)
• thinly sliced onion (I used all the parts of one slice)
• veggie patty (recipe via Veggie Num Num)
• 2 dill pickle spears on the side