Zucchini Bites

I know I'm totally hanging onto summer with this post, but I know there are some of you out there that still have zucchini coming out your ears and need something to do with it besides make bread....for the tenth time!

I love that each of these is one perfect little mouthful. You can pop them almost as mindlessly as chips or tater tots, but feel no regret because they are totally healthy!

These haven't quite yet made it to the dinner table because they are just do darned good to snack on, but they would make a great addition to any dinner menu!

Zucchini Bites
Yields 24

2 cups finely shredded zucchini, water squeezed out
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole grain or panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.

Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can, otherwise it will become soggy.  Place everything in a mixing bowl and either stir with a spoon, or you can use your hand and give it a few good squeezes through your fingers to get it all nice and mixed up.

Using a tablespoon, or I like a small cookie scoop best, scoop mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.  Enjoy!


SOURCE: Adapted from The Curious Country Cook

Sweet and Salty Popcorn

It is absolutely ridiculous the amounts of this popcorn I have been making and consuming lately and haven't even bothered to share it with you until now. It's been my little secret. Well, actually not, it's just that I typically make it an night for a movie or game night and by morning (when the light is good), it's mysteriously gone!

I don't have much self control when it comes to popcorn, except microwave popcorn (ewwww), so if there's some left in the bottom of the bowl, it won't be there much longer.

I don't feel too bad about eating a WHOLE bowl, ok, half a bowl, of this popcorn though because it's actually not too bad of a snack, although it tastes pretty indulgent. Since it's cooked in coconut oil, you get all those health benefits and there's just a bit of sugar and salt. SO, no, I really don't feel bad eating it.

And you shouldn't either. This should be your new favorite snack too. It takes about 93 seconds to prepare. And you can get it ready while everyone else is getting the movie set up.

Bring paper lunch sacks. And fold them down to hold the popcorn. My girls thought that was the best trick ever!


Sweet and Salty Popcorn (AKA Kettle Corn)
4 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2/3 cup popcorn kernels
salt, to taste

Put everything in a tall pot and begin cooking over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, place the lid on it and swirl it around as the kernels begin to pop. You kind of want this part to go fast so the last kernels to pop don't get burned. Quickly pour the popcorn out into a very large mixing bowl and immediately sprinkle with salt and stir until evenly coated.

SOURCE:My friend Melanie

Tropical Smoothie

It is not very often that I try a new combination in my green smoothies that I immediately like and continue to make. So, I was really surprised when I made this the other day and absolutely loved it! I made it like three days in a row (until my cilantro and mangoes were gone). I was a little hesitant about the cilantro but was so glad I tried it. It is so refreshing in this smoothie.

If you don't have a high powered blender, you may have to blend this for a longer time to make sure there aren't pieces of orange floating around. Your other option would be to just juice the orange and use that.

Tropical Smoothie
1 mango, peeled and seed removed
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 whole orange, peeled
2 cups baby spinach
small handful of cilantro
1 cup water (add more to your liking)
handful of ice

Place everything in a blender and blend until liquid and smooth. Add more water as desired.

Trail Mix

I've been eating this stuff as long as I can remember. Although I haven't made it much the past few years, my mom would make this every once in a while growing up. The other day I was looking for a treat to make for our family night and I remembered this! It's so quick and easy to throw together and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand.

Not only is this a perfect snack for a family fun night, but it also makes a great little gift for a teacher or friend.

Trail Mix
5 cups Cheerios
5 cups Corn Chex
4 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups peanuts
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups light Karo syrup

Mix first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil butter sugar and Karo syrup. Boil for for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir down bubbles. Pour over dry mix and stir to combine. Pour onto a cookie sheet after mixed to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Key Lime Pie Smoothie

I'm a big smoothie fan, the green kind too, and I'm always up for a good recipe to put in my "keeper" file. If you're a frequent smoothie drinker you know that there can be a lot of trial-and-error when it comes to finding just the right combination to suit your palate. And on the other end, there's always that chance of getting stuck in a rut with the same old smoothie day after day, week after week.

This smoothie was a nice refreshing change from the green drinks I usually make, and chock full of goodness. I like the bright flavor of the lime and I LOVE coconut milk. Not only does coconut have great flavor, but it has some AMAZING qualities as well. Coconut milk, the typical kind you see in small cans at the supermarket, is extracted from the meat of the coconut and is different from coconut water, which is the naturally-occurring liquid in the hollow of the coconut. Read here, and here for more information on coconut.

Key Lime Pie Smoothie
2 Tbsp. key lime juice (about 8 limes) OR you can use the juice of 1 regular lime
1 Tsp. key lime zest
1 Tbsp. coconut oil*
1 cup light coconut milk
1 ripe frozen banana
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. agave syrup (or other sweetener)
2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs
ice cubeshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Top with additional graham crackers, if desired.

*If you do not have coconut oil, do not replace it with another oil, just leave it out.

SOURCE: Munchin with Munchkin

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
These Chicks Cooked Link Party @ This Chick Cooks
Party Mindi Style Link Up @ Bacon Time with The Hungry Hungry Hypo
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
A Themed Bakers Sunday @ Cupcake Apothecary

Kale Almond Pesto

If you're a Sweet Luvin' Facebook fan, you'll remember a couple of weeks ago I posted some pictures of some pestos I was working on. Three to be exact. I don't know what got into me but all of a sudden I was just in this mood for pesto. And although I absolutely ADORE traditional basil pesto, I wanted to go out on a limb and try something new.

For those of you who aren't sure what pesto is, the name pesto comes from the same Latin root of "pestle," (like a mortar and pestle) which is fitting as the sauce, in its simplest form, is made by crushing a few key ingredients together (thank you wisegeek for the definition). I like to call it a condiment rather than a sauce. You can use it in so many ways. I've thrown it in some some ground chicken to make burgers, used it on sandwiches, on cooked pasta, dipped crackers, dipped my finger...and so on.

To say that I just enjoyed this pesto is an understatement. I finished off a the leftovers one day for lunch with some tortilla chips and I couldn't stop thinking about it the rest of the day. I wanted more! I like kale. It's a different green, very hardy and a little peppery but it just feels good eating it. That's probably because it's so good for you. It's high in fiber and has lots of good vitamins and minerals.


Kale Almond Pesto
1/2 bunch kale,
1/3 cup almonds
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
2-4 Tbsp. warm water (this will soften the kale just a little)
pinch red pepper flakes

Place kale in food processor with water and lemon juice and pulse until chopped. Add almonds, garlic, and olive oil and pulse again to incorporate. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste and pulse again to incorporate. Continue pulsing until you reach desired consistency, adding water and/or olive oil as desired.

Serve with crackers, chips or cooked pasta. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

SOURCE: Adapted from Elana's Pantry

Linked to...
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

Cherry Almond Granola

I love a small bowl of homemade granola in the morning with a dollop of homemade yogurt. It tastes so clean and refreshing. What a healthy way to start your day. Granola is so versatile. You can change the grains, spices, binders & nuts and still turn out a wonderful and different granola each time.

This is a pretty simple granola with not too many ingredients. I just couldn't resist the combination of cherries and almonds. I love them together. The only thing that could make it better would be some dark chocolate, although I think I would have to reserve the chocolate addition for a special occasion or maybe as a snack.

Cherry Almond Granola
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or other oil)
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the coconut oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring about every 5 minutes with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.


SOURCE:Adapted from Ina Garten.

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

Peanut Butter White Chocolate Popcorn

As I contemplated the title, I wondered if I even needed to write the recipe after that because it really says it all. It's pretty simple. Simple is good. Sometimes it's even the best. I'm pretty sure that's the case here. This takes literally about 5 minutes to throw together and it tastes fantastic! I was introduced to white chocolate popcorn last Christmas when a friend gave it to me as a gift. I couldn't believe how simple yet addictingly good the stuff was. If you're a peanut butter lover, this will be over the top for you-yes, it's that good!

This little treat makes the perfect little teacher or friend gift for fall or Halloween, and it's also great for crowds. So, if you're having a get together or need a last minute gift for someone, try this.

1 large bowl popped popcorn, kernels removed (or 2 bags microwave popcorn, popped)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 bag white chocolate chips
1/2-1 cup Reeses Pieces

Pop the popcorn then sift through to remove all unpopped kernels. Melt the white in the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds at a time for 2 minutes, stirring after each interval. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth and incorporated. Pour over popcorn and gently stir to coat popcorn evenly with chocolate. Add Reeses Pieces as you stir in the chocolate. Spread out popcorn on waxed paper to set.

SOURCE:Adapted from The Sister's Cafe

This post is linked to Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prarie Story.

Dulce de leche

1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

NOTES:Recipe courtesy Alton Brown from Food Network. You can also cheat and make this the easy way by putting an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in the crock pot(covered in water) for 6-8 hours on low. Let it cool a little bit before you try opening it. This stuff is so good! I used to eat it so much on my mission.

Christmas Crunch

4 cups captain crunch
4 cups rice crispies
2 cups spanish peanuts
1 pkg almond bark
crushed mints

Pour first 3 ingredients into large bowl. Crush mints and add. Mix together. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Pour over mix and stir together until well-incorporated.

NOTES:I got this recipe from a lady I used to work with. She always brought it to the office at Christmas time. It's a great snack.

Bonnie's Trail Mix

1 small box Cheerios
2 lbs. peanuts
1 1/2-2 pgks butterscotch chips
2 cups brown sugar

Melt 1 cup butter and pour over top, stirring to mix completely.

NOTES:I got this a few years from a lady at work. It's good for a picnic or party.