How silly is this – when I first started this journey I though “Oh my gosh! What am I gonna eat for snacks?! AHHHH! I’m going to STARVE!” Well, I haven’t starved yet……and we’re eating pretty well around here. It was suggested that I should write a post about good, healthy snacks that won’t break your budget. If you try to run to the store and buy a bunch of organic snack foods, it will eat a hole in your grocery budget really fast – sorta like that mouse who ate all my decorative corn (stupid mouse). We snack a lot around the Myers house. Especially Annie….okay, so who am I kidding? I’m a snack-a-holic. Annie talks now, so I can’t keep blaming stuff on her. Bummer. One of our favorite snacks is granola bars – which are a LOT better than the version at the store. They are so good; you won’t even know they’re good for you. And they’re really easy to make. I like easy stuff….if it’s terribly complicated, I’m probably not going to do it. |
Sometimes I’ll make muffins for breakfast and use the leftovers for snacks for the week….or snacks for a few days, depending on how good they are. I’m LOVING this Banana Flax Muffin right now. Muffins and sweet breads (with whole wheat flour and natural sugars) are a great snack option! Plus, if you’re making them for breakfast then you might as well make enough for snacks. We’re bread lovers anyway. Annie always wants “jelly bread” for her snack and with whole grain bread; I don’t mind giving it to her. Let’s be honest – there isn’t much that tastes better than fresh bread with a pat of butter. Ooo la la! |
I’ve always loved cereal – but not with milk. I’m not a milk lover. If I’m going to eat cereal, I eat it with homemade vanilla yogurt or just eat it plain. Cereal isn’t something we’ve cut out of our diet. I switched to organic cereals instead (I know they aren’t genetically modified). I wait for coupons and then buy them so I don’t have to pay full price. Make sure you follow Deal Seeking Mom so that you can get a heads up on organic coupons which she posts on Thursdays. We eat a lot of cereal for snacks. I might whip up a batch of granola instead of cereal to eat with yogurt – it makes a great snack. My favorite way to eat yogurt and granola is by splitting a banana open (like for a banana split), pouring yogurt in the middle and then sprinkling with granola. YUMMO! |
We eat a TON of fruit around here. It makes a great snack, plus if you buy it in season it’s very reasonable. I always keep fruit around the house, even if it’s in the freezer. I like having the option there. Annie would rather have fruit than most other things. Occasionally I whip up a smoothie for us to snack on or I make a batch of smoothie base to keep in the fridge all week. Smoothies are quick and easy….and very filling. I’m just going to be honest about veggies though – while they make a great snack, I’m not a veggie snacker. I am not going to go to the fridge, pick up some broccoli and eat it. I’m just not. It’s not how I roll. I like my veggies cooked unless it’s a salad – and salads aren’t really a snack food. But, if that’s how you roll, veggies are a good option. Watch the store salad dressing though; it’s usually full of high fructose corn syrup. |
We snack on nuts……a lot. Annie loves nuts. I have to chop most of them into smaller pieces for her though – because I’m an over-paranoid mama. I try to buy nuts and protein bars on sale whenever I can find them. I keep them in the freezer so they don’t go rancid so fast. Nuts are great paired with dry fruit. Don’t overdo it on dried fruit though. While a little bit is okay, it’s still full of sugar so you don’t want to inhale it. I like buying organic raisins for Annie to eat in the car……just make sure you check your rear end often to insure there aren’t any on your butt. Been there, done that. And cheese. Real cheese. I’m not talking about “cheese product.” What does that even mean? No wait – I don’t want to know. We love just eating some plain cheese – not fat free because I’m not into the whole rubber cheese movement. |
Crock Pot Cleaning
We have a very special guest post today from Crock Pot Recipe Exchange! Ginger is here today to let us know how to easily clean our crock pots without causing any damage to them…..because that would cause anyone major trauma. |
The ease of using the crock pot to cook your meals in is undebatable. Sometimes the cleaning of the crock pot is not so simply answered.The first thing you want to insure you do to make cleaning your crockery easier is to empty any remaining food out as soon as possible. The sooner you get the food out the sooner you can fill the crockery up with dish soap and water. The only thing I warn against is to make sure your crockery has cooled completely. Drastic changes in temperature of the water to the crockery can cause it to break, and no one wants that to happen. [Read more…] |
Lumberjack Macaroni
I know there are some of you out there hanging on for dear life to your Hamburger Helper. Admit it. Even though it’s got TONS of additives and not-so-good stuff for you in it, you keep it. Like a safety net or a blankey. But guess what? You can make your OWN Hamburger Helper and it will taste even better. Bye bye additives and artificial coloring! Hello Lumberjack Macaroni! This post is for you, Tia Thomas!Guest posting for me today is my very close and dear friend, Brandy. You’ll probably get used to seeing her around here because I like her point of view. Thanks Brandy! [Read more…] |
Adventures In Water Kefir!
So, you might recall that I told you that our family had cut out most of our caffeine….at least caffeine in the drinkable state. So, that meant I was drinking only water and decaf coffee. I hate tea, so that is 100% out. BLECH! In a state of homemakerness, I decided to order some water kefir grains from Cultures for Health and try my hand at that. Basically, water kefir is like dairy kefir…..but with WATER. Wow. I bet that threw you for a loop. It’s a fermented drink, high in probiotics – very good for you. I also ordered some for my friend Brandy to try – because I just figured that misery loves company. Or something like that. So, here is how it all went down. [Read more…] |
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Holy cow. I am about to BLOW YOUR MIND. I made chocolate peanut butter. Yes, it’s true. Let me tell you something else…..so far, I haven’t shared it with anyone. No one. Not even Annie. If you make it, you won’t share it either. You’ll hide it in a deep dark corner of the fridge so that you alone can find it. I’m just warning you. I’m also warning you that if you have no self restraint, this is NOT the recipe to make. I’ll just be honest…….I dropped a little bit of this on the counter when I was scooping it into the jar. I tried to get it up with my finger……there was still some left. I licked the counter. Yes, it’s true. I, Stacy, licked the peanut butter off the counter. Is there a 12 step program for that? [Read more…] |
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Okay, so just about every single food blogger under the sun has a post on homemade vanilla extract…..except me. And I’m about to remedy that. So, here it is! I know Dianne from Baking 4 Six has been waiting for this (ha! ha!) However, I just want to let you know that this whole endeavor about drove me CRAZY! Seriously. There are about 40 hundred thousand opinions on how to do it. So, I did it one way…..and then the next day, I did it over. About a week after that, I did something else different. And about 40 hundred thousand times, I changed it again. So, if you want to go crazy and have your own vanilla extract, this is the place for you! And if you do go crazy, at least there is liquor right there for the taking. [Read more…] |
Crock Pot Spicy Chicken Soup
I’m just going to go ahead and tell you. I love soup. I’m so excited when it’s finally soup season! I would eat it all year long, but Barry prefers it when it’s cold outside. I caved and made this recently….and it turned out to be 90 degrees that day. By the time we were done with dinner we were sweating like pigs and had to go get the box fan. Oops? But it was worth it! Chock full of veggies and beans, it will fill your tummy up quickly and keep you nice and warm…..or nice and sweaty. [Read more…] |
Homemade Yogurt
If you’ve never made homemade yogurt before, you’re going to be astounded at how easy it is……really. It’s super easy. You might have tried the recipe I have on here for Crock Pot Yogurt from Heartland Renaissance. I thought it was pretty awesome……until I made this. Now I won’t look back. The thickness and creaminess of this recipe is GREAT! The crock pot is nice if you need to make yogurt and you won’t be able to stick around, but this has become my method of choice. It’s a lot thicker than the version in the crock pot. I looked around at several recipes and finally settled on this one. It’s very easy and makes some really great yogurt. I’m still astonished that I’m making yogurt.Me. I’m making yogurt. At home. Boo yah (do people still say that?). [Read more…] |
Protect Yourself from a Hot Grease Burn
Did you know there was a country song called “Loving You is Like Frying Bacon Naked?” Well, if you didn’t know it before you know it now. I’m so glad to give you that type of important information.I hate frying food when it splatters everywhere. Not only does it burn like the dickens, it also gets all over every surface in the kitchen. Clean up is a pain. So, I purchased this little lovely dohickey from The Dollar Tree. It works fantastic for keeping splatters to a minimum. Any time I’m frying, I use it. You really need one. Trust me. Guess how much they cost? [Read more…] |
Preserving Herbs
My Farmer’s Market is full of fresh herbs each week…..and that’s where I have to buy them. Herbs and natural remedies can be beneficial for your overall health. I had high hopes this year of growing my own. I picked out some really pretty plants at the Market and brought them home – thyme, rosemary, cilantro, and parsley. I was so tickled……and naïve. I know I can’t grow plants. What was I thinking? They died a slow, painful, dry death. Poor babies. My House = the place where plants come to die. So, I have been buying organic herbs here and there at the Market (see photo). I want to have some during the winter, so I decided to start freezing some. Here is the method that I use. I’ll also touch on a couple other options for you. This particular batch consisted of basil and cilantro. [Read more…] |
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