Category Archives: Snacks

Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips

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I was trying to sort thru some old photos on my computer today when I came across a few I didn’t even remember taking. Also, about 20,000 pictures of my kids. Wow. It’s a wonder they aren’t blind from all the flash bulbs going off in their faces. I apparently took pictures of food well before I decided to start a blog as there were a random recipe photos sprinkled throughout the birthday parties, first days of school and family holiday get-togethers. It’s no wonder. The food at events has always been almost as important to me as the people. Almost. I made this fruit salsa when I hosted a baby-shower for my sister-in-law. I remember it was awesome. And that in the midst of all the other deliciousness I made that day, the salsa and chips disappeared the fastest. Maybe because the day Anna chose for her party ended up being about 100°. Which might not be unreasonably hot in your neck-of-the-woods, but Seattleites are sure they’ve gone to Hades when it’s that warm outside. This salsa is bursting with cool-off fruity goodness. Paired with the sweet crunchy cinnamon chips, it is incredible.
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Honeyed Apple Peanut Butter Tart

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Let’s face it. My kids have more access to treats and sweet delights than most little munchkins do. I’m always baking something and although my daughter (in general) has her father’s sweet tooth – or lack thereof – my son LOVES everything I make. He would eat baked goods all day every day if I let him. I love creating delicious food too much to really care about frequency of snacks, so I went in search of a healthier option for an after nap treat. This tart seemed perfect. Apples and peanut butter. Sweetened with a little honey. Oh yum! It comes together very quickly too, which makes it the perfect thing to throw in the oven after the kids head down for their afternoon snooze. Since their siesta is the only me time I have all day, I don’t want to spend all of it baking. At least not every day. Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day Butter Mints

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I think of butter mints alongside turkey and stuffing, not hearts and flowers. Thanksgiving always meant butter mints when I was a kid. My Nanny (English grandmother, not baby-sitter) would have a bowl of them sitting on top of her giant TV, temptingly out of reach. It was the best turkey day ever when I was tall enough to reach up and help myself to sweet buttery goodness that dissolved on my tongue. I’m not sure what made it pop into my head to make my own mints, but when I realized how EASY it is, I couldn’t wait until next fall. I decided to make some for Valentine’s Day (season). Which, as you may or may not know, runs from the second week of January until mid-February. It’s true. Just ask Hallmark.
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Puff Pastry Pinwheels

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Gorgeous food makes a bad day better. It makes a good day amazing. Beautiful breakfast treats can change your whole outlook by setting your mood from the first tweet of the morning songbirds. These pinwheels look really impressive but are totally quick and easy to create. They would make an excellent addition to your next brunch, tea or playdate. Or, for when the neighbor you love has been extra good and deserves a little treat. You might even get your tools back from the guy next door if you come bearing a plate of these beauties.

Pretzel Bites

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It’s that time of year again. No more family Christmas parties with your crazy Uncle Lou who makes inappropriate remarks after a few glasses of Granny’s homemade nog. The presents are opened & carols all sung. You’ve convinced yourself that the tree and lights can stay up while you do absolutely nothing for a few days. This is the magical time of year when pretty much the only thing on TV is football. College bowl games and NFL playoffs are kicking into high gear. It’s time for lazy afternoons parked on your caboose with friends who don’t care that you are wearing your ratty sweatpants. Friends who totally understand that you must wear elastic waistbands due to the obscene number of holiday treats you’ve been eating for the past month. No judging. Just  more eating. And football. A great time of year indeed. Continue reading →

Crunchy Granola Bars

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Granola bars are practically required for camping. Usually I just purchase the standard crunchy kind in the green box. But, as I was making my grocery list and going thru cookbooks, I saw this recipe and realized I had everything to make these already in my cupboard. Homemade, I’d have control of the ingredients and they’d be a whole lot less expensive than buying a couple boxes. Double win! These are a great healthy snack packed with oats and nuts. Lightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar they are crunchy, filling and delicious. Continue reading →

Island Vacation Cupcakes

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Our worship pastor at church is currently on vacation in Hawaii. How nice to be him. He’s posting gorgeous pictures of sandy beaches and brilliant blue skies. I spent my time today huddled in my freezing garage waiting for the few brave souls who could bear the wet dreary 55° day to come check out my stuff for sale. Why is it that every time my neighborhood garage sale happens, it’s remarkably crummy weather? Oh that’s right. I live in Seattle. And it’s May. As I was preparing for my morning tomorrow at church I decided this batch of island vacation cupcakes would be a perfect way to ease the jealousy of the rest of the church volunteers.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who is wishes I could be somewhere tropical, sipping a frosty beverage and listening to the lulling sounds of waves crashing on a pristine beach. And I don’t even really like sand. But I need a vacation. I’d be willing to deal with a beach to get one. Continue reading →

White Chocolate Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars

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I was given a cookbook yesterday by a dear friend (thanks Bri!) and couldn’t wait to try it out. It’s Nestle Classic Recipes, and these bars just had to be made immediately. I love white chocolate. There aren’t nearly enough recipes out there that include it. This one paired it with two other amazing flavors. Raspberry and almond. Yuuuuuum! I was particularly interested in the “grease and sugar” instructions for the pan. I’ve never seen that before. Worked great. The sugar blended with the buttery crust and gave it a nice sweet crunch on the exterior of these bars. Continue reading →

S’mores Bars

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Baseball equals s’mores. Bear with me. I swear my thoughts make logical sense in my head. I’ll try to help you keep up. Today, I went outside because I saw a bright yellow orb in the sky. I had to find out what it was. The sun! Fantastic! My husband used the opportunity to teach our son how to catch a ball. Thankfully, Zack is wise enough to start with a tennis ball instead of a baseball. Donovan need a little work on keeping his eye on the ball.

Catch it!

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Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

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For over a week I’ve been craving chocolate and zucchini. Yes together. No kidding. It’s good. Really! I mentioned my mom’s chocolate chip zucchini cake in a post just before Easter and I’ve had a hankerin’ for it ever since. Today I realized that I had a lone leftover zucchini hanging in my crisper drawer just begging to be used. Alas, when I checked the chocolate cake recipe I realized I would need 2 zucchinis to make it. Sad day. I could have popped out to the store to fix my dire need for more of the green courgette (go ahead…click on it…it means zucchini I promise) – but I wasn’t in the mood to make a special trip. Instead, I looked for recipes that would utilize my measly 1 zucchini and still give me my chocolate fix as well. Bingo! Chocolate chip cookies with zucchini in them. I know how amazingly moist cakes and breads are when zucchini is added to the mix and I couldn’t wait to imbibe that same quality into a classic cookie.
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