Frozen Banana Bites

I love bananas but I feel like they ripen in a heartbeat and I can't eat them fast enough. However, during one of my recent Pinterest sessions, I stumbled on this fun snack. It was frozen banana sandwiches with almond butter filling. It couldn't be simpler and is a great new way to use up your ripe bananas. Plus it's a super healthy snack and since its frozen (and still super hot here), it's a great way to beat the heat. 

I used 4 ripe bananas and sliced them into about 2" thick slices. I laid them out on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Then I topped them with a small dollop of almond butter. You could pretty much use any kind of nut butter or chocolate. Since the bananas are small, you don't want to have all the filling squeeze out when you put the top on. Once you have put together all you sandwiches, put them in the freezer for about 45 minutes. If you want to eat them right away, you can freeze them for about 30 minutes to become semi-frozen.

After they have been frozen, take them off the baking sheet and put them in a storage container or freezer safe bag. This way you pull them out whenever you are craving a little something sweet. The sweetness of the banana and the crunch from the almond butter make a perfect sweet and nutty combination. If you want to be extra indulgent, once the sandwiches are frozen, you can dip them in chocolate. You can always get a little crazy and do a different filling on both sides like marshmallow fluff, Nutella or jelly. This is a great snack for kids to make, so go have some fun in the kitchen making this treat that you won't feel guilty about.

Sweet Pop

Ok ok...I know that I just recently blogged about popchips, but I had to tell everyone about this one! It's a sweet potato popchip. This tasty little snack is something that you are always going to want to have around to munch on. The natural sweetness is balanced with the touch of salt that each chip has. The earthy and deep flavors that are packed into each little chip is amazing. For me, I think that these are slightly addictive. Plus since they are made with sweet potatoes, I like to think that they are slightly better for you than the regular popchips. Don't get me wrong though, I am pretty sure that even the regular potato popchips are better for you than regular chips. Bottom line... the predicted rain for this weekend means that this is the perfect movie snack for all the movies you will probably be watching. So hop on over to the store and pick yourself up a bag (or three) and munch away!

Hip Poppin'

I am always looking for healthier snacks that don't taste like cardboard. A friend told me about these one day when we were in Central Market, so I decided that it was time to try them. What is a popchip you may ask? It is a chip made by popping, rather than being baked or fried. These come in a ton of different different flavors like plain, sour cream and onion, and barbecue. I decided to try the sour cream and onion because I haven't had flavored chips in a very long time and this was one of my favorite flavors. When I took one out of the bag I was surprised at how big it was. It was light, airy, super crunchy, and packed with flavor! It tasted a little bit like popcorn and a little like a potato chip, which was somewhat confusing for my taste buds. It had such a unique texture, but the sour cream and onion flavor sure packed a punch and it didn't feel like you were eating something healthy. I am so glad that I tried these because I am pretty sure that they will be a staple in my pantry. I can't wait to try all the flavors...and the tortilla chips. Make sure that you pick up a bag the next time you are on the chip aisle in the grocery store. You won't be sorry!

Snack Time

If you are looking for a snack that won't stretch your waistband, try pretzel crisps by Snack Factory. This is a better version of the pretzel because it is thinner and crispier and less calories. I have not had these before and I decided to try the garlic parmesan. They were crunchy and flavorful. It felt like I was eating a piece of Italian goodness. About 10 crackers is 110 calories and these are more filling then they might seem. They are also pretty large, so it's not like you are eating mini pretzels. One of the cool things about this bag is that there are ideas for 10 second appetizers. This one was to melt a piece of mozzarella on the crisp and then top with a cherry tomato and basil. I will be making this, except I would use a sundried tomato. This would be perfect for a small get together or for a wine and cheese night. They have many different flavors, so this is definitely a snack that you need to try!

My Take on Tortilla Chips

It been raining here, so naturally I thought that there was a reason for me to be in the kitchen. After concocting quite a few sweet treats, I wanted to make something salty or savory. Don't get me wrong. I love sweet things, but that's not always healthy to have lots of sweets sitting around...it makes it too tempting. So after thinking about what I had, I thought of tortillas. Bingo! I'll make tortilla chips. Seeing as they are baked and not fried, I won't have to feel bad after I eat them and I know they will be a perfect snack to munch on. But I was feeling spicy and decided to spice up my tortilla chips as well. Plain are always good, but today called for something more. After looking at my spice rack, three things immediately popped out...chili powder, ground cumin, and onion powder, along with salt and pepper.

Most people think that the only way to make tortilla chips is to fry them, which is usually how they are done, but if you bake them, they are just as good. I am pretty sure that this is quite possibly one of the easiest things that you can make. Trust me, you don't even need a recipe and it can be done with as many tortillas as you like. Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the tortillas into triangles and spray with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil.

Here is the fun part where you get to be creative. Sprinkle on whatever spices you want and put them in the over for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the pan and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes. Watch them because they get dark fairly quickly. I made mine savory, but you could always do cinnamon and sugar for a sweeter version. Pair that with a caramel dip and you have one crowd pleasing snack. You will always have a "go to" in your back pocket for every get together you might need it for. Have fun with these and let me know how you customize them!

Grains on the Go

Being in the workplace has put me on somewhat of a different meal schedule. I eat breakfast an hour or two earlier than I used to, which naturally means that I am eating lunch earlier. This would be fine except that I find myself needing a snack in the afternoon because it's no where near dinner time. I wanted something healthy and filling, however, I didn't have anything like that. I took a short walk in the scorching heat to see what Marshalls had. I was surprised when I found some granola amid their gourmet food section. It was just what I was looking for! I chose a 'Not Sweet Vanilla Granola', and was surprised that it was very aptly named. There was no artificial sweetness to it, but there was a hint of vanilla flavor that mimicked a sweet flavor. The interesting thing about this granola was that it's made with fruits and not assorted fats and oils. It was a bit weird at first that it wasn't sweet, but it was definitely filling and I didn't feel about guilt about eating it! This is something that I have tucked away in my desk for occasions like today. Try it if you get a chance and know that you will make your tummy very happy!

Sugar and Spice

Everyone loves a great snack mix, but most of the time I find that they are usually way too salty. I was thinking about what I could eat for a snack because I wanted something slightly sweet, but also savory and somewhat healthy. I decided it was time to visit my favorite search engine, Pinterest. A quick search took me to this recipe for a sweet and spicy nut mix from myrecipes.com. What was even better was that it's totally easy and you can pretty much throw whatever you want in it. I would probably add some pretzels to it, but I have a non pretzel lover in my life, so I left them out.

There are basically four simple steps to this. First, mix all the spices together to create the most amazing smelling spice mixture you will ever encounter. As a side note...this might also be a fantastic dry rub, so maybe I'll try it out and let you know how it goes. Second, whisk an egg white until foamy. Toss nuts in the egg white and sprinkle with the spices. Toss and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet. It's amazing how the egg white creates this delicious coating on the nuts that cover them in a little bit of sugar, but provides the spicy kick that everyone craves. It's hard to tell in the picture, but I promise these aren't hum drum nuts!

There will be this very tempting aroma drifting through your house when you take them out of the oven. But...make sure you resist just long enough until it has cooled down, and then dig in! This is the perfect snack to have at your next get together, as it is sophisticated and full of flavor. Don't bother putting it in a bowl because it probably won't last long. This super simple recipe is almost like a neutral piece of clothing that can be dressed up or down to match whatever mood you are in. You can control the flavor profile so that you don't end up with just a salty taste. Try it out and let me know what you use and how you make it your own!

Satisfying Sweets

I love sweet things, however, my waistline does not especially since it's summer. So, I have taken on this challenge and am always on the quest to see if there is anything out there that will truly satisfy my sweet tooth without all the calories. While walking in the grocery store, I found these yummies. The best part about them is that they are only 120 calories and taste like real chocolate! These are clusters of crispy rice pieces covered in milk or dark chocolate. They come in individual packets and contain enough little clusters to actually feel like I am eating a legit dessert. You can choose from a variety of crisps or frozen ice cream treats as well. Though I haven't tried those yet, they are definitely on my list. Now I can eat something real, not feel super guilty about eating them and my waistline will thank me. If you have any other go to semi-healthy sweets, feel free to let me know!