Category Archives: Snacks

Superfood Smoothie

February 3, 2012 – 6:00 am

Even though I am not a person who makes New Year’s resolutions, I do always find myself thinking of the things I can do better or new things that I wan tot try when January comes around.  One conscious change I have been trying to make this year is to eat more fruits and vegetables.  I love almost all produce, I just don’t feel like I know how to get enough of them everyday in my diet.

One way I have been trying to remedy this is by drinking “superfood” smoothies.  It is a simple way for me to efficiently get an extra 3-4 servings of fruits and veggies in 1 smoothie and the rest of my daily servings I can easily get in with my meals.

All I do is load up my Vitamix with 8 ounces of water (you could also use milk and or a splash of juice), a cup of fresh or frozen mixed berries, one banana and 2 cups of spinach and blend away.  Other great options to add are greek yogurt, kale and any other fruits and vegetables of your choice.

And no need to be scared off by incorporating greens into your smoothie.  All you taste is the wonderful freshness of the berries and bananas!

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Classic Biscuits (January Daring Bakers’ Challenge)

January 27, 2012 – 2:34 pm

So it’s time to reveal this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge!  If you remember, back in November I shared this very challenging cake with you and explained a little bit about the Daring Bakers.

This month’s challenge was much more manageable and so easy and fun to make.  Who doesn’t love a good biscuit?  Or scone as they are referred to in other parts of the world.  Sure, they only have a few ingredients and are relatively simple to make, but ask anyone who has failed at attempting to make biscuits and they will tell you that just a few too many kneads or not using the ingredients at the right temperature and you may end up with hard, unappetizing biscuits that resemble hockey pucks more than you would actually like to admit.

But with a few helpful tips and fresh ingredients, you can make light, tall and flakey biscuits in literally just a few minutes.  Before you know it, you will be smearing a warm and tender biscuit with honey, butter or whatever your little heart desires.

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Tips for making successful biscuits:

  • Butter and milk must be cold because the chunks of butter are what result in a flakey biscuit (and we want flakey biscuits)
  • Dough must not be overworked or your scones will be hard hockey pucks
  • Make sure your ingredients are fresh and more specifically your baking powder.  How to tell if baking powder is fresh?  Add a 1/2 tsp of baking powder to warm water and it should bubble.  What about baking soda?  Add the same amount to some vinegar and again look for bubbles.  No bubbles=time for new leavening agents!

Biscuits (aka Scones)

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake bread side snack

Ingredients (6-8 biscuits)

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and place in medium bowl.

Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients using pastry blender or food processor until coarse meal forms.

Stir in milk until just combined. Dough will be wet and sticky.

Pour dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead to gather into a ball. Only knead 4-5 times or the biscuits will not be tender.

Pat dough into 3/4 inch tall rectangle and cut with cutter of your choice that has been rubbed with flour. Continue reforming and flattening dough to combine and cut remaining scraps, but again, handle as little as possible.

Place biscuits onto baking sheet and bake 8 minutes.

Enjoy warm.

Recipe Source:  Audax Artifex

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 combine dry ingredients and sift together

cut in cold butter until looks like tiny peas (coarse meal)

mix in milk

pour dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead minimally

flatten out dough to about 3/4 thick and cut biscuits

bake

What would you like to slather onto one of these tender,  flakey biscuits?

 

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Homemade Ginger Chews and Ginger Simple Syrup

January 17, 2012 – 9:55 am

Are you obsessed with ginger chews like I am?  I love to buy them at Trader Joe’s!  They are such a satisfying little treat with their perfect chewiness and burst of fresh ginger flavor.  I really love ginger in just about anything because it gives such warm spice to whatever you add it to.

When I saw this recipe for Candied Ginger from America’s Test Kitchen I had a feeling that the resulting sweet would be very similar to my much-loved store-bought chews.  This homemade version punches you with even more of a spicy ginger kick.  Also, as a bonus, if you save the syrup that you get after boiling the ginger, it is the perfect addition to cocktails, oatmeal, whipped cream or anything else you can think of that could use a sweet ginger jolt.

Ginger Chews and Ginger Simple Syrup

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: snack healthy ginger candy

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 1/4 cup sugar
  • ginger (as much as you would like to slice and make)

Instructions

Peel ginger and slice into nickel-sized pieces.

In a small saucepan, combine the water and 2 cups of sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Place ginger into syrup and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain ginger into a colander over a bowl to reserve the ginger simple syrup for later use.

Place ginger pieces onto waxed paper in a single layer and allow to dry about 5 hours or until just tacky when you touch it.

Toss ginger in remaining sugar to coat.

Store in airtight container.

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peel and slice ginger

combine water and 2 cups of sugar in a small sauce pan and simmer until sugar is dissolved, then add ginger and simmer for 30 minutes

strain ginger in colander over bowl to reserve syrup

lay ginger in a single layer on piece of wax paper and allow to dry

once dry, toss in remaining sugar

What would you do with ginger simply syrup?

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Holiday Good Living and Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

December 1, 2011 – 12:00 pm

Do you suppose there is less crime in the month of December?  I mean with the general feeling of good will toward mankind I have to wonder if crimes against others are reduced.  Every year as I get older, I appreciate and notice the spirit of the season that Christmastime brings more deeply.  The feeling of warmth coming from somewhere deep inside.  A feeling of joy and generosity.  I get so excited to bake and decorate, but it is not a selfish excitement.  I get excited to make someone else’s day by bringing them cookies or giving them a present.

As we get into December and the mayhem that inevitably comes with the holidays will threaten to make us crazy, I encourage us all to stop and remember the reason for the season.  And that is Love.  Let us remember this good living mentality that seems to be most prominent at this time of year and to carry that desire to please others and make them happy through the entire year.  I’m just saying, wouldn’t it be great?  And after all, good living comes from the little things that we do for others that can make the biggest difference.  These things make us feel good and you really never know what an impact a simple act of kindness may be having on someone else’s life.

Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake snack vegetarian chocolate Christmas

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (8 oz.) butter
  • 1 stick (8 oz.) margarine
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 box (regular size) Crispix cereal
  • 1/3 box wheat Chex cereal
  • 1/3 box Honeycomb cereal
  • 2 cups pretzel sticks
  • 1/2 bag M&Ms candy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine cereals and pretzels in a large bowls.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, margarine, sugar, garlic powder and worcestershire sauce and heat over medium heat to combine. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 1 minute.

Pour melted mixture over cereal combination and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into roasting pan or 2 cake pans.

Bake for 1 hour tossing every 20 minutes.

Cool before placing into airtight container to store. Can be frozen in airtight container.

Makes about 2 gallon ziploc bags full.

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combine cereals and pretzels in large bowls

in a medium saucepan, combine all other ingredients (EXCEPT M&Ms) and heat to a boil

pour melted butter  mixture over cereals, stir to combine and bake and add M&Ms after cooled

Do you notice the spirit of the season?

And to make your holidays more merry and bright don’t miss this chance to register to win a trip to Greece from Fage!

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway 

This post is linked at Tidy Mom I’m Lovin’ It Fridays

 

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