Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to comment on the previous post that made it on to Freshly Pressed!! What a fun surprise, and I appreciate all of your kind words as well as the stories that were shared. Thank you! 😀
I’ve noticed that I never—hardly ever—talk about snacks. Which is a shame, considering how much I (a) enjoy them, (b) preach of their benefits in regards to a healthy diet, and (c) eat them.
And so I figured it was due time that I share with you a few (or four) of my most recent favorites. They’re simple—nothing fancy. But that’s the way I like them.
“Sweet and Salty Banana Crunch”
Sweet and salty meets smooth and crunchy. It’s a beautiful thing.
Step one: peel and halve a banana.
Step two: smear with peanut butter.
Step three: sprinkle with your favorite granola (Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Granola is my personal fave!)
Step four: Enjoy. Each. Delicious. Bite.
“Papaya”
As much as I like variety, when it comes to fruit I’m a hopeless bore. Apples. Bananas. Oranges. Maybe the occasional pomegranate, mango or pineapple.
And then—this past week—my dad bought me a papaya. He left the large green fruit on the kitchen table, as a fun surprise for me on the following morning. And I’ve been addicted ever since.
Papaya is one of those fruits that you’d steer towards in the hot summer months. It’s refreshing, juicy, and best served chilled. The flavor is unusual, with an exocit flair like that of mango (without the tart and tangy zing.)
Simply scoop out the seeds, slice it up, and enjoy!
“Pumpkin Yogurt Crunch”
If you spend enough time traveling through blogland, you’ll see pumpkin pies, pumpkin breads, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin whoopie pies!!, pumpkin souffles, et cetera, et cetera. Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin.
And why not? Pumpkin is just one of those things that never gets old. It’s versatile and goes as well with sweet things as it does with savory.
For a simple snack, I swirl nonfat, plain yogurt into canned pumpkin and top it all off with crunchy granola (hey now, you’ve got to admit that granola makes for a lovely garnish on lots of things!)
Simply pumpkin.
“Crackers ‘n’ Cheese”
Normally when I’m talking about cheese and crackers, I like to discuss some fancy schmancy cheese. Like a sharp Robusto that entertains your tastebuds with little crystals that pop as you chew. Or a slice of mild jarlsberg, turned into a melted grilled cheese and then smeered with a layer of homemade raspberry jam (who needs a cracker there, you know?)
But—in this case—it’s all about the cracker.
My cousin introduced me to these fabulous crackers when she brought them to my sister’s housewarming party. The cheese was amazing. Yes, it was. But the crackers are what stole the show.
Think of a nutty, buttery wheat cracker meeting (and falling in love) with a sweet graham cracker. This is the result. Subtle, sweet (but not overly so,) and perfect. Absolutely perfect.
(p.s. I could eat this for dessert as much as I could eat it as a snack with a slice of cheese. )
And there you have it. My top few (or four) favorite snacks. I hope you enjoy them as much as I’ve been enjoying them over the past week or so. 😀
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Guess what I was up to all afternoon?
The next best thing to putting up a Christmas tree in the living room is decorating the trees outside.
These cheery little bulbs ‘absorb’ the sun by day, thereby turning them into glowing lights by night. They’re both environmentally friendly and charming. 😀
I give credit to people who have an entire house brimming with lights and things. I was exhausted after putting the lights up with mom, along with putting up the outdoor wreaths and decorations. This is what I call a real life workout. 😉
It’s really starting to feel like Christmas. A little bit of Pandora Christmas singing through the air and a hot cocoa will make it absolutely complete.
Well. That, and picking up the Christmas tree. To be continued this week…
Question: What is one of your favorite snacks at the moment?
Running To Slow Things Down 