Tag Archives: sweet

Freezer Meals: Week 12!

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! This calls for a freezer meal roundup! This week I thought it’d be fun to focus on desserts. There’s a VAST amount of recipes for all of your favorite sweet treats that freeze perfectly. They are prime freezer candidates! I pulled some recipes from around the internet that looked especially delicious to me. Let me know what you think! I can’t wait to try them myself.

Best-Ever Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies [http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/09/22/oatmeal-butterscotch-cookies/]

Ruth Soukup is a freezer-friendly queen. This is far from the first recipe I’ve tried of hers, and I imagine it’ll be far from the last! My husband and I are both huge supporters of oatmeal cookies, and this looks like a fantastic spin on such a classic cookie. She claims that they ‘freeze beautifully’ and are just as good straight out of the freezer as they do straight out of the oven. Sounds good to me!

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies. Preheat the oven to 350, and get to work mixing together butter and sugars. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix well. Then flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and mix well. Add in oats and chips, and mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown – cool + enjoy! Freeze if desired.

Freezer Friendly Brownie Bites

Brownie Bites

Brownie Bites [http://happymoneysaver.com/brownie-bites/#_a5y_p=3742288]

These little brownie bites are perfect for a small dessert or a snack. They’re such an easy, quick recipe! Melt butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. After melted, add cocoa powder and stir well. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and add in sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Lastly, add in flour and mix until smooth.

Grease a mini muffin pan and fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and let cook before removing from pan. Let them cool completely and enjoy or place in a freezer safe bag. To reheat, just pop them in the microwave!

Reese’s Oatmeal Cookies

Reese's Oatmeal Cookies

Reese’s Oatmeal Cookies [http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/01/reeses-freezer-friendly-oatmeal-cookies/]

Can you tell I  love oatmeal cookies? Have I mentioned my affinity for anything peanut butter? This recipe looks so good that it needs to be shared!

The beauty of this recipe is that it highlights two things: 1) these cookies are great to freeze and equally delicious this way and 2) how easy it is to freeze cookie dough balls (if you’d prefer to eat them fresh and make the dough ahead of time!).

Simply cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time, add vanilla and mix together. In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, salt and baking soda, and add to the already creamed mixture. Stir in Reese’s Pieces and Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips.

Refrigerate for one hour and preheat the oven to 350. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until light brown and cool.

Homemade Popsicles!

Popsicles

We are getting VERY close to the long weekend! Looks like it’s going to be a hot one for us at the lake. Usually on a hot day, we run straight to the ice cream shop to get a cold treat – but I thought it’d be so fun this weekend to make some homemade popsicles to cool down instead! Not only are these easy on the wallet, but are SO simple to make, and a much healthier alternative. Three recipes caught my eye on Pinterest this morning – maybe you’ll feel the same way. Check them out below!

3-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Popsicles

strawberry_banana_popsicles

3-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Popsicles [http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/06/22/3-ingredient-strawberry-banana-popsicles/]

I can’t even believe that these are only 3 INGREDIENTS. Could this be any easier? All you need are strawberries, a frozen banana, and juice. Sally’s Baking Addiction tells us that the frozen banana makes all the difference because  it gives the popsicles an unbelievably creamy texture without the need of high-fat dairy. Simply blend 1 large banana, cut into chunks and frozen, 12 large strawberries sliced in half, and 1/2 cup of juice. They recommend pineapple or orange.

You will need to buy a popsicle mold (and you’ll need it for all three recipes mentioned) – these are really inexpensive and easy to find – you should be able to find them easily at Walmart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond…you get the jist.

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and pour the mixture into the popsicle molds. If your mold has slots for sticks, you can insert them before freezing. If not, freeze for 2 hours and then put the stick in. Continue to freeze for an additional 6 hours or overnight – overnight will make for the easiest removal process. Run the molds under hot water to remove easily. Yum!

Greek Yogurt Popsicles

Greek_Yogurt_Popsicles

Greek Yogurt Popsicles [http://www.dessertfortwo.com/2014/06/make-your-own-greek-yogurt-pops/]

Missing that creamy texture? Go for these awesome popsicles by Dessert For Two that use the protein-rich and creamy Greek yogurt to really make these pop. This recipe is a bit more labor-intensive, but sounds so amazing that I know these will not only be worth the extra effort but also really impress any company you have!

Ingredients include 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, 3-4 tablespoons of agave nectar, a handful of strawberries, plums, or any fruit of your choice, 2 teaspoons of neutral-flavored oil, and 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar.

For this recipe, you’ll be roasting fruit – which is supremely easy. Simply preheat the oven to 400, and place the fruit on a small sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the oil and sugar over the fruit and toss to combine to roast for about 25 minutes. Watch carefully or this will burn! Let cool completely.

Combine the Greek yogurt with the agave nectar. Then, you’ll want to layer the roasted fruit and the Greek yogurt mixture into the popsicle molds. Make it pretty! Super easy – freeze and enjoy.

Nutella Coolwhip Popsicles

Nutella_Coolwhip_Popsicles

Nutella Coolwhip Popsicles [http://www.canadianfreestuff.com/nutella-coolwhip-popsicles-an-easy-delicious-treat-to-keep-you-and-the-kiddies-cool-this-summer/]

Had to include something chocolate-y for all the fudgcicle fans out there! My little sister ate fudgcicles like it was her job her entire childhood, so I’m sure there are more kids of this breed out there these days 🙂

This could NOT be easier – CanadianFreeStuff even mentions that her 2 year old son made these by himself. That’s saying something!

Mix together: 2 cups cool whip, 6 tablespoons Nutella, 1 cup milk. Pour into popsicle molds, freeze overnight and enjoy!

If you want to make this a little bit healthier, you can always make with low fat Coolwhip and/or skim milk. No biggie!

So there you go – try these out this weekend! Let me know if you have any other go-to homemade popsicle recipes that you and your family love – I’m all ears!

#NationalTrailMixDay

trail_mix

Hey everyone! Happy Monday – and a very happy Monday it is since it is #NationalTrailMixDay!

I am a HUGE fan of trail mix for so many reasons. Firstly, it’s nostalgic. I remember my sleepaway camp days when every afternoon I’d get trail mix from the store. They made it special, M&M’s clearly the highlight (they tried to keep candy to a minimum), and the most fun part was that they would serve it in an ice cream cone! It’s all about the presentation, even when you’re young. Secondly, I get really bored of eating things. Some people can mindlessly eat a bag of chips until they’re gone, but a few bites in, I’m bored. Call me lucky, but this just means I move onto the next snack in the cabinet. I only wish this worked as a dieting technique! Third and last – I love the variety that comes with trail mix – not only the ingredients within, but the fact that it can be sweet, it can be salty, it can be spicy, it can be all 3 – love it! It’s an easy, generally healthy, snack that you can tweak to almost ANY taste.

That being said, I have a few recipes that I’ve found via Pinterest that have REALLY tickled my fancy that I’d like to share with you. Try them out, let me know what you think! Let me know what you’d change! Let me know YOUR favorite recipe! I’m all ears 🙂

  1. Sweet & Salty Trail Mix

sweet_and_salty

Sweet & Salty Trail Mix [http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/2014/08/sweet-salty-trail-mix-snacktoschool.html]

This stuff is pretty awesome, and CLASSIC. If you’re looking to get your feet wet in the world of trail mix, this is certainly where you should start. Firstly, and this goes for all recipes, go to your local bulk store for ingredients. This is going to be MUCH more cost efficient than pre-packaged ingredients. Now, down to business. This is crazy easy – 2 cups California raisins, 1 cup lightly salted sunflower seeds, 1 cup whole natural almonds, 1 cup dry roasted peanuts, 1 cup roasted and salted pistachios, 1 cup dark chocolate M&Ms. Yep, just mix them all up…you’ve got your trail mix. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

2. Martha Stewart Chesapeake Bay Snack Mix

chesapeake_bay_snack_mix

Martha Stewart Chesapeake Bay Snack Mix [http://diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com/2013/01/snack-time.html]

I am eternally a supporter of savory>sweet, so I absolutely love this recipe. This recipe requires a little bit more work than your average trail mix – even…gasp…an oven. Don’t worry – crazy simple! Ingredients include rice cereal (Crispix? Chex? Your call!), pretzels (this recipe recommends the sticks), oyster crackers, roasted unsalted peanuts, melted butter, Worchestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and hot sauce of your choice. Combine all dry ingredients, and drizzle the spices and liquid combo over top. Bake an hour at 250, stirring every 15 minutes – allow to cool & voila! Delicious.

3. Hit the Trail Granola

Hit_the_Trail_Granola

Hit the Trail Granola [http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/01/12/hit-trail-granola/]

The beauty of trail mix is that it can really be anything you make it. In my head, trail mix is any combination of ingredients that can be transferred easily and happily from hand to mouth. Granola – sure! I love this recipe – its crunchy with a fun texture – and I feel just…really healthy eating it. Perfect as is or top your yogurt with it! Ingredients include old-fashioned rolled oats, whole unsalted almonds, whole salted cashews, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter, an egg white, vanilla extract, dried cranberries or raisins, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. This is another oven recipe – preheat to 300, toss almonds, cashews, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Microwave the syrup, coconut oil, and almond butter for about 30 seconds, allow to cool, and toss in the egg white and vanilla – pour over oats to coat and ensure that all are moistened. Spread onto baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely and toss in the dried cranberries, raisins, and chocolate chips – yum!

So there you have it – 3 amazing trail mix recipes. Don’t forget – if you don’t like a certain ingredient, if you want to try something new in terms of a spice – have at it, go crazy! Trail mix is the perfect snack to experiment with. Enjoy!

NatureBox

Maybe you have all heard of NatureBox, a subscription snack service boasting the highest quality ingredients in deliciously distinctive snacks you can find only through them.

nature_box

NatureBox [naturebox.com]

Their website promises the following:

  • No hydrogenated oils
  • No artificial colors, sweeteners & flavors
  • No added sulfites
  • Less than 200 calories per 30g serving
  • High quality, nutritious ingredients
  • Thoughtful sourcing
  • Innovative, unique flavors

Sounds awesome, but often, healthier, higher quality snacks come with a price point. Firstly, though, I want to show you all the absolutely HUGE list of snacks available – there is really something for everyone here! I’ll pull out some of our personal favorites for recommendations:

Sriracha Pop Pops

sriracha_pop_pops

Sriracha Pop Pops [naturebox.com]

If you’re anything like me, you love sriracha and spicy things! These are…nothing short of awesome. They are spicy + addictive, and clock in at about 170 calories/serving, which is more than enough quantity-wise. Not too shabby!

French Vanilla Almond Granola

french_vanilla_almond_granola

French Vanilla Almond Granola [naturebox.com]

This stuff is like crack, and the entire family adores it. It’s awesome on yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast, or just a handful on the go. The serving size here is fairly large, and it still only clocks in at 250 calories/serving. It’s soooooo great 🙂

Kung Pao Pretzels

kung_pao_pretzels

Kung Pao Pretzels [naturebox.com]

These are so good that it is truly hard to put into words. They are SO spicy and SO addictive – they’re like pretzels with an Asian spicy flare. You’ve got to try them to actually understand the party in your mouth that occurs when you eat them. Better yet, they are SO low-cal. A 16 pretzel serving only clocks in at 120 calories.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Figgy Bars

whole_wheat_raspberry_figgy_bars

Whole Wheat Raspberry Figgy Bars [naturebox.com]

Think Fig Newton meets Nutri-Grain bar, but healthier…and better. These are always a hit for a quick on-the-go snack. They come individually wrapped, so you can easily pack them in a lunch or throw in a bag for later! They come in other flavors (strawberry, blueberry), but this is my personal favorite. 1 bar = 130 calories

Did I interest you yet? If not, seriously, check out the rest of their snacks, I’ve hardly made a dent!

So here’s the rundown: you can get a FREE trial, where you get 5 tasty, pre-selected snacks. This DOES roll into a monthly plan ($19.95/month), but if you aren’t feeling this, you can cancel immediately, at anytime.

In conclusion, give this a shot, decide if $20/month is worth it to you to keep getting these snacks (once you are done with the free trial, you can select whichever ones you want) – if you grow tired of it, cancel! It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s SO fun to get a box full of tasty treats in the mail every month.

Enjoy!

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