Bunny Bait

Happy Easter! I hope that everyone has a great weekend and is able to catch the Easter Bunny with this yummy snack mix. It is super easy to make and requires NO BAKING! One of the best things about this snack mix is that you can add in or take out any ingredients that you wish. If I were to make this again I think I would replace the popcorn with peanuts, however that would take away the "cotton tail" look of the bait. Recipe is from the blog Bloom Designs.

2 cups of rice chex mix
2 cups of pretzel sticks
2 cups of popcorn (I used pre popped kettle corn so it would not go stale)
1 cup white chocolate chips
spring sprinkles
Spring M&Ms

Spread the chex, pretzels and popcorn out on a cookie sheet or in a cake pan and mix together. Melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips with about one tsp of vegetable oil in the micro wave and drizzle over the mix. With a spoon mix the chocolate into the mix. Add sprinkles to the top of the mix and let the mix cool/set. Once the chocolate has hardened break up the  mix and add a desired amount of M&Ms.

Spiced Almonds

Hi everyone! My name is Jess and I blog over at Flying on Jess Fuel. I was lucky enough to meet 2 of the 3 Fly Girls when my own pilot and I were stationed with them. I was so excited when they started Fly Girls, since I'm always looking for new inspiration in the kitchen! I think the Fly Girls would agree that pilots can be some HUNGRY men. I know mine is snacking nonstop. In an effort to cut down on the chips and other junk food in our house, I try to make snacks that are healthier, but still tasty. These almonds are easy, delicious, and a lot better for you than chips! They are perfect for satisfying a crunchy, salty and/or sweet craving. You can definitely experiment with different flavors and spices, too.

Parmesan-Herb Almonds

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

2 egg whites

2 cups whole almonds, roasted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients except egg whites and almonds. In large bowl, whisk egg whites until they begin to form soft peaks and are opaque. Add almonds and toss to coat. Add cheese mixture and toss gently to coat evenly. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray (or line with a silpat). Arrange almonds on baking sheet in single layer. Bake 15 minutes. Gently toss almonds and arrange again in single layer. Continue to bake 15 minutes longer and toss again. Turn off oven. Leave almonds in oven with door cracked open 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in airtight container up to one week.

Sweet 'n Spicy Roasted Almonds

1 egg white

1 tbsp water

3 cups raw unsalted almonds

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp coarse salt

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a sided sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk egg white and water together until foamy. Add almonds and toss to coat. Transfer almonds to a strainer and toss gently to drain excess egg white. Stir together sugar, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne. Add almonds and toss to coat thoroughly. Spread almonds on the sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Gently stir almonds. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, until almonds are dry and nicely toasted. Set aside to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Both recipes adapted from California Almonds.

Soft Pretzels

A benefit of being a stay at home, pregnant wife who cooks is you usually have the basic baking needs at hand so when I random craving comes along you can make it. This is what happened to me last week. I was going to go nuts if I didn't get a pretzel so I decided to make my own! It was fairly easy and between my husband and I, the six pretzels were gone before they got cold.

1 cup milk

1 package active dry yeast

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/3 cup baking soda

2 tablespoons coarse salt

Warm milk in a sauce pan until it is 110 degrees. Pour milk into a mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast on top and let it sit for two minutes. Add brown sugar and one cup of flour. Mix until combined. Soften two tablespoons of butter and add that to the mix. Stir together and add the rest of the flour. When the mixture is combined, place on a floured surface and knead for five minutes. Let the dough rise for an hour in a greased bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet. When dough is ready, punch it down to deflate it and then divide it into six pieces. Roll and stretch each piece into a 30 inch rope and then form into a pretzel.

In a shallow bowl dissolve baking soda in two cups of water. Dip each pretzel in the water and place on the greased pan.  Add salt on top of the pretzel if desired.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Optional: Melt the rest of the butter and dip hot pretzels in it.

Recipe from Food Network

Cajun Pumpkin Seeds

There are two main things I love about pumpkin carving: 1) Digging the goop out of the inside (I don’t know why I take such perverse pleasure in this! I’m like a little kid playing in the mud); and 2) Eating yummy pumpkin seeds. This year, I tried something new for the seasoning on my seeds and it was a hit! The seeds had just the right amount of flavor and crunch.

2 cups pumpkin seeds (I used the seeds from two medium-sized pumpkins) 

3 T butter, melted

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

¼ tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to coat; pour out evenly onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 degrees and cook 30 minutes more, continuing to stir. Let cool before serving. 

Pizza Fondue

Want to impress your friends at your next potluck? Try this easy, gooey, sharable treat!

2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup 

1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 c. shredded pizza cheese

1/2 c. chopped pepperoni

Italian bread, chopped into cubes

In a large saucepan, combine the first 6 ingredients. Add cheese and pepperoni; cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is melted. Transfer to a fondue pot to keep warm. Serve with bread cubes.

Do-It-Yourself Buffalo Wings

My husband is a wing fanatic – practically a connoisseur – especially during football season. Sometimes, however, a good wing place is hard to find, so I decided to do a little experimenting at home. The result was flavorful and meaty, and for a fraction of the cost you could get at a restaurant. Fortunately, my grocery store stocks pre-cut drummettes and wings, but if yours doesn’t simply buy whole chicken wings and use a large knife to separate the wing from the drummette, and cut off the tip. (Also great for pent up aggression) Use a buffalo sauce that appeals to your taste, either by experimenting with recipes or grabbing your favorite brand off the shelf. These wings are totally your own!  

  

¾ cup flour 

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Approx. 20 wings/drumettes

½ cup melted butter

½ cup buffalo sauce (store-bought or homemade)

In a large, resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, garlic, and cayenne; add wings and shake to fully cover. (Hint: Make sure wings are completely dry before coating with flour mixture) Refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and buffalo sauce. Dip each wing into the buffalo mixture and place onto the cookie sheet. Bake about 45 minutes until wings are crispy on the outside and cooked through. Serve with extra buffalo sauce for dipping.

Blueberry-Banana Oat Bars

With the school season back in gear, I’m on the lookout for healthy, energizing after-school snacks for my daughter. These bars are low in sugar, high in fiber, and so delicious you might be tempted to snack before the kids get home!

1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats 

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium)

¼ cup skim milk

2 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup Craisins (blueberry flavored)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray (try 9x9 square dish for thicker bars). In a medium bowl, mix together oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. In a large bowl, mix together banana, milk, egg whites, and vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredients, blending until well combined; stir in Craisins. Bake 35 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cool and cut into bars.

*Modified from Allrecipes

Be sure to check out Kim's next exciting post tomorrow!