Food Fun Family

Coca Cola Spicy-Sweet Mixed Nuts

Lolli — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 02:08:07 +0000

This post has been sponsored by The Coca-Cola® Company and SheSpeaks.

Are you ready for football season? Do you love hosting or attending football parties with your friends and family? Mixed nuts were always served for get-togethers at our house when I was growing up. Nuts are a delicious, filling snack and a big hit with guests and especially for game day parties.

As I was thinking of a recipe to make for our upcoming fall football get-together, I couldn’t think of anything better than sweet and spicy mixed nuts. They’re delicious to eat, easy to make, and they store easily (so that I can make them ahead of time and save my sanity on game day!).

I love that this recipe has just the right amount of sweetness, thanks to Coca-Cola® and a touch of honey, paired with the perfect amount of cayenne pepper to spice things up. Don’t be intimidated by the pepper, though! These nuts are still mild enough for the kids (and those with sensitive taste buds) to enjoy while they cheer on their favorite team!

The great thing about this recipe is that it not only uses Coca-Cola® as one of the star ingredients, but it pairs perfectly with a glass of ice-cold Coca-Cola®. I picked up cases of Coca-Cola® Mini Cans at Sam’s Club during my most recent trip there…because I can never have too much Coca-Cola® at my house, especially when I know lots of people are going to be coming over.

I let Sam’s Club take the stress out of preparing for my game day parties. I’m totally hooked on Scan & Go. I scan items with my phone (via the app) as I shop throughout the store. When I’m done shopping, I can pay on my app and skip the check out lines completely. It saves me a ton of time! You can also use Club Pickup. Just order online and Sam’s Club will have your items ready for you in-store, where available. This is a great option when purchasing a variety of Coca-Cola® beverages.

Quick tip: I used a Coca-Cola® Mini Can in this recipe. Each mini can has about 1 cup of Coca-Cola®. I happily drank the second half of the can while I was preparing the recipe. However, you could easily double the recipe and use the entire mini can. If you double the recipe, I recommend splitting the nuts between two cookie sheets so that the nuts bake evenly.

Ok, enough of my chattering. Let’s get to this yummy recipe!

Coca Cola Spicy-Sweet Mixed Nuts

Ingredients:

½ cup Coca-Cola
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon coarse salt
3 cups of nuts (I used one cup each — peanuts, cashews, and pecans — because those are my favorites, but you can use your favorite variety)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Toss the nuts together in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook Coke, honey, and butter, stirring frequently, until liquid is slightly reduced and starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in spices.

4. Pour hot glaze over the mixed nuts and stir to coat evenly. Gently pour the nut mixture onto the parchment paper and spread evenly over the cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once during cooking. Keep an eye on the nuts during the last few minutes to ensure that they don’t burn. Remove nuts to a bowl or a cool plate immediately before they harden on the cookie sheet.

6. Let nuts cool completely. Store in a closed container.

PS – While the nuts are cooking, prepare a feast for your olfactory senses. Your house is going to smell amazing!

What are some of your favorite game day recipes? Do you love preparing main dishes, appetizers, or sweets? Personally, I love football parties that have them all. Variety is good!

After School Snacks – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #129

Lolli — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 09:03:10 +0000

Hey guys! I’m out of state once again to visit my parents and move my daughter out to school. It’s been a crazy summer, and it’s almost over. What an amazing summer full of memories!

When we get back home, it will almost be time for the new school year to start. My fellow hosts and I had fun this week picking out some tasty after-school snack ideas. Even if you don’t have kids in school, these are delicious recipes to enjoy any day.

Welcome to Delicious Dishes Recipe Party! In case you’re new to the party, here’s what you need to know:

Delicious Dishes is a weekly link party where bloggers can share their most delicious recipes while checking out the amazing recipes that other bloggers are sharing.

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1: Easy Taco Salad from Mommy Hates Cooking

#2: Apple Cider Glazed Apple Scones from Cooking with Curls

#3: Classic Carrot Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Fruit Salad with Banana Cream Yogurt Dressing from Eat Move Make

Lois loved Skillet Brownies for Two from Cooking with Curls

Brett loved Banana Pecan Coffee Cake from Bunny’s Warm Oven

Susan loved Homemade Fruit Bars from The Simple Balance Blog

Keri Lyn loved Lemonade Cookies from Simply Stacie

Emily loved Mason Jar Dirt Pudding from Food Fun Family

Mary loved Peanut Butter Cookie Cups from Spaceships and Laserbeams

Follow us along on our Pinterest board. We pin a ton of recipes that are shared to our linky party each week. So get your recipes ready. We can’t wait to see what’s cooking in your kitchen this week.

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

Movie Marathon Flavored Popcorn

Lolli — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:42:18 +0000

This post is sponsored by Savory: Fast, fresh and easy, but all thoughts and ideas are my own.

This winter has been a COLD one. It’s the kind of weather that makes everyone want to cuddle up under a blanket and stay inside all day. It’s also the type of weather that causes everyone, young and old, to suffer from serious cases of cabin fever. As a mom, I’m often looking for ways to keep everyone (including myself) engaged and fight the boredom of the winter months.

Savory is an awesome food and entertaining magazine, and I was excited to check out their digital exclusive, Snow Day Survival Guide, available on SavoryOnline.com. It’s a great resource for families of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

The Snow Day Survival Guide is full of recipes and new ideas for hot chocolate, grilled cheese (my favorite!), slow cooker classics (comfort food!), plus crafts, games, and more to combat cabin fever.

I decided to try our own boredom-busting activity this week when the kids had a day off school. It was a total hit and SO simple. We love watching movies together, and what better way to watch movies than to cuddle up under a big blanket together with some popcorn?

I made four of the flavored popcorn varieties from the Snow Day Survival Guide, but there are 10 different flavor varieties in the magazine. I can’t wait to try the other six!

Movie Marathon Flavored Popcorn

Spicy Hot Chocolate

1 packet hot chocolate mix
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Nutritional Yeast and Black Pepper

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
5 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Chinese 5 Spice and Garlic

5 Tbsp melted salted butter
½ tsp Chinese 5 Spice powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Orange Zest and Chili

5 Tbsp melted salted butter
Zest of 1 orange
1 ½ tsp chili powder

Instructions:

Mix the above seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and toss with a bag of popped plain or lightly salted popcorn. Use one popped bag per seasoning recipe. Make a few varieties and enjoy while watching a movie together!

You can find all 10 movie marathon popcorn blend recipes in the Snow Day Survival Guide!

My husband loved the Chinese 5 Spice and Garlic Popcorn. He couldn’t get enough! My youngest son, who LOVES to drink hot chocolate, was naturally drawn to the Spicy Hot Chocolate Popcorn. I was a fan of the Orange Zest and Chili Popcorn. Just a unique and bold flavor! We also loved the Nutritional Yeast and Black Pepper Popcorn, and my youngest daughter loved learning that it was vegan!

Which variety would you like to try?

Connect with Savory:

Read the Snow Day Survival Guide

Website: https://www.Savoryonline.com

Facebook: SavoryOnline

Instagram: Savory.Online

Pinterest: SavoryOnline

Hashtag: #savorysnowday

After-School Snack Ideas – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #82

Lolli — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 09:00:07 +0000

I’ve waited ALL summer for this week….and no, I’m not talking about the eclipse, though that WAS pretty incredible!

It’s finally my vacation week (and not a “vacation” where I’m sleeping in a tent and taking care of a couple dozen teenage girls). I’m here at my parents’ house relaxing, taking classes at BYU with my mom and feeling utterly exhausted and totally happy.

My kids still have 2 weeks before they’re back in school, but it’s never too early to make plans for after-school snacks. Especially when they look as tasty as these after-school (or DURING school!) recipes that you guys shared with us.

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Cooking in Stilettos – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1:Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe from She Saved

#2: 10 Starbucks Copycat Recipes from Tuxedo Cats and Coffee

#3: Blueberry Crackle Cake from Simply Stacie

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Tagalong Cookie Bars from The Skinny Chick Can Bake

Lois loved Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars from Cincy Shopper

Brett loved Apple Bars from The Country Chic Cottage

Susan loved White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Snaps from Teaspoon of Goodness

Aly loved Caramel Apple Cups from Eat Move Make

Keri Lyn loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Balls from Joyful Homemaking

Emily loved Chocolate Covered Apple Slices from She Saved

Mary loved No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Coupons and Freebies Mom

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

Banana Bran Muffins – After-School Fuel #BigFatNotebooks

Lolli — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:00:27 +0000

This delicious after-school study snack recipe for Banana Bran Muffins is inspired by the Big Fat Notebook series and brought to you in partnership with @WorkmanPub. All thoughts are my own; affiliate links are used to link to the books on Amazon.

We’re more than a month deep into the new school year, and I think we’re pretty nicely settled into our school-year routines. I’m still not used to not having any kids in elementary school, but so far the kids are all thriving where they are, so I can’t complain.

Before the kids headed back to school this year, I introduced you to an invaluable resource for middle school students – The Big Fat Notebooks (I’ve got TWO kids in middle school this year, so I’m a good judge of middle school resources!).

I’m also a good judge of middle school appetites. Holy cow, do these kids come home hungry! I’ve learned that I’d better have some decent snacks available for them when they get home from school in the afternoon or else they’ll end up making themselves dinner at 4pm (I’m not exaggerating. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught the kids making themselves a mini dinner right an hour before we’re supposed to eat dinner as a family).

If you’re a parent of a middle school student, you get the struggle. Before I get to the recipe for the perfect study-time snack, let me remind you about the Big Fat Notebooks >>

About the Books in the Big Fat Notebooks Series for #MiddleSchool Students

The Big Fat Notebook series is built on a unique concept – borrowing the class notes from the smartest kid in class. Inside each book, you’ll find key concepts from each of the main subjects middle school students study – Math, Science, American History, English Language Arts, and World History. These books are engaging to look through and are fun to read just for the heck of it. But they’re also full of helpful resources that middle school students can refer back to again and again throughout the year.

Everything You Need to Ace Math . . . covers everything to get you over any math hump: fractions, decimals, and how to multiply and divide them; ratios, proportions, and percentages; geometry; statistics and probability; expressions and equations; and the coordinate plane and functions.

Everything You Need to Ace Science . . . takes readers from scientific investigation and the engineering design process to the Periodic Table; forces and motion; forms of energy; outer space and the solar system; to earth sciences, biology, body systems, ecology, and more.

Everything You Need to Ace American History . . . covers Native Americans to the war in Iraq. There are units on Colonial America; the Revolutionary War and the founding of a new nation; Jefferson and the expansion west; the Civil War and Reconstruction; and all of the notable events of the 20th century—World Wars, the Depression, the Civil Rights movement, and much more.

Everything You Need to Ace World History . . . kicks off with the Paleolithic Era and transports the reader to ancient civilizations—in Egypt, Greece, India, China, Africa, Rome; the middle ages across the world; the Renaissance; the age of exploration and colonialization, revolution and imperialism, and the modern world and the wars and movements that shaped it.

Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts . . . covers everything to get you your best marks: grammar, including parts of speech, active and passive verbs, Greek and Latin roots and affixes; nuances in word meanings; textual analysis, authorship, structure, and other skills for reading fiction and nonfiction; and writing arguments, informative texts, and narratives.

Banana Bran Muffins

I got this simple recipe for banana bran muffins from my sister, and I modified the process to make them the easiest, quickest from-scratch muffins you’ll ever make. Just throw everything in the blender, blend it all up, and pour into muffin cups! They are the perfect after-school snack (or grab-and-go breakfast, for that matter!) and they are always a hit.

Yum

Banana Bran Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup All-Bran cereal
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium bananas
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Divide batter equally between 12 muffin cups.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Cool and enjoy!
These muffins freeze well.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

https://foodfunfamily.com/banana-bran-muffins/

BONUS: Free Helpful Printables

Enjoy these totally free printables that go along with the Big Fat Notebook series. Click an image to see the full sized image. Enjoy!

Ancient Egypt Timeline

Thinking Like a Scientist

How to Take Great Notes

Displaying Data

FOLLOW @WORKMANPUB & Big Fat Notebooks

5 Smart Snacking Tips for Moms #FindYourHealthy

Lolli — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 17:30:19 +0000

Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS Pharmacy on this post for the CVS healthy foods line. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.

The kids are approaching their one-month mark since the new school year started. It’s hard to believe that the time has passed so quickly. I still feel like we’re adjusting to the new school year, but I suppose that the fact that I was traveling out of state for 2 full weeks out of the last month has made it even harder for me to get used to the new schedule.

There are a few things that have hit me even harder the last few weeks. Whether I’m on the road or sitting behind my desk all day, finding (and then choosing!) good-for-me snacks is a constant struggle. When I’m at home by myself OR on a plane with hundreds of fellow travelers, I will inevitably get hungry – or just get the munchies, which is often even worse! I realized that I need to prepare myself ahead of time so that I’m equipped to make the best decisions and stay within my healthy-eating goals.

5 Easy Smart Snacking Tips for Moms

Here are a few tips that have helped me snack smart, whether I’m at home or on the go:

Remember: it’s ok to eat snacks between meals. In fact, it can be a good thing! Snacking on the “right” foods in between meals can help curb hunger so that you don’t over-eat at meal time. Just remember not to over-do it or eat empty calories that lead to eating too much. Check labels and go for more snacks that are low on sugar and high in protein for snacks that will stick with you longer.

Drink water. I have a tumbler full of water next to my desk at all times. And if I’m on the road, then I carry a water bottle. When I fill up on water (which has a ton of additional benefits, of course!) then I am less likely to want to snack all day.

Plan ahead. This tip applies both for snacking at home and when you’re away. Stock up on healthy snacks that will give you an energy boost (ie, fresh fruits and veggies, a handful of nuts, a Larabar, or a Greek yogurt). You can only eat what you have on hand. Keep plenty of guilt-free snacks ready so that when hunger strikes, you’ve got good options. I love that CVS has a ton of healthier options at check out so that I can grab a KIND bar instead of a candy bar when I’m shopping.

Eat mindfully. Rather than keeping a bag of chips next to my desk while I work (which I know will disappear without me even realizing I’ve eaten the whole thing!) it helps me to dish out reasonable serving sizes when I want a snack. It’s so easy to mindlessly pop a candy or a chip or nut in my mouth as I work, but eating that way can get out of control really quickly. I’m all about proportions and planning and knowing what and when I’m going to eat.

Find better-for-you snacks that satisfy your sweet tooth. I’ve got a pretty strong sweet tooth, so if I don’t watch myself carefully, I could graze on candies and sweet stuff all day long. I’ve discovered that a small handful of roasted cashews satisfies my cravings for candy, but since they are salty they also satisfy my cravings for salty foods. Another favorite is frozen grapes, which taste as good and as sweet as candy!

Here are just a few ways that CVS is helping me meet my healthier snacking goals:

Adding more healthy foods: You can find more than 250 refrigerated and non-perishable healthy foods and beverages at CVS Pharmacy stores from brands including: Amy’s Kitchen, Annie’s Homegrown, Chobani, Vita CoCo, Bai, Krave Jerky, Rhythm Superfoods, That’s it bars as well as new products from the CVS Pharmacy exclusive line, Gold Emblem abound which is free from artificial preservatives, flavors and colors.
Moving healthy foods forward: Not only are CVS stores stocking a wide assortment of healthy foods (with more coming all the time), displays of healthy foods and grab-and-go snacks are being displayed more prominently, making it even more convenient to find healthy options. That includes roughly 25% of the front check out space being dedicated to better-for-you snacks like KIND bars, Larabars and Vega One bars.
Healthy eating trend zones: It will be easy to spot foods that meet your dietary preferences including paleo, raw and vegan as more and more diet-friendly products are added and displayed clearly in the store.
Fit Choices tagging program: CVS’s Fit Choices shelf tagging program makes finding healthier items in store so much easier by clearly identifying foods that fit nutritional and dietary preferences including: Good Source of Protein, Heart Healthy, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. It’s so helpful to scan products for my personal preferences.

Be sure to check out your local CVS Pharmacy to see the healthy snack options that are available, or visit CVS.com for ideas that will make snacking more healthy and more delicious all year long. Follow hashtags #CVS and #FindYourHealthy and @CVS_Extra (Twitter) and @CVSPharmacy (Instagram) for even more healthy eating ideas!

And don’t forget to check out my post last month about packing a healthier school lunch!

Healthy Back-to-School Lunch Tips

Lolli — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:00:29 +0000

As much as we *may* have complained a time or two during the last few months about the hectic schedule (or non-schedule) of summer break, the fact that we are transitioning to back-to-school next week is still shocking. Alarm clocks and backpacks. Homework and after-school practices. Picking out clothes and packing school lunches….every single morning.

Back-to-school season can be tough, especially with kids in multiple schools with different start times and sports, clubs, and music classes that cover nearly every night of the week. It’s a lot to get used to.

We embrace back-to-school time, despite the fact that managing the family’s schedule is a lot for a busy working mom like me to handle. Luckily, my kids are old enough to take care of certain tasks on their own – or at least help out. One of the areas that I’ve delegated to the kids for the last few years is preparing their daily school lunches.

One thing I realized when we started having the kids get their own lunches ready was that I needed to have a good assortment of healthy food options for them to take or they would end up filling their lunch bag with crackers and cookies and a package of fruit snacks and call it good. Although lunch-prep at our house is far from “picture-perfect,” we’ve made a lot of progress and I think we’re doing a pretty good job at packing healthy school lunches.

CVS surprised us with a box full of healthy snacks for the new school year. The kids couldn’t wait to dig in!

Here are a few of our tips for packing a healthy school lunch:

Make snack stations

We’ve got 2 “snack stations” in the kitchen: one in the pantry for dry foods and one in the refrigerator for fresh foods. I fill those stations with “grab-and-go” type foods that the kids can put in their lunches. Things like fruit, cheese sticks, yogurt cups, carrots and hummus, cut celery, etc are in the fridge and placed in small baggies, if necessary, so that the kids can grab a serving in a pinch without having to worry about getting out the knife and cutting board. The pantry has a basket or two of things like pre-made muffins, granola bars, nuts, dried fruits, crackers, beef jerky, etc. Again, we leave individual portions in ziploc bags so they’re easy to grab on the run.

Variety rocks!

We’ve stressed the importance of adding a variety of foods to their lunch box so that they don’t end up with too much “fluff” and not enough of the good stuff that will sustain them through the school day. Not all of my kids like sandwiches, so we’ve given them some options for sandwich “substitutes.” If they love crackers, then we have them add sliced cheese and deli meats to make homemade Lunchables. High-protein snacks like nuts mixes, cheeses, beef jerky, and yogurt are also encouraged as main lunch courses, as long as they have a variety of other foods, too, like a piece of fruit.

Pack the night before

Although packing lunch the night before will not make the contents any better for the kids, it sure does make the morning routine go a lot more smooth. Plus preparing ahead of time, without the time crunch, eliminates the rushed “throw-anything-in-the-lunch-bag” problem…or worse yet, the “oops!-I-forgot-to-pack-a-lunch” dilemma as they’re trying to get out the door. Any lunch is better than no lunch!

Stock the kitchen with things they love

We have found success with buying a variety of foods for the kids to try before “committing.” The foods that pass the test are added to our regular rotation. There’s no use in stocking the shelves with foods that the kids will never touch (or worse yet, bring to school and throw away, uneaten!).

Since I’m typically busy working every minute that the kids are at school and then busy driving them from home to practices and back again, making dinner, or helping with homework when they’re not in school, I don’t have a lot of extra time to run around town to shop. Luckily, CVS is always on the way to wherever we’re going, so it’s convenient to stop at CVS to grab snacks for the kids’ school lunches.

This is just a small sampling of the delicious, good-for-you food that you can get at CVS for school lunches!

Here are just a few ways that CVS is helping my family meet our healthier school lunch goals:

Adding more healthy foods: You can find more than 250 refrigerated and non-perishable healthy foods and beverages at CVS Pharmacy stores from brands including: Amy’s Kitchen, Annie’s Homegrown, Chobani, Vita CoCo, Bai, Krave Jerky, Rhythm Superfoods, That’s it bars as well as new products from the CVS Pharmacy exclusive line, Gold Emblem abound which is free from artificial preservatives, flavors and colors.
Moving healthy foods forward: Not only are CVS stores stocking a wide assortment of healthy foods (with more coming all the time), displays of healthy foods and grab-and-go snacks are being displayed more prominently, making it even more convenient to find healthy options. That includes roughly 25% of the front check out space being dedicated to better-for-you snacks like KIND bars, Larabars and Vega One bars.
Healthy eating trend zones: It will be easy to spot foods that meet your dietary preferences including paleo, raw and vegan as more and more diet-friendly products are added and displayed clearly in the store.
Fit Choices tagging program: CVS’s Fit Choices shelf tagging program makes finding healthier items in store so much easier by clearly identifying foods that fit nutritional and dietary preferences including: Good Source of Protein, Heart Healthy, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. It’s so helpful to scan products for my personal preferences.

Be sure to check out your local CVS Pharmacy to see the healthy options that are available, or visit CVS.com for ideas that will make lunch prep easier and more delicious this school year.

Sea Salt Caramel Cashew Granola

Lolli — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 18:46:17 +0000

Sea salt and caramel were made to go together, don’t you think? They certainly play nicely in this sea salt caramel cashew granola!

Ever since I made my first batch of pumpkin seed granola back in October, I’ve been obsessed with trying new varieties of homemade granola to make at home. It’s seriously SO easy, and it couldn’t be more delicious!

I eat my homemade granola as a crunchy snack throughout the day, but it is also delicious on top of a cup of yogurt or sprinkled on top of a smoothie.

How do you like to eat your granola?

Homemade Sea Salt Caramel Cashew Granola

Note: Amazon affiliate links are used to help you find ingredients and supplies that you might not have on your pantry shelves already.

Sea Salt Caramel Cashew Granola

Author: Lolli

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup cashews, chopped
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 heaping tablespoons flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus a little extra
⅓ cup honey
3 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ cup caramel sauce (I use a thick caramel ice cream sauce)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.
Mix oats, chopped cashews, pumpkin seeds, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine.
In a small microwaveable bowl, heat honey and coconut oil on medium heat for 40-60 seconds. Stir in caramel sauce vanilla extract.
Pour the hot honey/caramel mixture over the oat and nuts mixture, and stir so that the dry ingredients are evenly coated with the wet ingredients.
Spread the granola mixture evenly onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Sprinkle with some additional coarse sea salt.
Bake the oats at 350° for about 5 minutes; stir. Bake for another 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. After granola has cooled, break it into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Seriously, guys. This sea salt caramel cashew granola is amazing. And it’s a pretty filling snack that is SO much better for you than picking up a pack of fruit snacks or a store-bought sugar-filled granola bar (not that I would EVER do that…).

Be sure to check out my other granola recipes! Click on the images below to see the recipes:

Homemade Dark Chocolate Granola with Cranberries

Pumpkin Seed Granola with Pumpkin Pie Spice

Magnus Chase’s Favorite Falafel Recipe

Lolli — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 21:17:09 +0000

This recipe for Magnus Chase’s favorite falafel is brought to you as part of my Percy Pack Ambassadorship (which sadly, is coming to an end). Promotional products have been received in exchange for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Note: affiliate codes used within post.

I recently finished reading Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer – the latest book from Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series and more). I am dying to read the next installment about Magnus Chase, but the next book, The Hammer of Thor, doesn’t come out until next October. Sob! While I was reading The Sword of Summer, I developed quite the craving for falafel, since falafel is Magnus Chase’s favorite food to eat. After making this recipe, I can see why. I could not stop eating it!

ABOUT MAGNUS CHASE AND THE GODS OF ASGARD: THE SWORD OF SUMMER

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he’s tracked down by an uncle he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants, and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarök, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

While Magnus is living on the streets, he develops a taste for falafel (maybe because there’s a kind street vendor willing to feed him falafel). Falafel may seem like a strange dish for the son of a Norse god to take a liking to…but after you try this recipe, there will be no question in your mind.

It’s that good!

Magnus Chase’s Favorite Falafel Recipe

Yum

Magnus Chase's Favorite Falafel Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas (or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry)
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 to 2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Soak dry chickepeas overnight (8-12 hours) in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover them by about 2 inches. I added salt to the water.
Drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas, diced onion, and spices in a blender or food processor (I use my Ninja blender) and pulse until blended (it's ok for the mixture to be a little chunky and not finely pureed).
Mix in baking powder, flour, and panko until you can form the mixture into balls. You can add a little bit of additional flour if needed.
Heat oil (enough to cover your falafel balls) in a medium pot. Form mixture into balls using a cookie scoop and press with your hands til the balls are packed well. Drop balls into hot oil. I recommend dropping one test falafel ball into the oil until you've got the right temperature.
Cook falafel balls in oil, flipping once, for about 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
Serve with dill yogurt sauce.

Notes

To make a simple dill yogurt dipping sauce, combine one 5.3 ounce carton of plain Greek yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir and serve with falafel.

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And now for some process pictures. I don’t fry foods very often, but these were totally worth it! I may or may not have justified frying because the ingredients were so healthy…and vegetarian! Ha!

Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars

Lolli — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 05:00:56 +0000

Now that my kids are back to school, I’ve been thinking a lot about school lunches for them and day-time snacks for me. In both cases, I desperately want to find better-for-us snacks. The trick is, those better-for-us snacks need to taste good. Frankly, they need to taste better or I probably won’t go through the effort of making everything by hand.

Convenience foods are….well…convenient, after all.

A certain yummy-looking better-for-you granola bar recipe caught my eye the other day on Pinterest, and I decided that it was exactly what I needed for my September Pinterest Remake. I don’t eat many granola bars any more, but I’ve always been a fan. And I’ve never tried making them myself. Now…I’m not sure why I never did it. They were so easy to make, they were full of whole, real ingredients, and – best of all – they tasted better than any other granola bar I’ve ever eaten.

Ever.

I’m not joking.

Ready?

Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars

Hold on tight. These better-for-you granola bars taste way better than the bad-for-you alternatives! I changed them up quite a bit from the original posting. I think I might try the apple alternative to see how it is different from the raisin variety.

Yum

Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars

Prep Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 18 bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
1/3 cup flax seeds
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, and spread oats, nuts, and flax seeds out in an even layer (they can be mixed). Bake for 5-6 minutes, tossing/stirring twice, until the oats to just start to brown.
In a small sauce pan, heat honey, coconut oil, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir for 3-4 minutes, or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove pan from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, gently stir together crispy rice cereal, raisins, cinnamon, salt and toasted oat mixture. Pour in the honey mixture and stir until everything is well coated.
Press everything into prepared 9x9 inch baking dish. Use a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper to press down on granola to pack it down evenly into baking dish.
Place baking dish in refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before removing to cut into bars. To cut into bars, cut 9x9 square in half down the middle, and then cut nine 1-inch bars on each side.
Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap or store in snack baggies to eat on the go.

Notes

You can substitute any of the dry ingredients (ie, oats, nuts, flax seeds, etc) for other similar ingredients as long as you keep the proportion similar (for instance, if you leave out the nuts, then add more oats or cereal, etc).

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My husband was hooked just like I was…but my 14-year-old son had some criticisms. I’m keeping it real and letting you know what he said. Personally, I think he’s being a little too picky.

First, he complained that the granola bars broke apart too easily. I’d have to agree. I don’t know if I just needed to press them down more firmly in the baking dish or if it was simply a result of using coconut oil instead of butter. Either way, these granola bars might end up more like regular granola (which would still taste amazing). He also thought that the golden raisins were not the right fit for this granola bar, and that regular raisins would have been better. He also would have left out the butterscotch chips because he isn’t a fan of them. Those are certainly optional.

For more fun Pinterest Remakes, here are a few of my favorite bloggers:

Halloween Bloody Eyeballs by Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Halloween Hand Soap by Homemaking Hacks
Sausage, Potatoes & Eggs Breakfast Skillet Recipe by A Mom”s Take
Pepperoni Pizza Puffs by Jennifer Sikora
High Fiber Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites Recipe by Sweep Tight
DIY Wooden Pumpkins by Mom Does it All
Chocolate Toffee Macaroons by How Was Your Day?
Browned Butter Sugar Cookies by Upstate Ramblings
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Applesauce Recipe by Mom Always Finds Out
Repurpose Project: Men’s Sweater into a Boy’s Sweater by Our Homemade Life
Cookie Hacks by The Guavalicious Life