Category: Snack

Pear Jam

On By sarafillmerIn Breakfast, Side Item, SnackLeave a comment

Last summer, when we ordered peaches for my son’s football fundraiser, the farm also offered pears. When I purchased them, I didn’t realize exactly how many I had ordered and needed a way to use up a bunch of pears quickly. This pear jam was the result and having made it again this year, it has definitely earned a spot on the website.

  • 6-8 medium pears, ripened, peeled, diced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Put all your ingredients in a stock pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. At about 20 minutes, use a potato masher or fork to break up the chunks of pear to your desired consistency. If you want a completely smooth jam, use an immersion blender to blend smooth.

After 30 minutes, transfer the hot jam to your canning jars and can according to your altitude. I live outside Denver, so in my steam canner it takes 20 minutes after reaching the appropriate temperature. Let cool completely and store. If you don’t want to can it, the jam will keep for about 3 weeks in the fridge, but mine never lasts that long.

Peach Salsa

On By sarafillmerIn Side Item, SnackLeave a comment

My son’s football team had a peach fundraiser this past summer and as a result we ended up with over 30 pounds of peaches to be processed. While some turned into canned peaches and peach pie, my husband found this peach salsa recipe and it was seriously good. I’ve continued buying peaches while they are still in season so we can enjoy it until the very last minute. My family doesn’t like spicy things so this salsa is mild, but you can easily make it spicier by incorporating different peppers or including the seeds.

  • 3 ripe, peeled peaches, about 2 cups
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 jalepeno, seeded and minced (leave the seeds if you want more heat)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped peppers (we have used Anaheim or shishito)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbs agave or honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the peaches, red onion and peppers in a medium bowl. Whisk together the lime juice and honey/agave. (I like to heat up this mixture to loosen the honey so it incorporates better.) Gently stir in the lime juice mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Let it it sit for 5-10 minutes to marinate the flavors and enjoy! This salsa is perfect for chicken or fish, but we enjoy it best with tortilla chips. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

How To: Homemade Fruit Leather

On By sarafillmerIn How To, SnackLeave a comment

Summer is here and my strawberry bed is full of delicious fruit. One of my most favorite ways to use them up is with this fruit leather recipe. It is so simple and delicious that you won’t mind skipping the store bought stuff! While the recipe is simplicity itself, I will include a couple of things I’ve learned along the way to make storing it a breeze.

  • 3 cups strawberries*
  • 3 tablespoons sweetener of your choice (I usually use sugar, but it works equally well with honey or maple syrup)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat your oven to the lowest possible setting, in my case that is 170 degrees**. In a blender, puree the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice until completely combined. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and pour your mixture on in a thin layer; I use an offset spatula to get an even layer. You will probably need two or three baking sheets depending on their size. Place in the oven and bake for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours depending on how thick a layer you are dehydrating. You will know the leather is dry when it is no longer sticky to the touch. When you take it out of the oven, roll the parchment paper long ways so you can cut servings straight from the roll. This will give you parchment paper-lined strips that unroll just like the store bought ones. If you don’t want to store them rolled you can cut strips on a cutting board and store in an airtight container. I like to store mine in the fridge, but you don’t have to.

*If you have other fruit languishing in your fridge you can absolutely mix and match for different flavor combinations.

**I have also used my dehydrator to make these, if that is a option for you cook at 140 for about 5-6 hours, making sure to line your trays with parchment.

Acai Granola Bowls

On By sarafillmerIn Breakfast, SnackLeave a comment

Sometimes after the gym my husband and I treat ourselves to a smoothie from our local smoothie shop. While I always get the same thing, my husband doesn’t have a favorite and so he experiments with new flavors. This last time he opted for an acai bowl instead of a smoothie and my goodness was it good. I realized that all I was lacking at home for ingredients was the acai, so the next day I went to the store, bought acai pouches and an hour later I had my own delicious granola bowl. This recipe makes 3-4 servings (depending on full you fill your bowl) and I just freeze the extra servings in a mason jar til I’m ready to eat it. Recipe and photo courtesy of theforkedspoon.com.

  • 1 banana, sliced and frozen*
  • 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen*
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, frozen*
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (can use any milk variety or apple juice)
  • 2 acai frozen pouches, slightly thawed so it is in big chunks
  • 1 scoop unflavored protein powder
  • Granola
  • Fresh banana, sliced
  • Honey

In a blender, combine all ingredients except the granola and fresh banana. Start pulsing, using a spatula to stir the mixture every once in a while to help circulate the ingredients. Because this mixture is very dense I have to stir pretty frequently. You want the mixture to be thick, but if your blender is having a hard time pureeing the ingredients, add a little more liquid. Serve immediately with granola, bananas and just the smallest drizzle of honey.

*You can really use any variety of frozen fruit in this bowl, just know you might have to adjust the sweetness level depending on what fruit you choose.

Homemade Granola

On By sarafillmerIn Breakfast, SnackLeave a comment

One of my husband’s favorite snacks is Greek yogurt with granola and blueberries. While we have tried many commercial mixes, including a really yummy one from a nice lady in Arizona, it was cost prohibitive to buy in the bulk we needed. Enter, The Pioneer Woman’s homemade granola recipe! I have been making Ree’s recipes for over 10 years now and they have not steered me wrong. This one is no exception. One of the things I like about it is it’s versatility; you can add/remove and tweak the recipe to make it your own.

  • 6 cups old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
  • 1/4 cup light oil (not olive)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup Rice Krispies
  • 1 cup wheat germ
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup almonds, slivered
  • 1 cup dried fruit of choice, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, toss the oats with the oil, melted butter and salt. Spread the mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice and making sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, apple juice and molasses. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring until all combined. Stir in the vanilla. Toss together the toasted oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, pecans, almonds and fruit if using. Pour in the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss to combine; it will be sticky. Press into 1 baking sheet (thoroughly greased with butter, or line pan with foil and grease foil) and bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. As it is cooling I like to start breaking it up into small pieces as my husband doesn’t like big chunks of granola. The longer you let it sit as it cools the crunchier it will get and be harder to break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Hot Buttered Churro Cheerios

On By sarafillmerIn Appetizer, Dessert, SnackLeave a comment

I am always on the lookout for new finger foods to make for my kids to snack on. I love to munch on plain Cheerios, but when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I made the first batch yesterday and it was gone in under an hour. My youngest made it into a cereal and my teenage son and his friend just ate it by the handful. It is also incredibly versatile. This recipe calls for cinnamon sugar, but you could easily make a savory version with a ranch packet, or a pumpkin pie version with pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon.

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups Cheerios
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add in the vanilla, then the Cheerios. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, or until the cereal is nicely toasted. Once toasted, pour the cereal into a large bowl and toss in the cinnamon sugar.

Fruit and Peanut Butter Protein Bars

On By sarafillmerIn SnackLeave a comment

pbproteinbars-2My husband’s preferred snack is a homemade protein bar, so I’m constantly on the lookout for a good one. I found this on Pinterest and it is so versatile. You can add any kind of dried fruit you want, even chocolate chips or nuts. The chocolate topping is totally optional, and my husband actually prefers it without.

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 honey
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cup vanilla protein powder
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/3 cup dried fruit of your choice
  • 1/3 cup dessicated or shredded coconut, optional
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon coconut oil, optional

In a sauce pan, combine the peanut butter, honey and coconut oil. Heat until thoroughly mixed and smooth, then remove from heat and add in the vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter mixture and the protein powder until smooth. Then add the oats, chia seeds, dried fruit and coconut if using. Once the mixture is fully combined, press into a lined 8×4 loaf pan and refrigerate for at least an hour. Cut into bars and store tightly sealed in the fridge.

Caramel Corn

On By sarafillmerIn SnackLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2020-05-15 at 8.12.09 AMThis recipe is another gem we found on the Centr app. The first time I read the ingredients I was very interested/perplexed to see how maple syrup, peanut butter and coconut milk would taste like caramel but it really does. This snack is incredibly addicting; I suggest making multiple batches at a time. (But make this exact recipe multiple times, for some reason when I’ve tried to double it it hasn’t turned out as well.)

  • 3 ounces (1/3 cup) popping corn
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk, canned

Preheat the oven to 250° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pop your corn kernels, either in a stock pot on the stove or in something like this super cool microwave container (I bought this after burning a couple of batches on the stove and it is so awesome). Put your popped corn in a large bowl and set aside. Heat peanut butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to boil. Stir through coconut milk and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until golden and thickened. Pour caramel over popcorn and toss well to coat. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing the batch to cook it evenly after 15 minutes. Serve once cooled.

This stuff does not last long in my house, maybe a couple of days so store in an airtight container.

Protein Balls

On By sarafillmerIn SnackLeave a comment

I saw this recipe of Trisha Yearwood’s show on Food Network.  They are great snack to grab before a workout, or for a breakfast on the go. I add chocolate protein powder to up the protein. Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network.

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 scoop protein powder
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons flax seed

In a food processor, pulse the oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips, cranberries, protein powder and flax seeds until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Form balls from the mixture (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each) and place them on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Homemade Cheese Crackers

On By sarafillmerIn SnackLeave a comment

This recipe came from the blog “in the kitchen with Kath”.These are a dead ringer for the red boxed cheese crackers. If you want them to be crunchier make them even thinner, otherwise they will be slightly puffier, but still really tasty.

  • 6 oz grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces 3⁄4 cup flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1⁄2  teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄2  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Put everything except the milk in a food processor. Pulse the processor, 5 seconds at a time, for about 5 or 6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs. Add the milk and process until the dough gathers into a ball. Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured until it is about 1⁄8” thick. Cut the dough into 1 inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking. Use the flat end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker. Place the crackers on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are starting to brown. Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cook completely. Store in an airtight container to eat within a day or two.