Fun Food Friday - Sweet & Salty Snack Mixes

This is one of those recipes gone awry, but it still turned out pretty tasty! I'm always looking for ways to get more nuts and seeds into the Sprouts' diets, so last week, I roasted some seeds and slivered almonds with a little agave and sea salt. But instead of having a trail mix or granola type texture, it hardened together and I had to break it up into little chunks (still yummy!)

This week, I decided to go with the stickiness and try to make granola bars out of it. Well, wouldn't you know that I couldn't get it to stick together and it ended up with the trail mix/granola consistency I'd originally been aiming for? The Sprouts were a little bummed since I've been talking about making granola bars all week, but they absolutely loved the snack anyway.

Here are the recipes for both variations we tried.

Oatmeal Raisin Snack Mix

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw slivered almonds
1 cup quick oats
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)
1/4 cup agave nectar

Preparation:
Combine all dry ingredients (through salt) and stir until well combined. Add agave, then stir again. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until almonds begin to brown. Sprinkle with a little extra salt (to taste), stir well and cool in pans or on wax paper.


Cacao-Coconut Snack Mix 

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw slivered almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raw cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)1/4 cup agave nectar

Preparation:
Combine all dry ingredients (through salt) and stir until well combined. Add agave, then stir again. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until almonds begin to brown. Let cool slightly, then sprinkle with a little extra salt (to taste). Add cacao nibs, and stir well. Cool in pans or on wax paper.

Fun Food Friday - Eye Candy

Let's face it . . . healthy snacks are always more appealing when they look cute. But who has the time to make adorable fruit and veggie creations every day? Our veggie tray is our "go to" for snacking, but I also love the idea of individual nibble trays.

I've used this concept off and on throughout the years after first reading about it in the Dr. Sears nutrition book. We've used muffin tins and ice cube trays, and the kids just love the idea of eating out of the tiny compartments. Dr. Sears is now selling this adorable pineapple-shaped nibble tray, a BPA-free lidded container.

Interested in more ideas for presenting healthy foods in a creative way? Check out these recent posts at What a Healthy Family Eats and Vegan in the Kitchen for inspiration.

Fun Food Friday - Make Your Own Lara Bars

We're a big fan of Lara Bars around here, so when I came across a recipe for a raw, vegan lemon bar a while back, I couldn't wait to try it. They were such a hit I came up with a chocolate variation as well, and both have been a staple in our house ever since.

As you can see if the photo, I rolled them into bite-sized balls instead of bars and covered them in coconut. I'm always looking for ways to get the kids to eat more nuts, and these tasty treats are definitely a winner! They're great as desserts or even for snacks on the go and while traveling.

The lemon recipe is in the link, but I'll post the chocolate one here.

Raw Chocolate Bites 

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup shredded dried coconut, unsweetened (plus extra for rolling)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup dates (8-12 soft medjool)
2-3 tablespoons of agave nectar

Preparation

In a food processor, combine almonds, cashews, coconut and cocoa powder until crushed into medium crumbs. Add dates, and process again. Add agave nectar until the mixture comes together and begins to make a ball against the sides. Roll into walnut-sized balls, and roll in coconut to coat. Enjoy!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4.5 sprouts

Fun Food Friday - Cashew Cheese Log

When people hear that we eat a plant-based diet, I almost always hear the same thing . . . "Wow, I could never give up cheese." Very few people talk about how they'd miss meat, milk or eggs. It's always the cheese. Or maybe it just seems that way because that's what I said for so long.

In fact, cheese was the last animal food we completely eliminated from our diet. Up until last year, we were completely vegan at home but would still have a little cheese from time to time if we were eating out. But now that we're completely cheese-free, I can honestly say that I don't miss it at all. Having it sporadically over the past few years, I got to see the affect it had on my body that I never noticed when I ate it all the time. And trust me, I don't miss the gastrointestinal distress one bit!

That said, the Sprouts do get super excited about vegan cheese or anything that remotely resembled cheese. And we all get super excited whenever I make the Pepper-Crusted Cashew Cheese recipe I discovered a few years ago in Vegetarian Times . . . which isn't often because I can't get past the guilt of making a recipe that consists almost solely of nuts and oil.

So recently, I decided to see if I could take a little of the guilt out of this favorite treat and still make it worth eating. I swapped the oil and water quantities so that it had 6 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of oil (rather than the opposite) and I left out the tahini, mostly because I didn't have any. I also shortened the prep time by quickly simmering the cashews rather than soaking them overnight.

The result, if I do say so myself, was phenomenal. Because the mixture was a little thinner to start, it blended more easily and ended up even creamier. Definitely a big hit with Sprouts of all sizes!!! Oh, and I had to use the original Vegetarian Times photo because I didn't get to photograph ours before the Sprouts dug into it.

Cashew Cheese Log

Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 tablespoons water

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation
 

1. Place cashews in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.
 

2. Drain the cashews, then put them in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

3. Spread mixture into a piece of cheesecloth, and shape into a 6" log. Wrap the cheesecloth around the log, then twist and tuck under the ends to secure. Place the wrapped log in a strainer and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 35 minutes. Chill, unwrap, serve and enjoy!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Tips & Tricks - Timing Healthy Snacks

So this is something I've known for a while yet am not quite organized to pull off on a regular basis - until now. Twice this week, we were out at homeschool events all morning and I packed a snack of raw veggies, nuts and fruit. Wednesday, we ate it in the car on the way home from Lego League, and it worked out great for several reasons.

First, had we not snacked, we would have been really hungry by the time we got home (after 1PM), and I would have eaten (and fed them) the first thing I grabbed out of the fridge. Also, even though my kids will snack on veggies and nuts with minimal grumbling, they'll always ask for something else if it's available. In this case, they couldn't ask for anything else; they polished off every last bit and I didn't have to hear any whining about how they'd really like an English muffin.


















Best of all, with my veggie tray made, I can throw this together in a minute or two, pack it into our Tiffin carrier and be on time for wherever we're going. Okay, so that last part is probably not true, but it really is the easiest snack ever!

Fun Food Friday - Vegan Soft Pretzels from Vegan in the Kitchen

Kid-friendly food and Sprout favorites are on the menu for Fridays - sometimes prepared by the Sprouts themselves! We'll share recipes and pictures for healthy food your kids will love.

My friend Jill at Vegan in the Kitchen blogged about her Vegan Soft Pretzels last week, and I've been thinking about them ever since.

I haven't gotten to try making them yet, but they look amazing! In fact, I'm hiding the photo from the Sprouts, or else they'll demand that I make them immediately.

If you're looking for a fun treat this weekend, stop by and check out her recipe!

Fun Food Friday - The Avocado Bug

Kid-friendly food and Sprout favorites are on the menu for Fridays - sometimes prepared by the Sprouts themselves! We'll share recipes and pictures for healthy food your kids will love.

Big Sprout actually chose Lentil Loaf, a meatloaf-style meal made with lentils instead, for our first Fun Food Friday since it's one of his favorite dinners. But since I just pushed this meal back until Sunday, it will have to wait for next week. Instead, I let Little Sprout pick one of her favorites, and fortunately for me, she picked one I'd already blogged about on my homeschooling blog.

To give you a little background, this idea came from my friend Gretchen at What a Healthy Family Eats during a co-op she taught to our homeschool group about nutrition. The topic was Healthy Fats, and the kids learned about Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9 and Trans Fats, including what foods contain each type. After learning how fat affects the body, they dipped their fingers in skim, 1%, whole milk and heavy cream to feel the difference in the unhealthy fat content of each. Then, they sampled some healthy fats in the form of an "avocado bug" with sliced avocado for a body and walnuts for legs.

The picture at top is one we recreated at home with the addition of almond eyes and sesame seed spots. We have varying views on avocado in our house. Little Sprout is a raving fan; she could barely stand for me to photograph the bug because she wanted to eat it so badly. I actually had to take a break from writing my initial post to make her a second bug! Big Sprout eats them because he knows they're good for him, but he's not particularly crazy about them. But, like most healthy eating habits, the results lie partially in the presentation and partially in the setup. His avocado is sure to be eaten when it's dressed as a funny bug (and when I'm holding a more favored food - in this case, applesauce - hostage!)