Week 4: Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

This week I wanted to try something that would count as a snack, but also serve another purpose of a treat for when I have company. I'm always looking for new morning treat ideas to serve for Monday's discipleship group (discipleship: women getting together to encourage one another to live lives that bring God glory)---treats that have at least a smidgen of healthy qualities. 

This is a keeper. 

From this.....

.....to this....

....to THIS!

The Good: No flour or oil! High Fiber! A Grab 'n Go breakfast! Bria-Approved!

The Bad: "The food processor is a beast to clean," -My OCD Side.

The Ugly: Um....they're messy because they're crumbly [in such a heavenly way!]. (I'm really reaching for an "ugly" here)

Recipe found here: Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

Week 3: Yogurt-Covered Berries

Yuck.

You win some, you lose some.
This was definitely a "lose."

I found the recipe for these deceivingly-yummy-looking Yogurt Blueberries on Pinterest, which we all know is RARELY misleading (riiiiight.....).  I was shocked at how nasty they were.











The Good: I didn't waste much money...(yes, I'm really grasping for a "good" here...)
The Bad: They were way too tart!
The Ugly: They were impossible to bite, because they were frozen. And thawing for even a minute made them a sloppy mess.

Have you tried these, and liked them? Surely I did something wrong....

week 2: Kettle Corn

Man, did it feel good to snack on healthy food, this week.  Not only because of the obvious...but more importantly because Bria and I snacked healthily TOGETHER--I was a good example...whoop! whoop! <pats self on back>...J/K....no, but really....  

Usually, around 3pm, Bria and I have a snack, and it was awesome that this week, it was healthy each day---oranges, apple and almond butter, raisins, string cheese, peppers, etc. 

Then, the weekend came...I got the MUN-CHEEEEEESE.  So, I turned to a friend's recipe for kettle corn on the stove top (using my most favorite kitchen appliance ever... my Whirley Pop):

Throw this all in at the same time, and stir....

1/3 Cup Oil 

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Popcorn Kernels 

Sprinkle with salt, and viola!  Yummy, sticky, crunchy goodness!!!

It definitely did the trick....and had whole grains!  (Just ignore the massive amount of sugar, please)

Tawny is my fellow Kettle Corn Fanatic

The Good: Yum. Delicious. Bon Appetit!

The Bad: Loads of sugar

The Ugly: The oil randomly splattered and burnt my arm :(

week 1: Apple Chips

I love the feeling of a fresh start that comes with a New Year....I wanted to do something extreme, so I thought, "Ok, no snacks for a year." I quickly realized how ridiculous that was. But the endeavor to not purchase any snacks for our family seemed much more manageable. 

 (read about that decision here http://chelseyharlan.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html)

Here's week 1...Apple Chips! 

Boiling the apples smelled divine....I referred to it as an edible potpourri :)

After the apples dried out in the oven, they shriveled right up!

The finished product.

The Good: They are perfectly sweet....naturally! Perfect to reach for, when I get the afternoon sweet tooth!

The Bad: It was tricky to get them thin enough....I need to go even thinner. Time to whip out the mandolin!

The Ugly: The skin made Bria gag (Me, too, but I fought the urge to squish it out of my mouth through my lips, like Bria did....)

The VERY SIMPLE recipe came from here: 

http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-03/better-than-store-bought-apple-chips/. 

1. Boil apples in unsweetened apple juice and a cinnamon stick. Pat dry.

2. Cook in oven (at 250° F) on a wire cooling rack, until dry (30-40 min)