Tag: snacks (Page 5 of 5)

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Bites

March 31, 2016 / Jenny / 15 Comments

These little cookies hit the spot if you are looking for something sweet, yet full of protein and nutrition. Peanut butter and oats give the cookies lots of nutrients, taste, and texture, and they are easy to eat as a satisfying snack or dessert. These peanut butter-oatmeal bites are going so quickly around here, next time I make them I’m going to double the recipe!

With my kids’ spring sports schedules starting, I am once again looking for snacks that taste good, can be eaten quickly, and that also have nutrients to give my active kids good energy. I am very happy with this recipe, which I adapted from one in my Dr. Cookie Cookbook by Marvin Wayne and Stephen Yarnall. There’s just enough sweetness from the brown sugar to make the cookies taste like a treat, but enough substance to make them more than just sweet. If you are looking for an easy, protein-rich cookie, this is a great recipe to try.

It is the very last day of March today, and I must say I am really looking forward to April! Although it’s still chilly here, it’s such a great time to be outside, with the fresh wind, green grass, and trees and bushes budding. The spring peepers have been peeping really loudly at night, and I love to sleep with the window cracked open so I can listen to those frogs all night long. There is a feeling of new life and excitement in the air–I can sense it just from watching the birds in the sky.

Yesterday evening, I picked our first herb of the season–chives to chop and put on top of our macaroni and cheese. I had forgotten how convenient and fresh it is to walk outside and snip some herbs to add to our dinner. Soon there will be more and more things growing and blossoming, and more and more recipes to make! In the meantime, these little peanut butter-oatmeal bites are tiding me over very nicely.

I hope you all have a great weekend! I’m going to take a plate of these cookies over to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #113, co-hosted by two bloggers whose blogs I really admire: Sonal @ Simplyvegetarian777 and Laurie @ ten.times.tea.

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Bites

Servings: about 24 cookies, depending on size
Time: about 40 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 large egg
2/3 cup of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup of natural peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, vigorously stir the egg, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla until well combined. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to to wet ingredients, and stir until well combined.

Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet, about 12 cookies per baking sheet. Bake in your 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are golden. Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Repeat until all the cookies are baked. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from the Dr. Cookie Cookbook by Marvin A. Wayne and Stephen R. Yarnall.

Classic Blueberry Muffins

March 29, 2016 / Jenny / 4 Comments

With just a few basic ingredients, these blueberry muffins come together quickly and easily, offering that classic blueberry muffin taste that is so comforting and sweet, with a hint of zing from some lemon zest. This recipe works with fresh or frozen blueberries, so you can make these crowd-pleasing treats at any time of the year. Plus your kitchen will smell amazing as they are baking!

Last weekend, we had a cherished (and rare, these days) lazy Saturday morning, and I asked the kids if they wanted blueberry muffins for breakfast, since we had some blueberries in the freezer. Yes, they definitely wanted them. “But,” said my daughter, “can you not make them too healthy this time?” Oh…by healthy, I guess she was referring to the wholesome blueberry muffins I sometimes make, which are really tasty, but are more crunchy, (probably more nutrient-rich), and less like cake.

Well, it’s all about balance in life, so I indulged her and made these yummy, fluffy, and classically delicious blueberry muffins. And yet they are not really unhealthy, much healthier than some muffins, in that they are homemade, with high quality ingredients, including fruit, and no preservatives. And we enjoyed every last one of them! If you are looking for a basic, simple, reliable, and delicious recipe for blueberry muffins, this is a great one. Even better when you can enjoy them warm, right out of the oven, in a warm, cozy room or on a sunny porch.

The recipe I use for these muffins is based on one from my well-loved Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Tenth Edition, that I have had for many years. The only thing I change when I make these, is that I use melted butter instead of cooking oil, because I really like the flavor of butter from grass-fed cows. Frozen blueberries work great, when fresh ones aren’t available. And the lemon zest adds a great blast of flavor, which we really appreciate. If you don’t like lemon, you can certainly leave that part out.

We are getting closer and closer to feeling like spring here. The temperatures have been warm and cold, changing almost daily, but those warm days feel so good. And the colors outside are starting to brighten. The sunlight is more vivid, the grass is starting to turn a fresh, bright green, and the daffodils are starting to bloom. I hope you are all having a great week!

Classic Blueberry Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins
Time: about 15 minutes prep time, and about 20 minutes baking time
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Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon peel (lemon zest), optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a muffin tin, or line with paper baking cups.

Heat the butter in a small pan on the stove until just melted. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredient mixture all at once into the well in the center of the dry mixture bowl. Stir until all the ingredients are just combined. The batter will be a little lumpy. Fold in the blueberries and lemon zest, and stir gently until just combined. Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden. Remove the muffins from the tin to cool. Serve warm. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Tenth Edition.

Baked Parmesan Crisps with Chives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

January 23, 2015 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 33 Comments

We all need easy, quick, recipes we can turn to when time is tight, but we still want something fun and festive. For me, this Parmesan crisp recipe is one of those I look to when I need a quick, yet delicious appetizer or snack. These crisps are so easy to make, and they taste so good! The savory Parmesan cheese, the rich flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes, and the lively chives and black pepper all come together to form an appetizer bursting with flavor. And if you are staying away from carbohydrates or gluten, this is a snack you can munch on without worries. My daughter originally found the basic recipe for these crisps on the back of a Parmesan cheese package, and being major cheese-lovers, we tried it. We have since created our own variations, with the sun-dried tomatoes and chives version being my favorite. However, my son is not crazy about the sun-dried tomatoes or the chives, so I like to make a few of the crisps with just the Parmesan cheese and a hint of black pepper for those who prefer a more basic approach. I am taking this appetizer over to Angie’s blog The Novice Gardener, where there is a big celebration going on. Though I am relatively new to the Fiesta Friday link parties, she has been successfully coordinating these events for a full year. I have come across some wonderful food blogs, and have met really interesting and kind bloggers from all over this country and world through this process. The one-year celebration is graciously hosted by Hilda from Along the Grapevine and Julianna from Foodie on Board. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend filled with fresh air, good food and good company!

Baked Parmesan Crisps with Chives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Servings: 32 crisps
Time: about 20 minutes
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Ingredients:

2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
6 teaspoons of chives, finely chopped
4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash, pat dry, and finely chop the chives. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Shred the Parmesan cheese to make 2 cups, or if using pre-shredded cheese, measure 2 cups into a bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, spoon the Parmesan cheese onto the baking sheet a tablespoon at a time, creating about 8 mounds of Parmesan cheese per baking sheet (place the mounds evenly on the baking sheet, allowing the cheese room to spread as it bakes). Place small pieces of sun-dried tomatoes on each cheese mound, and then sprinkle with chives and a bit of black pepper. Bake in your preheated oven for 6 to eight minutes. Allow the crisps to cool for a couple of minutes, then gently move them to a serving plate. Continue until all the cheese is used. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!