Snack

SWEET VANILLA SNACK MIX

May 15, 2020 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

COVID quarantine has me craving all the snacks! I’m not the only one, right?! I’ve realized that when I’m working from my office, there are multiple factors that keep me from thinking about food all day. As an audiologist, I’m obviously not going to be snacking while seeing a patient. Can you imagine your doctor doing something like that? No way! The second biggest reason I don’t snack at work is that I simply don’t have access to snacks. We don’t even have a vending machine at our office, let alone a cafeteria. Sure, I could keep a box of snacks in the break room but if that doesn’t exist, I don’t even think twice. Working from home is strange in general but my biggest struggle has proven to be full kitchen access just 20′ from my desk.

I love snack mix! Yes, it satisfies my snacking urges but it is also so versatile! You can change up the flavor based on your cravings – sweet vs salty, etc. But you can also change it up based on what you already happen to have in your pantry. Currently, my daughter has been on a kick of mixing Cheerios and Crispix into one bowl for breakfast. Since that’s what we have on hand right now, both of those went into this new recipe. I happen to keep pecans on hand for baking so I tossed those in as well. You see what I’m getting at here? My general process for snack mix includes two cereal varieties, a cracker, some sort of nut and something salty. On occasion, I also add something sweet. To help get you inspired to create your own mix, I’ve created a list of possible ingredients for you.

Snack Mix Ingredient Ideas:

Rice, corn, wheat or oat based cereals that have a crunch
Peanuts, cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans
Sunflower seeds, pumpkins seeds
Pretzels, bagel chips, rye chips, oyster crackers, cheese based cracker such as cheez-its or goldfish
Candy coated chocolates such as m&m’s, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, banana chips, dried mango – note, these sweet ingredients are best added after the rest of the mix has baked and cooled completely.

SEET VANILLA SNACK MIX

Sarah Baade

This sweet vanilla snack mix has a crunch and light sweetness that will keep you coming back for more.

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Course Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

3 cups Crispix cereal
2 cups cheerios (plain)
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup oyster crackers
1 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup candy coated chocolates (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F.
In a large bowl, mix together Crispix, Cheerios, oyster crackers, pretzels and pecans.
In a medium, microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Then, with butter still hot, whisk in brown sugar, vanilla and salt.
Pour butter mixture over cereal mix and stir until cereal mix is evenly coated.
Transfer mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet and and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Let snack mix cool completely before stirring in candy coated chocolates.

Keyword Snack, Snack Mix, Sweet Snack, Sweet Vanilla Snack Mix, Vanilla

*If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like my Honey Sriracha Snack Mix.

HONEY SRIRACHA SNACK MIX

November 26, 2019 by Sarah Baade Leave a Comment

There are certain foods that we tend to eat only for special occasions. Holidays, birthdays, Super Bowl, etc. I love that it makes those dishes seem extra special. When you eat them, you instantly have memories of those special gatherings – the people you were with or the event you were celebrating. One of those dishes for me is homemade snack mix. Don’t get me wrong, store bought is great and I routinely buy it for road trips. But homemade snack mix? That’s extra special to me. I can recall the smell wafting through the house as it cooked in the oven. The wait for it to cool enough to eat was excruciating but so worth it.

One of the things I love about cooking and blogging is putting a twist on a classic dish. The flavor options are almost endless with something like snack mix. Salty, sweet, spicy… or a combination like I did for this version. The heat of the sriracha isn’t overwhelming. It’s that type of heat that adds flavor and the presence gradually increases as you eat more and more. Similarly, the honey doesn’t cause excessive sweetness; it adds a balance to the heat and the saltiness. The result? A snack you’ll struggle to put down. You might want to just double the batch so you’ll have enough for friends. 😉

Honey Sriracha Snack Mix

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Course Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sriracha sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Crispix cereal
3 cups wheat Chex cereal
2 cups mini twist pretzels
2 cups Cheez-It crackers
1 cup whole, raw cashews, unsalted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F.
In a large pot over low heat, stir together butter, sriracha, honey, garlic powder, onion powder and salt until butter is melted and all ingredients are incorporated.
Remove butter mixture from heat and stir in all remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Transfer mixture into a roasting pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Keyword Honey, Honey Sriracha Snack Mix, Snack, Snack Mix, Sriracha

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like Chili Lime Roasted Cashews.

LEMON HUMMUS with ROSEMARY PITA CHIPS

May 4, 2019 by Sarah Baade 3 Comments

I’m an introvert… most of the time. We all have our moments of being outgoing, right? I have no problem taking charge during appointments at work. I can lead a camp song like I was born to do it. Even public speaking doesn’t bother me much. Growing up though, I was a painfully shy child. I can remember hiding behind my parents’ legs or behind furniture just to avoid interacting with people. Even now, my natural instinct is to cuddle up at home and watch a movie or spend time with my family. But life really is about balance. I have extrovert friends who I know I can call at the last minute when I really want to get out and do something. I don’t think those friends even realize how much they help me to break out of my routine and reach for my goals.

A few months ago, I heard about a new group here in San Antonio called Florecer Femme. This is really a community of women who support and encourage one another to flourish and become strong female leads of their own lives. When I saw they were having a launch event last November, I immediately knew that I wanted to go. I connected with one of my extrovert friends and we purchased our tickets to attend the event. Then it happened, my friend ended up not being available to go with me. The introvert in me panicked a little bit and made up excuses for not going alone. I ultimately channeled the outgoing side of my personality and boldly walked through the doors of that event all on my own. I’m not saying networking in a room full of people who brought their own friends was easy but it was definitely doable and it formed some relationships. Here I am, six months later, creating light refreshments for the latest Florecer Femme event. I hope that my own experience can give you courage to walk confidently into whatever might be intimidating you and take charge of your own path. Make those connects, start that project, ask for that promotion. However you are looking to grow, I believe you are capable!

For the Florecer Femme event, I served Lemon Hummus with Rosemary Pita Chips (seen below), Rainbow Fruit Salad, and Honey Date Nut Bars. If you have tried these recipes, I’d love to hear from you! You can comment below or tag me on Instagram @sliceofhoney #sliceofhoney.

Tips:

If you don’t have a food processor, you can blend the hummus in a blender just don’t go overboard or you’ll liquefy it.
For the pita chips, you can use dried or fresh rosemary. If using dried, you’ll want to add a little extra to make sure you get the full flavor of the herb.

Lemon Hummus

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Ingredients

15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 Tablespoons tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
zest & juice of 2 small lemons

Instructions

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Rosemary Pita Chips

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Ingredients

2 whole wheat pita breads
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon flaked salt
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut pita bread in half so that you have single layer rounds then cut each round into 6 wedges.
Place wedges on a sheet pan and brush each wedge lightly with olive oil.
Sprinkle rosemary, paprika and salt over wedges.
Bake 6-7 minutes or until golden brown and lightly crisp.
Let cool before serving.

Honey Date Nut Bars

April 8, 2018 by Sarah Baade 2 Comments

Last week we had family in town for Easter. I had every intention of cooking a couple of vegetarian dinners but ultimately did not cook one single meal at home. I have no regrets though! Ultimately, the time I would have spent cutting vegetables or creating a sauce was spent having amazing conversations. I love cooking but I love quality time with family even more.

A couple of days before our guests arrived, I made these nut bars. I am definitely a grab and go breakfast kind of person. Even as a child, I did not eat a big breakfast. I’m so glad I had these on hand because they provided all of us with a quick, light breakfast or snack when we needed it. You’ll notice that there isn’t any fruit or chocolate in this recipe. It is so hard to find a granola or nut bar without these ingredients which is why I decided to create one of my own. If I really want chocolate, I’ll go grab a cookie. For a light, grab-and-go breakfast, I’ll stick with these nut bars.

Tips:

A candy thermometer is recommended for getting the honey to temperature. However, you can also let it get to a rolling boil and then drop a small amount of the hot liquid into a cold cup of water. The honey should become firm and when you pinch it with your fingers it should have very little give.
If you aren’t a fan of almonds or macadamia nuts, feel free to sub out for your favorite combination, just keep the measurement ratios the same as what is given in the recipe.

Honey Date Nut Bars

Makes 12 bars

2 cups roasted, unsalted almonds

1 cup roasted, unsalted macadamia nuts, broken into large pieces

3 pitted medjool dates, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup pepitas

2/3 cup crispy rice cereal

Directions:

Put almonds, macadamia nuts, pepitas, dates, rice cereal and salt into large bowl and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, bring honey and vanilla to a rolling boil, stirring constantly until you reach 300°F.

Pour hot honey mixture over nut mixture, stirring to quickly mix the two.

Spread nut mixture evenly over parchment paper lined 9×9 pan. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Chili Lime Roasted Cashews

March 7, 2018 by Sarah Baade 1 Comment

I am a grazer – I tend to eat smaller meals and add in snacks throughout the day. In theory, this is a healthier way to eat. But that theory goes out the window if you’re reaching for chips or candy all day long. I need something new that isn’t over-processed. A snack like cashews is ideal because the protein helps me feel full without eating a huge portion.

The biggest issue I have with the seasoned nuts I find in my local stores is that the salt and seasoning tends to be over the top. Yes, I want flavor but I don’t want to still taste my snack an hour after eating it. I kept the spice mild so you won’t get overwhelmed here but you can easily take things up a notch if you want to.

Tips:

These are full of flavor but not necessarily spicy. If you want to add more heat, increase the amount of cayenne pepper into the blend.
Don’t skip out on stirring the cashews periodically during the roasting process – this helps to give them an even roast.

Chili Lime Roasted Cashews

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Ingredients

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 lb raw, unsalted cashews

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey. Add in all seasonings and whisk until well blended. Stir cashews into spice mixture until they are evenly coated.
Spread cashews on lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Cashews will take on a golden, reddish color but should not blacken.
Spread roasted cashews on paper towels and allow to fully cool before eating.