Mango, Berry and Banana Smoothie

Mango, Berry and Banana Smoothie

I thought that when my kids got older that my life would get easier. Boy was I wrong. My youngest is in a phase where he seems to eat all day long. As soon as he eats he is hungry again. I spend half of my day making and feeding him meals and snacks. The other half of the day I spend cleaning up his crafts and creative projects. I love that he creates projects etc, I just could do without all the mess that it takes for his creations to take shape. The work doesn't end with my youngest. Getting my oldest up in the morning can be nearly impossible some mornings. He moves so slowly. I feel like I have to nag him from the time he gets up just to make sure that we get to the bus on time. Most mornings we have to run the last block in order not to be late. Then the homework in the evening involves complaining and whining. I really hate whining, it's like nails on a chalkboard. I've decided that life for a mother doesn't get easier as their kids grow, just more complicated.

Since my mornings are almost always rushed I try to have meals that are quick and easy to make. Smoothies are one of my favorite since I can drink them on the way to the bus stop to drop off my oldest. Last week I tried a new recipe for Mango, Berry and Banana Smoothie from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Mango, Berry and Banana Smoothie

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 5 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 2 servings. I made a number of changes to the original recipe. First, my youngest kept eating all the frozen mangos that I bought. Therefore, I ended up with only 1/4 cup of mangos. I froze my banana before adding to the smoothie, left out the yogurt and added stevia. I found the smoothie as written was a little too thick so I added additional coconut water.

Mango, Berry and Banana Smoothie

I am a huge smoothie fan. This smoothie was a nice change of pace, it had more of a tropical flavor than other smoothies I had tried before. It was too thick as written, my blender didn't want to even move. In order to make the recipe work I added additional coconut water. I think if I made the recipe again I would try it with pineapple. Pineapple and coconut are delicious together and would work very well with this recipe.

For the recipe go to Mango, Berry and Banana Smoothie. 

Moroccan Snack Mix

I snack all the time. I have never been one of those people that can eat three meals a day and feel full. Instead I eat small meals throughout the day. Part of this need to eat all the time goes hand-in-hand with my inability to sit still. My kids help this problem by creating messes as soon as I clean them up. They seem to have an ability to see me sit down and have a disaster that needs mommy's attention. Since I have given up gluten I have tried to find new high protein snacks to keep me full. One of my favorite snacks is nuts. They are delicious and great at keeping me full during my busy days. Last week I tried a new recipe for Moroccan Snack Mix from the September issue of Family Circle magazine, which with 6 grams of protein looked perfect for daytime snacks.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes 10 minutes of prep and 1 hour and 5 minutes of baking time and makes 20 servings. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients and made no ingredient modifications. Make sure to fully dry the chickpeas before baking. If the chickpeas aren't dried adequately they won't become crispy. Instead they will be slightly soggy and not have a roasted texture. Additionally, the mixture needs to be stirred every 15 minutes to ensure even browning. I didn't let the mixture cool before adding the apricots and dates. I wanted the spices to incorporate with the fruit and adding them when still hot I figured would help with this process. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

With 6 grams of protein this snack mix is a great option for daytime snacking. However, my husband thought that the nuts weren't spicy enough and my two boys weren't fans of the mixture in general. The chickpeas weren't as crunchy as I would have liked. If I made this recipe again, I would let the chickpeas dry longer than the recipe states. Additionally, I would add chili powder in order to up the spiciness and add more flavor. With these changes I think this mix would be even better.

For the recipe go to Moroccan Snack Mix.

Eating Well Nana's Creole Pecan Cake Bars

I love when I get the first issue of a new (to me) food magazine. There is something thrilling to me about picking out the first recipe that I want to try and review. I spend a good hour or two every week going through my food magazines and tearing out recipes that I want to try in the future. Then I sit down with the file folder of saved magazines that I have collected and go through to find my menu plan for the week. When I get a new magazine it's exciting having a new set of recipes to mull over and decide which ones to try. My newest magazine Eating Well had a recipe for Nana's Creole Pecan Cake Bars, which looked delicious and a great first recipe to review.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It makes 4 dozen bars and takes approximately 2 hours of total time, with 30 being active. All the ingredients I either had or were easily available at my local grocery store. I used dried dates, since those were what I had available and golden raisins as suggested by the recipe. I did find that my baking time was significantly less than the 45 minutes stated in the recipe. My total cooking time was closer to 30-35 minutes. Additionally, I rotated my pan halfway through to ensure even baking. Finally, I made my bars larger than the recipe suggested, so I had closer to 2 dozen total cookies. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

These bars are different than normal cookie bar recipes. They have a texture that is more consistent with cake, and are full of nuts and dried fruit. The corner cookies get a slightly sweet and crunchy texture, which is delicious. My family loved these cookies and how they were different than other cookie recipes I have tried previously. Overall, a great new recipe from a new (to me) magazine I look forward to using again in the future.

For the recipe go to Nana's Creole Pecan Cake Bars.

Bon Appetit Spanish Trail Mix

As I've stated numerous times before, with two growing boys I make a ton of snacks. If given the option, my two boys would eat all carbs and no protein snacks, which would lead to two very cranky young men by the end of the day. Therefore, I try to make at least one snack a week which is high in protein and good fats, such as nuts. The January issue of Bon Appetit magazine had a recipe for Spanish Trail Mix, which looked nutritious and full of protein.

I made a number of major modifications to this recipe. The stores in my area are limited, so I substituted based on what was available locally. First, I had chourico sausage which I had purchased on clearance a while back, which I substituted for the smoked chorizo. Since my sausage was different than the once used in the recipe, I cut the chourico into cubes and quickly cooked it on the stove-top. Second, the only paprika I have been able to find at the grocery stores in my area is McCormick, so I used what I already had, instead of smoked paprika like the recipe states. I understand that the smoked paprika would have had an earthier undertone, but I like to utilize the ingredient which I already have in my pantry. Thirdly, I used dried dates. The recipe uses cubed pitted dates (which I assume are fresh). I have never seen a fresh date in my area, so I used what was available. The dried dates added a sweetness to the almonds, which I liked.

My husband absolutely loved this trail mix. His favorite part were the smoked almonds, which he has now decided are one of his favorite snacks. My youngest liked this recipe, my oldest was indifferent. I liked how high in good protein and fats this snack is, making it a better option than white bread, which is the snack my two boys usually go for first. This is an easy recipe, which could be substituted with a variety of ingredients and makes a delicious, higher protein snack.

For the recipe go to Bon Appetit Spanish Trail Mix.