Best Travel Snacks for you and your family

I was just emailing with a friend this morning that I am travelling like a mad man this month! Between my family coming to New York for the Children’s ENK Trade Show and going to Africa next Friday, I feel like I am always on the go…and well, hungry without anything yummy to snack on. It is hard to stay healthy when you are a mom on the go, especially with kids or taking care of kids. Here are 2 great no brainer healthy snack recipes that I love to whip up and have on hand in 5 minutes!

On-the-Go-Trail Mix Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice (i.e. cranberries, apricots, cherries, raisins, or apples)
• 1 cup pecans
• ½ cup candy-coated chocolate

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine dried fruit, pecans and chocolate
2. Divide among 6 re-sealable plastic bags
3. Grab and go!

Oven Dried Blueberries Recipe
Prep Time: 2 hours
This recipe is great to add to yogurt, ice cream or even just a little baggy to snack on.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup blueberries (for 1-2 servings…just increase # of blueberries per # of people you are trying to serve)
• 1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 225 degrees.
2. Toss blueberries with honey in a bowl.
3. Bake berries on a parchment-lined baking sheet until shriveled but still supple, about 2 hours.
4. Let cool.

Note: Berries are good up to a month in an airtight container or Tupperware!

Read Full Post »

Le Top Chef Series: Summer Fruit Kuchen

This one is for Melissa and all the rest of you that love to bake.  It’s delicious and easy to make.
  

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1 ripe peach, pitted and cut into 1/2-in. wedges
• 1 ripe plum, pitted and cut into 1/2-in. wedges

Crumb Topping

• 3 Tbsp each all-purpose flour and light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut in bits
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-in. square baking pan with nonstick foil; let foil extend over ends of pan.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. On medium speed, beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture and milk until blended. Gently fold 1/2 cup blueberries into batter.

Photo: Mary Ellen Bartley

3. Spread batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Top with peach and plum slices, evenly spaced in batter. Scatter with remaining 1 cup blueberries.

4. Topping: In a medium bowl, rub ingredients together with fingertips until moistened and clumpy, then scatter over fruit. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and kuchen starts to pull away slightly from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack.

5. Lift foil by ends onto work surface. Using 2 large spatulas, lift cake from foil onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares.

Voilà, now all that’s left to do is enjoy its perfection!

Recipe Source: Woman’s Day Kitchen

Read Full Post »