Cranberry Chutney

Still have some cranberries? This is the other holiday recipe I look forward to all year long.

I crave the surprising blend of sweet and tart! It's a delicious addition to meat and fish, but my favorite way to eat is on a cracker with a bit of cream cheese. Get creative!

Cranberry Chutney

In a saucepan, simmer for 5 minutes:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

Then add:

• 1 1/2 cups cranberries

Simmer for another 15 minutes, or till thickened. I mash the cranberries a bit with a fork as they soften. Allow to cool.

This chutney will keep for up to six months in the fridge.

Bites of summer

For those of us in the Midwest, summer has faded into autumn. My basil is still green and beautiful despite the cooler temperatures, and the piles of tomatoes gathered from the gardens still beckon to be savored.


This calls for just 3 simple ingredients:

• Mozzarella cheese
• Tomato
  
• Basil leaves
  

For added flavor, you may want olive or balsamic oil and a touch of sea salt and pepper.

The smaller, gourmet mozzarella balls are preferred. I also like to use grape or cherry tomatoes.

Layer the ingredients however you prefer. I like to make them into bite size portions, place them on a large platter, then drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.


A simple and absolutely scrumptious burst of pure summer in your mouth!

When cooler temperatures hit, you can adapt a cozier version of this recipe by placing tomato and mozzarella on a slice of french bread, toasting briefly in the oven, then adding a fresh basil leaf before serving.

Cinnamon Sticks are a Fun Snack

Are your kids bugging you for dessert, again? Are you wandering around your kitchen feeling snacky and wanting to put something in your mouth but you're not really hungry? Have you ever tried a cinnamon bark?

Cinnamon sticks are those things that usually come as a garnish for fancy apple cider or hot chocolate drinks. What they are made of is rolled up cinnamon bark. It's the same substance that you have ground up in a jar in your spice cupboard. Cinnamon is just the bark from a particular tree.

So, if you like cinnamon, try taking one of these little sticks or whole pieces and chewing on it for a while. It tastes good, and has the added benefit of regulating your metabolism. This in turn helps to curb your cravings, as well as the really strong flavor. The calories in cinnamon bark are negligible so it's a great thing to have on hand if you are trying to curb a snack addiction too.

My kids think I'm so generous when I let them have a whole cinnamon stick to themselves!

Peanut Butter Happy Face

This only takes a few minutes to do, and your kids will love it. I used sprouted grain bread, Trader Joe's Organic Chunky Peanut Butter, and raisins.

You can mix it up and use whatever you want. Why shouldn't lunch be fun?

Granola and kid snacks

I forgot a few thing in that last post that make snacks funner.

Spread nut butter and jam, or hummus and cucumbers, or melt some cheese onto a tortilla and then roll it tightly and cut into one inch sections. Kids are usually excited by these little roll ups.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out sandwiches into interesting shapes.

Slice oranges, or kiwi, etc. into circles, or half circles for short people, and arrange in a flower around the outside of a plate. In the center of the flower put a small bowl of dip, or some berries, or both. Presentation is everything with children.

Take a whole carrot and with a sharp knife cut out 3 or four little wedges length wise. Thinly slice the carrot and you end up with a whole bunch of little flower shapes.

Those are just a few more ideas to help you make snacks exciting for your children.

Here is a simple granola recipe.

5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1cup chopped almonds or whatever else you like
1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds (optional)
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1tsp vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350 F. In a 9"by 13" pan spread out oats and heat for 10 minutes.
In a saucepan melt the butter and add the honey, almonds, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. Mix into the pan with the oatmeal and bake for 30 minutes. You have to stir it often to get everything toasted evenly.
When it has cooled add 1-2 cups dried fruit (raisins, chopped dates, dried apples, blueberries, cranberries, etc. Sometimes I just cheat and add a bag of trail mix from Trader Joe's, my favorite is the Nuts about Antioxidants blend.)
You can also add 1/2cup of sunflower seeds.
Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

This recipe has no clusters in it, to get that kind of consistency you need to use sugar and bake it more like a bar and then break it up after.