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snacking

Breakfast/ Snacks & Candies

American Pie Trail Mix

One of my go-to crunchy snacks is my “American Pie” Trail Mix. It’s got only four ingredients and you won’t believe how easy it is to make (in under 2 minutes!). I call it “American Pie” Trail Mix because it beautifully blends the flavors of warm cinnamon, tart apples, tangy cherries, and sweet maple-brown sugar.

Quaker_American Pie Trail Mix_redwhiteblue

American Pie Trail Mix

Ingredients:

Directions:

Gather and measure your ingredients.

Quaker_mise en place

Pour ingredients into a resealable plastic food bag.

Quaker Trail Mix_shake

Seal the bag and shake it up for a few seconds until all the ingredients are blended. This can also be a great burst of cardio activity and a stress release!

Then I put some of the trail mix in two smaller snack-sized bags for the car, and keep the remaining trail mix sealed in the bag in a cool, dry place. I commute about 3 hours a day, on average, and the drive home during rush hour can be brutal. Not only am I fighting the traffic but I’m fighting the hunger beast. Having a small nosh in the car that’s a better alternative to chips or chocolate means I can tame the hunger beast and avoid over-indulging when I get home.

Quaker Squares with Honeycrisp Apple

 

Breakfast/ Snacks & Candies

Feeding My ‘Crunchy Snack Addiction’

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker®. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #LoveMyCereal #QuakerUp

I am a crunchy snack addict. There’s no denying it. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.

But this self-diagnosed ‘crunchy snack addiction’ can sometimes lead me down the wrong snacking path. When left to act on impulse alone, I can make poor choices by reaching for the nearest salty chip or candy bar. You’ve been there, right?

When you’re running around all day taking care of four hyper pugs (like I do), it can be exhausting. Sometimes feeding and caring for them means I’m too tired to cook (or think!)…so I reach for whatever snack is closest at hand. To help avoid acting on impulse and to make better snacking choices, I like to have readily on hand in my pantry some home-blended crunchy snacks that can satisfy my deep desire for crunchy goodness.

One of my go-to crunchy snacks is my “American Pie” Trail Mix. It’s got only four ingredients and you won’t believe how easy it is to make (in under 2 minutes!). I call it “American Pie” Trail Mix because it beautifully blends the flavors of warm cinnamon, tart apples, tangy cherries, and sweet maple-brown sugar.

Quaker_American Pie Trail Mix_redwhiteblue

American Pie Trail Mix

Ingredients:

Directions:

Gather and measure your ingredients.

Quaker_mise en place

Pour ingredients into a resealable plastic food bag.

Quaker Trail Mix_shake

Seal the bag and – to paraphrase from a popular song – “Shake It Off” for a few seconds until all the ingredients are blended. This can also be a great burst of cardio activity and a stress release!

Then I put some of the trail mix in two smaller snack-sized bags for the car, and keep the remaining trail mix sealed in the bag in a cool, dry place. I commute about 3 hours a day, on average, and the drive home during rush hour can be brutal. Not only am I fighting the traffic but I’m fighting the hunger beast. Having a small nosh in the car that’s a better alternative to chips or chocolate means I can tame the hunger beast and avoid over-indulging when I get home.

I wanted to share another quick trail mix recipe that is great for a tropical taste escape on a cold wintry day. It’s my Tropical Trail Mix snack.

Quaker_Tropical Trail Mix

Tropical Trail Mix

Ingredients:

Directions:

Gather and measure your ingredients; pour into the plastic food bag. Shake until blended and you’re ready to snack like you’re on vacation in the Caribbean!

I love the versatility of cereal, especially Quaker® Oatmeal Squares which I first came to appreciate when I was making a savory holiday snack mix for my family. You could make your own favorite trail mix blend with your favorite dried fruits. Or add some savory flavors with cashews, almonds or whatever nut you love the most.

Quaker_Real  Medleys

While my trail mix recipes have focused on using cold cereal as a base for a delicious crunchy snack, I’m also a fan of the easy breakfast. And Quaker® Real Medleys® Multigrain Cereal fills that bill to a tee! My favorite flavor is Peach Apple Walnut.

I wake up at 5:30 am to get ready for work. At that early hour, the last thing you want is a complicated breakfast. While it can be tempting to skip breakfast in favor of 15 minutes more of sleep, that’s not a solution to keep me fueled for the day. So I will sleep in for 10 minutes more of sleep and have a quick bowl of delicious (and crunchy!) multigrain flakes and granola clusters.

Quaker Squares with Honeycrisp Apple

You’ve probably guessed that there’s no meal where I can’t make cereal the star of the bowl. I do #LoveMyCereal! Even all by itself – no milk needed – cereal right from the box can be downright delicious! I especially love Quaker® Oatmeal Squares (with a hint of cinnamon). The crunch is deeply satisfying and perfect to pair with a Honeycrisp apple for a portable afternoon snack at the office.

Quaker_at Walmart_collage

I got all of the ingredients for my special trail mix blends recipes at Walmart. The variety of Quaker® hot and cold cereals available at Walmart (in the cereal aisle) is amazing. Be sure to try them all:

I’ve shared a few of my favorite trail mix recipes featuring Quaker® Life and Oatmeal Squares cereals. What ingredients do you love most in a trail mix? Share your suggestions in the comments below. And kudos if you also come up with a fun, funky name for your special trail mix blend.

Snacks & Candies

Wholesome Snacking Options With Minute® Ready to Serve Rice

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice

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Like most of America, I’ve grown up with Minute® Rice. And for the last several years, I’ve cooked Minute® Instant Whole Grain Brown Rice at least a few times every week. Some weeks, I have it every day in some dish or another. It’s definitely a staple in my pantry! That’s why I was beyond excited when I was asked to try the new Minute® Ready to Serve Rice products. Thank you, Minute® Rice, for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

Minute Rice wholesome snacking options

When I first noticed Minute® Ready to Serve Rice in its individual portion packages, I didn’t buy it because I tend to buy the largest boxes of Minute® Instant Whole Grain Brown Rice that I can find at my local grocery store. So I was delighted when I discovered a number of new flavor (and whole grain) options in the Minute® Ready to Serve product line, including Brown Rice, Brown & Wild Rice, Multi-Grain Medley, Jasmine Rice, White Rice, Chicken Rice Mix, Yellow Rice Mix, Fried Rice Mix, and (the newest addition) Black Beans & Rice.

While I’ve mastered using Minute® Instant Whole Grain Brown Rice in my Harvey’s One-Skillet Wonder, I was curious to try the single portion servings because they are portable, offer easy portion control, and require only heating since they’re already cooked.

I hate (yes, HATE!) going out to eat for lunch at work. In addition to the high cost of eating out, it’s time-consuming, inconvenient and there’s little control over the quality (or wholesomeness) of the ingredients used. After seeing a HUGE-mongous number (over 70 and counting!) of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice Stir It Up! “No Recipe Recipes” for smarter snacks and easy meals on-the-go, I was inspired to create my own stir-in ideas with ingredients from my kitchen. And after a holiday season of irresistible sweet treats, I was committed to discovering some wholesome snacking options that I could easily incorporate into my day (at work or on the weekends).

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice: Italian Vegetable Blend with Brown & Wild Rice wholesome snacking options

My first inspiration was an Italian Vegetable Blend. I heated 1/2 cup of frozen Italian Blend Vegetables in the microwave until hot (about 2 minutes) before stirring in one heated portion of Minute® Ready to Serve Brown & Wild Rice. The frozen Italian blend I used included broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and black beans. I then sprinkled about 1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning on top and stirred well. This was “molto buona.” The red bell peppers, black beans and rice blend was just enough for a light meal, side dish or snack. It could easily be turned into a heartier lunch at the office with the addition of some grilled, Italian-style carved chicken breast.

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice: Cheesy Chicken Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomato using Multi-Grain Medley wholesome snacking options

I love breakfast any time of the day, but admittedly don’t often have rice for breakfast. So I took three ingredients from my refrigerator that I’d normally use in making scrambled eggs or an omelet: sausage, cheese and sun-dried tomato. The result was my Cheesy Chicken Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomato dish, which would be a perfect hot (and quick) breakfast on a cold winter morning. Just heat one serving of Minute® Ready to Serve Multi-Grain Medley and set aside. In a small bowl, heat 3 chicken sausage links (cut into 1/2-inch slices) and about 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato (Julienne cut) for about 2 minutes in the microwave. When done, add the Minute® Ready to Serve Rice and top with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese (I used a Mexican Taco blend) and stir well. This would also be a great (and hearty) weekend lunch option when you’re not in the mood to spend time cooking over the stove.

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice: Cranberry Rice Pilaf with Chicken Flavor Rice Mix wholesome snacking options

After a flurry of holiday cooking, I realized I had some left over dried cranberries that I needed to use or lose! I decided to take some frozen mixed vegetables, along with jarred sliced mushrooms, to create a holiday-inspired Cranberry Rice Pilaf. If you’ve made rice pilaf a lot, you know there are a zillion versions of rice pilaf recipes out there. Use whatever ingredients you have on hand and that you love most. To make my version, heat one serving of Minute® Ready to Serve Brown Rice in the microwave, according to package directions, and set aside. In another bowl, heat about 1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots with a few sliced mushrooms (if available) for about 2 minutes on high. Remove from microwave and mix with Minute® Ready to Serve Rice. Top with about 1 tablespoon dried cranberries and stir to mix thoroughly.

Minute® Ready to Serve Rice products wholesome snacking options

I literally bought every flavor of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice carried by my local grocery store. I’m excited to try the Black Beans & Rice and continue experimenting with other stir-in ingredients from my pantry. Check out the complete list of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice products and share with me in the comments section below what stir-in ideas you’re inspired to try in creating a wholesome, yummy snack on the fly!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice.

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