Halloween Snacks

My youngest, Sam, loves to be in the kitchen, so we recently took a snack prep class at a local grocery store. (Thanks, Hyvee and dietitian Katrina!) It was great to spend some time together and he enjoyed being crafty with food.

He's become more of a picky eater. I was hoping if he made some new treats on his own, and they looked silly or goofy, he would actually eat them. Sam only devoured one snack.

Can you guess which one?

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Owl Snack

• Large or medium round crackers (like Ritz)
• Small round crackers 
• Plain cream cheese
• Sliced almonds
• Whole almonds
• Raisins or dried cranberries

Spread cream cheese on a large round cracker. Add two small round crackers at top for eyes. Use a dab of cream cheese on each to attach the raisins for pupils.

Press on an almond beak and almond-slice feathers.


Tombstone Pudding Cups

• Cool whip
• Chocolate yogurt
• Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
• Milano cookies
• Candy corn pumpkins and candy corn
• Chocolate icing

In a clear plastic cup, gently mix cool whip and yogurt. Top with crushed chocolate cookies. Stand a Milano cookie up along edge to be a tombstone. Use a toothpick dipped into icing to write R.I.P. or another saying on the gravestone.

Place candy corn pumpkins and other candies to decorate.

Celery Mummies

• Veggie cream cheese
• Celery sticks
• Ham slices, cut into thin strips
• Dried cranberries, cut into pieces

Spread or pipe cream cheese into celery piece. Place or wrap ham pieces in a criss-cross pattern over celery, so that it looks like bandages. Add two dried cranberry eyes between bandages.



Apple Bites

• Large apple slice or two smaller apple slices
• Your favorite jam, nut butter or sunflower butter 
• Slivered almonds or pumpkin seeds

Slice large apple slice down middle, while keeping intact. Or, place two apple slices together to resemble a mouth. Spread on jam or nut butter for the tongue. Add slivered almonds for teeth.

P.S. The pudding cup was Sam's favorite.

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds are rocking my world these days.

After finding a warehouse-club sized tub of them in my pantry, I needed to find a way to use them up. My husband was adding the nutritious seeds to smoothies for awhile, but lately this jar was just taking up space.

Not anymore.

A Facebook post from a friend was the first I'd heard about chia pudding and I was definitely curious. I had no idea that chia seeds bloom into a tapioca-like concoction when soaked in almond or coconut milk. Food & Wine magazine dishes up lots of chia seed recipes, so I got to experimenting.

The longer the pudding sets, the thicker it will get. Do let it chill for at least 3 or 4 hours. The pudding keeps well for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Chia seed pudding makes a filling breakfast or snack and a yummy sweet dessert. Chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and calcium, too.

My favorite is the simplest: chia seeds, light vanilla almond milk and honey.

You can definitely get creative here. Please let us know how you do chia seed pudding.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

P.S. Need other ideas for cooking with chia seeds? They taste great in these no-bake granola bars, too.

P.S.S. Be sure to use almond milk that does not contain carrageenan, a thickening agent which can irritate digestion in some people.

Chai Spiced Chia Seed Pudding
1 1/4 cups coconut milk (light or full fat) or almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Cover with an air tight lid or transfer to bowl with an air tight lid. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight, stirring occasionally.

Serve chilled with blackberries and a drizzle of maple syrup. Granola would be nice on top, too.

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding
2 cups almond milk (any variety. I use light vanilla)
1/2 cup chia seeds
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add all ingredients to medium bowl. Stir to combine.  Cover with an air tight lid or transfer to bowl with an air tight lid. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight, stirring occasionally.

Top with fruit and/or nuts. I used dried cranberries and candied walnuts.

Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Pudding
2 cups almond milk (any variety. I use light vanilla)
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chia seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover with an air tight lid or transfer to bowl with an air tight lid. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to overnight, stirring occasionally.

Serve chilled with pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon. A dollop of whipped cream wouldn't hurt, either!

Triple Almond Chocolate Banana Pudding

As you all know, I'm on the hunt for healthy snacks to feed my boys. We need tidbits packed with protein, energy that lasts — and just enough sweetness to make them appealing.

After I shared my popcorn marshmallow bars, the fine folks at Nuts.com invited me to try using almond flour. I love an excuse to get to work in the kitchen and boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I'm a newbie at using gluten-free flours. Almond flour works just like all-purpose white and whole wheat flours and is high in protein and vitamin E.

I'm trying to clean up our diets in general, so I'm thrilled that my kids liked this no-sugar chocolate dessert.  The sweetness comes from extremely ripe bananas. For even more fun, you can make the consistency closer to ice cream by using frozen bananas.

And I definitely suggest eating this power pudding for breakfast! Such a nutty way to start the day. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Triple Almond Chocolate Banana Pudding
Inspired by Williams Sonoma and The Sprouted Kitchen

2 overripe bananas (fresh or frozen or some of each)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cups almond butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup almond milk, divided
1/4 cup almond flour
Optional: for extra sweetness, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey

Place bananas, cocoa powder, almond butter, cinnamon and salt in a blender or food processor. Add about 1/8 cup almond milk. Blend until everything is mixed together but not yet smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the sides of blender or food processor.

Add almond flour and another 1/8 cup almond milk. Blend until smooth, adding more splashes of almond milk as needed to smooth out texture. (Adding the almond flour at the end prevents clumping in the bottom of the blender.)

Transfer to four small bowls. Enjoy immediately, especially if you used frozen bananas.

If you used fresh bananas, this pudding tastes great chilled. Cover bowls with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for an hour or more. You can make this pudding ahead. It holds up well in the refrigerator for about three days.

Sprinkle with banana slices and nuts, like sliced toasted almonds or chopped pecans. My Sam says it's even better with whipped cream on top.

Brownie Pudding Cake

"What do you want for dessert?" I asked the husband.

"Well, I like cookies. And pie. And cake." I could see the wheels turning. "I want something with pudding in it." He finally proclaimed.

So I made the man something with pudding in it.

Brownie Pudding Cake
Adapted from Home Cookin'

1 boxed brownie mix and the ingredients called for on the box
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups cold milk
Heath Bar bits for topping, optional

Bake brownies according to package directions in an 8" square pan. Allow to cool completely before proceeding.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip together cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy. Gently fold in about 2/3 of the Cool Whip. Spread on top of the cooled brownie layer.

Whisk together pudding and milk for 2 minutes, until it's thickened. Spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Sprinkle with Heath Bar bits. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*I used Heath Bar bits to add pizzazz to the top of my Brownie Pudding Cake because I happened to have some in my cupboard. I'm sure that crushed Oreos, mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings or any number of other toppings would be just as good.