snack

Baked Supreme Pizza Dip

February 3, 2016 by Amy Leave a Comment

Sometimes I just crave pizza. You know – the gooey, melt-y cheese, the spicy meats, the abundance of veggies. That doesn’t mean that I always want to make a pizza, though, or that I’m interested in the crust, because as good as it can be, somehow I never get hungry for that specific part.

That’s when I started making this dip. It has all the richness and yumminess of a pizza without the work or carbs of a crust. It’s fun and share-able, and you can even use raw veggies, crackers, or baked pitas as the dippers.

Even better, you can top the dip with your favorite pizza toppings, so you can really customize it to suit you.

So you need an app for this weekend’s party? Here you go.

Baked Supreme Pizza Dip

2016-02-02 21:05:18

Serves 4

An easy, baked dip that's easy to customize with your favorite pizza flavors.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

35 min

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

139g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 306

Calories from Fat 232

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 26g

41%

Saturated Fat 15g

74%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 86mg

29%

Sodium 433mg

18%

Total Carbohydrates 8g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Sugars 3g

Protein 11g

Vitamin A

24%

Vitamin C

20%

Calcium

22%

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. pizza sauce
1/4 c minced onion
1/4 c. diced green pepper
pizza toppings - pepperoni, black olives, etc. (opt)

Instructions

Soften cream cheese.
Mix cream cheese with 1/4 of the mozzarella and the herbs.
Spread cheese mixture in the bottom of a pie pan.
Top cheese mixture with pizza sauce.
Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top of the sauce.
Add additional toppings.
Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

Notes

Serve with sliced, raw veggies, crackers, or tortilla chips as dippers.

By Amy Bradsher

beta

calories

306

fat

26g

protein

11g

carbs

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

White Chocolate Popcorn

August 4, 2014 by Amy

A friend told me about this treat a few weeks ago, and we made it for our Big Helper’s school Valentine’s Day party. It came together in minutes!

This is super simple to make, keeps much longer than typical popcorn, and can be personalized with your favorite treats. It’s sweet but with a healthy base, so you can feel better about serving this than many other sweet treats. We added M&Ms this time for a colorful pop, but next time we’ll try some nuts and raisins. Yum!

To make your own White Chocolate Popcorn, you’ll need:

1 batch of popcorn
1/2 bag of white chocolate chips
your choice of add-ins (we used a handful of M&Ms)

You’ll have your own white chocolate popcorn ready in under 15 minutes.

Prepare your popcorn and leave plain. Put in a really big bowl.
Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds to prevent scorching.
Drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn. Working quickly, stir the popcorn until completely coated with the chocolate.
Add mix-ins and spread out on dish towels to dry. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to several days.

What would you add to a chocolatey popcorn treat mix?

Strawberry Mango Salsa

August 4, 2014 by Amy 2 Comments

Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home1/lehrerin/public_html/wp-content/plugins/recipe-card/yumprint-recipe.php on line 546

Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home1/lehrerin/public_html/wp-content/plugins/recipe-card/yumprint-recipe.php on line 546

Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /home1/lehrerin/public_html/wp-content/plugins/recipe-card/yumprint-recipe.php on line 546

Salsa is a totally fun food to me. You can do so many things with it – as a dip, as a topping for meat, as a fun addition to a wrap or sandwich – and fruity, spicy ones are my favorite kinds. When I heard about a strawberry-mango combination last week, I decided to try it.

The kids and I mixed this up last night. It’s super simple and has a great fresh, summery taste. We ate it in grilled haddock wraps, and we’re planning to scoop some up with cinnamon-sugar tortilla points next, and then on grilled jerk chicken after that. I think it would be great in a salad, too!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

2014-08-04 14:35:23

Write a review

Save Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

395g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 176

Calories from Fat 10

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 1g

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 163mg

Total Carbohydrates 43g

14%

Dietary Fiber 7g

28%

Sugars 33g

Protein 3g

Vitamin A

36%

Vitamin C

274%

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

1 c. diced mango (about 1 whole)
1 c. diced strawberries
2 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. diced red onion
dash of freshly ground salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Dice and combine all ingredients.
Allow flavors to meld in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

By Amy Bradsher

beta

calories

176

fat

protein

carbs

43g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

Have you ever made salsa?

This post has been linked up at: Home to 4 Kiddos.

Circus Snack Mix

August 2, 2014 by Amy

As we prepared for our recent trip to the circus, we talked food. Who could leave out a discussion of the food found at the circus?

Since we were allowed to take our own food, we decided to mix up our own treat that would incorporate the best aspects of the circus. I gathered up all of the ingredients and then gave the kids large bags so that they could scoop as much of each in as they wanted.

The kids loved mixing up their own “Circus Mix” and happily munched away all through the show – and much of the afternoon. Since most of the ingredients are fairly healthy, I didn’t mind them eating a larger-than-usual portion. The wide variety of ingredients made it an especially fun treat for a very fun day!

Circus Snack Mix

2014-08-02 13:45:46

Write a review

Save Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

78g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 378

Calories from Fat 178

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 21g

32%

Saturated Fat 6g

29%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 3mg

Sodium 398mg

17%

Total Carbohydrates 42g

14%

Dietary Fiber 3g

14%

Sugars 20g

Protein 9g

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Calcium

26%

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

popcorn
peanuts (elephant food)
chocolate chips (circus tents)
mini marshmallows (cotton candy)
M & Ms (clown noses)
pretzels
animal cookies

Instructions

Put desired ingredients into a container.
Stir gently to combine.
Seal until facing the elephants.
Snack away!

By Amy Bradsher

beta

calories

378

fat

21g

protein

carbs

42g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

What’s your favorite kind of snack mix?

Whole Wheat Pinch-Me Cake

August 1, 2014 by Amy

I remember helping my mom make Pinch-Me Cake as a little girl. I loved rolling the yeasty dough into balls and covering it with cinnamon and sugar. It smelled wonderful while it was baking and tasted even better later when we ate it.

There was something special about the eating of it, too. Once, for a special family celebration, we made it and when the women had settled down at the table to talk, the Pinch-Me Cake went in the middle. Everyone pinched off pieces as they caught up with what was happening in each other’s lives. It was, at least for me, the social centerpiece of the party, and I’ve never forgotten it.

I don’t think my kids are likely to forget it, either. They LOVED making this cake – every aspect of it. We made it for a special breakfast, served with fresh fruit, and we sat around the table on an icy Saturday morning enjoying a breakfast together. With only four of us, we had leftovers the next day, which made everyone happy again.

This cake’s specialness doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye, though. It takes time to put together – not just concentrated time, but slow, take-a-big-part-of-your-day time. The bread needs to rise and roll and rise again and bake, so this is a great project for an at-home day. It does most of the work itself, but it does require frequent checks – and kids love to help make it.

Pinch-Me Cake is worth the effort, though. It’s definitely one of those meals that makes people appreciate something done well. If, however, you really want to speed up the process, you can use frozen bread dough, and that will allow you to skip several steps.

We chose to make this now as part of our Amish studies unit – for in central Pennsylvania where I’m from, you often see a treat of this sort at Amish roadside stands. We’ve lightened it up a bit here with a yummy whole wheat dough, but there’s still plenty of cinnamon-y sweetness. Amish or not, this makes a fun treat for the whole family.

Whole Wheat Pinch-Me Cake

2014-07-31 19:46:21

Yields 1

Write a review

Save Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

1806g

Yields

Amount Per Serving

Calories 5264

Calories from Fat 1007

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 115g

177%

Saturated Fat 69g

343%

Trans Fat 4g

Polyunsaturated Fat 7g

Monounsaturated Fat 29g

Cholesterol 297mg

99%

Sodium 5070mg

211%

Total Carbohydrates 956g

319%

Dietary Fiber 25g

100%

Sugars 355g

Protein 104g

Vitamin A

80%

Vitamin C

Calcium

102%

Iron

63%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 c. white-wheat flour
2 1/4 c. milk
2 T. honey
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
2 t. salt
1 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar + handful

Instructions

Combine the flour and yeast.
In a small saucepan, heat milk, honey, butter, and salt until just warm, stirring constantly.
Add to dry mixture and beat at low speed for 1/2 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl.
Beat for 3 more minutes at high speed.
Slowly stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
Knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Shape into a ball.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover; let rise in a warm place 'til double, about 1 1/4 hours.
Punch dough down.
Divide dough in half.
Combine 1/2 c. sugar with enough cinnamon to become a warm brown color in a small bowl.
Pull off dough the size of a walnut and roll gently into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon- sugar mixture. Place into a buttered Bundt pan. Repeat until you have used half the dough.
Sprinkle a handful of brown sugar over the dough balls in the Bundt pan.
Repeat rolling process with second half of the dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until 1 inch from the top of the pan, about 30 - 45 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter and stir in the brown sugar to make a 'goo.'
Pour 'goo' over the dough in the Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.
Turn out onto a foil-covered pan.
Serve warm.

By Amy Bradsher

beta

calories

5264

fat

115g

protein

104g

carbs

956g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

The picture of only a partial cake above? That’s because people started eating it as soon as I flipped it over – there was never a whole cake to photogragh. Pinch-Me Cake is always a hit.

What’s your favorite special occasion dish?

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Granola Bars

July 21, 2014 by Amy

I’ve got this thing for granola bars, and so after I learned how easy it is to make granola, I definitely had to try making them. My first few attempts were a bit interesting, but now I can’t keep them in the house – everyone’s gone granola crazy.

This particular bar is chewy and full of healthy fibers. With lots of peanuts, peanut butter, and oats, the richness is sweetened by a sprinkling of chocolate chips (surprisingly, my husband was really excited about that chocolate!). Best of all, though, is that you’re choosing the ingredients, so these can be as healthy as you want. Most of mine are organic and unprocessed, so there isn’t anything that’s preserved or hydrogenated.

Like many of my ‘recipes,’ this is more of a method than an actual, measured recipe. I don’t really measure ingredients much, so feel free to play a bit with this. 🙂

Ingredients:

4 cups’ of dry stuff . I use 2 or more cups of oats, then add in chopped peanuts, coconut, sunflower seed kernels, and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.
1 cup of wet stuff. I use about 2/3 c. peanut butter and 1/3 c. of honey.

Directions:

Mix together your four cups of dry ingredients.
Melt the peanut butter and honey together and stir.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir, stir, stir until all combined. If you have a significant amount of dry ingredients left at the end, drizzle a bit more honey over them until they’re good and sticky like the rest.
Press into an 8X8″ pan.
Bake at 225 for 20-30 minutes.
Cool slightly, then slice.
Wrap individually and store in the fridge for a firmer bar.

I’m working on another type of granola bar and would love to know – What’s your favorite type of granola bars – or to-go snack?