Favorite Snacks

Favorite snacks come and go. I took stock this week of what I am eating as ‘mini-meals’ between the three majors. These are all very easy prep and not too high in calories…generally high in nutrition too.

Carrot chips and hummus. At one time I thought I would make my own hummus, but my grocery story has their own brand of hummus that is reasonably priced. My favorite seasonings are roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, and lemon/dill. My grocery also stocks carrot chips so I buy them when I don’t have a big supply of carrots from the CSA. This snack works very well as a component of a picnic lunch as well!

Smoothie. As the weather gets cooler this one might come off my list but on warm days it is a favorite. This morning it included some frozen watermelon, frozen lemon wedges and sweet potato leaves.

Fruit. I always try to have seasonal fresh fruit on hand. Earlier this month peaches were at the top of the list. Now I have some nectarines and oranges….and lots of apples.

Popcorn. Since I bought the Nordic Ware bowl for popping corn in the microwave, this is again on the ‘healthy’ snack list. I use pumpkinseed oil or lemon infused olive oil on it rather than butter.

Kale chips. This snack is the one that requires the most prep. I cook a lot at one time and store the chips in a plastic container. I keep thinking that they will last a week or so but I always eat them faster than I anticipate. My favorite seasoning is salt….somehow it just seems right for ‘chips.’

How will things change for when it is colder? I’ll have to decide and then stock the ingredients. Snacking wisely requires some planning ahead!

Ten Days of Little Celebrations - June 2014

Noticing something worth celebration each day is an easy thing for me to do. The habit of writing it down reminds me to be grateful for these and a myriad of other things in my life. This month has been full of ‘little celebrations;’ here are my top 10 for June 2014. I’ve categorized them into 4 groups: outdoors, food, and courses and people.

Outdoors

Oak trimming (and discovering the oak marble). Finishing the annual trimming of the oak was worth a celebration but it was made even better this year with the finding of the oak marble. It was the first time I had ever seen anything like tit.

Therapy bush trimming. There is always some to be learned about myself during time spent trimming the bush. I celebrated that it happened this month (and look forward to at least one more time during the summer).

Brookside. We walk around Brookside at least once a month and it is always enjoyable but with the construction going on this summer we are looking for alternatives. I celebrated June’s visit since it will be the last one to Brookside for a few months.

Green tomatoes. My deck garden has gotten off to a reasonably good start. I have 11 tomatoes on two plants! I’m celebrating their progress and hope to report other colors soon (and then move them to the ‘food celebration’ category.

Food

Community Support Agriculture. My first experience with the CSA has been worth celebrating. The fresh veggies are getting eaten.

Watermelon. I didn’t wait for the local melons. The grocery store had a bin and the one I got was excellent.

Kale chips. They taste good - and are nutritious too! Even my husband - not usually big on veggies - liked them.

Courses

Thought provoking classes - The Paradoxes of War class I started this month on Cousera has been very thought provoking….and I am celebrating that I signed up for it.

The survival of people in harsh reality - The Nubians survived harsh climate and the Ancient Egyptians to produce their vibrant culture - that’s the main take away from The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Nubia course that I just finished on Coursera. I am celebrating their accomplishment; they help us realize that the ancient Egyptians were not the only ancient people to apply extreme creativity toward improving their lives.

People

People. There are so many people related celebration days this month that were highlighted by Father’s Day, telephone calls from (and to) family members and meeting new people.