Healthy, Quick, and Easy Snacking!

It's been awhile, I know. I cook the same things a lot, so I didn't want to repeat myself.

However, recently, I've discovered a few new products that I absolutely love that are pretty healthy and cost effect.

Del Monte® Fruit Chillers
A smooth, individually packaged sorbet that is a great healthy great. Made with real fruit, it's fat-free and has 3/4 servings of fruit per cup. One package contains 4 individual cups, sells for about $2.15. You pick these up in the canned fruit aisle and freeze overnight. Currently comes in four flavors: artic strawberry, polar raspberry, glacial mango, and frosty peach. I've tried Polar Raspberry and it reminded me of fruit roll-ups!

Kraft Bagelfuls
Four individually wrapped, cream cheese filled bagel "sticks." These are a great alternative to a full size bagel. Keep in the freezer and pop in the microwave before eating OR keep in the fridge and eat on the go, toast, or microwave. Toasting gets the bagel part all crispy but leaves the cream cheese inside nice and chilled! Comes in multiple flavors: Regular cream cheese, Strawberry, Cinnamon, Whole Grain, and Chive. I've tried Cinnamon and Regular (only 200 calories per bagel). Whole Grain only has 180 calories per bagel. These are currently selling for less than $2 a box!

Walmart fresh fruit cups
I'm horrible because I can't remember the name brand, but Walmart is currently carrying individual fresh fruit cups. For about $2, you can pick up a single serving of pre-cleaned, fresh pineapple chunks, pineapple and mango chunks, green and red apple slices with caramel dipping sauce, or strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce. I still like to pick up larger selections of pineapple, mango, etc...but these apples and strawberries with dipping sauce are GREAT! The sauces are amazing. Every now and then you find a soggy apple in the cup or a strawberry with a bruise, but overall they have great quality control. Makes healthy snacking quick and easy!
Walmart also carries fruit trays and boxes for 2, 4, or "more." While I love picking up my own apples, peaches, and apricots, I don't know what to do with melons or pineapple. These trays are great because the fruit is already cleaned and cut slightly larger than bite size. No pre-order needed with a caterer or deli...these are always handy in the fridge section of the produce aisle.

With options like these becoming the norm, there is no reason to down an entire bag of potato chips! Caramel or chocolate dipping sauce!!! Pre-cut, hassle-free fruit selections!!! SORBET!

What are your quick and easy snacking tips? Feel free to share below!

Southern Baked Beans

Jen's Baked Beans

I should warn you know that Baked Beans are an example of my family's cooking at its most ingenious. I told you all in my first post that if it wasn't easy and fast that I didn't want to do it.

Main Ingredients:
2 cans Pork and Beans

Throw Ins:
Ground hamburger, cooked
Cooked ham or bacon
Couple big squirts of ketchup
Big squirt of mustard
Medium squirt of steak sauce
1/2 cup or so of BBQ sauce
palmful of brown sugar
onion, finely chopped


Just like the fruit salad, this is SUPER EASY! It's nothing but Variations.

Step 1: Open the Pork and Beans, pour into a pot or Dutch Oven
Step 2: Add whatever throw in ingredients you have on hand that you like
Step 3: Bake all ingredients at 350 for an hour OR let simmer on medium-low until ready to eat!

Easy Pasta Salad

Super Easy Pasta Salad
1/2 lb uncooked pasta
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 large bottle Italian Dressing
vegetables of choice (broccoli, bell pepper, olives, etc), chopped

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cooked ten minutes, or until tender. Drain and pour into a large dish. Let cool. Add tomatoes and other vegetables. Pour half bottle of Italian Dressing. Stir to coat noodles and veggies. Let sit in fridge at least 2 hours.

After two hours, do a taste test. If everything tastes fine, then this is ready to serve. It may, however, need more salad dressing. Add as much salad dressing as needed, stirring to coat. Serve chilled. May be refrigerator overnight before serving.

Variations

• Use Your Noodle. I like using spiral noodles, plain or tri-colored for this recipes because they "grab" the dressing, but any kind of noodle will do. Penne pasta is also a good grabber, and I've seen this done with fettuccine noodles.
  
• Going low carb? Who needs noodles anyway?!? Do this same recipe with just the veggies! Use tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, and bell peppers mixed with Italian Dressing for a crunchy, zesty side dish.
  
• Don't like plain Italian Dressing? Whisk 1/2 cup of mayonnaise in with the salad dressing before coating the noodles for a creamier salad. Or try Zesty Italian or a vinaigrette.
• Try adding cubed cheese or Parmesan cheese to the mix.
  
• Class it up! Serve on a bed of lettuce, with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and capers.
  

Got a different Pasta Salad recipe? Share it with me!