I Made Granola

Just for kicks, I thought I'd try to make granola. And it sort of worked. And it was pretty good mixed with some yogurt.

I'm going to give you the "recipe" ... but it's not really a recipe at all. It's merely a suggestion and you should adjust to your taste.

Granola
5 cups old fashioned oats
3/4-1 cup slivered almonds
3/4-1 cup walnut pieces

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
Cinnamon

My Favorite Pairings

Some things are just meant to be eaten together.

• Watermelon and blackberries
• Slightly sweet/sort of sour apples (Jazz, Pinanta, Gala) and sharp Cheddar cheese
• Red grapes and pretzels
• Honeydew and strawberries
• Popcorn and Mini Heath 
• Pistacios and dried cranberries (and dark chocolate, if I get a third)
• Fresh baguette and Muenster

What are your favorites? 

Stinky But Delicious Garlic Feta Dip

I was looking for an alternative to regular, old dill dip (which I make with light or non-fat sour cream and/or non-fat plain Greek yogurt and an envelope of Hidden Valley dry Dill Dip mix) and I remembered something from a party that I thought I could recreate.

Per usual, I didn't measure anything. So adjust this to your own tastes. Add a little and if it needs more, jack it up.

WARNING: This will keep the vampires away and, perhaps, your husband/wife, too. As Rachel Ray says, as long as you both eat it, it's all good.

Garlic Feta Dip
Equal parts fat-free Greek yogurt and fat-free sour cream (let's say ... 1/2 cup of each?)
Finely chopped garlic (1T? of the jar kind ... maybe two cloves)
1t-1T garlic salt (start small ... add more if you need it)
1t-2t dried oregano (fresh would be better ... could also be basil or you could eliminate this altogether)
Finely crumbled fat-free feta (1/2 cup?)
Lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Serve with whole wheat crackers, toasted baguette slices, pita chips, cucumbers, red peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.

New Dip

Yesterday's Super Bowl party invitation required me to bring a dish to pass. A quick survey of the fridge and pantry showed an abundance of dairy products and some leftover tostadas. Here's what I came up with. It was kind of like the base for Taco Dip, but a little different.

Fiesta Dip
2/3 package light or fat free cream cheese, softened (or 1 whole 8 oz. brick ... I just had leftovers)
1 8 oz. fat free Greek yogurt
1 8 oz. fat free sour cream (or you could do 16 oz. of one or the other ... I just had leftovers)
1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch mix
Red onion, chopped fine
Red pepper, chopped fine

Mix. Eat. I broke up the tostadas to use as chips, but would recommend baked Scoops. Also really good with raw veg ... cauliflower and carrots. I even used it in place of "cheese" on a turkey burger for dinner tonight.

Better Than Potato Chips. Seriously.

I have a new addiction. I can't get enough of it. And, it's not so horrible for me!

I've posted this "recipe" before. But because it's so freaking good, I'm going to post it again.

Why do I love them? They crunch. A lot.

They're great for dipping in anything. Think hummus, salsa, dill dip, fake crab dip.

They're great for piling stuff on top of them. Think crostini ... or nachos! Ground turkey, cheese and salsa. Ricotta and olive tapenade. Blue cheese/herby goat cheese/smoked Gouda and cantaloupe.  Smoked salmon. Turkey, cream cheese and dried cranberries. The possibilities are endless! (And this month's Rachel Ray magazine has some "snack" ideas that would work great.)

With some adjustments to the salt sprinkle, they're versatile. Use garlic salt and call them "breadsticks" with spaghetti. Use a little cinnamon/sugar or Splenda mix for a sweet treat. Olive oil spray and oregano for a different version of Italian. Chili powder and cumin for Mexican. Rosemary and lemon pepper for a Mediterranean flair.

Now I'm hungry!

What I love most is that I control the oil and the salt, so I know what I'm eating isn't so bad. And because it's whole wheat, there's actually some nutrition in it, compared to baked Scoops or baked potato chips.

Pita Chips
Whole wheat pitas
Butter flavor veg spray or olive oil spray
Salt

Cut pitas in triangles or strips, Separate tops and bottoms. Place inside up on baking sheet. Spray with veg oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 350 degrees until crunchy. Store in airtight plastic bag.

Sweet, Salty Snack

I love sweet and salty flavors together. And I like things that crunch. This concoction was born last night in an effort to satisfy all those requirements.

Better Than Kettle Corn
Popcorn
Cinnamon Burst Cheerios
Butter Substitute
Cinnamon
Salt
Tastefully Simple Sweet Caramel Sprinkle

Pop the corn. I usually do it stove top with canola oil. Butter and salt it. Add a shake or three of cinnamon and a shot of Sweet Caramel Sprinkle (or a simple cinnamon/Splenda mixture would do). Toss in Cheerios. You could also stretch it with pretzels, almonds, golden raisins or even a few M&Ms! Mix and devour!

Party Swap-Outs

As previously mentioned, we had a Rose Bowl party yesterday. (And I had a blast, BTW.) Unbeknownst to my guests, I made a few switches to normal party fare in an effort to make it not as terrible as it could be.

No one even noticed.

Makes me feel a little sneaky. But makes my jeans feel better.

Here are the easy swap-outs I made. Nothing too terribly clever. But every little bit helps.

Taco meat: Use half lean ground beef and half ground turkey.
Crab dip: Use light or fat free sour cream and cream cheese.
Potato chips: Didn't serve them. Instead had a bowl of big, crunchy pretzels with honey mustard and stone-ground mustard for dipping.
Red velvet cupcakes: Made with Egg Beaters instead of whole eggs and applesauce instead of veg oil.
Shredded cheese and sour cream for taco bar: Used reduced fat versions of both.
Drinks: Offered diet sodas in all flavors for mixers and had a low-carb beer available.
Veg tray/dip: Used light sour cream.
Candy: Offered fat-free licorice instead of M&Ms.
Taco Bar: Offered whole wheat and corn tortillas in addition to white flour versions.
Tortilla chips: Baked Tostitos Scoops, baby.

What did this mean for me? Meant there was room for a delicious, soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie bar once everyone left and we were cleaning up the kitchen. Yum.

P.S. I have enough beer left over to have ANOTHER party sometime soon. Think of a reason to celebrate and come on over!