Grown Up Ants on a Log

I don't know about you, but we are having some picnic weather here today in Portland! A great, easy snack for packing up to take to the park is ants on a log. Traditionally made with celery, peanut butter and raisins- O decided on a more grown up version for myself. :)

To make these ants on a log you will need:

A couple stalks of celery, washed and cut into 3-4" pieces

Chevre (a tangy goat cheese for those of you unfamiliar with it--yum!)

Dried cranberries (mine are organic and were purchased at Trader Joe's)

Just wash and cut up your celery, and then use a butter knife to spread your chevre onto each piece. Dot the top with your cranberry "ants" and you are ready to serve! When taking these on a picnic I will usually spread the cheese onto each celery stalk, and then loosely sandwich two pieces together to put in a sandwich bag. I then pull them apart at the park and put on the cranberries right before I am ready to serve.

Yum! One of my favorite summer snacks (absolutely no cooking/baking required!). What are some of your favorite picnic snacks?

Brie and Radish Crostini

I've been super busy trying to clean up my craft area this new year, so I haven't had a lot of time for posting or cooking (stay tuned for info about a de-stash giveaway I'll be having soon!). As a result, I have been trying to find ways to create easy snacks and dinners without lots of fuss. This Brie and radish crostini is super easy, and goes great as part of a larger meal or is a quick snack!

You will need:

a french baguette (I got one at the grocery store, you can certainly make your own if you're into that)
sliced brie, room temperature
Radishes, sliced

Slice your baguette into fairly thin slices (about 3/4 inch thick or so). Add a slice of brie and a few radish slices to each. Enjoy! If you prefer toasted bread, feel free to pop the sliced baguette into a toaster oven or under the broiler in your conventional oven to lightly toast before adding toppings.

I especially like this because the radishes add a great crunch without adding too much flavor. The hus and I will add stuff like sliced sausage, carrot sticks, or hard boiled eggs to make this more of a meal (we call it "snacky dinner"). It's super quick and easy and you can pre-slice veggies and cheese on your weekend to make this a 5 minute weeknight meal.

Friday Food Craft: Granola Bars

I'm a little obsessed with these granola bars. They are really yummy and packed with flavor. I came across the original recipe from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts and had to dabble with it to get my own favorites involved.

To make my version of these tasty granola bars you will need:

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup natural almond butter
1/3 cup honey (I used blackberry honey)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, not quick oats

To start, melt your oil, almond butter and honey together in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add in the dark chocolate chips and stir until melted.

Remove from heat and add in your remaining ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly coated and well combined.

Pour into a small baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper (my dish was 9"x7"). I tried some of these in a dish that had just been greased, and while they do come out, it is much harder to get them out of the pan looking nice. I'd definitely go for the parchment paper.

Place in refrigerator to set and store them there. They get a little gooey at room temperature, delicious but messy.

Enjoy! I have plans to try some with marshmallows and graham crackers as mix ins for S'mores granola bars soon!