Over a dozen delicious and healthy summer snack recipes at your finger tips! Wishing everyone a summer filled with love, hope, joy, memories and fun!

Watermelon Slushy

Who doesn’t love watermelon? A great addition to your summer is this refreshing slushy. You’re family will just love it!

3 cups diced watermelon

2 tablespoons lime juice

10 drops of liquid Stevia or to taste

1 cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in the blender to make your slushy!

Fruit Skewers served with my Healthy Fruit Dip

Children will have fun placing fruits like grapes, pineapple cubes, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi on skewers! Serve the skewers with a my Healthy Fruit Dip. if you aren’t going to eat the skewers right away, you can sprinkle some lemon or orange juice over the fruit to keep from browning.

Healthy Fruit Dip

8 ounces cream cheese

¼ c.  raw honey

2-3 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add a little milk at a time until you reach a smooth consistency. You’re in for a treat!

Serve with your choice of fresh fruit.

Whole Grain Bagel with either Vegetable or Strawberry Cream Cheese

Vegetable Cream Cheese

I hosted a brunch for the first Cooking with Elise segment on the My Carolina Today show in April.  In addition to lots of other  treats, I served these two cream cheeses with an assortment of bagels. People went crazy!

2 pkgs. cream cheese

1/3 c. finely grated carrot

¼ of a green bell pepper, finely chopped

¼ of a red bell pepper, finely chopped

Pinch of Slap Ya Mama

¼ tsp. garlic powder

Whip all ingredients together in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.

Strawberry Cream Cheese

2 pkg. cream cheese

16 oz. strawberry preserves-no sugar added (or your favorite jam)

1 T. agave nectar

1 T. orange zest

Whip all ingredients together in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.

Hummus with Toasted Pita Chips

1 (14.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved

4 tbsp. Tahini  (sesame paste)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves of smashed garlic cloves

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In a blender, combine ingredients well using a little liquid at a time. You may not have to use all of the liquid. Serve with toasted pita chips. Cut Ezekiel or another pita bread in eighths and separate to make 16 pieces. Bake chips in a 350 degree oven for a couple of minutes. You can also enjoy this hummus with fresh vegetables.

Variations:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Broil a red bell pepper until the skin blackens. Immediately place pepper in a paper bag and let sit five minutes. Remove blackened skin and process with other ingredients.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Omit garlic powder. Expose the garlic by using a serrated knife to cut off the top. Place in a glass baking dish or wrapped in foil. Brush a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast garlic in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes or until browned. Add to other ingredients and process.

Hummus without Tahini (Sesame Paste)

1 can garbanzo beans

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

½ tsp. salt

2 cloves roasted garlic

Using a blender combine all ingredients.

Toasted Pita Chips

12 pita bread (I like Ezekiel pita bread)

Olive oil spray

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Cut each pita into 8 triangles. Place triangles on lined cookie sheet.

Spray pita chips with olive oil spray and sprinkle with spices.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Watch carefully, as they tend to burn easily! We love these with our homemade hummus.

Cinnamon Sugared Pecans

A favorite of many, I make this recipe with just about every nut you can think of!

2 egg whites

1 tsp. salt

2 c. sugar

4 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Pinch of white pepper

4 cups unsalted pecans, almonds, or mixed nuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat egg whites lightly with salt. Sift together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice and mix well. Add pecans to egg whites and coat completely. Transfer pecans to cinnamon sugar mixture. Coat pecans completely and place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sugar coating on nuts is crisp. Cool and serve or store in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1 cup toasted wheat germ

1 tablespoons powdered milk

Mix ingredients well, shape into balls.  Roll in coconut if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a great snack food.  It is a good source of fiber and low in calories–until you add toppings.  Don’t add salt, but try sprinkling grated Parmesan or American cheese on top. A little Slap Ya Mama seasoning from Louisiana gives you a nice spicy popcorn!

Zipper top bags of popcorn are handy for taking along on picnics and other outings.

Healthy and Delicious “Cracker Jacks”

6 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup butter

6 cups popped popcorn

1 cup peanuts or other nut

Melt honey and butter in microwave until melted and blended. Let cool.  Mix peanuts and popcorn; pour honey mixture over and stir till coated.  Spread in single layer in shallow baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes.  Stir several times during baking. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Store in airtight container.

Apricot Nectar

Soak 1/2 cup dried apricots in 2 cups of pineapple juice for about 1 hour. Process in blender till smooth.

Banana Strawberry Smoothie

2 cups milk

1 banana

1 c. strawberries

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Process in blender till smooth.  This is a good way to use up bananas.

Homemade Frozen Pops

1 6-oz. can frozen juice concentrate, softened   try orange, grape, or fruit punch

1 juice can water

2 containers of plain yogurt Popsicle sticks and cups

Process in blender. Pour into cups and insert sticks.  Freeze.

Small paper cups work pretty well as molds for these recipes.

Make Your Own Pudding Pops

1 small pkg. instant pudding mix–any flavor

1 3/4 cup lowfat milk

Mix as directed on package.  Once again, pour into molds and add sticks.  Freeze.