Ava:

"Mom! I'm hungry!" 

"Mom, can we have a snack?"

Charlotte:

"Snacky, Snacky!"

"My tummy is growling, can I have a...SNACK?"

Do your kids sound like mine? They are serial snackers and would prefer to snack all day instead of sitting for an actual meal. It drives me a bit looney. And, I get it, I like to snack too but I feel the snacking can get a bit out and hand at times and I'd rather fuel them with good, nutritious, and wholesome foods. So below I'm going to list a few of our "junk food" or "snack food" hacks and alternatives. And for the sake of full disclosure here there are times that junk foods sneak through, it's all about the balance right? ha ha! These are mostly healthy kid’s snack substitutions but they work well for the whole family and I threw in my favorite snack alternative at the end {the one I break out when my little dragons angels are in bed for the night}. 

1. Cheese Crackers

[ Homemade Cheese Crisps instead of Cheez Its ]

We were having dinner at a friends house one evening and they had these awesome cheese crisps sitting out on the table, they were homemade and delicious! The girls and Aaron went nuts over them. I asked her what her secret was and she shared her recipe with me. They are a great alternative to cheez its which my kids love, and not going to lie so, do I...

They. can. be. so. addicting. Am I right?! But, here's a healthier alternative to try:

Homemade Cheese Crisps 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Add cheese slices leaving about 1/2 inch between. I slice down cheddar from our milk co-op. Bake them for 10-12 minutes or until browned. Using a paper towel, dab each cheese slice to absorb the oil. Leaving cheese on parchment paper, transfer to wire rack to cool. Will crisp once completely cool. Enjoy!

2. Snack Bars

[ Clif Kid Z Bars instead of Chewy Bars ]

These Clif Kid bars have almost zero cons, they taste great...I even like them better than the regular Clif bars. They are a filling snack option or when paired with fruit and milk can be a decent fast breakfast for on-the-go mornings. They come several different flavors; S’mores, Chocolate Chip, Iced Oatmeal Cookie, Iced Lemon Cookie and Chocolate Brownie (my girl's favorite). They are a tad pricey but I watch for sales at my local store and then grab a couple boxes but a better way to get a deal on these is to buy them in bulk. You can buy an 18 count box off of Amazon for around $11.11-$11.96. That makes the bars about .61-.66 cents per bar. They have 3g of fiber and I don't feel guilty handing these over to them. 

3. Popsicles

[ Homemade Ice Pops instead of Store Bought Popsicles ]

 I don't always make homemade popsicles for the girls, if I don't have the time I will buy the Outshine brand, they have a fruit and veggie kids line. Also, I'm obsessed with their watermelon pops that are new for the season. You can find my favorite pop maker's here and here, this is what I use when I whip up a batch of freezer pops. Below are also two recipes we like, one suitable for the family and one thats adult only! Did someone say, boozy pops!?

[For the family]

Watermelon Lime Pops

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut water

1/3 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons honey or agave 

4 cups cubed seedless watermelon

Directions:

Place coconut water, lime juice, and honey in a blender and mix to combine.

Place the watermelon into the syrup. Blend until smooth.

Carefully fill popsicle molds and insert sticks. Freeze until firm.

[For adults]

Champagne and Fruit Pops

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Barefoot Bubbly Berry Fusion

3/4 cup Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry Champagne

8-10 oz of mixed berries, apples and pomegranate arils

Directions:

Fill half of popsicles wells half way up with Barefoot Bubbly Berry Fusion and the other popsicles wells half way up with Bubbly Extra Dry Champagne. Layer each well with a variety of fruit. Cover top of popsicle mold with foil. Create a hole in the center of each well just large enough to insert a popsicle stick; insert popsicle stick. Transfer to freezer and chill until frozen solid, about 2-4 hours (time may vary according to freezer type and how full it is).

4. Mac & Cheese

[ Butternut Squash Mac instead of Kraft ]

I grew up loving Kraft mac and cheese, and I won't lie I do make it occasionally for the girls if I'm in a rush or not feeling overly ambitious (I do throw in some peas to make myself feel better about serving it). A few months ago I found this recipe and alternative for a healthier mac and cheese, I made it and every single person in this house loved it! The secret weapon in this recipe? Butternut Squash! Try it, I promise you will not regret it. 

1 and ½ cups macaroni noodles, uncooked

3-4 cups cubed butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup vegetable broth

¾ cup milk

1 and ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Optional: fresh parsley

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium low heat.

Meanwhile, peel the butternut squash and remove the seeds. Cut into large chunks. (or buy pre-cut or frozen butternut squash)

Boil the squash until completely tender and then drain. Place the squash in the blender with the butter, lots of salt, pepper, broth, paprika, and milk.

Pulse until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the cooked noodles and add the cheese. Stir until melted.

Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with parsley if desired.

5. Ice cream

[ Halo Top instead of Ben & Jerry's ]

I love ice cream, support those dairy farmers! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) Ben & Jerry's has always been my favorite, from Phish Food to Strawberry Cheesecake but after seeing Halo Top and their cute little pint's in the grocery store freezer section (marketing is everything) I decided to give into the hype and try this low-calorie, high-protein "healthy" ice cream. The first one I bought was the Birthday Cake. I devoured it in minutes and was amazed at how much it tasted like traditional ice cream. Afterward, I decided to check up on the brand and see if it really is a healthy as the company claims and there really is no contest, this brand is currently blowing all of the other ice cream brands out of the water in almost every important nutritional category. Birthday Cake & Red velvet are my current favorites but I'm looking to try more of their flavors including the Oatmeal Cookie! 

Happy Friday!

xo- Tiffany

Well, it's Wednesday morning again...The weekend went way too fast as well as the first part of the week. Tomorrow is the last day of swim lessons for the girls and I'm actually really sad to see it end because they have enjoyed it so, so much. Ava was bumped up to level two after the first three days and Charlotte is finally going under water and completing her skills sets for level one. As I sit here I quickly close my eyes {for a nano second} while sipping on this 'cuppa' mint tea and start mentally preparing myself for the day, I usually wake up a tad more refreshed but I was up at 3 am this morning dealing with the aftermath of Naomi trying prunes for the first time {will I ever learn my lesson with babies trying that particular food? ha!} Ava usually keeps me stepping in the morning, constantly reminding me that we can't be late for lessons and she's in her suit about two hours before we even have the leave; I truly hope she acts the same way when it comes to kindergarten this fall. One of my favorite summer memories as a kid was going to morning swim lessons and then getting to go off the diving board at the end of the second week, needless to say, both of these girls are so excited to do that on Thursday. I told the girls I would make a special dessert to celebrate the end of swim lessons if they try and complete all of the skills needed for their level. Charlotte's last skill to complete is the task of 'diving for rings', fingers crossed that she finally tries it. The recipe I'm going to make is one that I've shared before on here but it's a favorite in our house, even my non-dessert loving husband will eat this {and go back for seconds}..

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Ingredients:

Directions: