i wanted banana cream pie
so, lately the law around here has been: have a craving, satisfy it as quickly as possible. really great in some ways. really not great in others. happily for me, i don't own a scale. but i do own skinny jeans. which, come to think of it, are definitely scarier than a scale. i should really considering changing the law soon. . .
i digress.
last week i wanted banana cream pie. but didn't have patience for the 10+ hours of time the pie requires. so, this is what i ate intsead:
a pretty great substitute. it isn't pie, but it's something sweet and fast. graham cracker, slices of banana topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream. i think we've eaten it two or three times since and everyone is a fan.
and then there was the time when i wanted cheesecake. or chocolate. clearly a cheesecake wasn't happening, and the chocolate just wasn't doing it. so, i melted the chocolate (70% cacao bittersweet. i like dark.) and beat in cream cheese. berries to dip and, oh my word. it really was like eating chocolate cheesecake. but maybe even better because it took two minutes. the blueberries were especially awesome with the super dark mixture. it wasn't sweet enough for the girls, maybe a 60% cacao would have been a better bet for them, and chip isn't a big chocolate fan. but i loved it.
the time will soon come when i care about fitting into my pre-charlie skinny jeans and these quick, sweet treats will have to be forgotten about. but now is not that time. in fact, now i'm very very interested in your quick treats, because your old favorite just might become my new favorite! (and for you good souls who have only quick healthy "treats" to share, don't hold back. heaven knows, i need those too. . .) thanks for sharing, i'm excited!
...
unrelated business:
some of you have mentioned bloglines (and other feed readers) not keeping up to date with my blog. that's my fault. kind of a long story involving me jiggerring with some things that had more impact than intended. if you happened to come visit even though your reader tells you it has been five weeks since i updated, i'm so glad, it is great to have you here! in order to be kept up to date you will need to re-subscribe, and everything should be good . . . now, back to the good stuff: what are your favorites?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:27AM
Reader Comments (31)
My favorite snack is kettle corn! My husband and I make it a few times a week, at least! We start with a large stainless steel bowl. We add a bit of oil to coat the bottom of the bowl and add about 1/3 a cup of popcorn. On top of that, we add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspon of salt (or more if your really like it salty), and cover the bowl with some foil. Shake the bowl continuously over a burner on high until the popping slows. And thats it! This is the perfect salty/sweet snack. We really love it!
well, now, my former life was all about sweet treats. but now, my favorite treat (and greta's) is this: 1 cup of milk in blender. add a handful of spinach and blend. then add 1 tsp of honey OR 1 TBSP sugar. add 1 tsp vanilla. then add a few handfuls of frozen berries and blend. maybe even add some cream to make it extra creamy.
don't worry, the fruit totally masks the spinach. this seriously is like ice cream for me.
I melt a small bag of chocolate chips with 1/2 a can of sweetened condensed milk for quick fudge. Heat it for 30 seconds, then stir. Then 30 more seconds, then stir, until it's smooth. Pour it into a small tinfoil lined pan and put it in the fridge for a bit. It's the perfect cure for my chocolate attacks. AND, even better, do it with semi-sweet and then use the rest of the can of milk with a bag of peanut butter chips and layer that on top. Oh goodness. I need some. Make it stop.
I take a graham cracker, sprinkle with chocolate chips, some baby marshmallows, and pop in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Homemade smores!
When I have that sweet craving, I cut up a banana, drizzle chocolate and caramel
sauce over it. You can add nuts to it too. Apples work too.
Just discovered this one...one bite of a Peep + 1 or 2 unsalted almonds = something delicious.
Toast + chocolate soy nut butter + bananas + maple syrup…is a favorite in our house. Nutella also a great and readily available substitute for the choc. soy nut butter!
the old standby...fresh berries and cream. YUMMY! justifiable since the berries are nutritious right?
Hi! I am going to finally de-lurk and tell you I like your blog. So, here are my favorites.
#1 Saltine cracker tofee (Oh, so good. Tastes like a heath bar)
Boil 1 c. butter, 1 c. brown sugar till thick. Pour over a greased 13x9 baking pan lined with saltine crackers (whole, just lay them in there). Bake for 5 min. in 375 oven. Remove and sprinkle 12 oz. of choc. chips. Spread when they have become shiny and melty. Stick in freezer for 30 minutes. Break apart and pig out. (Also, I have added chopped nuts on the top before sticking in freezer)
#2 Melt white choc. chips with heavy cream to make a sauce. Pour over frozen berries. The sauce is hot and the berries stay frozen for awhile and it is a nice combo. It is really sweet and even non-chocolate lovers like the white sauce. Enjoy!
apples dipped in honey. a skinny jean-friendly recipe that tastes damn good!
THis is so easy. And so good.
Toast up your favorite nuts.. we used almonds and pumpkin seeds. Give them a good chopping. Now take a teaspoon. Dip that spoon into your favorite honey.
Not too much or it turns into a gloopy mess, then dip that spoon covered in honey into the chopped toasted nuts and put that into your mouth.
Done.
We went through half a jar of honey before we realized just how much of it we had eaten. With a spoon.
So good.
I like to melt dark chocolate chips, mix them with peanut butter, and dip apples and bananas into the mixture. Quick and delicious! Mmmm... I think I might make that right now...
If you like Nutter Butters a close and quick imitation can be enjoyed by eating graham crackers spread with peanut butter (chunky or creamy). So good. I'm sure with bananas it would be great, also!
If you like PB&J sandwiches, but don't want to actually eat a sandwich whole, get a spoonful of peanut butter and a spoonful of sweetened, dried cranberries (Craisins) -- and eat together. It's almost the same thing! Well, kind of.
Sad, I know. Unfortunately I have tested out a lot of these non-recipes from being lazy in the kitchen (and being lazy in general).
Bon Apetit.
Trader Joe's handmade flour tortillas warmed in a pan with chocolate chips and a few mini-marshmellos -- I call it a chocodilla. I "invented" this when I had a chocolate craving and virtually nothing in my pantry but those items.
I LOVE the banana cream pie cheater recipe. I'll have to try that soon!
Alright, this recipe is technically called Dump Cake, but I usually don't take the time to make a whole thing of it, just a bit at a time...
cherry pie filling (or any flavor) goes into a cereal bowl
sprinkle some white/yellow/whatever cake mix (dry) on the top
add a little dollop of butter
microwave/bake the whole thing till the butter melts
if you have coconut, toss some of that on top
My midwestern mom serves this as a whole "fru fru" dessert, but for me, it's just a bowl at a time sort of thing. It's SO amazingly good.
Trust me on this one.. strawberries dipped in a little sour cream or greek yogurt and rolled in brown sugar.
oh gosh, this looks sooooooooooooooooo goood!!!! YUM!
most of my secret snacks involve peanut butter. rice cake, spread PB, add a few mini marshmallows, microwave a few seconds. also works well on graham cracker. Or, spoonful of peanut butter dipped into a box of cereal (rice krispies, corn flakes, whatever). Or, melt some peanut butter and drizzle over vanilla ice cream or any kind of vanilla/chocolate combo ice cream, or any ice cream if you're more interesting than I am.
And old family favorite that doesn't involve peanut butter (did I make this for you that summer you lived with us?) toast bread, top with slices of cheddar cheese, sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar, put under broiler until cheese melts. We call it Cheese Cinnamon Sugar Toast (creative bunch, aren't we?). I know it sounds weird, believe me, I know. But EVERY skeptic who has tried it has been converted.
One that sounds healthy and almost is - strawberries with balsamic vinegar and sugar. the vinegar makes it seem like you're eating salad and you can almost forget about the sugar you added. :)
this is a dangerous subject for me...i could keep going...
this is a very dangerous post indeed! how about some 3-ingredient cookies?
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
roll into balls and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.
[p.s. just resubscribed--thanks!]
this is bad - but I had some left over chocolate frosting that needed to be used, so I would take a spoon and scoop a bunch of frosting onto one side, and then scoop a bunch of peanut butter on the other side, and eat. OOHHH so good.
And there is always my sweet craving standby - ye old no bake cookies! Have you had those recently?
A third one that I just learned this week, take some Neufchatel Cream cheese and mix in some brown sugar until it tastes good, and dip in fruit - I tried apples and grapes and it was excellent...
hmm, mine aren't terribly exciting or original and possibly not even available outside of Australia, but they are delicious:
- heat up a pouch of Rafferty's Garden apple, pear and cinnamon baby food and pour over vanilla ice cream. mmmm
- pour ice magic over really cold strawberries, let them set for quick choc-dipped strawberries
I love white mini marshmallows and a side of nutella for dipping.. It got me though studying for two university degrees.
for a salty snack, which watching American Idol, House or 24, I make this for my husband and myself,
take a tortilla, brush each side with veg. oil, place on baking sheet. Spread a thin coating of light ranch dressing on top, add chopped onions and bell peppers, sprinkle a little cajun spice, and some grated cheese (skim cheese if you want to really fit into the skiny jeans). I bake it till the cheese is good and melted and the bottom is slightly chrispy. I then cut it into quarters and chow down. It's actually figure friendly. I sometimes add grilled chicken if we have any on hand.
oh and...there is this cashew macadamia butter that is made by trader joe's and is heaven. i imagine the old spoonful of peanutbutter with chocolate chips would be particularly tasty with the trader joes substitute.
Mmm- Graham crackers spread with cream cheese, topped with lemon curd. (all available at Trader Joes...mmmmm)
I like strawberry cream cheese on toast...its my cheesecake substitute. well, not really. i like the graham cracker option better. and truffles. and homemade marshmellows.