Smart Cookie Shopping: Banana Bread English Muffins, Teapots, & More

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Can you believe we’re already on our 4th edition of Smart Cookie Shopping? It feels like I just debuted this new bi-weekly feature highlighting my current favorite food products. If you’d like to catch up on the past editions, you can do so right here.

It’s time to dish on the latest products at the grocery store, plus some bonus kitchen must-haves. What should you be writing on your shopping list? I’ve got the round-up right here.DSC_7361

1. Coffee-mate Sugar-Free Caramel Macchiatto Creamer – available in most grocery stores
If you drink coffee every day, then pour a little something extra in to shake things up a bit. No, not alcohol; try flavored coffee creamer! The sugar-free stuff is low in calories, and the Caramel Macchiatto kind from Coffee-Mate is an indulgent treat.DSC_7388

2. Special K Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich with Egg, Vegetables & Pepper Jack Cheese - available in the freezer section of most grocery stores
Sometimes, a bowl of cereal just doesn’t cut it. These sandwiches are low in fat and calories but loaded with protein, so they’re a great way to get you going in the morning. I like to eat ‘em at lunch too. Best of all, they’re scrumptious! They’re perfect for when you’re short on time but need something satisfying.DSC_7383-2

3. Lipton Blueberry & Pomegranate White Tea – available in the coffee/tea aisle of most grocery stores
Fresh and fruity, a cup of this aromatic tea is the perfect way to perk up in the a.m.DSC_7315

4. Strawberry Banana Teddy Grahams – available in the snack aisle of most grocery stores
When I saw these I said, “Well, I HAVE to buy these.” It’s impossible not to love Teddy Grahams; they’re arguably the cutest darn snack at the store. These new Strawberry Banana ones are just in time for summer. They’re sweet and snackable.DSC_7338

5. Blue Diamond Mocha Coffee Almonds – available with the nuts in most grocery stores
Well folks, I found a new obsession. These crunchy nuts are coated in real coffee, and dang, are they addicting!DSC_7323

6. Hannaford Energy Water Enhancer in Cherry Limeade – available at Hannaford
This stuff tastes like Code Red Mountain Dew minus the fizz, and I dig it.DSC_7354

7. Pace Southwest Chipotle Restaurant Style Salsa – available in most grocery stores
This has a smokey flavor and moderate spice that makes it a nice departures from regular salsa.DSC_7294

8. Thomas Banana Bread English Muffins – available in the bread aisle of most grocery stores
Banana must be the flavor of the season. I was super excited to try these, and they didn’t let me down. You can taste the banana prominently, but it won’t overwhelm you. They’re perfect with a smattering of peanut butter.DSC_7394

9. Owl teapot – available at Pier One Imports
My new kitchen is owl-themed, so I was thrilled to spot this beautiful teapot. It’s a lovely little accent to my kitchen and cheers me up every time I see it. I also have a matching coffee mug!DSC_7399 DSC_7402

10. Cat mug - available at Pier One Imports
Alright, you guys know I’m a cat lady, so it only makes sense that I buy this adorable mug. Anything that puts a smile on my face first thing in the morning is worth owning.

Which of these products are you dying to pick up on your next shopping trip? What are you latest food obsessions?

Healthy Cookie: Crunchy Baked Parmesan Snap Peas

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Explain this to me: there are people who like ketchup but don’t like tomatoes; there are vegetarians who don’t like salad. These are what I like to call food paradoxes, and I happen to be guilty of both of them.

Do you have a food paradox? I can’t be the only one. I know Mother Cookie loves white chocolate but generally does not like sweets. What a freak, right? The thing about food paradoxes though is that they only make sense to the person who has it. I don’t think it’s weird that I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t like salad, but other people never fail to notice and comment on it. It’s like how my sister not only dislikes nuts but is allergic to them, and yet she loves and consumes peanut butter. She thinks this is perfectly normal, but I think she’s a freak of nature, and possibly an adrenaline junkie who likes tempting fate.

Are we all just crazy, or could these food paradoxes be normal?  I feel better knowing I’m not alone. One of my strangest food paradoxes is that I dislike peas, but I love sugar snap peas. These are practically the same thing, and yet the extra smidgen of sweetness and the crunchy pod make sugar snaps ten times more appealing to me than regular peas.

In fact, these sweeties have become my latest snacking obsession. I keep a bag in the fridge at all times to snack on when the mood strikes. You wouldn’t catch me snacking on regular peas like that, but sugar snaps are a sweet exception. And since I’ve been eating so many of them, I found a new, easy way to prepare them, just a simple switch that highlights their sweetness while adding an oven-baked upgrade: Crunchy Baked Parmesan Sugar Snap Peas.DSC_6250

You can bake these up in just a few minutes and have a flavorful, crispy and cheesy snack that will kick any potato chip craving in the butt while being ten times better for you. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, oven-baking is a magical process that infuses a whole load of fantastic flavors without the fat or calories of frying. It’s a beautiful thing.

It’s so effortless to chomp down handfuls and handfuls of these, much like you do when you plop down on the couch with a bag of chips. Luckily, you don’t have to feel like a guilty Fatty McFattington for doing so because these crunchy snap peas are good for you. Delicious and healthy? There’s another paradox for you.

Who cares what other people think about your food preferences? Weird as your paradoxes may be, all that matters is that you eat what you love and get the nutrients you need. And whether you like peas or hate ‘em like I do, you’re going to love this simple snack.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Parmesan is an amazing cheese because a little goes a long way. You save serious calories with a sprinkle of parm instead of a blanket of another cheese.
  2. The hot red pepper flakes are optional. If you like spice, it’s a great way to kick things up.
  3. These also make a delicious side dish.
  4. The shape of a snap pea makes it feel like you’re eating a French fry. That’s another reason they’re so satisfying.
  5. Fresh is the way to be with these peas.
  6. Kosher salt is coarser and more flavorful. If you sub in table salt, it won’t have quite the same effect. But if you must do so, use ½ teaspoon instead.DSC_6298

Crunchy Baked Parmesan Snap Peas
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag fresh sugar snap peas
  • 2 tsp. olive oil or nonstick cooking spray*
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

*Either works, but the cooking spray is a bit less calories

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and either sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the olive oil or spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Lay the snap peas out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil or spray lightly with nonstick spray. Use your hands to lightly toss the peas and make sure they’re evenly coated.
  3. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic powder. Bake for 15 minutes or until they start turning golden brown. Flip the peas then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for another 5 – 10 minutes or until browned and crisp. Let cool slightly then enjoy.

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Wanna stay in touch so you don’t miss a bite? Be sure to subscribe using the form in the left sidebar, and like Smart Cookie on Facebook!

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Brownie-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

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When you’re moving, there are two essential things you need: a place to move to and someone or something to help move your stuff to that place. When I moved recently, I had neither until the very last minute. In fact, I was so preoccupied with trying to acquire the first part that I almost forgot about the second part altogether. But as my move-in date approached, I realized it was going to take a lot more than Mother Cookie and I to move my bulky bedroom furniture.

Luckily, at the last moment, three of my friends and one of my co-workers agreed to help transport all of my junk to my new place. In return, I had only one thing to offer: food. Thank goodness I’m the Smart Cookie Cook, because I don’t know how else I would’ve paid the guys back. Although I still feel indebted to them, I think the treats I crafted were a good start.

The Brownie-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites were my best way to thank the guys for giving up their day to help me out. I pulled out all the stops: chocolate, peanut butter, and raw baked goods (because almost all baked goods are better before baking). If that fierce trio doesn’t make for the sweetest, most scrumptious treat, then nothing does.

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The Weekender: Moving, Big Changes, & Cookie Dough

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What do you get when you take finals week, moving, and living on your own for the first time? Answer: my life for the past two weeks. In a whirlwind 14 days, my family moved out of their CNY home, and in the process, we parted ways. My parents are relocating to New Jersey, and this Smart Cookie is living on her own for the first time. Well, almost. Mother Cookie is sticking around for a few days to help me get settled in. My life is changing so much in such a short amount of time that I can hardly keep up. It’s like trying to stay on a rollercoaster without any kind of harness or bar to keep me in place.

So what does this mean for Smart Cookie? Well, as you know, Mother Cookie contributes very much to the inner workings of the site. I explained a lot of it in my video tribute to her on Mother’s Day:

Now that I am completely on my own, taking care of both myself and the website, it is going to get harder, and I will be even more pressed for time than I already am. That being said, I fully intend to press forward with Smart Cookie because making food and sharing it with you is my passion. It’s going to be difficult, but I will make it work.

Also, as you can imagine, the videos will now be shot in my apartment’s kitchen, which is smaller. But since you’re watching those videos to see the food and to see me being my usual crazy self, and those things aren’t going anywhere, that hardly matters!

So amongst all this chaos, I still churned out some delicious stuff for you this week. Let’s review, shall we?

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Stuffed Strawberry French Toast Roll-Ups

DSC_6715I have to apologize to you guys because I neglected a very important meal of the day: breakfast. I’ve posted over 500 amazing recipes on here since starting Smart Cookie almost 2 years ago, but a very small portion of them are breakfast-related. I didn’t plan for that, nor were there any anti-breakfast biases involved; I just don’t cook breakfast as often as I do other meals.

It’s so easy to give breakfast the cold shoulder. You just rolled out of the bed, and you’re usually in a rush to get going with the day, so why would you want to soak up valuable time preparing an elaborate meal in the early hours? Most of the time, we save our energy and tricks for a fancy dinner or dessert instead. But it’s important to give your tummy some love at every meal, and it’s not as hard to craft a magnificent meal in the a.m. as you think. We’ve got no excuse to neglect breakfast any longer.

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Healthy Cookie: Creamy Avocado Sauce & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes w/ Spaghetti (Squash)

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Every time I eat an avocado, I think it’s a trick. Something can’t be THAT good and THAT good for you; life just doesn’t work like that. And yet, unless science is lying to me, that delectable avocado is loaded with nutrients and creamy richness. It’s miracle food, my friends.

Now that I’m on a feverish avocado kick, I try to think of every way possible to eat them. My Simple Chunky Guacamole is a crowd pleaser (of course, you can’t go wrong with the bacon variety either), but what if I want to make a meal out of my avocado?

A great option seemed to be some of the avocado pastas I’ve seen floating around on the internet and making me drool like a dog. There are cream sauces, mac and cheeses, and more, all adorned with avocado. But lately, I’ve been trying to take it easy on the carbs at dinnertime (which you’d never guess by yesterday’s post), so I needed to sub that starchy pasta with something else. Here’s my seamless solution: Creamy Avocado Sauce & Roasted Cherry Tomatoes w/ Spaghetti Squash.

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Easy, Big, Fat Garlic Knots

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I know we’re all supposed to be afraid of bread and carbs, but my god, sometimes you just need them. When it comes to eating your emotions, I swear no food makes me feel better than some good, starchy carbs. They fill me up with artificial comfort, and make my tummy happy. Maybe they don’’t make my thighs happy, but they sure do taste good.

That’s why, after a rough week, I knew I needed some carby goodness to take the edge off. You see, you have three options to lift your mood when things go sour: drink, do drugs, or eat. I don’t bother with either of the first two; they’re too expensive and render you incapable of controlling yourself. Instead, I turn to food when I’m down in the dumps. It’s inexpensive and won’t cause you half the bodily harm that alcohol and drugs do (assuming you don’t eat too much).

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Strawberry Coconut Macaroons

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I get a lot of traits from my mother, but my paralyzing indecisiveness is not one of my favorites. For me, trying to make a decision, even a simple one, is a huge struggle. I used to wonder how I got to be that way, why I couldn’t do something as basic as choosing an ice cream flavor without succumbing to total analysis paralysis. Well, after some time and closer observance of my mother, it became clear she was the source.

Thanks, Mom!

Between the two of us, reaching any kind of decision is nearly impossible. So when Mother’s Day started looming in the near future and I knew I needed to menu-plan, I started pestering my mom weeks in advance about what she wanted so we could maybe come to a consensus by May 12. It took until a day or two before, but I did finally come up with an idea she liked: Strawberry Coconut Macaroons.

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Happy Mother’s Day: A Video to Mother Cookie & Mama’s Everywhere

Happy Mother’s Day! Treat your mama to some good food; everyone knows that’s the way to a mother’s heart.

I cooked up a quick video message to Mother Cookie and all you other moms out there, including a special serenade. Enjoy!

See you all tomorrow for a brand new, delicious recipe. In the meantime, be sure to like Smart Cookie on Facebook so you don’t miss a bite!sccfb-2

Almond Joy Poke Cake

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I used to wonder where I got such a passion for food from. It consumes my daily thoughts, and when I am upset, food is the source of comfort I go straight to. But lately, I’ve realized it’s obvious where my obsession stems from: Mother Cookie. Like mother, like daughter, right?

You see, last week was a stressful one here in the Smart Cookie household. When Mother Cookie was having a particularly rough day, she slouched over to me and asked,

“Can I have some of your Almond Joy Poke Cake, or were you saving it for something?”

I looked up and replied,

“Have as much as you want.”

“I’m going to stick my whole freakin’ face in it,” she declared and trotted off.

That’s my mom!

Mother Cookie knows the healing powers of food, and after a hard day, she wasn’t afraid to embrace a big old pan of my Almond Joy Poke Cake. Considering that cake has “joy” in its name, it should come as no surprise that it has unparalleled mood-lifting powers in every heavenly bite.

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