Snack Time!

I have a snacker on my hands- we can't go anywhere without a stash of raisins or a pack of applesauce. When we're home I've been trying to keep snacks to fruits or veggies and a fun and healthy way we've been snacking is with fermented foods. So far, with the help of my sweet friend Grace, we've successfully made fermented dill pickles, carrots, sweet pickles and salsa.

If you are not familiar with what fermented foods are, here is a great introduction to the basics and benefits! A big reason why I've decided to get into fermenting was the health benefits for Sawyer. After all his little digestive system has gone through, I couldn't help but be sold on the healing they could provide his digestive tract.

Here's a glimpse at how I made the sweet pickles. I used this recipe from The Nourishing Cook.

Lactofermented Sweet Pickles

2 quart size mason jars

7 c. sliced cucumbers (thank you garden!)

1 c. sliced onion

1 c. fresh lemon juice

1/3 c. whey

1 c. honey

3 tbsp. sea salt

1 tbsp. celery seed

2 tsp. turmeric (I omitted)

1 tbsp. mustard seed

Chop the onion and cucumbers and divide between the two mason jars.

Juice the lemon and combine with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. I used a measuring cup because it was easier to pour the liquid into the jars. (The bottle of honey I used only came out to 3/4 cup but they were still sweet enough.)

Pour the liquid equally over each jar of cucumbers and onions. Use water if there is not enough liquid to cover the veggies to a half inch below the rim. 

Then comes the fermentation! Place the jars in a cupboard and cover with a towel for two days. After two days, remove the jars from the cupboard and store in the refrigerator. 

Here's also a peek at my kombucha brew! Not familiar with kombucha? Here's an intro! Thanks again to Grace for getting me started with my very own scoby last week! 

Ok, one more... A favorite snack for Sawyer and I has been chia seed pudding. If you have texture issues, this one's not for you but chia seeds have amazing health benefits so give it a try! Here's the link to the recipe I've adapted from. 

Chia Seed Pudding

1 c. almond milk (you can use any milk)

3 tbsp. chia seeds

2 tbsp. agave (or other sweetener of choice)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

Pour the milk into a small bowl that has a lid. Add the remaining ingredients and cover the bowl. Give it a few shakes to mix it all together and store the bowl in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

The chia seeds will begin to gel and longer you leave it in the refrigerator. I like to leave mine in at least eight hours so it's more pudding like. I do shake the bowl a couple times while it's doing it's thing in the refrigerator because the seeds will settle and the pudding can get lumpy. (Hmm, lumpy is not a good word choice, the consistency will be uneven, maybe?)  

There's lots of chia seed pudding recipes out there so you can play with the flavors if cinnamon is not your favorite. Sawyer definitely digs the pudding though!

Almond Graham Crackers

This graham cracker recipe was so easy and they turned out really delicious! My kitchen had a wonderful cinnamon smell as these cooked in the oven! They ended up being a little soft so they may be more like thin almond cookies but I may try cooking another batch longer to see if that helps, because there will be a second batch for sure. I'm not a paleo dieter but I took this recipe from a Paleo Kid Snacks cookbook. I like looking through paleo recipes because they are, number one, gluten free, but they are also free from refined sugars and highly processed oils. There are quite a few restricted foods on the paleo diet like cheese that I really dig so I couldn't go all out!  

Almond Graham Crackers

2 1/4 c. blanched almond meal (or finely ground almonds)

3 tbsp. coconut oil

3 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl or stand mixer and mix on low until the dough begins to form a ball. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough to an 1/8 thick. Pole holes in the dough every couple inches. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately cut into squares with a pizza cutter.

Cool and enjoy!!