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Summertime Snacks
Posted by on May 31, 2011
With the temperature in Pittsburgh around 90 degrees and the humidity at 110%, my appetite usually decreases in the summer months. I still wake up craving a decent breakfast but like to eat smaller meals for lunch and dinner, with snacks to fill in the gaps.
Who else spent their Saturday morning squeezing chickpeas? No one?
Saturday was my mother’s birthday, and we celebrated with a cookout. I made a batch of blondies that was a hybrid of Katie and Holly’s recent recipes. Mine included white chocolate chips, walnuts, and I used cake flour and a real egg instead of flax.
They came out a bit dry (I may have over baked them), so I whipped up a quick icing. “Healthy” went right out the window! 
With two cookouts this weekend, I tried to eat healthy during other meals. My friend who hosted a party on Sunday were kind enough to have a veggie burger to throw on the grill for me!
I’ve posted before about how much I love this pecan raisin bread from our local Mediterra Bakery. With a short and natural ingredient list (unbromated unbleached wheat flour, water, flame raisins, toasted pecans, organic whole wheat flour, water sea salt, organic cornmeal), it’s bread I can feel good about eating.
I’ve enjoyed it before as french toast or just toasted and topped with peanut butter, but now that I have that amazing PB & Co, I figured I’d do both.
Plus a little caramelized brown sugar (for good measure).
I got some good feedback on the watermelon smoothie yesterday, so I tried a cantaloupe/strawberry concoction. Since the fruit wasn’t frozen to begin with, the xanthan gum really comes in handy to thicken the smoothie.
In the cup:
1 cup very ripe cantaloupe
1 cup spinach
5 strawberries (frozen would be better)
sweetener (I used Splenda)
handful of icecubes
1/2 scoop protein powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
3 Tbsp ice cold water (just to get things blended)
Smoothies are an easy way to get in some nutrition even when you’re not too hungry. I think the melon varieties will help to prevent smoothie burnout!
Any good food finds at your parties this past weekend?
36 Responses to Summertime Snacks
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I want to try those blondies really badly. I love my black bean brownies… I imagine its the same sort of thing as far as not being able to taste the beans? Rockstar move adding the icing and serving them with a bowl of M&Ms.
I think I need to get on the chickpea blondie bandwagon..nom.
My healthy eating has been out the window since Friday. Oye.
Aww you’re such a sweetheart!
And pecan-raisin bread sounds really good!
You’re the healthy dessert queen – I’m sorry to adulterate your blondies
I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find a delicious soy-and-ginger marinated chicken coming off the grill (along with some grilled pineapple and roasted corn) at the cookout I went to yesterday. It DEFINITELY elevated from standard “burger and hot dog” fare. Along with the veggies and dip I brought, and fresh fruit everywhere…I was able to have a very healthy holiday.
I love knowing there will be plenty of fresh fruit around for the next few months! That chicken sounds awesome.
glad you had fun over the memorial day week-end! i noticed that you say “cookout,” i’m originally from D.C., and i noticed that east-coasters say “cookout,” west coasters say “bbq,” and mid-westerners say “grill out.” i’ve lived in all of these regions, it’s interesting!
I never thought of that as a regional expression before – that’s interesting!
Ahhhhh! I so menat to pick up some extra chick pease this weekend at the store to make those blondies.. but totally forgot. I usually try to avoid mid-week shopping trips, but I MAY have to make an exception!
I love the presentation of the blondies with the M&Ms; it looks so good.
No parties for us this weekend, but still lots of good food – probably the vegan cookie cake from Whole Foods is the winner though.
Mmm I might have to pick up one of those!
Chickpeas in blondies…what an amazing idea! This is why I love healthy food blogging!! You get such amazing ideas from other people! I love smoothies in summer…I could actually go for one right now (yay, for hot weather), but my mother, sister and I are going out for lunch…must save appetite!
Have a great lunch out! I’ve definitely learned so much being a part of this “community”.
That bread looks increadible. I want that… NOW!
The best food I enjoyed this weekend was porbably the pizza I devoured Sunday evening. I wanted to grill out, but when the buddies said pizza, I couldn’t turn it down!
Pizza is rarely disappointing
Looks super delish! Im in a smoothie mood lately. Its all I want to eat. We actually jsut hit the beach this weekend so we didnt have a picnic or anything. So no interesting eats but it was fun though! Hope you had a fabulous weekend!
I’d prefer hitting the beach to having a picnic ANY day.
I didn’t go to any parties this weekend
I wish I had!!
You’ve got the whole summer ahead for that!
I ate waaay too much this weekend! But lots of good food
No veggie burgers though, I just made myself salads with hummus while everyone else had burgers 
Works for me!
I use xanthan gum in my smoothies too!
I can never depend on my family/friends to have salads available, but I still love them
I love chickpeas! I eat those things right out of the can, haha! So good!
GO PITT! Love the glass!! The smoothies sounds good too!
Hope your day was great!!
Thanks Katie – it tasted much better than it looked, for sure!
I so want a blondie with frosting and M&Ms (or whatever is in that bowl)!!!
Hehe yep, M&M’s. Had to include some chocolate somehow!
I had the most amazing grilled corn this weekend! That pecan raisin bread sounds awesome!
Grilled corn sounds fantastic – and simple – but I’ve never had it!
Hail Pitt! LOL. The smoothie cup
I agree, my appetite decreases in the heat.. except for my appetite for watermelon
Icing on brownies is such a good idea!
I’m all about fresh, cool fruits in the summer time – I can never have enough!
Those blondies look scrumptious, I love the icing idea. Such a cute presentation with the candy in the middle
I had way too much food this weekend. Time to up the veggies 
Thats bread looks amazing! All this party talk makes me wish we had memorial day in canada
Alright, I think the chickpea gods are telling me something, and that something: I need to make these blondies ASAP. I did the black bean brownies and loved them so these can only be equally, if not more, scrumptious.
I made the chickpea blondies, too, and mine were super gooey! I used agave instead of the brown sugar, so maybe that helps them be more gooey??
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