Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Almonds Trail Mix

You only need 4 ingredients to whip up this easy to make & addictive Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Almonds Trail Mix... 

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Huy Fong Sriracha Almonds.

Who else just loves getting their snack on? Personally, I am a big fan of anything sweet, salty, & crunchy with a little kick of heat. Who else is with me on this one? ;)

That is why I was crazy excited when I got the chance to try the one and only Huy Fong Original Sriracha Almonds. These California roasted premium almonds are flavored with the official, full-flavored taste of the authentic Huy Fong brand Sauce. It's just like having your favorite Sriracha sauce in a perfectly snackable form! 

Hawaiian Pizza Pineapple Bites

These grilled Hawaiian Pizza Pineapple Bites have all the deliciousness of a traditional Hawaiian pizza minus the guilt...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot. The opinions and text are all mine.

Can we talk tailgating/football party food for just a sec? I think the food is the best part of game day. 

Yes, I get into the game (most of the time), but it doesn't matter to me if the home team is winning or losing just as long as there is good food being served. 

The only issue I take with most traditional game day snacks is how unhealthy they can be. Not that I am a huge health nut, but it is definitely nice when there are a few healthier options on the menu for the big game.

I know what you all are thinking right now- healthier food has to be more expensive & that just doesn't jive when you have to feed a crowd for the game. But healthier game day eating doesn't have to empty your wallet. Not when you can shop at your local Save-A-Lot for all your football party needs. ;) 

That's right- your local Save-A-Lot has all the fresh (& healthy!) produce, meats, & even the essential paper products you need to make your game day get-together delicious & healthier without breaking the bank!

Unicorn Yogurt Pops

These magical Unicorn Yogurt Pops are the perfect frosty & healthy treat for back to school...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon, Silk, & So Delicious. The opinions and text are all mine.

We are in full-on back to school mode over here. My son starts his senior year of high school in less than a week, and my youngest will start her first day of Pre-K the week after. To say I have my hands full over here getting them both ready for the new school year would be an understatement. ;) 

The biggest challenge for me right now is making sure that they both get a healthy start to the year. It is trying to find that balance between making sure they have healthier, more real food snacks on hand to enjoy after school while still making sure that those same snacks are also fun for the kiddos. I think I successfully accomplished both of those goals with these magical Unicorn Yogurt Pops.

These frosty pops are a creamy blend of bananas, protein-packed Greek yogurt, and our favorite almondmilk. But what makes them magical for the kids are the swirls of bright colors and the fun star-shaped sprinkles... ;)

Pumpkin Spice Coconut Smoothie Bowl

Your favorite summer and fall flavors meld perfectly in this creamy & healthy Pumpkin Spice Coconut Smoothie Bowl...

Did anyone else get hit by that sinus cold/infection thing that has been going around lately? I was down with it for most of last week, and I am so not good at being sick. Or doing that resting thing, but this crud kicked my booty. I found myself napping or lying down whenever I could and heading to bed early almost every night for at least five nights last week. 

And when this mama is down for the count, cooking meals at home comes to an abrupt and grinding halt. My husband doesn't really cook often, so I found myself texting him to pick up pizza or fast food before he came home from work last week more times than I would like to admit to you all. 

Add in the fact that I was in no shape to head to the gym at all for the duration of that yuckiness, and I was feeling pretty sluggish and unhealthy by the time this thing finally ran its course near the beginning of this week. I have eased back into my gym routine, but I am craving healthy foods after all the greasy fast food I consumed last week. 

Wanting to get back to some healthier eating, I decided to finally take the leap and made my first ever smoothie bowl. If you are not familiar with a smoothie bowl, you whip it up in a blender the same as you would a smoothie. But a smoothie bowl is thicker making it perfectly spoonable- like a healthy, cold "soup" that is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Since I am craving fall flavors, but still clinging a little to summer I decided to meld one of my favorite summer flavors (coconut) with one of my favorite fall flavors (pumpkin) in this creamy Pumpkin Spice Coconut Smoothie Bowl... :)

Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding

A simple healthy recipe gets a kick of intense vanilla flavor in this Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding...

Okay, you all- I finally jumped on the chia seed bandwagon, and now I am wondering why I ever waited so long. I may have had a little bit of a prejudice against them before because all I could think of when someone mentioned chia seeds were chia pets. Do you all know what I am talking about? (And now that jingle from the television commercial is stuck in my head- Chi, chi, chi, chiaaaa... ;) )

But nevertheless I had been kind of curious about chia seeds for the past few months, but I had no clue where I would even buy them here in small town West Virginia. Then lo and behold, one day I was shopping at my local ALDI and there they were on the shelf- a bag for less than $3! I mean, what did I have to lose really? So I grabbed a bag and started asking around to my fellow food bloggers what were their favorite ways to enjoy and prepare them. Many said that they loved sprinkling them over yogurt (which is yum, by the way) or mixed into smoothies. But again and again, they mentioned chia pudding.  

The first couple of times that I tried making chia pudding I got the ratios off, and my pudding ended up more like a slurpy mess.  But this latest attempt? I nailed it! :) I decided that I want to stick to a simple chia pudding recipe, but added a kick of intense vanilla flavor. By stirring in a simple teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, this healthy and easy to make pudding becomes almost like a creamy vanilla dessert. You could also substitute a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but trust me on this- splurging a little for some good quality vanilla bean paste is so worth it for this recipe. Enjoy this Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding simply as is or feel free to top it with your favorite fruits, berries, or nuts... 

Muesli Bars {A Guest Recipe from The Velvet Moon Baker}

Hey Everyone, I'm so thrilled to be guest posting for Carrie today and a big thank you to her for having me.

I've been blogging for just under a year (The big 1 will be this August) and it's been a crazy year. The blogging world is a crazy, fun world to enter and you get to meet some of the most fabulous people, such as Carrie.

Today I want to share with you one of my favourite simple recipes to make with my 2 year old.

This Museli Bar recipe is ridiculously simple. It only has 2 ingredients and is something I'm happy to give my toddler as a snack knowing it's nowhere near as unhealthy as a bag of crisps. She loves these and devours them in seconds, as does the rest of the family.

I love recipes that take very little effort and very few ingredients. Especially as it means they tend to be easier to bake with the kids and Faith goes crazy if you bake anything without her.

Now I tend to use Golden Syrup for these bars, I'm a bit of Golden Syrup fiend but I know it's not widely available in the US. I have made this with honey and it's equally delicious and works out even healthier if you use it instead of the syrup.

Recipe: Makes 12 pieces

Ingredients:

230g / 2 1/4 Cup Museli (Your favourite type)

100g Golden Syrup or Honey

Method:

Line an 8x8 square pan with aluminium foil.

In a saucepan (best to not use a black bottomed saucepan as you need to be able to see the colour of the syrup/honey) gently heat your syrup/honey until it bubbles and the edges start to darken.

This will take anywhere between 2-4 minutes.

Then stir in your museli till it is fully coated then quickly press it into your prepared tin.

Pop it into the fridge for a could of hours and then once it's hardened slice into wedges.

 A big hello to all you lovely Frugal Foodie Mama readers out there. I'm Tash, the girl behind The Velvet Moon Baker blog. I'm a 23 year old mummy to one amazing little 2 year old baking from the Donegal countryside in Ireland (pssst I'm not actually Irish I grew up in Essex, England. In fact, I went to the same high school as the chef Jamie Oliver. My one and only claim to fame)

I go a little bit crazy for all things cookie dough, chocolate, cake, cookies, sprinkles, frosting.......okay, okay anything with sugar in it is totally right up my alley.

I'm coming up to my 1st blogiversary in August (can't believe I've been doing this for almost 1 year already) and I'm so excited to be guest posting for the lovely Carrie.

P.S if you like what you read you can always find me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.