Chocolate Almond Yogurt Parfait

My husband and my son eat a snack of yogurt every day, mid-morning. One particular day last week we had several appointments that would overlap our normal lunch time. I wanted to offer the guys a snack that satisfied their yogurt routine but added a little something extra to keep my son full for a little bit longer and hopefully avoid a hunger-induced meltdown, as well as the quick solution to the meltdown {a Happy Meal}.

Inspiration hit me. With 2 ingredients I created yogurt parfaits that my guys went wild for.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy - Chocolatey Almond Crunch
• 1/3 cup Vanilla Yogurt

• Instructions

Simply layer cereal and yogurt to create this healthy and yummy parfait!

This recipe is so simple. All you need to do is layer the cereal and the yogurt. Serve it for happy and healthy snacking. I love that each cup of Honey Bunches of Oats Morning Energy Chocolatey Almond Crunch has 6 grams of protein and 33 grams of whole grains per serving. My son liked the crunch in his yogurt and he survived the 30-minute delay in lunch meltdown free.

Mouth Watering Blueberry Recipes

Have you noticed I am sharing a ton of blueberry recipes lately? I guess you could say I have Blueberries on the Brain! How could I resist rounding up some of the yummiest recipes from the Tell Me About It Tuesday Party to share with you?

When I saw this Coconut Rice Pudding Recipe with Blueberries my heart skipped a beat, we love Rice Pudding, but the Mister hates raisins, so we can still have our treat and enjoy a little fruit too thanks to this recipe.

My son would go Gaga for these 4th of July Waffles, because he is Mister America and he LOVES the flag, and waffles, and whipped cream.

Savory Blueberry Pizza is a unique idea that combines 2 of my favorite things.

Red, White and Blue Fruit Cake looks pretty yummy! How can anyone resist this combo?

Blueberry Turkey Burgers With Blueberry Ketchup is a colorful way to enjoy a healthy meal.

Red, White and Blue Firework Kabobs would be a good way to compromise. My son would eat marshmallows day in and day out, I would prefer he eat fruit... with this cute snack we both win.

Red, White and Blue Whoopie Pies are colorful and packed with flavor.

Blueberry Egg Rolls? What else is there to say?

Sweetleaf Mango Melon Salsa Recipe

I love Salsa! It is so versatile and a great salsa can take any meal to the next step of perfection.  My husband prefers hot and spicy salsa, but I am intrigued by salsa that includes fruits. This Mango Melon Salsa was right up my alley! You will want to try this recipe for a flavor that is smooth, sweet and unique. It just screams summer!

SweetLeaf^® Mango Melon Salsa

• 1 cup diced melon(s) of choice
• 1 cup peeled and diced mango
• ½ serrano (or milder) chili, seeded and minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
• Juice of 1 fresh lime
• ½ cup diced pineapple
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 10 drops Lemon Drop SweetLeaf^® Liquid Stevia Sweet Drops^™
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. chili powder (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate before serving.

Do you have a favorite salsa recipe? I would love to have you tell me about it in a comment.

Kid Made Straw Necklaces

Bling; made for kids, by kids!

My kids really like to get crafty. They also like to peek in my jewelry box and beg to wear all of the pretty things! So we set out to see what we could create with things we already had at home. This is what we came up with. Straw Necklaces!

You will need:

*Straws

*Bakers twine or yarn
*Glue
*Scissors

Rolf was kind enough to cut the straws for both of the necklaces we made.

We simply added a bead of glue to one side of a straw, then pressed it onto another. Repeat until you are out of straws.

Thread your string, twine or yarn through one straw and tie to make the necklace.

This was a fun craft for both kids. Harp was pleased to have her own "bling" that she made by herself.

Blueberry Topped Rice Cakes

I have been on a journey to eat healthier. I frequently snack on rice cakes but they get rather boring. It is a good thing I have my pals at the Blueberry Council to keep me in yummy recipes and ideas for one of my favorite fruits.

When I saw this recipe for Blueberry Topped Rice Cakes I couldn't wait to try it. I think you are going to enjoy it if you want a flavorful, filling snack that is low in calories.

Ingredients

• ½ cup ricotta or cottage cheese
• 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
• 4 apple-cinnamon flavored rice cakes
• 1 cup thinly-sliced fresh fruit (such as apple, pear, nectarine or peach)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together ricotta and preserves
2. Spoon an equal amount on each of the rice cakes almost to the edge
3. Arrange fruit slices in circles, on top of the ricotta mixture
4. Top each with ¼ cup of the blueberries
5. Serve immediately

To find even more fantastic recipes visit the Blueberry Council website.