Blueberry-Banana Granola Bars

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for most. It is full of parties, events, deadlines, and the oh-so dreadful traveling. While your trips may be long there is no need for them to be painful. Jaime has provided us with a tasty snack recipe to keep us fueled while on the road!

These blueberry-banana granola bars are sweet and simple. Almonds, blueberries, and banana chips appease your health conscious nature while white chocolate chips, honey, brown sugar, and peanut butter satisfy your sweet tooth. Jaime says these granola bars are “chewy, crunchy, fruity…..good in every way!”

While you’re loading up the car and getting ready for your holiday tour don’t forget to pack plenty of these delicious granola bars! If the kids start whining and fighting just shove more granola bars at them to keep everyone happy and full!

Jaime has a slew of amazing recipes to impress your friends and family this holiday season on her blog, Sweet Surrender.

Bean Walnut Macaroni

This isn’t macaroni and cheese. It isn’t macaroni salad. It’s Apu’s Bean Walnut Macaroni! An original recipe that you’ll appreciate for its health benefits and many flavors and textures. You can have this for lunch or dinner, it’ll hold you over until the next meal because it isn’t just pasta. This dish also contains black beans and yellow wax beans, which both offer protein and fiber that’ll fill you up.

Apu from Annarasa not only created this recipe, she also grew some of the ingredients she used to make it herself, including the yellow wax beans. You can enjoy the macaroni on a cold day if you serve it warm, but if you decide to pack it for lunch and aren’t able to reheat it, Apu says you can also eat it cold.

If you’re unsure about what to serve with the meatloaf or chicken you’re planning on having for dinner tonight, be sure to give Apu’s Bean Walnut Macaroni a try. If you’re looking for a lighter meal that doesn’t require much prep time, this recipe is also for you. As you can see, Apu’s recipe falls under so many meal categories; however you decide to serve it, we know you’ll call it tasty!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Angi’s Vietnamese Summer Rolls recipe is one that you can truly be inspired by. If you’re new to cooking, you don’t have to be afraid of experimenting with recipes like Angi’s. All you have to do is follow your craving. Ask yourself what your favorite ingredients are and go from there. Trust your gut instincts (literally!) and let your taste buds be your guide!

You might refer to these as Spring rolls, but they can also be called Summer Rolls. And I don’t see why, if you decided to make them this evening, they couldn’t be renamed Fall Rolls ! Angi chose to stuff hers with shrimp, but on her blog Rice and Wheat, she talks about stuffing them with anything from pork to tofu. Angi also adds herbs, giving the rolls fresh flavor, but you can stuff them with your favorite shredded veggies if you prefer.

This is a recipe that’ll come in handy on days when you need something quick and satisfying but still healthy. This is as fresh as ‘fast food’ gets, and it definitely beats waiting in line at the drive-thru!

Chicken Crescent Calzones

Who doesn’t love a warm, buttery roll with dinner? What if the roll were dinner! That is exactly what Anjanette created when she was in a pinch for dinner, and didn’t have the time or money to run to the grocery store. She was originally inspired by a recipe from Pillsbury, but altered the ingredients quite a bit to accommodate what she already had. These tasty calzones are stuffed with turkey, mushroom and lots of cheese! What’s not to love! This recipe is quite versatile and will easily work with whatever you prefer or have on hand.

Creating recipes in a pinch and being resourceful with what she already has stocked in her pantry is nothing new to Anjanette. As the resident manager at a transitional housing ministry and food pantry coordinator she provides mostly canned and dry foods to residents. She has recognized the need for simple and inexpensive ideas and recipes for meals and is dedicated to making her blog a resource. Eat From Your Pantry is full of delicious recipes that will empty your pantry and fill up your wallet!