Well it is that time of year again. Baseball season. We have season tickets to the local team and when baseball season starts it feels like summer is here. Even if the games we attend for the next few weeks will mean a lot of layering and even more hot chocolate to keep us warm, just knowing it is baseball season means camping, the beach, and picnics are right around the corner. With baseball season though comes a lot of preparation for a family of four (two of which are under six) to attend the games. The games start at 7 o'clock and parking is at a premium. So if you want to get one of the few free parking spots a person should at the game somewhere in the vicinity of 6:15. Since the park is 20-30 minute drive from our house, depending on traffic, this doesn't leave a whole lot of time for dinner.
I try to do quick dinners. Pasta dishes loaded with veggies, sandwiches and fruit, you know the kind of meals mostly everyone will eat quickly so we can get down to the stadium. Sometimes though there isn't quite enough time for a full meal so I pack snacks. Now I'm sure you can imagine how the same old snacks all summer long get old. Coupled with the fact that I have an unexplainable love for ballpark nachos. It isn't the chips that I love....it's the cheese sauce. That obnoxiously orange, reminiscent of the neon from the 80's, crazy nothing good for you, chock full of chemicals, nacho sauce. As far as I'm concerned the chips are only there as a vehicle to eat the sauce. What a sad confession I know. The mom who is always trying to cook fresh, nutritious food for her family is addicted to neon orange cheese. Now since I would like to keep this addiction down and only have nachos a couple of times this summer I will be making lots of snacks to take with us and curb the junk food.
Enter
Fruit and Pecan Granola Bars. Yummy! Super easy to make (I bet you have the ingredients in your house right now) and can easily be converted to gluten free, just substitute the 1 tablespoon of flour for a gluten free alternative. I changed the sugar to 1/2 cup instead of a cup and they are plenty sweet.
The only drawback? The kids love them.....guess I'll have to double up my batches :)
12 comments:
Yummy!! Thanks for the gluten-free heads-up, too (I'm celiac)! Yes - with soccer and flag football season starting soon in my house I'll also need to stock up on super fast dinner ideas.
those look perfectly delicious and although they might not totally cure your addiction to the neon nacho cheese sauce, they sure will help! Have fun at the ball park!
those look so yummy. I have to admit, i am addicted to nachos too! we have them almost every saturday night for dinner! isn't that awful?
The look yummy! You'll just have to make a bunch for the kids :) I love baseball season.
Baseball season! Is there such a thing? LOL I guess it's never been on my radar ~ but I would come along just for your tasty granola bars :)
YUM! We're still a while away from baseball season...
these look great! and perfect for us as we begin our own baseball seasons and begin going to the toledo mudhens' games! thanks for sharing a healthy snack with us!
Baseball season sounds like fun! That granola bar recipe sounds so yummy, I may have to try those!
That's a great recipe, but surely a little neon orange cheese won't hurt?
Finding a good granola bar recipe has been a struggle---I think this is the one! Yum!
Oh, I can't wait to make those! I was about to comment on the cute legwarmers above when the cookies distracted me... now I'm off to make them! Yum!
Don't feel bad about the cheese sauce addiction. My nutrition teacher had a "secret" thing for Cheetos. Go figure!
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