sinterklaas shares snacks

happy saint nick’s day – a saintly, festive reason to share some snacks!  as an adult i was surprised to learn that not everyone celebrates saint nicholas day (apparently it’s just a german/french/catholic/greek orthodox thing), so let’s take a moment to learn about this awesome snack sharer who gives treats to good little boys and girls on his feast day, December 6^th.  saint nicholas is the patron saint of children known for his secret-gift giving.  legends are all over the map, but they all pretty much say he was a really nice, humble guy who liked to help good kids by giving them treats when their parents couldn’t.  consequently, he’s also the patron saint of sailors because he would fill a child’s stocking when their dad was away at sea.  in another tale, he leaves dowries for three daughters whose father is too poor which is why he's often depicted holding three coins.  nastier legends include him carrying around a big stick (or deer leg if you’re from the netherlands) and bopping kids who weren’t good so they would get their act together before christmas.  i prefer the treat-bearing version that used to fill my stocking with candy, bonnie bell lip smackers and an ornament.  saint nick used to bring my mom walnuts and oranges because those were rare snacks that didn’t grow on her family’s farm.  for me, saint nick day is the official start of christmas-time and encompasses the real spirit of giving.  saint nick shared snacks with children thoughtfully and quietly—without the grand entrance of reindeers or assistant elves.  there are lots of snacks around the holidays, but saint nick reminds us to acknowledge how great a little treat can be when given lovingly and openly and humbly.

snack shared:  christmas candy

saint nicholas with some treats

taking potlucks seriously

i take potlucks seriously.  i seriously love them.  i seriously want to have them every weekend and i seriously want everyone else to love them as much as I do.  there are all kinds of potluck characters, which keeps it exciting.  for those with less refined culinary skills, i prefer the “i’ll bring wine” guy over the “i’ll bring bread” gal.  for those who take cooking seriously, there’s the “here’s my chance to show off my mad kitchen skillz” type and the “look what i bought from the fancy grocery store” type.  i often like to use a potluck to make that dish that everyone loves but never makes for themselves.  for example, taco dip served with frito scoops.  it’s real good people and you don’t have to be ashamed about loving it.  although when i brought this dish to a potluck this weekend, i was worried about the crowd thinking it was a bit, let’s call it pedestrian.  i was new to this potluck circle and my taco dip sat next to this gorgeous homemade broccoli raab flatbread feeling a bit judged.   obviously, i’ve lived in san francisco too long if my taco dip has a complex about flatbread.  so we’ll move on.  the next day, i was lucky enough to go to yet another potluck.  this one hosted by old, dear friends and it was pumpkin themed.  the only thing better than a potluck is a themed potluck!  when you potluck (yes, it’s also a verb) with the same people for many years, you get really good at it.  something mystical happens and all the dishes pair well and all the courses are covered and it’s just delightful, unplanned yumminess!  we dined on pumpkin curry soup, pumpkin ravioli, lentil/pumpkin salad, mayan pumpkin dip, and pumpkin cheesecake. our "i'll bring wine" guy even brought vino that paired with pumpkin well.  what i'm getting at is that a good potluck is really snack sharing at its best.  what’s your best potluck experience?

snack shared:  taco dip and pumpkin soup 

globetrotting treats

sharing snacks is going global!  thanks to our dear friend who is living the ex-pat life in turkey, i have discovered one of my new favorite treats.  tutku!  its the most delicious little cookie.  it’s a round, crunchy shortbread with nutella inside!  (note:  nutella is a hazelnut flavored chocolate spread.  it’s probably worth an entire post, but until then just trust me.  eat it.) there is also a version of tutku that is similar to the famous black and white cookies, but in a swirl pattern with, you guessed it, nutella inside.  i’m usually a salty over sweet kinda gal, but seriously, i think about this cookie many times a day.  i can’t wait to get home to have one or four.  and that’s another awesome thing about global snacks:  you have to pace yourself because it’s a novelty.  i can’t go buy more tutku.  i rely solely on the generosity and travel plans of our friend.  and we are so lucky to have a friend who is willing to give up luggage space for our snacking enjoyment.  are there any international treats that you crave? maybe we could start a snacking global exchange service. 

snack shared:  tutku/turkish cookies

tutku - thank you turkey.

treat or treat

you’d think that as a snack-lover, halloween would be my favorite holiday. but the lack of trick or treating in my fair city is down right disappointing!  halloween presents a concentrated opportunity for snack sharing – the whole neighborhood is sharing snacks!  i had two huge bags of mini-oreos ready for little princesses and monsters.  i gave out…four.  major bummer.  i hear stories about suburban neighborhoods that get hundreds and hundreds of trick or treaters.  it's like some crazy urban myth that i pray is true, but can't wrap my head around.  i was planning on making caramel apples for my cool city treaters, but my friend who is also a mom reminded me that homemade goods are no longer allowed on the trick or treating trail (another bummer).  all this makes me a bit nostalgic in a sad kind of way.  i remember being a kid and knowing what were the “good” houses to trick or treat at.  our neighbor across the street gave out homemade popcorn balls.  hell yes, popcorn balls!!  the house kitty cornered gave out whole candy bars to the first lucky bunch of kids.  my mom gives out bags of hot cocoa. what kind of candy you give out on halloween says a lot about a person.  are you a creative snack sharer or a grumpy-lame-candy-no-lit-pumpkin-sharer?!  halloween is an awesomely rare time to unlock our doors, turn on the front porch light and be welcoming to all kinds of little freaks and ghouls.  what's not to love?!  what was your favorite treat as you tricked?    

snack shared: mini-oreos

trick or treat?  obviously treat.

the mile high snack

in honor of halloween, let’s talk about something scary. research shows that most people would rather die than speak in front of people.  my “roommate" climbs the sides of mountains for fun, but is petrified of spiders.  i pee my pants when i see a snake.  and not surprisingly, i’m also scared of running out of food.  my fear is wildly irrational.  i’m blessed and never in my life have been anywhere close to starvation.  but nonetheless, when i camp or travel or even run errands, i have to have snacks with me just in case i get hungry.  which is why when i was flying this weekend, i felt quite anxious when i overheard the flight attendant tell a hungry passenger that there were no snacks on board. no pretzels, no peanuts, no $11 craptastic sandwich.  it's bad enough that they charge for snacks now, but to not even offer them should be illegal.  i mean, obviously, i had snacks with me.  but what about the rest of the plane?!  what were they going to do?!  the woman next to me was traveling with her teenage son (read: food bottomless pit).  she did not pack any snacks and was disappointed when she heard the no-snacks-on-board news.  enter moral dilemma.  do i share my snacks and anxiously endure the rest of the flight knowing that i have no snack backup?  or do i keep my peanut butter and crackers to myself in case hunger rears it’s ugly head before we land?  in the end, i shared my snack.  the idea of a kid not getting a snack was worse than my fear of not having backup. the woman graciously accepted and the world was less two hungry people.  which is a good thing indeed. 

snack shared: peanut butter and crackers    

snack fact: united & virgin have the best snacks

snacks that look like plastic

i love whole foods.  i really do.  the colorful produce, the twenty varieties of flour, and the cheese, dear god, the cheese…it’s a beautiful place.  if i were super rich, i’d do all my shopping there.  but the fact that I am not super rich coupled with the fact that i grew up in the midwest and have anti-california cravings, means that whole foods cannot meet all my snacking needs.  and every october this fact is driven home when I bake…wait for it…funfetti cupcakes!  my soon-to-be-husband loves funfetti cupcakes.  so for his birthday each year i disregard one of my personal rules: do not eat food that looks like plastic.  funfetti cupcakes look more like a toy than a snack.  they are decorated with not one, but four colors not found in nature.  the tiny little candies in the batter and icing can only be described as the love child of playdoh and a beebee gun.  despite their festive nature and resemblance to the rainbow, you can’t find funfetti very easily in san francisco.  after 3 years of having my sister ship me boxes of betty crocker from missouri, i did find a remote grocery store that carries it (most of the time).  one year i tried to make homemade funfetti.  does.  not.  work.  funfetti can only be created from the box, otherwise its just white cake with sprinkles.  but it’s totally worth searching for.  they taste like birthday.  mostly, it’s a happy thing to watch my man eat 3 cupcakes at a time with the expression i can only guess reflects his 6 year-old self.  are there any snacks you love that resemble plastic? 

snack shared:  funfetti cupcakes

put the fun in funfetti

breaking bread (on the bus)

i don’t own a car, which normally i love, but it is a missed snacking opportunity.  food and drink is not allowed on the bus and i try to respect this generally.  generally.  sometimes it can’t be helped and one must snack on the bus.  the other day i hopped on the bus and snagged a seat next to a nearly elderly woman carrying far too many bags.  she looked tousled to say the least.  (for the record, i’m usually a keep-to-yourself-kinda-bus-rider.  pleasantries are fine, but for me the bus is a great opportunity to zone out or listen to one of a zillion podcasts i never get to.)  but despite her obviously frazzled day, this woman had an especially warm aura and i wanted to be her friend.  before i had a chance, she leaned over to me and asked, “do you mind if i eat a few grapes?  i just need a snack!”  well, now you’re speaking my language!  so i said, “of course not, i have some almonds in my bag if you would like some?  we can have a little picnic together.”  and so we did.  i got off a few stops later, but what a lovely snack it was.  refreshing purple grapes, yummy raw almonds…but mostly wonderful because the bus is a place where people don’t really look at, talk to or much less share food with their travel mates.  city living has the potential for moments like this all the time.  this kind lady reminded me of all the ones I might be missing because I’m too uptight or stressed or simply unaware.  what do you think about breaking bread on the bus?

snack shared: juicy purple grapes and yummy raw almonds



sometimes you gotta break some rules



why i love snacks

thanks for visiting, snackers.  i'm sarah and i really love snacks.   here's why:

  

no. 1  

they are unplanned.  so few things are.  it's like a mini surprise party by yourself in the beginning/middle/end of the day. 

no. 2  

they are delicious.  things that taste good...are good.  and things that taste good make me feel good.

no. 3  

they aren't any work.  you can find snacks basically anywhere.  walgreens, coffee shops, my purse at any given moment.  sometimes you find them on the bus (more on that later) 

  

i love them so much i decided to blog about them.  well, not just about snacks.  that would be silly.  but about things that bring happiness like snacks do.  little treats.   morsels of goodness.  happy moments sprinkled throughout the day.  i'll write about things that unexpectedly brought a bite of joy to my day.  maybe it'll help you notice the little bites of goodness throughout your day.

snack from my purse

snack from a coffee shop

 


 

snack from walgreens