When I first entered the working world as a pharmacist, I was very much in work mode 24/7. I'd pick up extra shifts to make extra money and had the mentality of 'work/save as much as I can while young and with out responsibilities.' I still somewhat have that mentality but I've also come to realize over the past couple of years that having
balance is something that's becoming more and more important to me. Balancing work, time spent with loved ones, blogging to get my creative juices flowing, traveling the world, and practicing yoga for my well being are all things that are important to me for its own reason and I need a good healthy dose of each to keep me happy.
Food and my eating habits also involve this balance I'm talking about today.
I've mentioned in previous posts that I've been
trying to eat a bit more healthier these days and not consume so much junk food (chips, fried foods, sweets, etc.) like I usually do, and instead incorporate more vegetables and fruits into my life. So far it hasn't been as
bad as I imagined it to be, but I also know myself well enough that I can't give up the "bad for you foods" in its entirety. I enjoy it too much. I'm ok with eating that big slice of cheesecake…and chocolate chip cookie…and bacon…and well you get the idea. It feels so justified after eating a really good spinach salad.
So where does all this talk lead to today?
M&M clusters.
I'm not sure if it's all the carrots and cucumbers I've been snacking on as of late but I've been
majorly craving something sweet and salty and this incredibly easy dessert/snack satisfies just that. I first made these clusters over the winter holiday and they have now become a staple in my kitchen because they're incredibly satisfying, easy, and includes ingredients you'll most likely have in your pantry. Warning: there's nothing low fat and healthy about this snack. Oh wait--it has peanuts! Proteins! There you go.
The hardest part about this recipe was waiting for the chocolate to set so I ate my carrots as I waited. True story.
Balance.
I promise my next recipe post will be something super healthy. Have a great weekend. Xo.
Ingredients (Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
8 ounces of white chocolate, chopped or 1 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups salted pretzel sticks broken into 1-inch pieces (*make sure you use the thin pretzel rods)
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup mini M&Ms
Procedure
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave chocolate in large bowl until melted, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and then gently fold in pretzels and peanuts until evenly coated.
2. Drop by heaping tablespoons of mixture onto baking sheet. Sprinkle M&M’s over the top. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
