When Everything Feels Like a Fire Drill

Winter | Week 11 Snackagories

My word of the week was unnecessary. Not in a philosophical way. But in a very practical, workplace sense.

The kind of unnecessary that shows up as last-minute “fire drills,” unclear requests, and problems that probably could have been avoided with a little more communication or a little better delegation.

I’m sure you know the kind of week.

You start with a plan.

And then suddenly your whole schedule becomes reactive.

I don’t think this feeling was soley because of work. It feels like the entire world is operating in fire drill mode right now.

Everyone seems a little overwhelmed. Or a little behind. A little in survival mode, to say the least.

If you’re reading this and feeling that too, please know you’re not alone.

When my world starts to feel overwhelming, I try to focus less on the chaos, and more on the small things that still feel calm and controllable.

For me, that looks like:

• Cooking something simple

• Planning something creative

• Small talk with a loved one

• Small talk with a stranger

• Making snacks for the week

I find something oddly comforting about my snacks prep method. My snacks are small. They’re simple. And I love sharing them.

St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, and I accidentally created the most on theme snack imaginable.

Last weekend, I bought one of those bags of tiny avocados from Trader Joe’s with every intention of using them throughout the week,

But of course, I did not use them.

By the time the weekend rolled around, all six avocados were perfectly ripe, which meant I needed to use them immediately.

I briefly considered making (and eating) an aggressive amount of guacamole.

But instead, I made avocado ice cream.

In a food processor, I combined:

• 6 tiny ripe avocados

• 1 can coconut milk

• A generous tablespoon of local raw honey

• A pinch of salt

• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup

It’s currently sitting in my freezer. And come Tuesday, my dessert plan is green avocado ice cream topped with a chocolate sea salt magic shell.

Not exactly traditional. But all snacks rarely are? I’ll call it my version of a Shamrock Shake 😂

Anywho, onto the important snacks. For anyone new here, Snackagories are the five snack categories I prep each week to make weekday eating easier.

Instead of meal prepping entire dishes, I focus on having a few simple snack components ready to mix and match throughout the week.

This Week’s Snackagories

🥣 Savory Dip / Spread

Caramelized Onion + Cannellini dip

Ingredients

• White onion

• Butter

• Cannellini white beans (1 can)

• Fresh thyme

• Olive oil

• Salt

Slowly caramelize the onions in butter until deeply golden, then blend with cannellini beans, thyme, olive oil, and salt until smooth and creamy.

Perfect with crackers, pita chips, pretzels, toast, or fresh vegetables.

🍞 Grab + Go Pantry Snack

Everything but the Bagel Granola

Ingredients

• Rolled oats

• Olive oil

• Maple syrup

• Everything bagel seasoning

• Sunflower seeds

• Pumpkin seeds

• Almonds

• Salt

Bake until golden and crunchy.

It’s great on avocado toast, eggs, salads, or cream cheese-smeared veggies. Or enjoy straight from the jar.

🥕 Fresh Produce

Crispy Asparagus “Fries”

Ingredients

• Fresh asparagus

• Olive oil

• Garlic powder

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Grated parmesan

• Panko breadcrumbs

Spring is slowly but surely showing up here in Western New York, and asparagus always feels like the first sign.

🍫 Sweet Tooth Snack

Cashew Protein Cookies

Ingredients

• Cashew butter

• Vanilla protein powder

• Maple syrup

• Egg

• Vanilla extract

• Baking soda

• Pinch of salt

• Chopped cashews

These are a soft, nutty cookie that always hit the spot and sits somewhere between snack and dessert.

🍗 Bulk Protein Source

Taco Ground Turkey

Ingredients

• Ground turkey

• Olive oil

• Chili powder

• Ground cumin

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Smoked paprika

• Salt

• Lime juice

This is one of my favorite “build anything” proteins. Cook once and use it all week in:

• Breakfast burritos

• Taco bowls, wraps, salads, etc

Small Joys

If the world has felt a little heavy lately, here’s my encouragement this week:

Find one small, unnecessary joy.

Maybe it’s:

• Making something green for St. Patrick’s Day

• Experimenting with a new snack/recipe

• Calling a family member or friend for five minutes of small talk

• Going for a long, interrupted walk outside

• Slowing down long enough to eat something you made

Sometimes the smallest rituals help carry us through the bigger weeks.

If snacks, seasonal cooking, and small weekly rituals resonate with you, you can subscribe to Niknack below to receive these Sunday snack notes each week.

And if you’re local to Western New York, come snack and chat in person at my Snack Attack Snack Prep Workshop.

Thanks for reading this weeks SubSnack <3

Happy snacking,

Niknack 🥑

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