The perfect snack

Fuji apple + Almond butter. Is there a more perfect marriage?

The first time I had a sliced apple + nut butter combo, I was at an eating disorders treatment center. During that spring 2007, peanut butter on apples (usually it was a mealy red delicious) was introduced into my diet as a way to get 1 fat + 1 fruit. I’ve always known about bananas and peanut butter, but APPLES too?! I loved the combination from day 1. I used to think of it as “peanut butter and jelly”-esque, because the sweetness and tartness from the apple cut into the creaminess of the peanut butter. It was more crunchy, less sweet, and less bread-y. Who eats a PB&J for the bread, anyway?

In the two years+ since I left, I’ve come to enjoy mix-and-matching a variety of fruits with a variety of nut butters. Gone are the days of the 0.75oz smuckers creamy single serve tubs (and gone, too, are the days of agonizing over calories), though the single serve non-natural packs sure are handy for an on-the-go snack.

Nowadays, I like ANY fruit with ANY nut butter. Oranges, apples, pears, peaches… they all taste good. I enjoy all nut butters as well, but prefer the taste and texture of products without stabilizers. My favorite combination, however, is the apple (fuji, preferably) and almond butter (trader joe’s variety is pictured). I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it!

Do you have a favorite specific fruit + nut butter combination?

Out of commission…

Whenever I’m asked if I have an allergy, I reply no. I should probably amend my answer, because while it’s true that I don’t have a food or medication allergy, I have pretty strong reactions to mosquito bites. And that’s an understatement. 2 days ago I got five bites on my leg and foot in the course of .. oh, 5 minutes, and by last night, my foot was so swollen I couldn’t stand on it, and my leg was clearly misshapen. My plans for going to the gym were quickly abandoned.

Check out my right leg, inner thigh/knee, where I have 2 bites. Compare the inside curve/bulge of my right leg to left. All from…

Did I mention they itch like crazy? These photos were taken yesterday evening, but by this morning, the reaction was so strong that border from my two mosquito bites had fused together, so right now it’s even worse than the photo looks. It feels really awful.

The bigger problem I have right now is my foot. Two mosquito bites have pretty much covered the top of my entire foot. Every time I walk, it irritates the bites on my foot. My entire foot has swelled so much that last night it was starting to go a little numb and I couldn’t move my big toe and I had to stay off my feet the entire night. Parts of it are purplish in color. I didn’t take a photo of my feet, but imagine the grossness of my leg x 3.

UGH. I HATE MOSQUITOS I HATE MOSQUITOS I HATE MOSQUITOS. This completely kills my plans for the weekend (gymming activities, social activities, shopping, etc), since I have to stay off my feet. I’ve been icing, elevating, and plastering my bites with hydrocortisone. And trying my hardest not to scratch. And resolving to never leave the house without a bodysuit of DEET. *wails*

Do you react strongly to mosquitos? Are you a mosquito magnet? Are you one of those people (aka my dad) who gets bitten and doesn’t even know/care?