As weird as it sounds, I don’t really like fruit. In fact, I’d rather have vegetables like roasted brussel sprouts for a snack instead of an apple. That’s just how my taste buds are. But I’m a sucker for a sale and had to buy a whole pineapple for $2.50 over the weekend since it was half off. But what to do? I’ve always been intrigued by the brown sugar cinnamon pineapple Whole Foods sells in prepared food and decided to try that. Fruit + more sugar? You really can’t go wrong.

Not only is this delicious, but it has an incredible depth of flavor for something that has just 3 ingredients and takes minutes to make. You could even make this for a party and grill it over the Summer, but it’s fine cold, too. Maybe I’ll start turning around to fruit(maybe…).

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pineapple Rings

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pineapple*
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar or turbinado sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

*You could also use canned pineapple. In that case, make sure to drain off all the excess liquid before using/

Cut off the ends and side of the pineapple so that just the edible parts remain.

Cut the pineapple into 1/2 inch rings all the way through. Cut out the firm core of each ring with a sharp knife(alternatively, you could switch the order of these two steps; I just didn’t have a knife long enough that would work).

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss the pineapple with the sugar until all of the rings have been evenly coated. Plate and serve or refrigerate until eating.

This is a great refreshing snack. I wouldn’t quite call it a dessert because it doesn’t have chocolate, but I guess in some circles it could pass as a dessert, too.

I can’t believe the marathon is only 4 days away. I’ve had this recipe from Ashley and Steven bookmarked since I signed up way back in October and just got around to making it. Dried apricots lend this a slightly different flavor from the typical dates. Really, any nuts would be good in this but I like the combination of cashews and almond butter for that Amaretto flavor.

Apricot Marathon Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried apricots
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 Tablespoons almond butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor.

Blend until a paste begins to form. If your dried fruit was stale to begin with, you might have to add a few teaspoons of water to get it malleable.

Press the dough into a square pan and cut into 10 equal portions.

These couldn’t be easier and pack a flavor punch. I think I liked them even more after a few days of sitting on the counter when they were a little firmer, but you can freeze or refrigerate them to keep them softer. And the ingredients sure beat the hell out of store-bought energy bars.

When I first heard of Larabar’s new flavor I was excited. Slap the word “muffin” onto anything and you’ll grab my attention. You might even get me to watch C-Span if they named a show “Nancy Pelosi Discusses The Debt With Muffins”. The reviews I’ve read of the flavor have been mixed; I haven’t tried them because I don’t think they’re in stores yet. Rather than waiting, I decided to make my own and I have to admit that these are amazing. They taste better than any Larabar I’ve had; maybe because they’re fresher or maybe they just rock. If you need a muffin and don’t want a muffin top, these are a great, healthy, raw alternative.

Blueberry Muffin “Larabars®”

Ingredients(Makes 6 bars):

• 1 cup(about 20) pitted dates
• 1 cup almonds
• 2 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries
• 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice(or cinnamon)

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processer. Blend for 2-3 minutes until the mixture starts clumping. If your ingredients are dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it starts sticking to itself.

Line a pan with parchment paper and press the mixture in firmly towards one side of the pan. Cut out the bars with a knife and gently tear them apart. Alternatively, you could roll these into balls and eat them that way. Keep in the refrigerator for the best freshness.

Like I said, these tasted amazing. They reminded me of blueberry munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts if anybody knows what I’m talking about. At a time when companies are getting condemned(and rightly so) for using artificial blueberry flavoring without any actual blueberries, this has a refreshingly pure flavor to it. These have created high expectations for the real blueberry muffin Larabars in my mind.

I’ve never been a fan of pumpkin carving. I think I did it once and that was at a friend’s birthday party in second grade. All the pumpkin innards are gross, and I am way too klutzy to be trusted with a large knife—Lord help me if I ever do become a chef.

Regardless, I found myself with all these pumpkin seeds to roast on Saturday. Instantly, I knew I wanted to try Mama Pea’s recipe for salt n’ vinegar pumpkin seeds. As big as my sweet tooth is, I really love salty and sour flavors, so these were screaming my name.

They were so simple, too! The only change I made was using white vinegar instead of balsamic.

My goodness. These are worse than Pringles and Frito Lays put together: Once you start snacking, you can’t stop. They’re perfectly sweet and sour. If you ever wonder what to do with pumpkin seeds, look no further than this recipe.