Choose your snacks from 25 sweet or savory
mixes. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE
NIBBLE.

Sure, it’s easy to give a box of candy or cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.

But for anyone who can benefit from better snacking, how about something more healthful—and fun?

There are fruit gifts, of course, and delicious artisan nuts. There are portion-sized snacks like Peeled Snacks and GoBites.

GoBites is in the healthful snacking business, delivering portion-controlled snacks that are easily portable and plentiful in variety.

The nutrient-rich ingredients are 100% natural and USDA Certified Organic: the right ingredients and the right amount of them to please both snacker and nutritionist.

Note that not all so-called “healthy snacks” are that healthy. Read the labels to see if they are chock full of added sugar and artificial ingredients.

GoBites, on the other hand, are pure goodness: wholesome nuts, seeds, grains and fruits in creative blends.

A DIFFERENT SNACK EVERY TIME

There are some 27 choices. You can make your choices, or fill out a profile and have them selected for you (do you prefer sweet, savory, both, nuts, no nuts, etc.). A sample of the snacks:

 
You can make a single purchase or sign up for a no commitment subscription program that delivers each week’s worth: 14 packages.

Check out all the options at GoBites.com.

Truth to tell, we’re not a fan of such messy finger food (we don’t do messy well). That’s why we took an immediate liking to this recipe from HungryGirl.com: Buffalo Chicken Parfaits. We’ll be eating ours neatly, with a spoon.

Using pre-cooked chicken breasts (Hungry Girl uses Tyson Grilled & Ready), the prep time is 10 minutes, and there’s no cook time.

For those who don’t want to give up their fried chicken, here’s an elegant, “gourmet” recipe for deconstructed buffalo wings.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s buffalo chicken pizza.
BUFFALO CHICKEN PARFAIT RECIPE

Ingredients Per Serving

1, MIX yogurt with ranch seasoning in a medium bowl. Stir in lettuce and blue cheese.

2. COAT the diced chicken breast with hot sauce in a medium bowl.

3. LAYER half of each ingredient in a tall glass, sundae or parfait dish: lettuce mixture, carrots, celery and sauced chicken. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients. Serve with a spoon.
NUTRITION: Calories 185, Total Fat 4.5 g, Protein 27 g, Carbohydrate 9 g, Sodium 924 mg, Sugars 5 g, Fiber 1.5 g.

BUFFALO WINGS HISTORY

Buffalo wings were invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. Co-owner Teressa Bellissimo fried the wings, covered them in her own hot sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese and celery—because that’s what she had available. Here’s the full history of buffalo wings.

Many popular dishes, including Caesar salad and Cobb salad, were created because “that’s what was in the fridge.”
  

Danny’s Macaroons update the classic
coconut macaroon to 21st century flavors.
Photo courtesy Danny Macaroons.

We grew up loving Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars, but as our palate for better chocolate grew, we switched to chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons made by artisan bakers. Ah, sweet addiction!

A brief history of macaroons: Coconut macaroons exist mostly because of Passover, the Jewish holiday that proscribes leavened baked goods, among other foods.

The original macaroons were almond meringue cookies similar to today’s amaretti, with a crisp crust and a soft interior, made from egg whites and almond paste. While details are unclear, some historians believe they were first made by Italian monks in the late 15th century.

Benedictine nuns brought the recipe to France in 1533, where the baked treat later evolved into the ganache-filled sandwich cookies—macarons—that we know and love today.

Meanwhile, back in Italy, Jews adopted the cookie because it had no flour or leavening and could be enjoyed during the eight-day observation of Passover. The recipe was introduced to other European Jews and became popular as a year-round sweet. Over time, coconut was added to the ground almonds and, in certain recipes, replaced them.

Coconut macaroons have remained popular in the U.S. and the U.K., where they appear on cookie platters year-round. Here’s the full history of macaroons and macarons.

Dan Cohen, the founder of Danny Macaroons, learned his craft 10 years ago, baking macaroons for Passover and tweaking his recipe over time. Unlike commercial varieties, the centers of Danny Macaroons are soft and moist, while the exteriors are appropriately crisp.

Following the flavor zeitgeist, Danny developed 45 different flavors, which are available in rotation. Currently on the menu: plain macaroons plus Black Chocolate Stout, Baileys McRoons, Bourbon, Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Caramel, Chocolate Dipped, Guava, Maple Pecan Pie, Red Velvet and Salted Caramel.

Buy them online at DannyMacaroons.com. The macaroons cost from $12 to $18 per half dozen, depending on flavor.

Are they an appropriate Valentine gift? Absolutely!

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COOKIES AND COOKIE RECIPES.

Fans can watch the reruns with a pint of Liz Lemon frozen yogurt, the latest flavor from Ben & Jerry’s. A refreshing Greek frozen yogurt in lemon with a blueberry lavender swirl, the flavor promises to be as sweet and tart as Liz Lemon herself.

Liz Lemon, the flavor, is now launching in Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops and pints will hit grocers’ freezer cases by the end of the month.

In syndication and in the freezer, Liz Lemon lives on.

Ben & Jerry’s launched their Greek frozen yogurt line a year ago. It’s a favorite of everyone at THE NIBBLE. Here’s our original review.

*The show was loosely based on Fey’s experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live.
  

Top shelf alcohol infuses the ganaches in
these bonbons. Photo courtesy Twice The
Vice.

But not everyone can get them. Due to their high alcohol content, the chocolates can only be mailed to adults in the 19 states that allow purchase of alcohol by mail (AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, IL, KY, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, NJ, NH, NV, NY, TX, VA, WA). If your state isn’t listed, petition your legislators: Twice The Vice is worth the effort.

We’ve enjoyed other brands of alcohol-filled chocolates. But chocolatier Craig Boreth has created the superior winning line: redolent of the flavor of fine spirits while not overwhelmed by them.

While the regular collections are superb, the Spirits of Romance Collection is de rigeur for Valentine gifting.

The box contains 16 bonbons in Champagne, Chocolate Martini, 18-Year Scotch and Hazelnut Liqueur. It’s $44 and worth it, for both the taste sensation and the long-lasting memories.

Head to the online store at TwiceTheVice.com.