Easy Snacks for Summer
or School Lunches
Summer is upon us and is a great time to prepare for the
next school year.
Work with your kids to make a list of favorite snacks and
treats. During the summer experiment with new recipes. Near the end of summer,
make batches of your favorites with your kids. Wrap them individually or bag
them. Put them in storage bags or containers and into the freezer. You have
just simplified your morning routine and hopefully made some memorable summer
moments. Time in the kitchen with my kids is always memorable!! By making the snacks ahead of time you can plan healthy
and money saving snacks for the lunches.
Ideas for snacks
Peanut butter in a cup with pretzels, apples or celery to
dip
Make our own lunchables: crackers, cheese slices and ham or
pepperoni
Dried fruit or fruit leather mini
muffins
Homemade granola bars breadsticks
Most anything made at home can be sent in a lunch. Some
children thrive on taking the most unordinary to lunch with them. Involve the
kids and let your imagination work for you. Keep it simple and keep it fun.
While preparing, you might also find how easy it is to keep it healthy.
Recipes can be found from kid cookbooks or online. Here are
a few to try. Enjoy your summer and when those dog days come, get ready for
school in the kitchen.
Curveball Crunch –
makes six servings
8 cups popped popcorn
3 cups miniature pretzels
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 tbsp butter
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
Have your kids measure popcorn, pretzels, and peanuts into
large mixing bowl.
Make toffee syrup by melting butter in saucepan over low
heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir in brown sugar. Stir continuously until
mixture bubbles.
Remove from heat and add in maple syrup to form smooth
toffee syrup.
Drizzle syrup over popcorn mixture slowly tossing
ingredients as you go to coat evenly.
Cool mixture and place serving portions in plastic bags.
Roll the mixture to form a ball.
Cream Puffs
1 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
4 eggs
½ cup butter
½ tsp salt
Bake 15 minutes at 450*. Then lower heat to 300* baking for 25 minutes. When cool, cut and fill with pudding, salad, cream cheese mixture.
Very versatile. May freeze. Or store in airtight container unfilled.
Banana Chocolate
Chip Cookies
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 ½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
Mix all wet ingredients,
then add the dry. Spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 10 -12
minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
No Bake Granola
Bars
2 ½ cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 cups quick cook oats
½ cup raisins or craisins
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup chocolate chips
Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl. Bring brown sugar, syrup to a boil in small pan. Remove from heat add peanut butter, vanilla. Pour over
cereal. Cool 10 minutes add chips. Press into 9x13 pan. Cool and cut into bars.
