School Snacks

“What could be more important than a little something to eat?” – Winnie the Pooh

Recess and snack time are important times of the day for kids at school. Keeping snacks interesting and healthy can be challenging at times. For the super busy parents buying healthy and yummy snacks at the store is a top option, but if you have a little bit of extra time we have provided you with some simple and quick snacks that you can create at home for the kiddies and yourself. 

Enjoy. 

Homemade Granola Bars

I love this recipe so so much. I am always making these bars for snacks and to go along with my morning smoothie for breakfast. I found the recipe in Chatelaine but I have tweaked it to make it suit my family and me better. I have provide the link to the original recipe as well as my version.

You will need:

½ cup chopped pretzels

½ cup raisins

¾ Rice Crispies

1 ¼ cup oats

¼ cup margarine

¼ honey

¼ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Procedure:

In a pan brown the oats. 

Mix the pretzels, raisins, and Rice Crispies in a medium bowl. Once the oats are browned add them to the mixture.

Cook honey, brown sugar, and margarine in a pan until bubbling and add to the dry mixture. Stir until everything is coated. Freeze for 15 minutes. While in the bars are in the freezer, melt the chocolate chips. Spread the melted chocolate on top of the bars and refrigerate for another 15 minutes. Cut into 12 bars and enjoy!

 http://www.chatelaine.com/recipe/stovetop-cooking-method/chocolate-pretzel-granola-bar/

Dried Fruit and Fruit Leather

Instead of giving kids sugary gummies in their snack, try out dried fruit. I enjoy drying many different kinds of fruit and they are so tasty too. Mangos, pineapple, and apples are so yummy. Other good fruits to dry are, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, plums, the list goes on and on. If you buy a dehydrator there is usually a list provided of good things to dry and how long they take etc. I have a few home dehydrators that you can check out listed below. 

Excalibur Food Dehydrator 3926T black with integrated timer

Nesco FD-37 400-Watt Food Dehydrator, Speckled

Salton - VitaPro Food Dehydrator with Collapsible Trays

Another thing that you can make with a dehydrator is fruit leather. Again your dehydrator will come with some useful recipes but I have provided one that Nicole’s mom uses. 

Applesauce Fruit Leather

2 pounds of apples, cored and quartered

¼ cup lemon juice

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Place lemon juice in blender and gradually add the apples. Puree. Add sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and spread on dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate for at least four hours.

Here is a link to another yummy sounding recipe that I think I’ll try out. 

http://www.choosingraw.com/easy-homemade-diy-fruit-leathers-how-to-recipe/

Back to School - Breakfast

“Never work before breakfast. If you have to work before breakfast, eat breakfast first.” – Josh Bilings

This week all the little kiddies and big kiddies went back to school. The plan for September is to blog about important “feeding times” for kids and everyone throughout the school day. 

Today the focus is on breakfast, specifically ideas to spice up a breakfast staple, oatmeal. Oatmeal isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but with these topping ideas, even the pickiest eaters will give these a try. There are some very adventurous combinations, so give them a try and enjoy!

Blueberry, Banana, and Cinnamon

I’m a big fan of this mixture. Fruit is such a tasty addition to oatmeal. I like to use the firmer sour blueberries when I make this.

Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

This is the classic flavor of oatmeal. Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon and a teaspoon of brown sugar and this will be ready in minutes. 

Bacon and Maple Syrup 

Drizzle a tablespoon of maple syrup along with some freshly fried bacon bits and enjoy this classic breakfast in your oatmeal. 

Greek Yogurt

I know cold yogurt in warm oatmeal sounds icky, but trust me this is a very yummy combination. I like to add some strawberries too. It works best with Greek yogurt but you can try other types as well.

Dried Fruit

Put a little bit of honey to sweeten it up along with some nutmeg and then add your favorite dried fruits on top. 

Pineapple and Mango

I made up this combination after having a mango and pineapple fruit salad. It’s a tropical version for oatmeal! Raspberries are a yummy addition to this also.

Fried Egg and Avocado

I saw this and it looked very interesting. If you’re interested in trying a savory version of oatmeal this is the recipe for you. Basically fry and egg, slice an avocado, and then put them on top of your oatmeal along with some fresh salsa. Tasty?

Double Chocolate 

Here’s a recipe I found on a Pinch of Yum. This one will be a special treat that is sure to delight!

http://pinchofyum.com/double-chocolate-oatmeal