Guacamole... Green is GOOD!

Guacamole is a great food for kids to help with.

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

1 medium sized tomato diced finely
1/4 red onion finely chopped
3 tbsps of lemon juice
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp of cumin (secret ingredient)
1 tsp of kosher salt
Black pepper

Mash and serve with tortilla chips!

From: adapted from foodnetwork.com

Pepperoni Chips!

So I'm not particularly excited about this one but I think it's worth sharing. Any turkey bacon or pepperoni, on paper towels, in the microwave can turn it into chips. For kids who eat no meat, this can be a friendly way to introduce that meaty, chewy taste. 15 seconds in the microwave, 2 to 3 times in a row. Then let them cool and you have some salty, crispy, meaty chips. You can even crumble them over cream cheese on a cracker or over your salad. 

Home Made Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS

•3 cups old fashioned oats

•2 tablespoons canola oil

•2 tablespoons brown sugar

•2 tablespoons maple syrup

•¼ cup honey

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•1 teaspoon cinnamon

•¼ teaspoon nutmeg

•1 – 1½ cups mix of dried cranberries and raisins, nuts and seeds

•5 ounces GOOD dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 350F and toast the oats on a baking sheet until golden brown.    

2.Line a 9 X 9 pan with parchment paper or foil. You want a piece large enough that the sides will come back over and cover the top of the bars once you fill the pan.

3.Heat the oil in sauce pan and add sugar, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4.Bring it to a simmer over medium high heat. Stir to make sure the brown sugar dissolves, and turn the heat off.

5.Put the toasted oats in a large bowl. Pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir to coat evenly. Stir in all your add-ins. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

6.Fold the parchment or foil over the top of the granola in the pan and PRESS to fill the corners and flatten. Keep pressing and smooth the granola out so that it is even across the pan.

7.Let the granola bars set up in a cool dry place for at least an hour. They will set faster in the freezer.

8.Turn them out of the pan onto a cutting board. Peel the parchment or foil away. Slice down the middle and then cut each half into 6 bars. Lay the bars on a clean piece of parchment or foil. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Spoon a strip of chocolate onto the parchment paper and lay the granola bar onto it, then use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the sliced bars. Let it set up and ENJOY!

Adapted from www.sugardishme.com

Frozen Yogurt Berries...

I just love parchment paper...
This is another fun one for the kids. Using toothpicks, dipping berries into gooey yogurt and licking your fingers when you are done... What could be better.

INGREDIENTS

•1 container of fresh blueberries

•1 container of Greek blueberry yogurt

DIRECTIONS

1.Wash your berries and let dry out. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.Using a toothpick, dip each blueberry into the yogurt, swirl and place on baking sheet.

3.Place baking sheet into the freezer and let freeze for one hour.

4.After an hour, the berries can be transferred to a Ziploc bag and stored in the freezer.

5.Take out what you need for snack time!

A great way to involve the kids.....

HOME MADE TRAIL MIX!!!!

The kids can measure half a cup of each ingredient and you don't have to worry about being precise.
Just have fun! Let them mix and make little bags of trail mix for snacks at home or at school.

INGREDIENTS

•Nut free granola

•Whole grain cheerios

•White chocolate chips

•Raisins

•Dried cranberries

•Dried cherries

•Mini marshmallows

•Shredded coconut

•Mini M&Ms