By Sherrie Norris
Talk about a fast summer. Wow. It seems like just yesterday that the bells rang for the last time and the busses made their final rounds through the High Country. And we parents and grandparents were sitting in the pick-up lines at school, wondering just what “surprise snacks” we had on hand once we made it back home with the littles.
And now, we get to do it all over again.
I’ve loved how my grandson coined the phrase for his afternoon snack a couple of years ago, when asked what he wanted to eat after a long day at school. “Just surprise me, Nana.”
I loved even more that he trusted me to provide something I knew he wanted. Of course, it usually included an apple, cut up with Nutella or caramel on the side for dipping. And maybe a few chips of some sort, a carrot or celery stick, a Slim-Jim and probably an Oreo or two, despite the fact that there was already enough chocolate in the “dip.” And then, little sister started school and wanted her own “surprise snack,” which has been similar, but her chosen preferences often included more salty, crispier treats. And with cheese. Of yeah, if there’s a gummy bear or three thrown in for good measure, everyone is happy.
So, here we are again, a few days away, but my wheels are already turning, round and round, just like the bus. I want those surprise snacks to be healthy, but fun at the same time. I’m digging up a few new ideas to accompany the tried-and-true, so hopefully these will help keep everyone happy at your house, as well.
After School Pizza Snack
1 English muffin
2 Tbsp. pizza sauce
Grated mozzarella cheese
Pepperonis
Other toppings/veggies as desired, finely chopped
On each half the English muffin, spread pizza sauce. Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese, pepperoni and veggies. Place under oven broiler until cheese is melted and muffin edges are lightly browned.
Easy Scooby Snacks For Kids
1 box Ritz crackers
1 (8 oz.) tub strawberry cream cheese spread
Make little cracker sandwiches with a generous amount of the cream cheese.
Kid’s Fruit Pizza Dessert
1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
¾ cup strawberry or raspberry jam
Strawberries, sliced
Blueberries
Kiwis, sliced
Raspberries
Bananas, sliced
Grapes, sliced
Apples, diced 1-inch square
Raisins (add last)
1 can whipped cream topping
For crust: remove cookie dough from package and press with fingers onto a round pizza pan all the way to the edge. Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely.
For sauce: In a small saucepan, heat jam on medium heat until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread jam on cooled cookie “crust” to ½- inch from the edge, covering crust completely. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
For toppings: Arrange 1 cup each fruit (except raisins) in alternating circles from center of sauce covered crust to 1/2-inch from the edge. The raisins are “anchovies.” Sprinkle sparingly over entire pizza.
Pipe whipped cream on all the way around remaining outer edge of crust. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Slice pizza style with pizza cutter. Enjoy!
Grilled Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
6 slices of bread
6 slices of cheese
6 thin slices of ham
2 Tbsp. butter
Trim crust from bread; Roll flat. Add ham and cheese on top. Roll it up tightly. Use toothpicks if needed to hold together.
Heat skillet to medium heat. Add butter; place grilled cheese roll-ups in pan. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, turning periodically with tongs so they brown evenly. Remove, cut in half and serve.
Beach Memories (AKA Sand Cups For Kids)
2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (3 oz.) Jell-O vanilla instant pudding
8 oz. Cool Whip topping, thawed
1 pkg. (12 oz.) vanilla wafers, crushed
8 to 10 small plastic cups
Decorations: miniature umbrellas, gummy sea shells, worms and sharks, candy stars, chopped peanuts.
Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with whisk until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in whipped topping and half of crushed cookies. Place 1 Tbsp. crushed cookies into cups. Fill cup ¾ full with pudding mixture. Top with remaining cookies. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Decorate with choice toppings.
Fruit Skewers
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. tangerine zest
1 (15-oz.) pkg. donut holes
1 lb. strawberries, hulled
4 small tangerines, peeled and segmented
Fresh pineapple cubes
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced into ½ -inch thick half-moons
½ cup blueberries
½ cup red grapes
16 (12-inch) wooden skewers
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla and tangerine zest. Spoon mixture into a small bowl and chill until ready to use.
On each skewer, thread 1 donut hole, 1 hulled strawberry, 1 tangerine segment, 1 pineapple cube, 1 kiwi slice, 2 blueberries, and 2 red grapes in that order. Repeat with the remaining fruit and donuts.
Serve chilled with the yogurt dip.