Play With Your Food


© Karen Jenista

School’s out for the next three months. If you have children at home, you know the two most often uttered phrases of summer vacation. Two phrases that tax your patience and exhaust your creativity. They are “I’m bored” and “I’m hungry.” Wouldn’t you love one solution to satisfy both complaints?

Fun foods will keep children–or adults!–busy, and have the added benefit of providing snacks at the end. Try some of these recipes. Most of them require minimal, simple preparation, but all of them please.

YOGURT POPS...Good and good for you!

    20 oz. fruit with juice
    8 oz. yogurt
    6 oz. juice
    1 tsp. grated lemon peel

    Combine all ingredients in blender.
    Pour into bathroom-size paper cups.
    Let set in freezer.
    Add sticks and freeze completely.
    Peel away paper cup to eat.
    Be creative–mix or match juice, fruit, and yogurt flavors. Banana, banana-orange, strawberry, berry-lemon. Go wild!

BANANA POPS...Perfect on hot days and they’re mostly fruit, right? So enjoy them without guilt.

    4 bananas
    6 oz. (1 cup) chocolate morsels
    1 tbsp. vegetable shortening
    Optional: Toppings such as chopped nuts or coconut

    Cut bananas in half crosswise.
    Insert a popsicle stick in each cut end and freeze.
    Melt morsels over hot (not boiling) water, then stir in shortening.
    Coat each banana half with chocolate.
    Optional: Roll immediately in topping.
    Wrap each pop in aluminum foil or seal in freezer bags and store in freezer.

COOL CORN

    Shuck an ear of sweet corn and...eat. Yes, eat it raw. It’s crunchy, juicy, cold and sweet. And one of your daily vegetable portions.

QUICK DONUTS...Okay, so they’re near the top of the food pyramid, but they are yummy.

    10-count roll of buttermilk biscuits
    Melted butter
    Sugar
    Cinnamon

    Bake biscuits according to package instructions.
    Mix sugar and cinnamon to taste.
    Coat biscuits with butter.
    Roll in cinnamon-sugar.

TRAIL MIX...Your mix can be as nutritious or naughty as you like.

    Your imagination will be your guide for ingredients, but here are some suggestions:
      Peanuts, Nuts
      Raisins, M&M’s
      Chocolate chips, Dried Fruits
      Rice crackers, Chow mein noodles

    Mix and eat!

PUPPY CHOW...Nutritious? No. Delicious? Definitely!

    1 stick of butter
    1 cup peanut butter
    12-oz. bag of chocolate chips
    12-oz. box of Crispix cereal
    1 lb. powdered sugar

    Melt butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in large pot.
    Stir in cereal until well coated.
    Pour sugar into a large brown paper bag.
    Add cereal mixture and shake.
    Store in air-tight container...if there’s any left to store!

NACHOS...Maybe it’s silly to include a “recipe” for nachos, but I don’t want you to forget this reliable fun food.

    Tortilla chips
    Taco sauce or salsa
    Shredded monterey jack and/or cheddar
    Optional: onions, olives, jalapenos, refried beans, browned ground beef, etc.

    Spread chips on a large microwave-safe plate.
    Sprinkle liberally with sauce and cheese.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

2.   Aug 15, 2001 5:45 PM
Susan,

I'm so glad you enjoyed the article. Sometimes the simplest of things can be great! :-)

(Sorry for not responding sooner--it took me two months to notice the "message waiting" button, and ...


-- posted by ChngngWmn


1.   Jun 21, 2001 9:39 AM
Karen,

I had no idea that other people made "Quick Donuts"!! Here I was all this time thinking I was doing something original. :) These are some great snack ideas. Thanks.

-Susan Culver
CE, ...


-- posted by Amexia





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