Cooking Kids

These lunchbox treats are a great dessert. They are easy for kids to help make, and you can alter the recipe to include a cereal you prefer. This holiday season, we made them with rice krispies, but I prefer the cornflakes.

1/4 C. lite corn syrup

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. white sugar

1/4 C. creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 C. corn flakes

1/4 C. spanish peanuts

1/2 C. melted chocolate

Bring the corn syrup and sugars to a boil. Remove them from the heat as soon as it boils and stir in the peanut butter. Fold in the corn flakes and peanuts. Press the mixture into a pan and spread the melted chocolate over top. (I use a small, square dish for thicker bars.) Chill until firm. Wrap in plastic wrap and pack in an insulated lunchbox. Enjoy!

This snack is great for the lunch box, especially if you send some turkey pinwheels as the main course. Use this snack as a special treat right before the kids get out of school for Thanksgiving break. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pinwheels

1 large flour tortilla

1/2 C. pumpkin pie filling

A handful of chocolate chips

Spiced walnuts/pecans (optional)

Spread the pumpkin pie filling over the tortilla. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Add the optional nuts, if you like. Roll the tortilla tightly and slice it every 1 inch or so. Add a little extra pumpkin pie filling to any pinwheel that isn’t sealed at the edges. Send these in a plastic container so they don’t get squashed.

Here’s a snack mix you can make and store to give the kids something different in their lunch boxes next week.

1 1/2 C. cashews or other favorite nut

1 C. each of cheese puff balls, corn chex, rice chex, mini pretzels and chow mein noodles

1/2 C. melted butter

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. each of chili powder and hot pepper sauce

In a bowl, combine the cashews, cheese puffs, Chex cereals, pretzels and chow mein noodles. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and then pour over the snack mix. Toss to coat. Spread out on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 250* for 1 hour, tossing every 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool and store. Serve in plastic baggies or containers in your kids’ lunch boxes.

This post is the first in a new addition to this blog - lunch box snacks. As a parent, I know that I struggle with putting different snacks in my kid’s lunch box. I hate buying a bunch of processed snacks at the store, but most homemade items I make don’t fare well in a lunch box after he’s sat on, smashed, threw around and basically put his lunchbox through a MMA fight before lunchtime. I’m going to try and post a lunch box worthy snack once a week. This week’s snack is cream cheese puffs. Easy to make, eat and take to school.

 Cream Cheese Puffs:

1/2 C. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 C. melted butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tube biscuits

1 pkg. cream cheese - cubed

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Combine vanilla and butter in a separate bowl. Separate biscuits and press into a 3-in circle. Dip cream cheese cubes in butter/vanilla mixture and then into sugar mixture. Place cubes in center of biscuit and fold over and seal. Shape into balls. Dip biscuit balls in butter mixture and then sugar. Place in greased muffin cups, seam side down. Bake for 14-18 min. at 375*.

Place these in a plastic container in their lunch box for their lunch dessert. Enjoy!