Snacks for kids: February 2013

\"Snacks For Kids\"

1. Oreos: 9 million a year

The Top Five Cookies For Kids

2. Chips Ahoy: 7 million

3. Chips Deluxe: 0 million

4. Newtons: 7 million

5. Fudge Shoppe: 7 million

Although kids love store bought cookies, they especially love cookies that are made in the home. As well, many parents let their kids make the cookies with them. The kids love to bake and parents get to enjoy some quality time with them.

If you are interested in giving your kids homemade cookies, the following lists the top 5 most popular cookies for kids:

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie: These cookies have always been a popular treat for kids. They are soft, chewy, and gooey. You can use standard chocolate chips, gourmet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chunks. Either way, the kids love them. Ingredients include: all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter (melted,) brown sugar (firmly packed,) white sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

2. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: The double chocolate chip cookie is loved by almost all kids. Ingredients include: butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder buttermilk, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and semisweet chocolate chips.

3. Peanut Butter Cookies: Peanut Butter Cookies have always been a well loved treat by kids. For a burst of flavor, you can use a popular peanut butter brand such as Skippy, Peter pan, or Jiffy peanut butter. You can also add chocolate chips. To make them healthier, use all natural peanut butter. Ingredients include: granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, peanut butter, butter or margarine, shortening, egg, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Gingerbread Cookies: These cookies make for a wonderful satisfying delight. They can be made into many shapes and frosting can be added as decoration, Ingredients include all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, butter, softened, molasses, egg, ground cinnamon, baking powder, ground ginger, ground cloves, grated or ground nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

5. Sugar Cookies: The sugar cookie is a delicious sweet cookie that you can cut into a variety of shapes. Ingredients include: margarine (or butter), granulated sugar, egg vanilla, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Kids love cookies so giving them this tremendously pleasing treat will definitely bring a smile to their faces.

Cookies are a nice little dessert after breakfasts or lunch. Many cookies have healthy recipes with nutritious ingredients such as eggs.

This is a wonderful salad that I make at least two or three times a week. It consists of all fresh fruit except for the mandarin oranges. We happen to have a wonderful grocery store nearby with a fantastic produce department. This recipe may be difficult for those who do not have access to gorgeous, ripe, sensational fruit at their grocery store or farmer's market.

Our produce market not only offers fresh fruit, but prepared fresh fruit in plastic containers that is very high quality such as berries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and fresh pineapple. We buy these containers often. They make great healthy snacks for kids and an easy fruit addition to a cereal breakfast.

\"Snacks For Kids\"

This salad is incredibly easy, and my family enjoys it for breakfast just as much as for lunch or dinner.

Fruit Salad Balsamic Dressing - Fresh Fruit, Cheddar Cheese, Easy, Delicious and Healthy

Ingredients can vary based on what is available and of good quality. Because of the number of different fruits used, you do not need large amounts of any specific fruit to feed the family. It is basically a "sampling" of several fruit varieties. You do not have to limit yourself to these fruits, or feel that you have to use all of them. It is strictly a matter of choice and what is available.

Fruit Salad (Fresh Fruit except for mandarin oranges)

* Nectarines

* Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries (optional and if in season)

* Chunked honeydew or cantaloupe (prepared)

* Bananas

* Seedless Grapes

* Naval Oranges (those large big healthy Naval Oranges!)

* Kiwis (ripe kiwis, not squishy but they "give" a little when gently pressed)

* Apple Sections

* Mangos

* Mandarin Orange Sections (canned in juice)

* Hunk of Extra Sharp Kraft Cheddar Cheese

Balsamic Dressing

* ¼ cup orange juice

* ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

* 2 ½ tablespoons water

* 1 ½ tablespoons honey

* ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

* ½ teaspoon salt

Place dressing ingredients in a jar, place lid on jar, and shake vigorously to mix. Chill thoroughly.

Wash fruit (except bananas and kiwis) and dry. When ready to eat, place salad plates on counter. Peel kiwis, slice and add to each salad plate. Repeat with bananas. Peel oranges and divide into sections, adding some to each plate. Slice apples leaving peeling intact. Slice nectarines, leaving peeling on the fruit, cutting chunks around the pit trying not to waste any flesh. Arrange nicely on the salad plates. Drain mandarin oranges, saving juice for a fruit smoothie or grilling sauce. Divide the mandarin oranges among the plates. Place grapes on the plates intermingling with the other ingredients. Slice chunks of cheddar cheese and place them on the plates. The cheese goes fast, so include 3 or 4 chunky slices. At this point, you can chill uncovered for a bit. When ready to eat, shake chilled balsamic dressing vigorously to remix and pour lightly over the entire fruit salad. Delicious!

Variation: if you are not a balsamic dressing fan, and I cannot imagine why you would not be, but if not, I will do my best to understand. You can omit the balsamic dressing. Instead, add a few dollops of quality vanilla flavored yogurt to the top of the salads. Dannon and Stonyfield are my favorite yogurts. Enjoy!

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Fruit Salad Balsamic Dressing - Fresh Fruit, Cheddar Cheese, Easy, Delicious and Healthy

Laura Brown is an experienced ghostwriter and freelance writer. She also enjoys gardening and cooking. You can find some delicious recipes on her website, The Rancher's Daughter, along with a lot of useful and informative information on gardening, cooking, flowers, and living in the country.