Carob sauce for dipping bananas or other fruit in. --read more >>

This is one of my son's favorite snacks.--read more >>

Another great homemade snack bar for kids (& grown ups!)--read more >>

Cheese broiled on crispbread, topped with tomatoes and your favorite spices.--read more >>

To toast raw pumpkin seeds, preheat the oven to 350º. Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and toast, shaking the pan one or two times, for 10 minutes, until the seeds are slightly puffed. Set aside.

Pop the popcorn and place it in a large mixing bowl with the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried blueberries and dried cranberries. Remove any unpopped kernels. Set aside.

Place the brown rice syrup, brown sugar, salt, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils over the entire surface. Stop stirring and adjust the heat if necessary to maintain this constant boil without boiling over.

Okay, now you have a choice. If you want soft, somewhat gooey, chewy popcorn balls (my personal preference), boil for about 8-10 minutes (240º on a candy thermometer, aka soft-ball stage). If you want hard, less chewy popcorn balls that crackle when you crunch into them (my husband’s preference), boil for up to 15 minutes (250º on a candy thermometer, aka hard-ball stage).

Pour the sugar mixture evenly over the popcorn, stirring constantly until everything is completely coated, being sure to stir from the bottom of the bowl to catch all those little sunflower seeds that like to fall to the bottom. Put some margarine or oil on your hands to keep the mixture from sticking. Scoop up large handfuls and shape into balls, pressing firmly (if you are packing some inside a lunch box, make sure you make them small or flat enough so that they fit with the lid closed).

Work quickly before the mixture has a chance to cool. If the mixture gets too firm to shape, place it in a warm (300º) oven for 1 to 2 minutes to soften.

Vegan Lunch Box

makes 12 balls

15

"Popcorn, sunflowers, pumpkins, blueberries, and cranberries are all foods native to the Americas. They’re darn tasty, too!"
I haven't made this yet but they look sooooo good!

10 cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup unpopped kernels, popped in 1/8 cup corn or canola oi

1/3 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

1/3 cup roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds (or buy them raw and toast your own, see below

1/3 cup dried blueberries

1/3 cup dried cranberries

¼ cup brown rice syrup

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

margarine or oil--read more >>

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes into strips or chips, place in large bowl.
3. Put dressing and cheese into bowl with potatoes. Put lid on and shake!
4. Place on baking stone or cooking sheet coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake 10 minutes, flip, bake another 10-12 minutes.

k raft and me

15

kids love these!

3 medium potatoes (white, sweet or combination)

1/4 cup italian dressing

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

--read more >>

this came from the lid of smucker's peanut butter which i also use because i happen to think it tastes the best. i also find it helpful to pour off the oil from the top and only stir in part of it. or, i can just not use the butter. the original recipe calls for margarine, which is the stuff of the antichrist, won't touch the shit.

1. Mix the peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla until semi-dry and crumbly.
2. Shape into ½“balls
3. Dip your balls into chocolate, leaving the top of the ball uncovered to resemble an eyeball.
4. Place your balls on a pan lined with waxed paper, and refrigerate until set.
5. Brag to friends and family of the enormously complicated recipe you just tackled with ease.

Smucker's PB Jar

one Etta Candy-sized serving

120

i may as well include the notes i have in my file. i had to fenagle the recipe a bit. but even when it doesn't exactly work, it still tastes damn good. the trick is to get your balls firm enough to dip without squishing in your fingers, while also without adding so much sugar and butter that it doesn't taste peanutty anymore. but it's still good.

6/24/03: START WITH JUST PEANUT BUTTER AND VANILLA, THEN ADD ENOUGH SUGAR FOR THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY. no butter at all.

XMAS 02: DECREASE-BY A LOT- BUTTER AND SUGAR Start with half the butter, then mix in the sugar, enough until the desired consistency is reached, then go from there.

ALSO-- CHILL TWICE. ONCE BEFORE AND ONCE AFTER DIPPING.

1 ½ cups peanut butter (one jar smucker’s)

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

½ cup butter

1 t vanilla

semisweet chocolate chips--read more >>

Slice your tomatoes about 1 tomato per person or however many you know your folks will eat.
Place them on a platter or large plate.
Drizzle the vinegar and oil over them.
Sprinkle the cheese over.
Sprinkle a teeny pinch of dill over.
Voila' fast and yummy, and no cooking!

how ever many you want

15

fresh ripe tomatoes

taragon vinegar I use Heinz brand

olive oil

grated parmesian or asiago or a combo

dried dill--read more >>

Set aside a large bowl for all ingredients.

Sear poblano chiles over gas flame (stove or grill) until skin is blackened; peel off charred skin and seed. Chop coarsely and add to bowl.

Chop apples, onion, cilantro coarsely and add to bowl. Add lime juice, oil, cumin, salt and pepper and toss. Serve immediately, or chill if you prefer. Great with tortilla chips or on its own (we sometimes just eat bowls of this).

Our chef friend came up with this. Thanks, Mike.

8-10?

30

2 poblano chiles

2 Granny Smith apples (can have more or fewer)

1 sweet onion (e.g., Vidalia); size depends on how much you like onions

Bunch cilantro (again, depends on how much you like cilantro)

lime juice (to taste)

olive or vegetable oil (approx. 1-3 Tbsp.)

1 tsp cumin (can add more)

salt and pepper to taste

--read more >>