FRIDAY SNACKS 

Fruit Kabobs, 0 weight watchers points plus
Sometimes for kids (and me!) fruit gets, well, a little dull. But magically when you make it into a beautiful kabob, everything changes. Make it even more exciting by adding something to dip it into like this yogurt and condensed milk dip or combine some vanilla yogurt and peanut butter or PB2, a low calorie peanut butter powder.

This week I asked for some Friday Five inspiration on Facebook and heard back that y’all would love some ideas for back to school snacks that are healthy and parent friendly. And although I have no children yet and am not heading back to school, although I wish I was, we can all use some snack remixing in our lives in my opinion, and maybe some back to school shopping. If only I could still convince my Mom that this was a necessity at my age. Here are some yummy snacks that parents and kids will love, and will hopefully add some excitement to your day, especially if you pack them up in this or this. Also if you are looking for more ideas, my friend swears by these two books for lunches for her kids.

                      Apples are health & Organic 

Health Teeth
if you can't brush your teeth after a meal, reach for a Granny Smith apple. Biting and chewing the tough, fibrous skin of the apple stimulates saliva production. The extreme tartness of Granny Smith apples aids in more salivation than a sweeter type of apple. High levels of saliva decrease bacteria in your mouth that attack teeth and cause cavities. Granny Smith apples are high in acid, which can break down tooth enamel. As a precaution, drink a glass of water with your apple to minimize any damage from acid. 

Blood Sugar 
Apples can help stabilize your blood sugar levels, which is particularly important if you have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes. Foods rich in soluble fiber delay absorption of sugar in your small intestine and may lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Women who eat an apple a day are nearly 30 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, "Best Health Magazine" reports. Make sure you meet your daily fiber recommendation for maximum benefits. You need 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories in your diet, which amounts to 28 daily grams for an average 2,000-calorie diet, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. A medium 3-inch Granny Smith apple provides about 5 grams of dietary fiber.

 How to Make Caramel Corn 

INGREDIENTS

 1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup (I use dark, but light is fine too)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

6 quarts popped popcorn, kept warm (I use 3 bags microwave popcorn)

Caramel is my favorite candy. Hands down my favorite by miles and miles. I love the buttery, smooth, indescribably delicious flavor. Caramel syrup, chewy candies, toffee, turtles, it really doesn’t matter, I am wild about them all. But my most beloved is caramel corn. The crunchy, slightly salty, sweet popcorn drives me crazy! And the day I found this recipe was in heaven. It’s from Jiffy Pop popcorn. Even novice candy makers will be successful with this recipe so don’t let any preconceived notions of failure stop you from trying this!

There are a few secrets to working with sugar that will help you. First and foremost, stir sugar until is has dissolved and is boiling, and then NEVER stir it again! If you do, the entire batch will turn back into crystallized sugar. What happens is that if even one grain of sugar sneaks into the syrup, it starts a chain reaction of crystallization. Unfortunately this is one situation where you can’t fix it. You’ll have to start all over again. Brushing the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in water will help keep sugar crystals from forming on the sides and being stirred into the syrup.

How to make banana pudding

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
45 vanilla wafers
1 pinch cream of tartar
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the banana slices and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, the flour and salt in a 3-quart saucier. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add the half-and-half and carefully whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 172 to 180 degrees F, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken and bubble around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Spread a small amount of the pudding in the bottom of an oven-safe 1 1/2-quart glass mixing bowl. Cover with a layer of vanilla wafers, followed by a layer of banana slices. Pour 1/3 of the remaining pudding on top of the bananas and repeat, ending with a layer of pudding.

Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue over the warm pudding, being sure to cover the edges. Bake until the meringue is evenly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cool completely before refrigerating. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

How to make chocolate covered strawberries 


Ingredients
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well


Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

      Strawberry ice cream 

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed strawberries

3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup fresh cream
1 cup full-fat milk , chilled
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Methods 

Combine ¾ cup of strawberries and the sugar in a bowl and mix well.

Add the cream and milk and mix well.

Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Pour the mixture into an aluminum tray, cover with an aluminum foil and put in the freezer for atleast 8 to 10 hours.

Remove it from the freezer and immediately blend in a mixer till the ice crystals are broken down. The mixture after blending should be thick and slushy and not watery.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ¼ cup of strawberries and mix lightly.

Pour the mixture again into an aluminum tray or any other container and cover and freeze again for atleast 5 to 6 hours or till the ice cream sets.

Scoop and serve immediately

Pound Cake Recipe

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice (the REAL STUFF)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream (I used light sour cream)  
• (ICING)

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel