One thing mothers need to get ready as soon as school is out for the summer is a cupboard full of snacks. With increased outdoor activities, children seem to have hollow legs when it comes to food; you just can’t fill them up!
It’s best to go with more healthy snacks as opposed to simply handing them a bag of chips or crackers. The only drawback is when kids hear “healthy” it is often an instant turnoff.
That’s where peanut butter comes in. It’s nutritious, and what kid doesn’t like peanut butter? This Peanut Butter Snack Mix recipe includes several other healthy ingredients, too. And, better yet, it’s so easy to fix you can let the kids help make it.
Chances are you may have many of the ingredients on hand already, and it makes a big batch, so you can have enough for several days. Just put any leftovers in an air-tight container to be used later.
If you want to let the kids take some outside for a snack, you can use an ice cream cone and fill it with the mix, which means there will be no bowls to clean later.
This snack isn’t just for kids, though. Grownups will love it too.
PEANUT BUTTER SNACK MIX
5 cups Honey Nut cereal
1 cup small pretzels or pretzel sticks
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup raisins
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1 cup dried banana chips
1 cup M&M’s or other candy-coated chocolate candies
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cereal and pretzels in large bowl.
Heat peanut butter and butter to boiling in 1-quart saucepan, stirring occasionally; pour over cereal mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Spread in ungreased rectangular 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan.
Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; stir in raisins and peanuts. Spread over waxed paper, cool completely, about 1 hour.
Stir in banana chips and candies. Store in airtight container. Makes 9 cups of snacks.
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