5 Yummy After School Snacks

Create a yummy after school snack with one of these fun recipes

Plain Brown Popper - Homemade Microwave Popcorn
from Alton Brown and the Food Network

1/4 cup good quality popcorn
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or popcorn salt
Paper lunch bag
Stapler
Directions

Toss the popcorn with the olive oil, salt, and jalapeno seasoning mix in the paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over and staple the bag twice to close. Place the bag in the microwave and microwave on high for 2 minutes to 3 minutes, or until there are about 5 seconds between pops.

Say Cheese Calzones
from: BHG.com

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray or shortening
• 1 10-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chunky pasta sauce or one 8-ounce can pizza sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Line a 12-inch pizza pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Press dough onto foil in pan, forming a 12-inch circle.

2. In a large mixing bowl stir together cheeses. Spoon cheese mixture on 1/2 of the pizza dough. Fold dough over filling to form a half-circle. Seal edges, then use the edge of a spoon to make a decorative edge, if desired. Cut slits for escape of steam.

3. Bake in the 400 degree F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until filling is heated through and cheese is melted. Cover with foil after 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning. Cool on pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat pasta or pizza sauce. Serve the sauce with calzone. Makes 4 servings.

Chocolate Banana Tortillas

from: parenting.com

If your kid is obsessed with chocolate-covered frozen bananas, he'll love our healthful approach to this glorious duo. Easier to make than banana bread, these are addictive either hot or cold, for breakfast or dessert. Just don't forget to save one for the kids.

• Pat of butter
• One banana, thinly sliced
• Handful chocolate chips
• Two flour tortillas
• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Melt butter in nonstick pan. Arrange banana slices over one tortilla and mash them in very lightly with a fork. Dot with chocolate chips and place second tortilla on top. Slide into frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until brown and golden at the edges. Let cool for a minute or two, then slice into wedges and serve dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.

Kids can help: Peel banana, spread banana slices on tortilla, lightly mash bananas, arrange chocolate chips over fruit.

Walking Stick

from: BHG.com

This friendly walking stick is made out of your child's favorite snack foods.

What You Need:

• 8-inch trimmed celery stalk
• Two tablespoons peanut butter
• 13 mini marshmallows
• Two 4-inch pieces of red shoestring licorice
• 12 thin pretzel sticks

Instructions:

1. Fill celery stalk with peanut butter.

2. Cut a marshmallow in half for eyes. Set eyes and licorice antennae into peanut butter at wide end of celery.

3. Push two pretzel sticks into a mini-marshmallow knee. Push one end of the leg into the peanut butter and the other end into a mini marshmallow on the plate. Create a total of six legs. Makes one stick.

Banana Dog

from: Family Fun

Ingredients

• Whole-grain hot dog bun
• Peanut butter
• Wheat germ or sunflower seeds

• Banana
• Jam

Instructions

1. Simply spread a whole-grain hot dog bun with peanut butter, sprinkle with wheat germ or sunflower seeds, and top with a whole, peeled banana and a squiggle of jam. Add a side of milk to round out the meal. Variation: For a Banana Burrito, substitute a tortilla for the bun.