Crunchy Snacks for Kids

From: Vicki Lanskys CANDY book COOKIE JAR Have you thought of putting crackers in your cookie jar? They are made with less sugar and you can choose a low salt variety. You can fill a cookie jar with peanuts-in-th-shell or roasted no-salt nuts. Or keep on hand a jar of nuts and raisins with a few chocolate chips thrown in (aka "gorp"). POPCORN Try sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese or American cheese on popcorn. Or, mix with peanuts, or cinnamon. Package extra popcorn in small plastic bags with twist ties - excellent for an out-of-doors treat, car ride (Donnas note: UGH!) or TV special snack. (Donnas note: lunch boxes!) HONEY "CRACKER JACKS" Heat honey and butter in a saucepan until blended. Cool. Pour over popcorn which has been mixed with peanuts, stirring as you pour. When well-coated, spread in a pan in a single layer. Bake at 350 for 5 - 10 minutes or until crisp, stirring several times. The difference between crisp (not brown) and burnt can be a matter of minutes. Package in plastic bags and twist tie. If you want it to be mistaken for the "real thing", add a small toy. POPCORN CANDY CLUSTERS 1 cup (8 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup freshly popped popcorn 1 cup nuts Melt chocolate chips. Add popcorn and nuts and stir until they are well coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet or wax paper and let set til firm. If the crowd is rushing you for a taste, chill the clusters in the freezer for 5 minutes. When firm, store in plastic bags. CRUNCHO MIX Mix: 4 cups crunchy cereal (Cheerios, or Corn Chex, etc) 1 cup peanuts or mixed nuts 1 cup pretzel sticks, the smallest size 1 cup seasoned croutons Combine: 1/2 cup salad oil or 6 tbsp melted butter 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 tsp garlic powder In a shallow pan coat crunchy ingredients with the combined oil and seasonings. Heat in oven at 250 for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on absorbent paper to cool. File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/kids.zip