Scorching -- but Sweet! -- Summer

[Mary Kinney]

Quick! Before we all melt ...

Does anyone have a recipe for food or drinks to keep the kids cool?

Mary

[3gurlz1boy]

My daughter made these fun cupcakes! They are more like evening snacks on the patio! But a daytime snack to say cool :

Frozen Monkey Treats

Peel a banana and cut it in half. Insert popsicle sticks into the cut ends. Dip the bananas into yogurt or melted chocolate, and then roll the bananas in chopped nuts, crushed cereal, or coconut shavings. Place the bananas on a small waxed paper-lined baking sheet and set the sheet into the freezer for an hour or so. Fun to make and even more fun to eat!

[Angela Connor]

We've been into smoothies lately --- so yummy, so cold, and so good for you! I tend to make it up as I go in terms of making them, but here are the basics:

Put about 1 cup (or more, depending on how many smoothies you want!) of vanilla yogurt into a blender. I love organic yogurt, but any kind will work.

Add fruit -- whatever's handy! This is a great way to use those "still edible, but less than pretty" strawberries or bananas...

Add about a half cup of milk and a handful of ice cubes, or more depending on taste.

Blend and enjoy!

My daughter's favorite type of smoothie is mixed berry (usually strawberries and blueberries), but my favorite is peanut butter banana -- the combinations are nearly endless though. Oh, and please don't tell my daughter or husband, but I sometimes I add a spoonful of wheat germ as I'm whipping up a batch of "treats" for them! ;-) Oh, and one last thing...my little one loves smoothies for breakfast, and if I put them in a cup with a lid and straw, she can eat on the go!

[Mary Kinney]

Hey, how did you know about the less-than-pretty fruits in my kitchen? :)

I love your idea for smoothies -- especially the "eat on the go" part! I'm always searching for healthy morning meals for in the car. Dry cereal worked for awhile, but now it's "lame," according to my 5-year-old.

Thanks for the tips!

Mary

[MomMarla]

Hey Mary – another great "food for the road" are flavored waffles. Mine prefer cinnamon but you can get all different flavors. You heat them up, place it in a coffee filter – delicious and easy breakfast to go.

Oh and yes, I said coffee filters. They are cheaper than napkins, they have that built-in curve to catch crumbs and you get more than you will ever need for coffee in one pack. I use them all the time for snacks and for cleaning ... they don't leave streaks on windows and mirrors.

Give the waffles a try, let me know if they pass the "lame" test.

Marla