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S’mores Chex Mix

October 15, 2014 by

2014 disclosure
Halloween in just weeks away and the neighbors and I are planning a big community party and parade. We’re a small community but there are lots of families that would really enjoy this event. I’m in charge of snacks for the party after the parade. I know with kids there are lots of food restrictions but Chex Mix is one of those things that can lots of different tastebuds.S'mores Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Halloween Treat #ChexMix

Our S’more’s Chex Mix isn’t geared just towards the kids though. This fall favorite flavor seemed like a no-brainer when it come to putting together a menu plan for our party. Our weekend firepits are gonna have to come to a stop sometime soon but the flavors can be enjoyed all year long just by whipping up a quick batchS'mores Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Halloween Treat #ChexMix

S’mores Chex Mix
Ingredients

  • 3 cups Vanilla Chex
  • 3 Cups Rice Chex
  • 3 cups graham cereal or teddy bear graham cookies
  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 2 TBLS butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

In a large bowl combine cereal/cookies and half of the mini marshmallows.
In a double boiler melt chocolate with butter and cream till smooth.
Pour melted chocolate over cereal/cookie mixture and stir with a rubber spatula for 1 minute.
Add remaining marshmallows and continue to stir till cereal/cookies are coated with chocolate.
Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and thoroughly mix/shake to coat cereal/cookie mixture. Add more or less sugar as you prefer.
Store in a tight storage container.

Keep this gluten free by omitting the graham cereal and cookies and adding more Rice or Corn Chex. Or add gluten free graham cookies that can be found at many grocery stores today.

S'mores Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Halloween Treat #ChexMix

S'mores Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Halloween Treat #ChexMix

Serve this mix in little treat bags or cupcake liners for kid size portions.S'mores Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Halloween Treat #ChexMix

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S’mores Chex Mix

S’mores Chex Mix

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Vanilla Chex
  • 3 Cups Rice Chex
  • 3 cups graham cereal or teddy bear graham cookies
  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 2 TBLS butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine cereal/cookies and half of the mini marshmallows.
  2. In a double boiler melt chocolate with butter and cream till smooth.
  3. Pour melted chocolate over cereal/cookie mixture and stir with a rubber spatula for 1 minute.
  4. Add remaining marshmallows and continue to stir till cereal/cookies are coated with chocolate.
  5. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and thoroughly mix/shake to coat cereal/cookie mixture. Add more or less sugar as you prefer.
  6. Store in a tight storage container.
https://lookwhatmomfound.com/2014/10/smores-chex-mix.html




Making Garlic Parmesan Chex Mix

December 19, 2013 by

We’re getting ready for the holidays around here. The decorations are up, the baking has started and the gifts are piling up in their secret spot.  The kids are on a snack kick. Shaun is only ten but can eat like a man so I have to come up with new ideas. This Garlic Parmesan Chex Mix is a new snack mix that I prefer much better than chips or cookies.  And the best thing was he was able to make it pretty much on his own.Garlic Parmesan Chex Mix #KidsintheKitchen

 The idea for Chex Mix is simple, put together a bowl of related ingredients, add the flavoring and mix it up.  To get an extra crunch on savory mixes I like to toss them in oven for 10 minutes. For sweet mixes I like to pop in the fridge for the chocolate or caramel to harden up.

Shaun made this one for Rob because he knows his dad loves snacking food while watching tv. I like getting him in the kitchen helping out as much as possible. His attention span for cooking is short so I need to keep him busy. Chex Mix does the trick because there’s a lot of measuring and mixing he can do.  Stove work is ok too as long as I’m right next to him.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Rice Chex
  • 2 cups Corn Chex
  • 1 cup broken bagel or pita chips
  • 1 1/2 cup pretzel sticks
  • 1 cup oyster crackers
  • 1 cup lightly salted, roasted almonds
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tsp dried basil, crushed
  • pinch red pepper flakes, crushed
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheesemaking chex mix #kidsinthekitchen

Directions

In a large bowl mix all of your snack ingredients.

making chex mix #kidsinthekitchen

making chex mix #kidsinthekitchen

In a small saucepan over medium low heat combine butter, oil, herbs and spices and blend till hot but not bubbling.

making chex mix #kidsinthekitchen

Pour over snack mix and gently but quickly stir to coat. Sprinkle cheese over mixture and blend again till coated.

Pour onto a cookie sheet and pop into a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool then enjoy.

Garlic Parmesan Chex Mix #KidsintheKitchen

The beauty of these snack mixes is you can adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes. Adding popcorn, goldfish, bacon bits or even switching the nuts can make any snacker happy. The same goes for the flavors.  If you enjoy the rosemary over oregano, make the switch.

These are simple go to recipes especially for the holidays. Get your kids in the kitchen and get their hands dirty with some mixing, prepping and cooking.
Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.

Linky Rules, #kidsinthekitchen

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Homemade versus Store Bought #kidsinthekitchen

May 10, 2013 by

My kids are the kings of snacks.  At any point in the day they are asking for food or snacks or even something to drink like chocolate milk. As long as their eating has been balanced during the day I don’t mind indulging in a snack or treat.  My first thought is to reach for something healthy like grapes or trail mix but I also want to give my kids some goodies like cookies sometimes.

I realized that I rarely feel guilty when I’m giving them something homemade.  Chocolate chip cookies that were freshly made in our own home are somehow better for them than packaged.  Maybe the ingredients are basically the same but the fact that they are homemade in OUR home makes them more special. Let’s be honest about something too, homemade always tastes better!

Homemade is Best, #KidsintheKitchen

Sabreena is definitely the cookie baker. I like treats like this Not Quite Caramel Popcorn. It’s something the whole family will eat and not hear a peep out of them.

Not Quite Caramel Corn, #KidsintheKitchen

Did you have fun in the kitchen this week? Did you try a new food or a new restaurant? Did your littlest ones use their snacks to count to 10? Share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen. I would love for you to join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together and enjoying it and learning something.

Don’t have a blog, then share a photo you uploaded to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Share whatever you have, we want to see it.

Linky Rules
1. Link up only your kid friendly recipes, stories, pictures or cooking lessons here.
2. Link directly to a specific post, update or tweet not your homepage.
3. Please add a Kids in the Kitchen button or link on your site or blog post or share through social media so readers know you are participating.
kids in the kitchen, meme

kids in the kitchen, cooking with kids, weekly series
4. Click through and comment, pin, like, tweet or share with other participants. We love to share inspiration and ideas with each other, don’t link and run.
5. Follow the hosts of this feature, Paula at Frosted Fingers, Sara at Sensibly Sara and me, Melinda at LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too!






Back to School Snacktime with Snyder’s of Hanover #giveaway

September 5, 2012 by

Back to School is in full swing for the kids but for me I’m getting off to a slow start in the lunch making business. I had all these grand plans of cute bento box style lunches with elaborate pinterest worthy combinations. It’s not happening the way I wanted. You see,  life is more hectic than I imagined with all 3 kids in school. I actually have other stuff to do during the day.

Snyder’s of Hanover came to the rescue with a HUGE Crunch Time selection of delicious and wholesome snacks that I can include in the kids lunches.

Snyder’s of Hanover offers more than 20 different shapes, sizes and flavors of pretzels, perfect for making a new lunchtime childhood memory for your kids or keeping up an old tradition of including pretzels in the mix. Lance offers more than two dozen varieties of wholesome sandwich cracker varieties, baked to perfection with real peanut butter and real cheese to keep hunger at bay right through dinner.

We are already HUGE fans of Lance Toasty Snack Crackers. They are a staple in our pantry and are often the snack tossed in my purse for on the go eating. Shae has discovered Toast Chee the cheese crackers with peanut butter filling. These are my dad’s favorite too.

kids eating lance crackers
So while I haven’t been on my best behavior with packing those fancy lunches for my kids I don’t mind the shortcuts that Snyders of Hanover and Lance offer. I know they are getting something nourishing and filling to get them through the day.

I’m even going to share the gluten free snack bags with Shae’s class. Parents are responsible for provided snacks to share but I realize the struggles some families have to deal with when other peoples choices don’t fit with their child’s diet. I hope my small contribution helps a kid or two feel included.

Share with my your own favorite Snyder’s of Hanover or Lance Crackers snack and be entered to win a Crunch Time package for you and your family.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
  • SHARE this giveaway on Facebook: I just entered to win a Back to School package from Snyder’s of Hanover over at LookWhatMomFound..and Dad too! (this update should link back to our Facebook page)
  • Follow Mom & Dad & Snyder’s of Hanover on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: I’m entered to win a @Snyders_Hanover snack package #Giveaway from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/RHfTUr 
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
  • Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Our Life/Our Travels/Our Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Wednesday, September 26, 2012. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

I Disclose




What Is Snack Time Like At Your House?

July 13, 2011 by

It seems like my kids eat a TON and I feel like they want a snack every ten minutes.  We try to give the kids a good healthy breakfast followed by a mid morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack then dinner.  Sometimes we throw in an extra snack during the day and for the most part we try to keep it simple and healthy.

I recently took the Bagel Bites “Snack Simply Pledge” pledging to make simple and wholesome choices at snack time.  Also for each pledge, Bagel Bites will donate $1.00 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (up to $50,000).  How can you go wrong here you are vowing to be a better parent at snack time and making a donation to a great organization all at the same time.

So far so good on the snack front.  We typically will give the kids things like bagel bites, yogurt, fruit cups and granola bars for snack just to mention a few.  The thing Melinda and I learned is keep it simple.

Here are a few snack time tips:

  • Keep it Quick and Simple: You don’t need to spend more than 10 minutes to prepare a good-for-you, wholesome snack that kids will love. If you spend much more time, it’s probably more complicated than it should be and chances are kids won’t like it!
  • Get Fueled for Activities: Remind active children that food is the fuel for sports, dance, active play or any kind of movement. Share with kids that top athletes in all sports rely on wholesome snacks for peak performance.
  • Get The Kids Involved: Kids really like taking part in making the food that they eat and are more likely to enjoy it because they helped prepare it.

Sometimes we fall off the wagon and give the kids cookies or maybe some ice cream for dessert but this isn’t necessarily a bad snack/treat if given in moderation.

Just remember keep it simple and they will come!

What do you normally give your kids for a snack? We could use a few more ideas. LOL










I Disclose




HALO Bars Recap and Giveaway

July 8, 2011 by

Recently Melinda and I discovered that dairy reeks havoc on Shae’s body and have been on the lookout for snacks and snack bars that she can consume that won’t upset her stomach and luckily HALO bars came our way.

HALO Bars are dairy and vegan free and are certified organic. They are low in sugar, all natural and contain only 150 calories. All of these are things make me happy as a parent and allow me not to feel guilty when I give these to my kids as a snack. Not only are they a healthy snack but will hold them over until their next meal allowing them to consume less sugary snacks during the day. Anything that allows my kids to consume less sugar in a day is a great thing in my book.

Although there are lots of organic, nutritious ingredients in HALO bars, the primary sugar we use is organic brown rice syrup. In contrast to typical sugars like corn syrup, brown rice syrup has a low glycemic value and does not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar after consuming it. This is because the sugar profile in this syrup is 50% soluble carbohydrates, 45% maltose and 3% glucose. The glucose is immediately absorbed and metabolized, maltose takes from 1-1.5 hours, and soluble carbohydrates take 2-3 hours to be metabolized. This results in a constant supply of energy spread over a long time rather than a sudden rush. HALO bars have zero trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils.

HALO Bars come in four awesome flavors: Rocky Road, S’Mores, Honey Graham and Nutty Marshmallow. I have not tried these personally but Melinda and the kids have and they love them. The kids get a great tasting snack that they can enjoy with out all of the sugar, fat and bad stuff that your normal snack may contain. We typically will take the HALO Bars when we go to the pool and it holds the kids over until dinner.

I know I keep going on about the healthiness of the HALO Bar but if you are a parent you know exactly why I feel so strongly about this. Until I was asked to analyse  the HALO Bars I had no idea they existed but I am glad that I do now.

One lucky Look What Mom Found…and Dad too! reader will have the chance to win their own box of HALO Bars. If you want to win a box of HALO Bars head over to Pro Bar and tell me what flavor you would love to try.

If you don’t win, PROBAR is glad to extend a one-time 40% discount for all of our readers. All you have to do is shop at Pro Bar and enter the code BLOGGER upon checkout.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules will be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed, bottom of page
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  • Follow Us on Networked Blog, bottom of page
  • Follow Mom and Dad  and Pro Bar on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway 1 time per day, please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: Win a guilt free treat with Halo Bars #Giveaway @lkwhtmomfound & @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/qLV7t0  
  • SHARE this giveaway on your Facebook wall (easy to use widget at top of post) OR WRITE on our Facebook Wall that you entered to win this giveaway
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Friday, July 29, 2011. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.

I Disclose




WhoNu a cookie could be good for you plus giveaway

June 30, 2011 by

Is it snacktime yet? At least 8 times a day I hear this coming from one or more kids. My kids would eat all day long if I let them and NO, they wouldn’t always make the best choices. I hate always denying them a treat but know they need the nutrition and sustenance to get them going throughout the day.
whonu-cookies-healthy-vanilla-sandwichWhoNu cookies arrived one day and claimed to be loaded with 20 vitamins and minerals plus 3 grams of Fiber. Fine, a healthy cookie but would it taste good? The vanilla sandwich and chocolate chip cookies are gone. You might be saying kids will eat cookies even if they were covered in dirt, not my kids. They are picky. If it doesn’t taste good they aren’t going to waste the snack time on it. Rob even raved about the WhoNu Chocolate Chip cookies, and he’s the cookie freak. Me I like a salty bag of popcorn but he would dust off a pack of cookies in a heartbeat.whonu-healthy-chocolate-chip-cookie

There is no healthy cardboard food feel here. WhoNu cookies are just good cookies. We haven’t opened the other two flavors yet but I’m guessing we aren’t going to have any issues.

Get your own WhoNu cookies from retailers near you starting in July and get the complete run down of healthy details from the official website. Win a couple packs of WhoNu cookies and a $25 WalMart GC just by letting me know what flavor you would most like to try. TWO LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! readers will be winners of this tasty prize pack.
EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules will be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed, bottom of page
  • Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect, bottom of page
  • Follow Us on Networked Blog, bottom of page
  • Follow Mom and Dad on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway 1 time per day, please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: WhoNu Cookies & WalMart GC#Giveaway @lkwhtmomfound & @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/lSJ6Km
  • SHARE this giveaway on your Facebook wall (easy to use widget at top of post) OR WRITE on our Facebook Wall that you entered to win this giveaway
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
  • Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Family/Article post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Sunday, July 24, 2011. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.

 

 

I Disclose




Funky Monkey, Fruit that Crunches

January 6, 2010 by

With 3 kids in the house you can imagine how many snacks we have in the house. At any given moment there are over a dozen choices that they can make, some healthy some not so much. I really prefer to have healthful options such as fresh fruit, veggies, granola and cereal ready for the picking but just like me the kids get tired of the same things over and over again. Funky Monkey snacks are one of our new favorites and one of the non-messy ones.

Funky Monkey is the fruit that crunches. All Funky Monkey snacks are made using a proprietary freeze-drying process on whole slices and large chunks of fruit. This process removes 97% of the moisture leaving a crisp, crunchy and 100% all natural fruit snack that is nutritionally equivalent to its fresh brothers and sisters.
Funky Monkey recently introduced 3 new flavors: Applemon, MangOJ and Pink Pineapple. We got to try all 3. My favorite is MangOJ, crunchy bits of mango infused with sweet orange juice. Shae likes Applemon best: apple slices with a bit of cinnamon. The crunchiest ones of the bunch is Pink Pineapple. My friends Sofie and Lily like this flavor the best, so much that Sof screams for more!

These snacks pack a punch of not only flavor but nutritional quality. In one little freeze dried ounce you get 3 servings of fruit without added sugar, fat, sodium, color or preservatives. It’s real food with a twist.

I would love to see veggies incorporated into Funky Monkey Snacks. Has anyone had freeze dried broccoli? What about red pepper strips? Dusted with ranch dressing powder would be delish! My kids usually don’t have a problem with fruit and most veggies but this would be a great way to get those green ones in them with less hassle.  I also would love the option of reclosing the bags.  We opened all 3 flavors to try and didn’t eat them all in one sitting, storage wasn’t easy.

Try them for yourself! Funky Monkey Snacks can be found at major retailers and online. Become a Facebook Fan or follow on Twitter of Funky Monkey Snacks to stay connected on new flavors, products and news.

This is a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too!