The trouble with heading back to school is that it invariably happens when it still feels like summer. And sitting inside a hot classroom on a sunny summery day can be a total downer. 
While you can’t do much about the weather or school calendar, you can offer your little ones a few cool and refreshing afterschool treats to help them beat the back-to-school blues. 
Start them off with a frosty glass of watermelon lemonade, a sweet and refreshing drink you can feel good about serving. It’s nothing more than watermelon, ice, lemon juice and a splash of honey blended until thick. And feel free to add frozen strawberries, raspberries or other fruit for an even thicker slushy-like drink. 
Then move on to some ice cream so healthy I sometimes serve it to my son for breakfast. You do need a food processor to make this frozen fruit-based treat, but the result is similar to soft serve. And since it has no added sugar, I don’t feel guilty about letting my son add candy sprinkles to complete the ice cream effect. 
When I make this recipe, I usually use organic mango, which typically is sold in 10-ounce bags. Conventional mango often is sold in 12-ounce or larger bags. Don’t worry about the extra; this recipe is particularly forgiving. If you find it too thick, simply add water, orange juice or lemon juice until you get the consistency you want. 
Frozen grapes are a great treat on their own, too. To freeze, wash fresh grapes then arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet or pan. Freeze until firm, then transfer to a bag or container for longer storage. 
Both recipes also include a pinch of salt. While not essential, the salt goes a long way to heightening the natural sweetness of the fruits. 
——— 
WATERMELON
LEMONADE 
Start to finish: 5 minutes 
Servings: 4 
4 cups ice 
4 cups watermelon chunks 
1/3 cup lemon juice 
2 tablespoons honey (sugar can be substituted) 
Pinch salt 
In a blender, combine all ingredients. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute. You may need to stop the blender and stir the ingredients once to ensure everything blends evenly. Serve immediately. The drink will separate some as it sits. Either blend again or simply stir to combine. 
Other frozen or fresh soft fruits — such as raspberries, strawberries, bananas, peaches or grapes (especially frozen grapes) — also can be added when blending. If so, you may need to increase the amount of lemon juice to balance the other flavors. 
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 80 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 65 mg sodium. 
——— 
MANGO-GRAPE-
BANANA ICE CREAM 
If you have frozen pop molds, pour any leftovers into those and freeze for a great treat for later. 
Start to finish: 10 minutes 
Servings: 3 
10-ounce bag frozen mango chunks 
1 cup frozen red grapes 
1 banana 
Pinch salt 
1/4 cup orange juice 
Candy sprinkles (optional) 
In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Process until very smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice to ensure all of the fruit is processed. Serve immediately. 
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 140 calories; 0 calories from fat (0 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 4 g fiber; 80 mg sodium.

Maybe you need another idea for packing fiber and vitamins into your child’s lunch. Or maybe you’re looking for a way to convince yourself to eat more fruit. Either way, making a dip (or three) to dunk your fruit in can make it a little more enticing, and a lot more fun. 
In constructing a healthful dip for fruit, the main problem lies in the base of the dip. You want something that doesn’t pile on the fat or sugar, but still is interesting enough that you want to dunk your apple wedges and strawberries in it. 
We wanted to create a creamy base that could be easily flavored. For obvious reasons, the full-fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream were out. Greek-style yogurt has a great mouth feel and creaminess, but some people find it overwhelmingly tart. So we opted to use low-fat cream cheese blended with nonfat Greek yogurt. The result is creamy and luscious and is a perfect base for flavorings. As a bonus, it’s also a great way to get calcium. 
——— 
FRUIT DIPPERS 
Start to finish: 25 minutes 
Servings: 10 (each serving represents 2 tablespoons of each dip for a total of 6 tablespoons) 
For the base: 
2 cups nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt 
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese 
For the chocolate: 
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
2 tablespoons honey 
Pinch cinnamon 
2 tablespoons fat-free milk 
For the citrus: 
Zest of 1/2 lemon 
Zest of 1/2 orange 
2 tablespoons honey 
2 tablespoons orange juice 
For the orchard spice: 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon butter rum extract 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon dry ginger 
Pinch ground nutmeg 
Pinch ground cloves 
2 tablespoons honey 
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yogurt and cream cheese. Process until completely smooth. Divide the mixture into 3 bowls. 
To make the chocolate dipper, in a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, honey, cinnamon and milk until completely smooth. Add to one of the bowls of the yogurt mixture and stir until smooth. 
To make the citrus dipper, stir both zests, the honey and orange juice into one of the remaining bowls of yogurt mixture. 
To make the orchard spice dipper, stir the vanilla, butter rum extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and honey into the last bowl of yogurt and cream cheese. 
Serve the dips with cut up wedges of apples, pears, peaches and berries. 
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 130 calories; 40 calories from fat (29 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 1 g fiber; 105 mg sodium.

SOURCE:
Valley Fig Growers (Blue Ribbon® Orchard Choice® and Sun-Maid® California Figs)

Beverly Faden, Harrisburg, NE

½ C butter or oleo

¼ C whit syrup

1 pkg red hot cinnamon candies

Stir all ingredients over medium heat until the red hots are dissolved. Pour over 2 quarts popped popcorn.  Put in 13×9 pan and heat in 250º oven for 45 minutes.

Ruth Johannes, Scottsbluff, NE

¾ C light corn syrup

¼ C margarine

2 tsp cold water

2½ C plus 2 T powdered sugar

1 C marshmallows

5 qts popped popcorn

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine corn syrup, margarine, cold water, powdered sugar and marshmallows. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. In a very large bowl, place popped popcorn. Carefully pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and stir quickly to coat the popcorn. Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape mixture into balls.

Heading to the nearest vending machine when that 3 p.m. snack break rolls around may seem like the easiest way to curb those afternoon hunger pains. But with a little creativity and planning, snacking can be fun, delicious and, more importantly, nutritious.

Stay on track this fall and into the holiday season with better-for-you snack ideas that keep your body fueled and your taste buds happy.

* Out of sight, out of mind: Keep your fridge fully stocked with only nutritious bites. If there’s no ice cream in the house, you can’t eat it … right?

* Be creative: You don’t need to buy cookies to enjoy the delicious cookie dough flavor. Now, options like ZonePerfect Cookie Dough bars – available in Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Peanut Butter flavors – take a creative approach to nutrition by marrying important vitamins, minerals and protein with the tasty, chewy texture of cookie dough for a hard-to-resist, on-the-go snack.

* On the road: When you know you’re going to be away from the fridge, stock your car or purse with nutritious snacks that will help you steer clear of the drive thru. Or when you’re headed to a movie, fill up beforehand so you save your cash for the ticket, not the candy bar.

* The buddy system: Partner with a colleague and take turns each week bringing nutritious snacks into the office. Ration snacks for your partner throughout the day and motivate each other in the face of temptation.

* ‘Tis the season: Snack on items that are naturally seasoned – like garlic or rosemary – rather than reaching for something high in salt. The same great taste without the additional calories and sodium.

* Dare to prepare: Use that down time after dinner to pack your snacks and lunch for the next day. Because you’re probably already full, you’ll be less likely to over pack.

* Do-it-yourself: Set aside time each day to make your own snacks, like low-fat trail mix, carrots with hummus, or rice cakes and almond butter. By making your own, you have more control over the ingredients and can avoid those that are loaded with unnecessary fat and calories.

* Divide and conquer: When you bring home a big box of cookies from the grocery store, divide them into smaller snack-sized portions and stow in individual snack bags. These visual cues will help ensure you’re not sneaking in too many in one sitting.

For more information about other nutritious snacking options, including the full line of ZonePerfect Nutrition Bars, visit www.zoneperfect.com.

“Once I started having kids, I realized that time management had become my biggest job,” Colleen said. “So I began searching for the best products, the quickest recipes and time-saving strategies to help me and my family keep up with our schedules.”

Here are some of Colleen’s tips for maximizing afternoons to build strong family bonds and keep her kids going all day long.

• The kitchen is the gathering point after school. I use that time to check in with my kids over a snack, ask about their day and make a plan for homework and other activities.
• Whether you have two kids or five growing boys like Colleen, having easy and tasty snacks on hand can bring calm to your kitchen and give your kids the energy to finish their after school tasks. Colleen keeps her freezer stocked with Tyson Any’tizers Dippin’ Twists snacks because they are ready to eat in minutes, hot from the oven or microwave. Made with the highest quality chicken and  paired with tangy dipping sauces like Kickin’ Honey Mustard and Sweet Chipotle BBQ, these protein-rich snacks keep kids satisfied until dinnertime.
• Bedtimes can be rushed with chores and obligations, so make afterschool or snack time the focus of learning and engaging with your kids. Reading daily with your kids after school during snacktime can help encourage language development, creativity and imagination.
• As kids reach their teenage years, their schedules become even more jam-packed and are often spending time with their friends. Schedule one-on-one after-school excursions once a week to foster child-parent relationships. It’s amazing how much they open up if you get them alone for more than a few minutes!

For more after school and family snack ideas, visit www.tyson.com.

SOURCE:
Tyson Foods

Karen Walker, Kimball, NE

3 qts Popped popcorn

3 C dry roasted mixed nuts

1 C brown sugar, firmly packed

½ C light or dark corn syrup

½ C butter

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250º. In a large roasting pan combine the popcorn & nuts.  In a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; continue to boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda and vanilla, then pour over the popcorn and nuts, tossing to coat well bake 60 minutes stirring frequently, about every 10 minutes Cool and break apart. Can add M&M^® candies, candy corn, raisins etc. Store in and airtight container.

Jill Kinnaman, Gering, NE

2 lbs hamburger

2 T tender quick

2 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp onion salt

1 C water

2 tsp liquid smoke

Mix all together and make into 8 rolls. Roll in heavy foil. Prick with fork. Place on rack in pan and bake at 325° for 1½ hours.

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