Let’s Talk After-School Snacks

I remember after-school snacks as an affair of epic importance. And let’s face it, even though you’re not in school anymore, snacks in general are still a monumental thing, don’t you think?

You need fuel. You need excitement. You need a break from the monotony.

Pop Quiz:  Do you really want to waste your snacking time on something you just got out of a vending machine?

I’m not going to grade you on a curve here, people. The obvious answer is ‘NO’.

Another thing of importance is foods that are super cute, aesthetically pleasing, and/or otherwise easy on the eyes. Lately I’ve been particularly enamored of tiny foods. Foods that you could pop into your pocket just before you have a chance to pop them into your mouth.

Enter the sweet mini pepper.

Seriously, if you don’t think that these sweet mini peppers are cute enough to dress up in rompers and take down to the park to play, I just don’t know what’s what in your neighborhood.

And the thing that’s really great about these sweet peppers, other than their extreme cuteness, is that they’re a fantastic addition to both savory and sweet dishes.

Which is how they found their way into some smoky Roasted Sweet Mini Pepper Salsa, some cute as a button Sweet Mini Pepper Quesaditas, and some adorable Peanut Butter-Stuffed Sweet Mini Peppers.

An After-School Snack Spread for the ages!

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Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Fritters

The Olympics are over.
I can’t find a good book to read.
It’s too hot to go on a hike.
TV and movie listings are a barren wasteland.

I’ve become a rerun-watching, leftover-eating, expired magazine-reading hermit.

I need some comfort before the crickets overtake me. Let’s fry up a fritter or ten.

What is it about the combination of cinnamon, raisins, and oatmeal that is so incredibly comforting? I don’t know. It must be scientific. Or maybe magic!

Either way, when comfort is required, my polling suggests that 9.27 out of 10 people are reaching for some form of cinnamon, raisin and oatmeal – be it toast, cereal, or in this case, ridiculously good fried pancakes.

Comfort fritters!

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Ultimate Rice Pudding

I like to exercise. I really do.

The problem arises when the body requests a change-up in the old exercise routine.

I learned from my team athletics days that this will, inevitably, occur from time to time; the muscles become trained, the brain becomes bored, and it becomes necessary to seek out a new physical challenge.

For an accident-prone, lifelong klutz like me, this can present some issues.

I suppose the appropriate solution would be to simply overlook my unfortunate shortcomings, find a new exercise routine, and hope for the best.

But concerns over physical injury (to myself and members of the general public) and property damage abound.

As I pondered my options, I decided to make some Ultimate Rice Pudding.

Rice pudding is one of those super foods that can cure just about any ailment:  it’s warm, it’s substantive, and it can be dressed up or down depending on the needs of the consumer.

It’s also an opportunity to engage in a little low-impact exercise. You can stir your way into some of the sveltest wrists known to man!

And it’s pretty much a guarantee that nobody will be harmed during this particular workout.

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