Hello all-

I would like some ideas for homemade snacks. Most snack foods from the grocery are expensive and really a form of junkfood in my estimation. My imagination has about played out as far as creating homemade snacks is concerned - we're getting tired of trail mix. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks N Mays

-- nmays (nmays@bobcats1.oursc.k12.ar.us), November 20, 2001

Answers

My children get lots of fresh fruit. I also go to health food stores and buy the dried fruits for them. These places usually have a bulk foods area, where you can get dry roasted soy beans and peas, and nuts, raw or raosted, salted or not, banana chips, etc. Applesauce come to mind, too. If you have the time and equipment, make fruit leathers. I will assume you are wanting these for lunches, but snacks at home are as simple as frozen grapes, frozen fruit snacks or juices. My mom used to make KIX popcorn, by heating up some of them and sprinkling them with salt and butter.

Having the children be involved in the process will add to the excitement and the willingness to eat new things.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), November 20, 2001.

Apple smiles: Cut apple in half and take out core. Slice. spread two slices with peanut butter and put three or four marshmallows between them and you have a smile with teeth! my kids love this.

Pretzel sticks stuck in grapes or cheese chunks.

scoop of cottage cheese with some canned pears/peaches.

Ants on a log: celery with peanut butter or cream cheese inside and raisons on top.

Yogurt with granola.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

I made up my own snack recipe, a sort of less expensive, healthier take-off on chex mix. I use about 1 cup each (adjust to your preference) of sunflower kernels, Cheerios type oat cereal, soy nuts if you like,and All bran or All bran buds type cereal, and wheat crackers (like Triscuits), which I break up. If you grow any type of edible nuts, use them also. I melt a couple tablespoons of margarine and mix a tablespoon (vary to your taste) of worcestershire sauce. If you like you can add other herbs or seasonings (garlic or onion powder,oregano, chives). Use your imagination for ingredients (popcorn, pretzel pieces, etc) Pour the liquid over the cereal mix and stir thoroughly. Bake at about 350 for 5 minutes or until dry and crunchy. Don't overcook. Don't make too much at a time -- as there isn't any preservative and it will get moldy.

MissJudi

-- MissJudi (jselig@clemson.edu), November 20, 2001.

Popcorn! Cheap, easy to make, and basically a simple food. Try interesting butters -- garlic & oregano & tossing with parmesan is one of my favorites. Cumin seed & chili powder works too. Overbuttering or oversalting are the only ways to make it unwholesome. I like it stale the next day, too, but some people think I'm crazy.

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), November 20, 2001.

Careful if you turn to dried fruits. Very healthy, but one of the top ten plaque-formers if left on the teeth -- brush several times a day if you eat a lot of yummy dried apricots, apples, papaya, etc.

-- brooklynsheep (robbins@informinc.org), November 20, 2001.

We like to put seasoned salt on the popcorn. Yummy.

-- Sandra Nelson (Magin@starband.net), November 20, 2001.

Ranch oyster crackers-- Mix 2 bags of oyster crackers (little saltines for soup) with a package of dry ranch dressing, a half tsp of lemon pepper, a half tsp of dill weed and a half tsp of garlic powder with one cup of oil. Store for one hour before digging in. It makes a HUGE bowl, and we only have it on rare occasions, as it is fattening. But, it sure tastes good and is different!

-- Dawn (olsoncln@ecenet.com), November 20, 2001.

Popcorn yeah! spend some $$$ up front 20-30 $ on a stve top popper- 'home theater' brand? williams sonoma pamper chef & dept. stores. it is quick lets you use low oil, and best of all it lets you make carmel corn [ala the fancy boxed kinds] For a savory popcorn snack I use a olive oil/salt/paprika mix as a butter replacer to drizzle on after the corn is popped, brewers yeast is also tasty . Another favorite snack is chips, but the price per ounce & multi- syllable ingredients control my intake. Until i started buying those huge/family packs of corn tortillias that is! 120 count for 1.30ish?! now I oil or butter one side,stack & cut twice,[one tortillia=4 chips] & broil on a cookie sheet to desired doneness-watch out it is quick! and then sprinkle w/ cinnamon&sugar/paprika/powdered garlic/onion/lime juice/salt/cayanne/astofedia, what ever strikes my fancy.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), November 20, 2001.

Hi! I bake quite a bit so we have bread around quite a bit. When it's baking day and I have bread left from the last batch, I make croutons. My whole family loves them warm from the oven. They are like a special treat and depending on what you put on them, can be quite flavorful! If you are interested, let me know and I will email some of our favorites. Pam

-- Pam (harshhaus@aol.com), November 20, 2001.

Popcorn, YES! But spending $20-30 on a stovetop popper? Just use a pot! For an extra treat (though not so healthy) make a caramel coating for it, add some peanuts, bake, and you have a real treat.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), November 20, 2001.

Has anyone tried making your own potato chips?

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), November 20, 2001.

My current favorite is Crab Rangoons. They are super easy to make if you can find won ton wrappers in your grocery store (In mine they are actually in the produce section near the snow peas, sprouts and other veggies used in Asian cooking). Ingredients

Won ton wrappers

Hot oil for frying
Filling:

1 package cream cheese

Green onions to taste

Imitation crab meat to taste Mix cream cheese, imitation crab meat, green onions together. Take one won ton wrapper and put a spoonful of the filling in the center. Wet the edges of the wrapper and press to seal. Fry until golden brown. I suppose that you could also skip the won tons and use this as a cracker topping, or maybe even a veggie dip. Another favorite of mine that's really quick and easy: Tortilla roll- ups! Just take a tortilla, add a slice of cheese or two, top with a slice of ham, roll up and microwave until cheese melts.

-- Bethany (bethany@cliffhanger.com), November 20, 2001.

Sandie, I used to make potato chips all the time when I was first married. I'd get the craving for them so bad and we had $0 for snack food. You just peel the potatoes or not if you like them heartier, then I used a potato peeler to slice off thin pieces. Deep fat fry till crisp. Drain and salt or season. So yummy but definitely not health food. Sometimes I sliced them a little thicker and then they were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

-- Kari (prettyhere@truevine.net), November 21, 2001.

You guys are making me hungry! :-)~

-- teejae (zachdawg@webtv.net), November 21, 2001.

There are recipies to make potato chips in the microwave. Slice the potatoes thin. Put them in a bag with a small amount of oil and shake. Put them one layer deep on a plate.. microwave until crisp. Do a yahoo search for microwave potato chip recipies. I haven't made these in a long time. At one time I used it for a quick and inexpensive healthier version of the snack in my school foods lab. The students liked them. But you don't make many at a time. I guess that could be a good thing. It's fun to use different seasonings.

-- JoAnn Moore (jomoore0902@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.