After school snacks don’t have to be difficult.

They can be easy, delicious AND fun!

I so remember having those long days at school when I was either stressed out over a pop quiz, tired from listening to teachers talk all day long, bored out of my mind or all of the above.

Am I alone in this?
I can’t be.
I’m sure you’ve been there.

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It was years ago, but at the same time, it seems like yesterday, too.

One thing I definitely remember though is walking in the door after school and grabbing a snack. I’d eat while vegging out in front of the TV for the hour that General Hospital was on.

Nearly every day in high school I couldn’t wait to get off the bus to see what Luke and Laura were up to.
I laugh when I think about how obsessed my friends and I were with that show.

I was a latchkey kid. Remember those?
Is that what they’re even called now? There must be some new term for kids who are home without adult supervision after school that I’m not aware of.

Growing up, my mother worked in my father’s office, so more often than not I was left to feed and entertain myself until they both returned home around dinner time. And of course, I was expected to finish my homework as well.

Fast forward about 30 years and I know how busy life is.
I have three kids and our school days were filled with an assortment of activities – practices, play dates, homework, appointments, sports and more. After school, they’d always need something to eat to get through the rest of their day.

It was important to me to feed them snacks I knew would satisfy them and, at the same time would feel good about giving them. I’m sure you feel the same way, too!

That’s where O Organics and this easy Cheesecake Dip comes in. I can find everything I need to make this Cheesecake Dip recipe at my favorite Safeway store.

You can find them near you, too because O Organics products are widely available-exclusively at your local Albertsons Companies family of stores including Albertsons, ACME, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, and Carrs/Safeway. I know there’s one near you!

Go to Albertsons.com or Safeway.com to find it. And, while you’re there take a look at their meal prep and recipe ideas. There are plenty of great ideas to help you meal plan throughout this busy school year!

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Those O Organics items I’ve listed in the recipe pair perfectly with this cheesecake dip or they’ll be great to enjoy on their own when you’re really on the go!

Dipper Ideas for this Chocolate Cheesecake Dip –

• Cookies are always a fun and tasty idea. O Organics Vanilla Animal Cookies and O Organics Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect accompaniment to this tasty treat.
• Not everyone wants a sweet snack, so put some O Organics Cheddar Lions on the tray as well. Watch the kids have fun “roaring” with laughter while they snack. (Yes, pun intended.)
• Use a variety of fresh fruit. Use strawberries, blueberries, slices of fresh banana, and add a bag of O Organics Sweet Apple Slices. They’ll enjoy scooping up the Chocolate Cheesecake Dip with those.
  You can also add some grapes, too!

It’s just more fun when you can dunk things into a bowl of goodness instead of scooping it out with a spoon, isn’t it?

I found these other great snack dips that the O Organics Vanilla Animal Cookies, O Organics Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, and O Organics Cheddar Lions would pair well with, too!

Perfect for the upcoming Fall season, this Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Dip from Holly at Spend with Pennies would be a great addition to any holiday dessert table. It looks so good you just might want to make a double batch!

Of course, Fall means the beginning of school, but it also means football season’s upon us and who wouldn’t want to dive right into this Peanut Butter Football Dip from Dorothy at Crazy for Crust? You’ll score a touchdown when you put it out onto the table for sure!

I’m drooling at the sight of this Strawberry Fluff Dip from Lisa at Wine & Glue. I can’t wait to taste how delicious those Vanilla Animal Cookies are with a big scoop of this stuff on top! YUM!!

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Chocolate Cheesecake Dip

This Chocolate Cheesecake Dip is a deliciously creamy chocolate treat. Served with assorted cookies and fruit, it will be a new favorite after-school snack!

Course Snack

Keyword Chocolate Cheesecake Dip

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Refrigeration 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 279kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

Chocolate Cheesecake Dip

• 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Dipping Items

• 4 1-ounce packages O Organics® Vanilla Animal Cookies
• 4 1-ounce packages O Organics® Chocolate Chip Cookie
• 1 cup O Organics® Cheddar Lions
• 1 14-ounce package O Organics® Sweet Apple Slices
• 16 ounces fresh strawberries
• 6 ounces fresh blueberries
• 1 banana, sliced

Instructions

• Melt the baking chocolate in a microwavable bowl for 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and melted chocolate until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream and beat for about three minutes until soft, but somewhat sturdy peaks form.
• Spoon into a serving bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
• Place the bowl of Chocolate Cheesecake Dip into the middle of a tray or large cutting board. Around the bowl, place the O Organics Vanilla Animal Cookies, O Organics Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, and O Organics Cheddar Lions interspaced with the assorted fruit.

Notes

Makes about 3 1/3 cups calculated at 1/3 cup serving per person. Refrigerate until serving as well as any unused portion.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Need other snack ideas besides my Chocolate Cheesecake Dip? Try these…

Apple Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Cookie Butter Snack Mix

Cinnamon Pear Slices / Cinnamon Apple Slices

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Companies. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Chocolate Cheesecake Dip appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Snacking is where it’s at!

Nowadays we have SO many options to choose from when we want to munch on something or give the kids a bite to eat when they come home from school. With so many options, sometimes it difficult to decide, too!

I was shopping at my local Albertsons the other day when I decided I wanted to make a snack mix. Believe it or not, I’ve never made Chex Muddy Buddies™. Can you believe it? I have a food blog, it’s a popular snack, and I’ve never made them??

Get Out!!

Have you got the image from Seinfeld when Elaine pushed Jerry into his bedroom? 😉

SAVE THIS COOKIE BUTTER MIX TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

I decided that had to change.

When the kids were younger, I purchased the bags of it because it was just so good, it was convenient, and sometimes I’ll admit, things taste better when someone else makes it for you, right?

Take a look at these snacks from other bloggers around the interweb!
Salted Caramel Pretzel Snaps from Oh, Sweet Basil
Caramel Churro Chex Mix from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
25 Healthy Snacks from The Idea Room
S’Mores Snack Mix from Like Mother, Like Daughter
Pan Fried Cinnamon Bananas from Dizzy, Busy & Hungry

I came across these snacks from General Mills and decided to combine them into one tasty treat so that there was a taste of something everyone would enjoy. It’s sweet, but not too sweet with just the right amount of crunch and a bit of chewy mixed in. It tasted Snacksational!

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Cookie Butter Snack Mix

Cookie Butter Snack Mix - Sweet & Salty Chex™ Mix tossed in cookie butter with a combination of Nature Valley™ Soft Baked Granola Bites, Annie's® Bunny Fruit Snacks, raisins and dried cranberries. It's a snack you'll feel good about giving your kids after school and they'll enjoy eating!

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

• 1 8.75- ounce package Sweet & Salty Chex™ Mix or 4 cups
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup cookie butter
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 8.4- ounce package Nature Valley™ Soft Baked Honey Almond Granola Bites - use 5 bites cut into quarters
• 1 4- ounce package Annie's Organic Bunny Tropical Treat Fruit Snacks - use 3 of the .8-ounce packs
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup golden raisins

Instructions

• Place the Chex Mix into a large bowl.
• In a small microwavable bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons butter and cookie butter.
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and well combined.
• Pour over the Chex Mix and stir until well coated.
• Place the powdered sugar into a gallon size bag. Add the coated Chex Mix to it and seal the bag.
• Shake the bag until the contents are completely covered.
• Pour the Chex Mix into a clean large bowl.
• Add the Nature Valley™ Granola Bites, Annie's Fruit Snacks, cranberries and raisins and with a rubber spatula, gently mix everything together.
• Store in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

This Cookie Butter Snack Mix is a combination of fun snacks that you’ll feel good about serving your kids and they’ll enjoy eating it!

If you like this Cookie Butter Snack Mix, then you’ll love these other snack ideas…

Cinnamon Pear Slices/Cinnamon Apple Slices

Inside Out Caramel Apples

 Homemade Cheese Crackers

Baked Spiced Almonds

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Cookie Butter Snack Mix appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Baked Banana Chips don’t get the glory they deserve. Is that a bold statement? After making them myself I’m convinced that these snacks are seriously underrated . . . as long as they’re homemade!

After claiming that banana chips are underrated I’m going to take a full 180.

I HATE the banana chips that come in trail mixes and are in those bulk bins at the stores. Ick! Ooh, I don’t want to make those!

These easy homemade baked banana chips, though? THESE are worth writing home about.

As it is, I’m picky about the way I eat bananas. I will eat a banana plain or in banana bread. Alright, I’ll eat it in just about any kind of good baked good, too. Give me ALL the Banana Tres Leches Cake and Chocolate Banana Muffins, please.

But put it into (most) smoothies, or on a banana split and I don’t want any part of it. My only exceptions are this Banana Mocha Smoothie Bowl and this Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl. Weird, I know.

So when I decided to make this banana chip recipe, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Banana Chips Recipe

The 365 family (or at least the 4 who reside here now) were going on a hike up north on Saturday. I had a hair appointment at 9 am which was going to last about 2 hours and we were planning on leaving about 1/2 hour after I returned home.

After our planned hike, we were driving to meet our eldest daughter to take her out to dinner since we would be somewhat in her proximity. That meant we probably wouldn’t be getting back home until about 9 pm or so.

Needless to say, at that time of night, I was NOT going to be baking something. Just even forget about the fact that I wasn’t going to have any natural light with which to take my pictures.

SAVE THIS BANANA CHIPS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

So, I got myself out of bed around 6 am to finish baking the meatballs I had stuck in the fridge from the night before, and perused the internet for something that I could both bake and take on the hike with us.
Two browning bananas on the counter were my focus.

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I decided on banana chips, thinking, “This is going to be like Fear Factor for me. I’m going to have to gag it down just to give it a rolling pin rating.

Don’t worry, being dishonest is NOT something I want to be here on 365. I am tasting EACH and EVERY thing that I make so that you can have an honest review to base your opinion on, even if it’s no good at all.

So, I made them anyway. The recipe is adapted from Home Made Simple and couldn’t have been any easier.

How are banana chips made?

These banana chips are made in the oven. You slice a ripe banana thinly and bake it at low heat.

Banana Chip Ingredients

Banana chips are an ideal homemade snack to make when you’re low on groceries because they only *require* two ingredients:

Bananas and lemon juice! 

In this version, you also sprinkle them with a little bit of cinnamon which was a delightful addition. I suppose it’s not strictly necessary if you want a more plain Jane banana chip, but if you have the cinnamon around I recommend adding it.

You dip the banana slices in lemon juice and bake them for three hours. Other than flipping them half way through cooking, you don’t have to fuss over these puppies while they bake. Throw them in the oven in the morning and get other projects started while the banana chips bake!

Banana Chips

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Banana Chips

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Chips

Servings 33 Chips

Calories 6kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Bananas
• Cinnamon for sprinkling
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and spray it with cooking spray. 
• Peel the bananas and slice them 1/4-inch thick. Dip them into the lemon juice to coat both sides. 
• Place onto the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle slices with cinnamon. 
• Bake for 3 hours total. Flip slices over after 1 1/2 hours and then bake for the remainder until golden and crispy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 6kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Potassium: 25mg | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg

Easy Homemade Banana Chips

These may not be the most attractive thing I’ve ever baked, but…

I have to say that these Banana Chips didn’t taste ANYTHING like those hard (and what I call blechy)chips in the grocery stores.

THESE WERE DELICIOUS!! EVEN I LIKED THEM!!

I rate everything I bake and it was unanimous that these Banana Chips should earn 3 1/2 rolling pins. They were not as crisp as they probably should have been, but that was part of their greatness, too.

The moment I started to chew one of them, it took me right back to when the kids were babies and I fed them their jarred bananas. I loved those baby food bananas! Oh, my goodness, and these chips were so incredibly sweet and yummy!! They tasted just like that baby food.

They were even a little chewy. They were getting stuck to my teeth, but I liked that. I think you’ll like this healthy snack

The cinnamon adds the perfect amount of spice and makes your kitchen smell heavenly.

I ate a few fresh from the oven, then packed the rest in a container to take on our hike. They were so easy to transport and all four of us loved noshing on them to keep energy levels up throughout the day!

I can totally see myself making these again for road trips, air travel or any other time when I know I’ll need a light snack on the go. When my kids were little, these would have been the perfect food to stash in my purse to keep hangry toddler meltdowns at bay!

I know I’m not the only one when I have the sudden urge to snack the day away. Why not make those snacking hours productive with some really tasty ones.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices

Smashed Roasted Cheesy Potatoes

More Banana Recipes. . . 

If you like banana treats, you’re going to love these other recipes!

• Banana Bread French Toast is a surefire hit for breakfast, brunch or “breakfast for dinner”!
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread brings three of my favorite ingredients together in one tasty loaf.
• Banana Peanut Butter Chip Pancakes also need to be on your breakfast menu!
• Banana Pudding Dream Bars are a kid-friendly dessert for all occasions.
• Banana Oat Bran Peanut Butter Chip Muffins pack good-for-you ingredients into every muffin.
• Quinoa Banana Bread gets its surprising flavor from quinoa!
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread is a must-try recipe for chocolate lovers.

Banana chips may not be the quickest thing to make for the family, but bake these up for the kids while they’re in school and see their reaction when they come home and take a bite!

The post Banana Chips appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Finally a granola bar recipe the kids will actually want before dinner. 

I’m already licking my chops wanting these bad boy granola bars.
With all these ingredients it’s like a granola bar on steroids.
Maybe I shouldn’t use that word, but it sure feels that way.
Eh, we’re going with it.

I never would have thought all of this could be in bar form.
Usually, I’m the one who eats everything plain and never mixes my meals.
Well, I guess I need to go out of my comfort zone a lot more often now, especially when the things I eat are this good. This chewy granola bar has everything you need, and I mean EVERYTHING.

Plus, the good thing is, or should I say great thing, is that you can add (or subtract) ingredients.
If you find something that works in this granola bar recipe, the more the merrier.
Get a little creative with it, and I’m sure it’ll be a weekly baking recipe.

If you really wanted to, you could call this the next protein bar. Maybe I’m pushing it a little but you could surely do something of the sort with this.
I just love now that when I make these, I wake up and my craving for a big breakfast goes away with one or two bites.

SAVE THIS CRANBERRY ALMOND GRANOLA BAR RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

I was ready to slap someone at dinner tonight. And it wasn’t one of my children.
Mr. 365 was pushing everyone to the limit.
And if you know him personally, you know what I’m talking about.

When he is in one of his giddy, silly moods he has a tendency to go just one step too far.
Like when I tell him to stop (which I did multiple times at dinner), he always has to say one more thing – just to get that last word in.

Used to be when we were living in Rhode Island we would have monthly get-togethers with four other couples.
Things would get silly, and inevitably, Mr. 365 would end up saying something to someone leaving people, especially me, shaking my head.
The next morning, he’d be doing his famed “Apology Walk” around our neighborhood.

In need of an actual breakfast? Life Made Simple’s Pumpkin French Toast Sticks are perfect if you want a small meal. They’ll be delicious for brunch, too!
If you want something out of the box that tests your food adventure level, then No Spoon Necessary’s Banana Honey Bunches Cereal Breakfast Popsicles is just for you.

Tonight though he’d been making comments to the kids, trying to lighten things up and be a “cool dad”, but everyone (mostly our daughters) was becoming a little agitated at his antics, so I told him to knock it off.
For the most part, dinner was finished when one child excused herself having had enough of both dinner and dad, and retreated to her room.
Mr. 365 then proceeded to take a sip of water and pretending to be a water fountain, sprayed it onto himself and part of the table.

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“That’s it! I’m done!!”I picked up my plate (as I was still eating) and glass and moved into the other room to sit on the couch.
Good Grief!! He is the biggest child I’ve got.
And of course, the one left laughing at the table was our son. Two peas in a pod those two.

This recipe adapted from The New Doubleday Cookbook.

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Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars - great for breakfast, in lunch boxes or as an after-school snack!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Granola Bars

Servings 18 people

Calories 245kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

• ½ cup sifted flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
• ½ cup flaxseed meal
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup finely chopped raw almonds
• 1 cup chopped dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅓ cup liquid brown sugar directions below
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Liquid Brown Sugar

• Combine 1/3 cup water and 1 cup brown sugar (1 part water to 3 parts brown sugar) in a small saucepan.
• Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved, about 7-10 minutes. Do not boil.

Granola Bars

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by generously spraying it with cooking spray.
• Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and add oatmeal and flaxseed meal.
• Using tips of fingers, rub butter into dry ingredients until well blended.
• Mix in all remaining ingredients. Combine thoroughly.
• Place mixture into prepared baking dish and using a rubber spatula, press firmly into pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes until pale brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
• Cut into bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

Know what? These Cranberry Almond Granola Bars were SO healthy and the whole family LOVED them!!!
These are definitely something I am making again and again and again!!
I will be trying the Agave Syrup next time.

If any of you use it before I do, please leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out.
I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Cranberry Almond Granola Bars earned…Da da da DAH!!!!!
4 rolling pins!!
Who knew something so healthy could taste so darn good?! 
These are going in the kids’ lunches tomorrow!

There are days where I need more flavor in my coffee, or I need more than one cup. This peppermint white chocolate mocha takes care of one of those things.

You are going to love my strawberry spinach salad for your next party. Make a salad a little more interesting with these different ingredients.

The post Cranberry Almond Granola Bars appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.