Paula Deen - Get Cookin'

Snack cakes are quick, easy and perfect for your childrens lunch boxes. Snack cakes are usually made with hardly any ingredients. This snack cake has apples and graham crackers baked right in. What kiddo wouldn't love that. Gracie helped me throw together this snack cake in no time. When cooled this cake is cut into squares which is the perfect size for a lunch box treat.

Apple Orchard Snack Cake

1 C sugar
3 eggs
2 to 3 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted
2 C graham cracker crumbs
3/4 C chopped walnuts (optional)


Blend sugar, margarine, and eggs in bowl with a spoon. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, apples, and walnuts until blended. Spread batter into greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 35 for forty to forty five minutes or until firm to the touch. Sprinkle liberally with confectioner's sugar. Cool and then cut into squares.

My daughter isn't school aged yet, but I do pack lunches for my husband to take to work.  I usually try to make enough at dinner to have leftovers for him to take the next day.  It doesn't always work out that way, so those are the days when a sandwich is in order.  This sandwich is very filling and never fails. 

Let me introduce you to the Elizabeth Sandwich. This is the ultimate peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You've probably noticed how when you pack a pb&j, the jelly makes the bread soggy on it's half of the sandwich.  Here's how to keep that from happening.

First you need three slices of bread.
Lay out your bread keeping the slice that you will use for the middle separate from the other two. 
Spread peanut butter onto one side of each of the two outside slices of bread.  You probably don't want to slather each slice with as much peanut butter as you normally do for a regular sandwich.
For the middle slice of bread, cover both sides with jelly and place between the two other slices.
Now the peanut butter will keep the bread from turning soggy. 

The best time to make this sandwich is the night before you'll eat it.  By the time lunch rolls around, that middle slice of bread has soaked up all the jelly, and that is a good thing.  It will keep jelly from dripping out of the sandwich and all over your hands.  Keep in mind that this is one hefty sandwich.  If you're making this for your child, you'll want to spread the jelly and peanut butter thinner than normal.

*Here's a tip for smoother jelly spreading.  Spoon the amount of jelly you need into a small bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds. Then stir until smooth. This will make the jelly spread easier without big clumps.

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Ingredients:

            1 pkg.             8-count crescent-shaped rolls

            4 stk.                round string cheese, cut in half

            8 slices            deli meat

                                    Dijon mustard

                                    butter, melted

                                    flour (for surface)

Directions:

*This makes a great quick treat.  We usually add apple slices, a small bag of chips, and a frozen juice pack to complete Emma’s lunchbox meal.

I love making lunch box treats for my children. Sometimes I dont even tell them that I have made a special homemade treat. I like to just place it in their lunch box and surprise them when it comes time for lunch at school. I love hearing them when they arrive home to tell me thank you for adding a nice yummy surprise in their lunch box. One of my favorites lunch box treats to make is Chocolate No Bake Cookies. These cookies are an old school favorite that I remember eating when i was a little girl. My son says they must be old if I ate them when i was young. LOL. Way back when or even now Chocolate No Bake Cookies are nice reminder of a childhood treat I loved as a kid. I am so glad I can share them with my children.

Creamy Chocolate Chip Cheeseball:
Another kid favorite. This Cheesy Chocolaty Chip Cheeseball is so creamy and good wtih just a touch of sweetness. Pefect to spread on graham crackers, animal crackers or even vanilla wafers. This little treat is perfect for the kiddos lunch boxes you can just add some of the creamy cheese ball to a tupperware container and toss it in their lunch box along with some graham crackers.  No utensils needed they just dip their graham crackers in and enjoy right at school. My daughter loves to help me make this cheeseball her favorite part is licking the spatula at the end. Who doesn't love that.

*Another great idea is to add a little note in their lunch box letting them know how much you love them and miss them. My kids love to get those fun little post it notes. I started this to transition my daughter into kindergarten to let her know how proud i was of her. Now they look so forward to those little lunch box messages.  


Chocolate No Bake Cookies 

3 - Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 - cup butter
2 – cups sugar
1/2 - cup evaporated milk
1/2 - tsp salt
3 - cups quick cooking oats
1/2 - cup creamy peanut butter
1 - tsp vanilla extract

In a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat add butter. sugar, cocoa powder, milk and salt. Stir until butter is melted and ingredients are incorporated. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until completely melted Add vanilla and oatmeal, mix well. Working quickly before it cools too much drop by tablespoon full onto wax paper. Let cool completely on waxed paper. Remove the cookies when they have set up.

 Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball 

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
½ cup graham cracker crumbs (optional)
Graham crackers, animal crackers or vanilla wafers for dipping  

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and brown sugar, and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Add to a serving dish or shape into a ball and roll in graham cracker crumbs or leave plain.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with graham crackers.

This was my top secret recipe for the tastiest miniature cheesecakes! I had to figure out how to make creamy, tasty cheesecakes that were portable to throw in a container and take to work on my lunch breaks. This works out so well cause you don't need ANY utensils at all! You just unwrap, and eat! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 12oz pkg vanilla wafers
1/4 c butter, melted
3/4c white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 21oz can raspberry pie filling (or any that you prefer)

Will need: paper cupcake liners

Directions:

using a food processor, pulse wafers for just one to two minutes, making a fine crust.

Using a medium size glass bowl, pour crushed wafers into  the bowl and add melted butter. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a 12c muffin pan, place liners inside the pan. Gently press the crust mixture into each paper cup.

In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 min.)

Fill each cup with cream cheese mixture about halfway. Bake for 30 min. or until tops of cheesecakes form small cracks on the top.

Once the cheesecakes come out of the oven, let them cool completely before spooning one tablespoon of raspberry filling on top.