RECIPE SWAP: SNACK RECIPES OFFER NUTRITION AND TASTE

After three weeks I've finally thrown in the towel on an ongoing Monopoly game with Ross. At only 7 years old he is quite the property-trading shark. The first week or so was great before he started buying up all of the property and started putting hotels on them all. After the three-week mark, and landing on Boardwalk and Park Place several times, I was doomed. He wormed me out of all four railroads and the utilities, so good old mom decided to give it up. We sure had fun and now he's ready to start again.

I suppose with school starting today that homework and reading lessons will take quite a bit of our evening time. It does not seem possible that Ross will start second grade and Lexie will move up to Mrs. Sue's pre-kindergarten class. We had a great summer and made a lot of wonderful memories, which cannot be learned in books.

Back to school also brings the lunch dilemma. Whether to eat in the cafeteria or take a lunch. And if you take your lunch, what will it be? Then after school the children are starving. And then what to do for snacks?

The National Dairy Council offers several great solutions for those hungry, back-to-school appetites. All of which are nutritious and packed with calcium and other vitamins and mineral. Give one or two of them a try.

Power Munch

6 cups crispy corn cereal squares

1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 to 1 cup chopped dry apricot halves

Combine cereal and peanuts in a 13-by-9-inch pan. Combine melted butter and honey; drizzle over cereal mixture; toss gently to coat. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once. Add apricots; bake an additional 10 minutes, stirring twice. Cool on waxed paper. Store in airtight container.

Apple Cheddar Bars

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 egg

1 cup rolled oats, quick or old fashioned, uncooked

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded or finely diced apple, unpeeled, about 1 medium

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, melted butter and egg. Add oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in apple, cheese, raisins, and nuts; mix well. Pat mixture into buttered 9-inch square baking pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until center is set but not firm. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered at room temperature up to two days. For longer storage, wrap bars individually and freeze up to three weeks.

Choco-nana Pops

1 cup chocolate milk

1 ripe banana, peeled, broken in half

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk, banana, chocolate syrup and vanilla in a blender container. Cover with lid and blend at high speed 1 minute or until thickened. Pour into three (3 ounce) paper drinking cups. Cover each with aluminum foil; insert a wooden Popsicle stick through the foil into the milk mixture. Freeze until firm. To serve, dip cup into warm water; slide out pop.

n

Jodi Thompson of Jackson, Mo., has a recipe for sensational ribs that are prepared indoors, so can become a great rainy-day favorite.

Sweet and Sour Spareribs

2 lbs. pork spareribs

1 tablespoon shortening

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup finely cut green pepper

1/2 cup finely sliced onion

Have butcher separate spareribs and cut each rib into 1-inch pieces. Brown ribs in hot fat. Add a small amount of water (3 to 4 tablespoons). Cover pan and simmer until tender. Mix sugar with cornstarch and salt. Add vinegar and water in which ribs were steamed, pineapple juice and soy sauce. Mix well and add to spareribs. Cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add green pepper and onion. Cook a few minutes until vegetables are slightly tender but still crisp. Serve with steamed rice.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Note: One cup of pineapple chunks can be added with vegetables and just heated through. Three tablespoons of sherry can be added for additional flavor.

n

Larue McAlister of Cape Girardeau and her husband own and operate Mac's Smokehouse. She shared this next recipe with my sister Linda who in turn wanted to share it with you. She told me it tastes just like cookie dough and is best served with regular or chocolate graham crackers.

Cookie Dough Cheese Ball

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Graham crackers, either regular or chocolate flavored

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars; beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap; shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Just before serving, roll cheese ball in chopped pecans. Serve with graham crackers.

Yield: 1 cheese ball (approximately 2 cups).

n

Carol Simon of Cape Girardeau shares two heart healthy recipes with us from the "Heart Healthy Gourmet Cookbook." This first recipe is requires no cooking and has no fat, no cholesterol and is easy to prepare.

BLTs

Toast two slices of your choice of bread. Spread one slice with fat- and cholesterol-free mayonnaise; sprinkle with bacon flavored bits. Add sliced tomatoes, lettuce, salt and pepper. Top with the other piece of toast. Make sure to add the bacon bits on the mayonnaise to keep them from falling off.

Broccoli Mushroom Quiche

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Swiss cheese alternative

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese alternative

1 cup egg substitute

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and well drained

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons grated onion

1 9-inch pie crust, chilled

Dash nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon flavored bacon bits

In a bowl mix cheeses; set aside one-half mixture for top. In another bowl, combine egg substitute, 1/2 cheese mixture and milk. Add broccoli, mushrooms and onion. Mix well. Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt, pepper, bacon bits and top with remaining cheese mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees; bake 40 minutes more, or until a knife inserted into center of quiche comes out clean.

n

We have one request this week from a Cape Girardeau cook who is looking for the liquid Maggi seasoning. She has a recipe for a steak butter that calls for the seasoning and would like to make it if she can find the Maggi seasoning. If you know, send it in so we can help her out.

This will close another week of recipes swapping and open a new year of school for thousands of children in our area. I hope you have a great week and happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is the administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Recipes can be submitted via e-mail to smclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail to Recipe Swap; P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.