Snack Time - Peanut Butter Granola Balls

Since BabyEbi was quite small he has been preparing his own snack one way or another. It started with him helping to peel a banana or satsuma or squeezing grapes and the progressed to chopping banana and soft cheese or making a simple sandwich with easy spreadables such as jam or mascapone. Snack time isn't just about the food he eats, it is the whole routine. He washes his hands, puts on his apron, gets out his equipment, prepares the snack, sets it out on his table (on a mat and with his cup and jug for milk, napkin etc). He will eat his snack and then clear everything away, dirty dishes go next to the sink (he doesn't wash them yet because he can't reach the sink) and puts the napkin and mat in the wash if they need to go in.

Now he is really into cooking so snack time is becoming more advanced. Not long ago I organised the postcard snack swap and I got some great snack ideas from it, as we make them I will share the recipes with you.

Some tips for cooking with kids

• a wooden butter knife is a great starter knife and it will cut banana or other soft foods but not little fingers.
• when measuring out ingredients stand the ingredient and measuring cup in a baking sheet, it will save you A LOT of cleaning up.
• make sure you get EVERYTHING you need out before you start cooking. That way you won't need to leave little one unattended at all when you are cooking.
• if possible cook at a table at your childs height, much safer than little one standing on a chair.

I don't allow BabyEbi near the stove, even if we are cooking one his recipes, I do the stove bit. Although he I think he would be OK to stir at the stove I don't want him to think it is OK to go and stir things at anytime (say when I am cooking dinner) So for now, all stove and oven cooking is done by me.

OK - the recipe

Peanut Butter and Granola Balls - from South Carolina, USA

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup crisp rice cereal

1 cup oats

1/4 cup dried fruit

1. Measure honey, peanut butter and butter into a small saucepan.
2. Heat over medium heat until smooth.
3. Remove from the heat and add oats, cereal and dried fruit.
4. mix well and drop spoonfuls into mini cup cake liners.
5. chill until set

Makes 24 (or 12 if you use regular cup cake liners)

Store in the fridge for up to a week (as if they will last that long!)

Measure

Stir

Scoop

and eat...