Afternoon Snack

Lucas enjoying some popcorn this afternoon. While the popcorn was popping in the microwave, he stood in front of it yelling, "Pop! Pop!"

I remember the glory days of coming home after school to find an afternoon snack waiting for me. Chocolate chip cookies, apple slices, crackers and cheese, or my mom's famous "cranberry smoothie"* were some of my favorites. My mom didn't work during my elementary school years, and I really appreciate the effort she put into coming up with creative snack ideas.

During my junior high years, my mom went back to work, so I was on my own for a post-school snack. My snack habits took a nosedive at this point. I would open a bag of Ruffles chips and eat half of its contents without batting an eye. Of course, I would do this while chatting on the phone with my best friend Lisa. These were the days when I could spend hours talking on the phone. Lisa and I went to church together, but attended different schools, so we had to fill each other in on every single minute detail of our days. While talking about the events of our days, I would melt cheese over tortillas and roll them up, or spread butter, cinnamon and sugar on a piece of bread and broil it to make cinnamon toast. And I would wash it all down with a sugary root beer. Not my finest culinary days for sure.

Now I'm a stay home mom trying to come up with a delicious (yet healthy) afternoon snack for my girls when they come home from school. They are always "starving!" when they walk in the door and Lucas is usually up for a snack as well. Some of my kids' favorite snack items are: popcorn, yogurt, cookies, pumpkin bread, goldfish crackers, apple slices, fruit snacks, bananas and pretzels.

But I'm currently in a snack rut. Do you have any good ideas for me? What did you like to eat as an after school snack? What do you currently reach for when fighting the late afternoon munchies?

*Cranberry Smoothie: Scoop vanilla ice cream and pour cranberry juice in a blender. Blend until nice and frothy and pink. Fill a glass halfway with the pink froth, then pour ginger ale over it to fill the rest of the cup. So good.