Prepare delicious treats for after school snacks
BY ANN CIPPERLY
Now that school has started, the slower pace of summer is over. It’s back to the rush of getting to school on time, homework and going to bed early. Children come home from school hungry and ready for a hearty snack. While it’s preferred to serve healthy choices, sometimes freshly baked cookies and a tall glass of milk or a smoothie are the most popular. Local moms are sharing recipes for favorites.
Betsy Hall Ledoux is one of those loving mothers getting her children back in school and planning special treats for them after school.
Betsy, who grew up in Opelika, and her husband, Nick, moved back to the area several years ago to be near family after living in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and various places in the U.S. The couple both served with Samaritan’s Purse and the United States Agency for International Development in leadership roles in a number of countries around the world.
Betsy enjoys making after school snacks for their three sons, Matthew, who is in the second grade; Andrew, who attends kindergarten; and John, who is in preschool.
“We are so grateful for a new school year with great teachers, sweet friends in their classes, new friends to get to know and the gift of education,” Betsy said. “It’s going to be a great year of learning and growing.”
Betsy listed things her three active sons enjoy doing such as hiking, being outside and at playgrounds, playing with their brothers, inventing and building new creations, splashing in the creek, lake, beach, splash park, pool and waterslides.
They also have fun exploring interactive, hands-on museums, playing board games, going on adventures, doing science experiments, learning about places around the world, building with Legos and Magnatiles, reading with Mama and Daddy and spending time with friends and family. The boys are already dreaming about careers as a farmer and wildlife veterinarian, superhero engineer, construction worker and doctor when they grow up.
The boys love special treats like birthday cake, ice cream, cookies and brownies fresh out of the oven. Betsy is sharing recipes for three other favorites: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, GaGa’s Congo Squares and Children’s Charcuterie Board. The charcuterie board is a creative way to serve children their favorites and add some healthy snacks too.
“Being these boys’ mama is such a joy and a gift from Jesus,” said Betsy, who is creating many happy memories for their sons like she had growing up in Opelika. “We grew up on a lake, so we would often drive home to deer in our front yard and go to sleep to the sound of frogs croaking and crickets chirping.”
Her parents are Vondalyn and the late Dr. Robert Hall Jr. Her grandparents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hall Sr., also lived in Opelika.
“Mama created a home that was always open and full of life,” Betsy said. “My sisters and I never hesitated to call Mama to let her know that we were on the way home with 20 other teenagers in tow. She would say, ‘Wonderful! I’ll start making cookies.’ Anything Mama touched became beautiful. Daddy was my hero, role-model, one of my best friends and one of my favorite people that has ever lived.
“We ate dinner as a family every night, and my sisters and I always knew that we were loved. Our closest friends were like family. My sisters and I were blessed with an amazing childhood in Opelika and a sense of belonging to a community.”
When Betsy was just 10 years old, she heard God’s call to serve Him in Africa. After completing her master’s degree at Auburn, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she served as a Presidential Management Fellow and budget analyst for four years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In 2008, Betsy moved to Mozambique, Africa, and realized the dream that began for her as a child. For over a decade, she served in various leadership roles in humanitarian aid and public health. She was deputy country director for Samaritan’s Purse in Mozambique and again in Haiti.
Betsy met her husband, Nick, while responding to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010. Betsy and Nick served as the two deputy country directors in Haiti for Samaritan’s Purse during the earthquake and cholera response.
They were married in August 2012 at Trinity Methodist Church in Opelika. Nine months later, they returned to Mozambique to serve for five years in leadership roles. They moved to Nepal in 2018 to help rebuild after the earthquake, and eventually moved back to Opelika.
The Ledouxes own and operate Mission Softwash, a roof and exterior cleaning company. A portion of the revenue is used to help provide clean water in Africa.
“Of all of our adventures, raising our little boys is our favorite adventure and greatest blessing,” said Betsy. “I have loved the amazing privilege of working on programs that save lives, reduce suffering, and share hope around the world, but being ‘Mama’ to our little boys is by far my favorite job that I have ever had. They are a complete joy to my heart.”
Look over the recipes and select several to prepare this coming week, whether you are making after school snacks or preparing yummy treats for your family.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Betsy Hall Ledoux
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ¼ cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups uncooked oats
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I prefer Baker’s Angel Flakes)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Beat together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add these two mixtures together and mix thoroughly. Fold in oats, coconut and chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 12 – 15 minutes. Cool before removing from sheet. Makes approximately four dozen.
GaGa’s Congo Squares
GaGa’s Congo Squares
Betsy Hall Ledoux
2/3 cup butter
2 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Allow to cool. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, to cooled sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour mixture, then chocolate chips.
Spread in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes. Cut into 2 inch squares when almost cool.
Children’s Charcuterie Board
Children’s Charcuterie Board
Betsy Hall Ledoux
Our boys love “choosing” their own food, so coming home to a charcuterie board and little plates that each one may fill according to his preference is always a fun treat.
I try to include options in the following categories: cheese, crackers, nuts, fruit or dried fruit, cured or deli meats and sometimes a dipping sauce. Our boys’ favorites are listed below, but you can add or subtract options based on personal preference.
Charcuterie boards are a fun way to be creative with options, elevate your little ones’ favorite snacks and offer independence in their choices. I like to mix and match options on different days to create different charcuterie boards. Increasing the quantities also makes a fun lunch.
Cheese: Colby Jack, cheddar, mozzarella sticks, chèvre and Laughing Cow cheese (cut all of the above into little bite size pieces except the chèvre and Laughing Cow cheese)
Crackers: Ritz crackers, club crackers, wheat crackers, Cheezits, goldfish
Nuts: salted cashews, honey roasted peanuts, toasted pecans (see recipe below)
Fruit or dried fruit: craisins, sliced apples, sliced bananas, strawberries
Cured or deli meats: pepperoni, salami, ham, turkey
Dipping sauce: honey, peanut butter (for the apples)
Toasted pecan recipe:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup pecan halves
Salt to taste
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add pecans and sauté just until warm and well coated with butter. Spread onto a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 300 degrees.
Place on paper towels with newspapers underneath. Salt to taste while still hot; turn and salt again. These toasted pecans are a favorite anytime, but especially when eaten warm.
Smoothies
Smoothies
Jennifer Rezek
½ cup Greek plain yogurt
¾ cup sliced frozen banana
¼ cup strawberries
A splash of pineapple juice
In a blender, place all the ingredients. Blend and pour into cup.
Caramel Toffee Dip
Caramel Toffee Dip
Tipi Miller
Delicious with apple wedges
½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
½ cup light sour cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
5 Tbsp. toffee bits
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Melanie’s Monkey “Milkshake”
Melanie’s Monkey “Milkshake”
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 frozen sliced ripe banana
8 oz. carton vanilla yogurt
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
2 medium frozen bananas, sliced
1 cup low fat milk
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
4 Tbsp. peanut butter, creamy
Blend all ingredients together in blender until smooth.
(For larger batch use a food processor or an immersion blender with partially thawed frozen bananas or fresh bananas.)
Kiddos Trail Mix
Kiddos Trail Mix
Heather Cummings
1 cup Cheerios toasted oat cereal
1 cup Goldfish crackers
1 cup dried cranberries (or other favorite dried fruit)
1 cup cashews (or other favorite nuts)
1 cup M&M’s chocolate candies
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup miniature pretzel twists or pretzel sticks
Throw everything together and toss in a sealed container. Store in a cool, dry area. This recipe can be easily adapted to fit your personal tastes.
Fruit Yogurt Smoothie
Fruit Yogurt Smoothie
8 oz. container low fat vanilla yogurt
2 cups fat free milk
½ cup frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 banana, chopped
Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Makes about 5 cups.
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Wedges
Fruit Salsa with
Cinnamon Sugar
Tortilla Wedges
Carol Pridgen
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 golden delicious apples, diced
8 oz. raspberries (optional)
1 lb. strawberries, chopped
2 Tbsp. white sugar
3 Tbsp. fruit preserves, any flavor
In a large bowl mix fruit, sugars and preserves. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Serve with Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas.
Cinnamon Sugar
Tortilla Wedges:
10 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Butter flavored cooking spray
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat one side of each tortilla with butter spray. Cut into wedge shapes.
Arrange on single layer on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Spray again with butter spray. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
Purple Monstrosity Smoothies
Purple Monstrosity Smoothies
Beth Brewer
2 frozen bananas, skins removed and cut in chunks
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. honey (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional
Place bananas, blueberries and juice in a blender. Puree the fruits Add honey and/or vanilla to taste.
Use more or less liquid depending on the thickness you want for your smoothie.
Tropical Island Cooler Smoothie
Tropical Island
Cooler Smoothie
Beth Brewer
1 cup orange juice
2 cups pineapple chunks, drained
1 banana, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp. honey
1 cup crushed ice
In a blender crush ice with the orange juice. Then add pineapple chunks, milk, and honey to the crushed ice. Blend until smooth.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Snickerdoodle
Cookies
Kelly Cox
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
Separate bowl:
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix ingredients together. Chill dough at least 30 minutes. Then roll into 2 Tbsp. balls. Roll each ball in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dr. Sara SmithT
2 sticks softened margarine
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream margarine and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; mix in well. Stir in chocolate chips (with a spoon). Drop with a tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
Dr. Sara SmithT
For a special treat, let cookies cool completely. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream between 2 cookies. Freeze until ready to serve. Makes a great treat to eat outdoors when company comes after dinner.
Easy Caramel
Brownies
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 box light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat the butter until fluffy. Add brown sugar and vanilla; cream together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Mix nuts with flour until coated. Add flour and nuts to batter; blend well.
Pour into a greased middle size baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Cool in pan. Cut into squares and serve. Freezes well.
Peanut Butter
Shortbread Bars
½ cup shortening
¼ cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ¾ cups flour
Glaze:
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. milk
1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine shortening, butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat until light and fluffy; add flour and blend.
Press dough into an ungreased 9x9x2-inch pan. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
For glaze, combine 2 tablespoons peanut butter, milk and powdered sugar to make icing. Pour over warm cookies. Cut into squares.
