Strawberry Papaya Tofu Smoothie

This Strawberry Papaya Tofu Smoothie is a thick & creamy blend of tofu, sweet strawberries, fresh papaya, frozen mango, & banana- a perfect quick & easy after school snack!

Thank you House Foods for sponsoring this post.

My daughter is enjoying her last few days of summer break, and I am thinking ahead to next week when school starts back up for the year. Even though we do not know quite yet what her second grade year will bring, one thing is for certain- she will come through the door just about every afternoon after school proclaiming how hungry she is. So I am making a mental list now of fun & easy snacks that she can help me make when her after school munchies hit.

Inspired by her recent reading of The Tales of Tofu from House Foods ebook, my daughter asked if we could try one of the recipes from the ebook. My daughter loves any & all smoothies, so she of course requested that we whip up the Strawberry Papaya Tofu Smoothie in preparation for all that upcoming back to school snacking. 

Chunky Monkey Snack Mix

This Chunky Monkey Snack Mix is a crunchy mix of whole wheat chocolate grahams, organic banana chips, & satisfying walnuts. It is sure to quickly become a lunchbox & after school snack favorite...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.

I think that the start of a new school year gives us all the chance to do a little reset. We switch from our laid back summertime mode into a more structured back to school routine. My family & I also start to focus on getting back to eating healthier. I mean, I have to keep the kiddos (& myself!) ready to go & fueled for each school day. 

To help make this reset back to healthier eating more fun & a whole lot easier, I have enlisted the help of some of our favorite brands from the Natural Foods Department at our local Kroger. On my last shopping trip to Kroger, I picked up a box of Horizon Chocolate Snack Grahams, a package of Simple Truth Organic Banana Chips, & a bag of Simple Truth Walnut Halves & Pieces to whip up this super easy to make & 100% kid approved Chunky Monkey Snack Mix...

Unicorn Yogurt Pops

These magical Unicorn Yogurt Pops are the perfect frosty & healthy treat for back to school...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon, Silk, & So Delicious. The opinions and text are all mine.

We are in full-on back to school mode over here. My son starts his senior year of high school in less than a week, and my youngest will start her first day of Pre-K the week after. To say I have my hands full over here getting them both ready for the new school year would be an understatement. ;) 

The biggest challenge for me right now is making sure that they both get a healthy start to the year. It is trying to find that balance between making sure they have healthier, more real food snacks on hand to enjoy after school while still making sure that those same snacks are also fun for the kiddos. I think I successfully accomplished both of those goals with these magical Unicorn Yogurt Pops.

These frosty pops are a creamy blend of bananas, protein-packed Greek yogurt, and our favorite almondmilk. But what makes them magical for the kids are the swirls of bright colors and the fun star-shaped sprinkles... ;)

S'mores Chia Pudding

Inspired by a campfire classic, this easy to make S'mores Chia Pudding is the perfect back to school snack. This conversation is sponsored by WhiteWave Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

With the start of another school year also comes the start of another cross country season for my son. And with after school practices every afternoon and meets just about every week, I am always trying to find quick, satisfying, and energy packed snacks for my son to fuel his practices and race days and to hold him over after practice until dinner time. Being a teenager, he would rather be eating potato chips washed down by a few chugs of a sugary soft drink. ;) Determined to come up with a few snack choice compromises that we could both love, I headed to my local Kroger to shop their Natural Foods Department...

Rice Krispies® Melon Bowls

These delicious Rice Krispies Melon Bowls are filled with vanilla yogurt, our favorite fresh fruits, and the snap, crackle, and pop of one of our favorite cereals...

Kellogg Company sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine.

With the summer ending and back to school almost here, I think we are all in the in-between place where we are excited for a new school year, but not yet quite ready to let go of summer break. So, I am on a mission to gently transition us all from summer mode to back to school mode. One easy and tasty way to do that? With the breakfasts and snacks that we enjoy like these easy to make and fresh Rice Krispies Melon Bowls! :)

These delicious melon bowls are filled with vanilla yogurt, our favorite fresh fruits, and the snap, crackle, and pop of Rice Krispies. Not only do I love that the "bowls" are edible themselves, but each member of the family can customize their melon bowls with their favorite fruits and toppings and the Rice Krispies cereal that we all love. Just set out bowls of fresh blueberries, sweet sliced strawberries, crunchy almonds, banana slices, and any other tasty toppings you would like, and let the kiddos go crazy creating their very own Rice Krispies Melon Bowls...

A Fresh Start for the School Year With Box Tops For Education & Food Lion®

It seems like every single year after my oldest's holiday break, it is a slight struggle to get him back into school mode. After almost two weeks off from the daily school grind, I get it. I feel the same after we return home from a week at the beach in the summer.  

But the return to school once the New Year has arrived is also an opportunity for a fresh start for the rest of the school year.  Given the right tools and motivation, it is a chance for him to start off the second half of his school year on the right foot and with a better mindset. 

Box Tops for Education® and Food Lion® understand this struggle, and this year they want to help our schools start off on the right (and properly equipped) foot as well this month. That is why between 1/7/15 - 1/13/15 you can get 20 Bonus Box Tops® ($2.00 value to BTFE eligible school) when you buy ANY 5 participating General Mills® products in a single shopping visit using your personal MVP Food Lion® card AND be automatically entered for a chance to win 100,000 Bonus Box Tops ($10,000 value to BTFE eligible school).

And purchasing participating General Mills® products from your local Food Lion® can not only help you earn more Box Tops for Education® for your child's school, but you can also help you get creative with the after school snacks for the kiddos. I gathered up a few of my favorites to share with you all...

Easy Peanut Butter M&M's Dip

This creamy Peanut Butter M&M's Dip has just 4 simple ingredients in it making it the perfect easy & quick after school snack...

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias , Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Sometimes after school snack time can be such a struggle in our home. My teenage son always seems to grab for greasy potato chips or some other not-so-healthy snack if they happen to be in the pantry.  And as soon as my youngest sees big brother with a handful of chips, then she must have some too.  So what does this mama do? I whip up a healthy snacking dip that not even the teenager can turn away! I mean, how can he refuse it when this dip includes Peanut Butter M&M's®? 

And since we happen to be HUGE Marvel Comics and Captain America fans in this house (We may be a little excited about the recent release of Captain America 2: The Winter Solider DVD.), I went for a red, white, and blue superheros theme with this after school snack.  I mean, #HeroesEatMMs too... ;)

Chocolate Covered Raisin No-Bake Cookies

Is it just me or does it always seem to be a challenge to find an after school snack that both the kiddos and the parents can agree on?  Or how about when the little ones beg for a sweet treat in their lunch boxes?

They would prefer to pack sugar filled cookies and candy. Or snack on chips while sitting down to do their homework after school.  But we parents cringe at the very thought.

Well, I have come up with perfect sweet snacking solution that is both mom/dad and kid-approved- Chocolate Covered Raisin No-Bake Cookies! :)

Now before you blast me for making no-bake cookies, know that I was able to greatly reduce the sugar in these thanks to some help from California Raisins.   Most no-bake cookie recipes I have seen have at least two cups of sugar in them!

Two cups, folks.

By adding naturally sweet California Raisins- both whole & pureed, I was able to cut the sugar needed for these delicious no-bake cookies by over half! :)

California Raisins have zero fat, no cholesterol and no added sugar. Plus, raisins offer 9% of your daily fiber and potassium, and 6% of your daily iron (per quarter cup serving).

They are the perfectly portable & healthy on-the-go snack and the perfect addition to these satisfying & tasty Chocolate Covered Raisin No-Bake Cookies...