Tasty After-School Snacks

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CHEF LIZZIE
Are you always hungry when you get home from school? I am. That's why I created some great snacks that give me the energy I need to get through my homework and have enough energy left over to go outside and play! Stick around, and I'll share them with you!

Hi, and welcome to Healthy Cooking with Chef Lizzie. When it comes to after-school snacks, it helps to make them ahead of time so that they're waiting for you when you get home.

Popcorn is delicious, but you can make it even better with my sweet-and-salty popcorn mix. Here's what you need to do.

Of course, you're going to start with popcorn. Using an air popper is one of the healthiest ways to make it. And a third of a cup should be plenty.

Once it's popped and cooled off a bit, it's time to add the special ingredients. For the salty taste, I like to add a cup of dry edamame. If you've never heard of it, "edamame" is just a fancy way of saying "green soybeans." And they taste great. But, if you're not feeling that adventurous, just put some dry-roasted nuts in there.

Now it's time for the sweet! I like to add dried, sweetened cranberries. Three quarters of a cup should be enough. Next, you're going to mix it all up. This should make about six servings.

And I like to divide it up into bags. That keeps it fresh, so that it lasts several days. And it also keeps me from eating too much at one time.

Another snack I love to make, partly because it's a little sticky and a little bit messy, is peanut-butter balls. And if you have a peanut allergy, don't worry. You can make it with soy butter or almond butter or any other peanut-butter substitute.

For this recipe, I use two-thirds of a cup of natural peanut butter. And I like to store it upside down, to make it a little easier to stir. Put it in a bowl with two-thirds of a cup of natural honey and three cups of cereal. The kind of cereal is up to you. I like to use a crunchy, organic cereal, usually with a chocolate flavor.

Before you mix it up, add two teaspoons of ground flaxseeds. Flaxseeds also have kind of a nutty taste and are really, really good for you. Now, here comes the fun part-- mixing it all together.

You can use a spoon, but I think it's a lot more fun with my hands. Plus, it's easiest to roll them up into balls by hand, anyway. When you're done, you can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer and pop them out for a quick after-school snack-- or any time! Right now seems like a good time to me.

Have fun making these. And thanks for watching Healthy Cooking with Chef Lizzie. Mmm-- delicious.