After School Snacks

I get the biggest kick out of making dipped fruit. It makes a good thing better. Strawberries are good, but they're AMAZING once you dip them in chocolate. This recipe makes a fun snack or a fancy dessert.

What you need:

• Fresh strawberries
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Tray and wax paper

How to make it:

1. Rinse and dry the strawberries.  Important: give them enough time to dry completely before you try to dip them in chocolate.
2. Prepare the tray: pick a tray or plate that will fit in your refrigerator.  Put wax paper on top of it. This will keep the chocolate strawberries from sticking to the tray.
3. Put a cup of chocolate chips and a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. (Remember, you use a dry measure for the chocolate chips -- a scoop is not a measuring cup!)  Microwave for a minute. Then stir and see if it needs more time.  You want the chocolate dip to be glossy and smooth. 
4. Now for the fun part!  Holding the strawberry by the leafy part, gently dip it into the chocolate, leaving the last bit of strawberry and the green part chocolate-free.  Pull the strawberry out gently and lay it on the wax paper-covered tray.
5. Do this for all the strawberries.  You might have to make another batch of chocolate dip (just follow step 3 again), or you might have to zap the chocolate dip for another few seconds to make it smooth and "dip-able."
6. Let the dipped strawberries cool in your fridge for a few hours. The strawberries are ready when the coating is hard like a candy bar.  Enjoy! 

Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 dozen strawberries

Or boppers! 

Either way, they're delicious. 

What you need:

• 4-5 bananas
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or peanut butter; see Step 7)
• 1/4 cup milk
• Trays or plates with wax paper -- make sure they fit in your freezer!
• Fun stuff -- sprinkles, coconut and chopped nuts
• Fork

How to make it:

1. Check the trays or plates you are going to use to be sure they fit in the freezer.  Also, check that there is about 1-2 inches above the plate -- you don't want to get chocolate banana mess in your freezer. 
2. Line the trays or plates with wax paper.  This will keep the bananas from sticking to the plate. 
3. Set out your fun ingredients -- small bowls of sprinkles, coconut (un-clump it with a fork) and chopped nuts.  If you don't have the already-chopped kind, see my instructions for chopping them. 
4. Mix the chocolate dip.  Using a dry measuring cup, measure out a cup of chocolate chips and put them in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup of milk. Microwave for a minute, pull it out, stir it, and see if it needs a little more time. Don't worry if it looks watery. Just keep stirring it, and it will be fine. The chocolate should be glossy and smooth.
5. Peel a banana and cut it into good-size pieces.  You want about four or five pieces per medium-sized banana.  Use a fork to dip each piece in the chocolate, making sure it's all covered.
6. Now roll the chocolate-covered banana in one of your fun ingredients -- the sprinkles, coconut or nuts.  Place the Banana Bopper on your tray or plate, arranging carefully so pieces do not touch each other.  Finish one banana before you peel the other.  When you're finished put the trays or plates in the freezer and wait for the Boppers to freeze.  Enjoy!
7. Non-chocolate alternative: coat the bananas with peanut butter -- you can still add the sprinkles and stuff.  DON'T FREEZE them if you make it with peanut butter! Just enjoy right away.

Makes two plates of Banana Boppers

"BUT I CAN'T MAKE THAT AT HOME!" you scream.  I know, I know.  Trust me, I am more than a little bit familiar with the disaster of trying to roast marshmallows over the stove.  Take my word for it: DON'T DO IT!  Here is a recipe that lets you enjoy the goodness of a s'more at home. 

• 1 Ice cream cone.  I prefer to use the ones that are shaped like a cone instead of the cup-shaped sugar cones.
• Handful of chocolate chips
• 1 large marshmallow
• Glass measuring cup (see the photo at right)

How to make it:

1. Arrange the ice cream cone pointy-side down in a microwave-safe measuring cup.
2. Put the chocolate chips in the bottom of the cone, and place the marshmallow on top of that.
3. Microwave on high for 10-15 seconds.  Watch carefully while heating so that the marshmallow does not grow so much that it makes a mess.  Stop the microwave as soon as you see the marshmallow grow a bit. 

ENJOY!  Eat it almost as soon as it comes out of the microwave, because the marshmallow deflates as soon as you turn off the heat.  Be careful you don't burn your tongue.