My kids are on spring break this week and while we don’t have any real plans, I knew I’d want to do some spur of the moment activities with my kids if I was able to get my work completed in the mornings. This week has also got me thinking about summer when the kids will be home. Since I work from home it can be difficult to balance work and play but I’m making an effort to spend more time with the kids as long as I can manage keeping up.
One way I thought of was to have some make ahead picnic type items so we can just throw some stuff together and GO!
My kids love Peanut Butter Pocket Sandwiches so I made up some extra when I made lunch for them the other day. Then I put them in the freezer. These thaw really fast and are great for lunches! To make them, you’ll need a Pampered Chef Cut & Seal, a handy little device that cuts the crust off the bread and makes these delicious little round pocket sandwiches. They are super easy to make. Just open two pieces of bread like a book and spread peanut butter on one slice and jelly on the other slice. I usually try to keep the PB & J away from the edges of the bread since those will be cut off anyway. Use the Press & Seal like a cookie cutter to cut out the circular sandwiches then press down the middle of the device. This seals the edges.
My kids love smoothies and since I don’t really use a recipe, I usually have quite a bit left over. I pour it into silicone popsicle molds for a tasty treat for later. I realized that these are perfect for packing because they can help keep the rest of the food cold so we don’t have to use ice. We just use an insulated tote.
Our smoothies this time were made from one package of Dole Ready Cut Fruit Strawberries, Peaches & Bananas. I blended it with a half a large carton of vanilla greek yogurt, a handful of Salba Smart Chia Seeds, some ice and milk. It made enough for all four of us to have some with breakfast PLUS freeze about 10 popsicles in our silicone popsicle molds.
Yesterday some friends invited us to hike up to the ice caves. I knew I’d have to scramble to get some things finished up and get everyone ready. Luckily, I was pretty prepared in the lunch department and it only to a couple of minutes to pack up a delicious and nutritious lunch.
I was able to get out the door and enjoy some quality time with these little cuties and some great friends. I love how easy Dole makes it to enjoy real fruit any time of year. I like keeping DOLE Frozen Fruit in the freezer so I always have something to make smoothies with and use the leftovers for healthy popsicles.
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This post was created in partnership with Dole. I have received compensation for this post.
Tammy Woodall says
We love Dole products. Dole Frozen fruits are a big hit at our house and are great for snacks. We also use Dole Frozen Fruit in some recipes.