Did you ever notice that there is no middle ground when it comes to kids and hunger?  They can be incredibly happy and busy when all of sudden, they are STARVING.  And, by the way, if they don’t have something to eat in the next 45 seconds, they just might not live.  This dire situation is never a problem at home – there are always snacks to be had.  But on the road, it’s a completely different story.   The time elapsed between the first “I’m hungry” and the tears can be just a matter of minutes.  It’s not unlike having a ticking time bomb walking next to you.  More than one family outing has been ruined due to unmet hunger needs.

Oh, did I mention that my kids are 10 and 12?

Yes, you read correctly.  This problem is not exclusive to toddlers.  In fact, I think growing kids are the most needy when it comes to food.  They need it fast.  It has to taste good.  And– if you are dealing with siblings – be sure that the treats are the exact same size, texture, color, flavor and brand or risk being cited for unfair parenting practices.

So when we found ourselves with the opportunity to go kayaking with friends, I decided to pre-empt any starvation situations.  I bought along two boxes of Strawberry and Chocolate Pop-Tarts.  The big question was:  Would we need them?

Who am I kidding?  We were kayaking to a dam about half a mile from any civilization or concession stand.  If that doesn’t scream hunger pains, I’m not sure what does.  Sure enough, halfway through our trip, someone got ravenous.  And as you know, “kid famine” is virally contagious.  Within minutes of the first outbreak, we had an epidemic.

Luckily, I had the perfect antidote.

Imagine everyone’s delight when I pulled out the Pop-Tarts!  These snacks were perfect for a few reasons:

1. They travel extremely well with two Pop-Tarts in each waterproof (guess how we know this) wrapper.  They are also really easy to hold – no mess.
2. The kids are used to enjoying Pop-Tarts for breakfast.  They were completely tickled to be eating them as a late day snack.  On a kayak no less!
3. Different flavors suit different kids – everyone was happy with what they got
4. They also work for grown-up hunger.  What can I say?
5. It was a terrific energy boost for the long odyssey back to the dock – a trip that would have seemed like days if we had whiny, hungry grownups kids in tow.

As is always the situation with growing boys, sometimes just one Pop-Tart is not enough.  They kids ate the extras for dessert with our picnic when we returned.  “Better than cookies or brownies”, one kiddo remarked.

So many important ingredients go into a successful family outing.  We can’t control the weather – but we can control the hunger.  I think Pop-Tarts are going to be joining us on these trips for the rest of the summer.

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Earlier this year, I posted about The Krave which I defined as: An adult desire for food that society deems suitable for children.  At the top of my “kraving” list were Pop-Tarts.  In fact, I often fight Noah (12) and Chase (10) for the last Pop-Tarts package in the box.  They know they are delicious; I know they are delicious and a healthy option. More than three decades after I was first introduced to Pop-Tarts, my kids are enjoying them as much as I did as a child– and still do as a 41 year old wife and mom.  Pop-Tarts are more than a delicious breakfast option in my family; they are a tradition.  So when I was given the opportunity to review Kellogg’s™ Pop-Tarts™ Sprinklings™ with fellow bloggers, I jumped at the chance!

For me tradition begs the questions:  Why would we ever vary from the original?  Why fix something that isn’t broken?  Should we mess with perfection?  After all, a plain Pop-Tart toasted to warm and yummy goodness with a glass of milk in the morning is pretty unbeatable. Could we create something even better than the original?  

I was skeptical.

So I brought the question to my favorite chef — husband Dave — who is far more sophisticated in the culinary arts than me.  Then, just to make it more interesting, I asked my dear friend, fellow working Mom, and kitchen queen extraordinaire Mo, if she would like to join in the fun – creating a Pop-Tart Bake-Off Smack Down.  Let’s meet the chef’s

Dave

Mo

The challenge was to create a Pop-Tart inspired treat that the kids enjoyed eating more than a plain delicious Pop-Tart straight out of the box.  With the Fourth of July approaching, both chefs were tasked with creating a treat that could taken to a family barbeque and served to everyone, including the grown ups (who I know would be transported into a state of nostalgia with the very first bite.)  The key ingredient had to be Pop-Tarts® Ice Cream Shoppe™ Frosted Vanilla Milkshake pastries.  It also had to be easy to make because we all work full time and don’t have hours to kill in the kitchen.  And, of course, it must be fun to eat. 

I have to say that our contestants rose to the challenge:  Here are the two recipes:

Introducing…..

Mo’s Pop-Tart Liberty Lasagna

Total time to prepare:  25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Sliced Fresh Strawberries
• 8 Pop-Tarts® Ice Cream Shoppe™ Frosted Vanilla Milkshake pastries
• 1 Package Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 1 CanVanilla Butter Cream Icing
• Blue Food Dye
• Red Food Dye
• Fourth of July Sprinkles

Directions

1. Prepare pudding as directed for pie filling.  Add 20 drops of red food dye.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes
2. In 7X11 glass casserole dish, layer four Pop-Tarts, covering bottom of dish
3. Spread two cups of strawberries over Pop-Tarts evenly
4. Spread pudding mix evenly over strawberries
5. Add 4 more Pop-Tarts
6. Add 20 drops blue food coloring to butter cream icing and spread over top
7. Add sprinkles
8. Refrigerate for ½ hour
9. Cut and serve

Serves 8-12

Presenting…

Dave’s Nutty for Pop-Tarts

Total time to prepare:  10 minutes

Ingredients Per Sandwich

• 2 Pop-Tarts® Ice Cream Shoppe™ Frosted Vanilla Milkshake pastries
• Favorite brand of Peanut Butter
• Favorite Brand of Hazelnut Spread
• Magic Shell Chocolate Topping (Preferred) or Chocolate Syrup
• Crushed nuts (Peanuts preferred)
• Sprinkles

Directions

1. Spread the bottom of one side of Pop-Tart with peanut butter and the other Pop-Tart bottom with the hazel nut spread.
2. Put together as a sandwich. Place flat on serving dish.
3. Drizzle magic shell or chocolate fudge on top.
4. Sprinkle with crushed nuts and sprinkles
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
6. Cut in triangles and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Serves: 2-4 per sandwich

And the results? 

MoB Kid Noah

MoB Kid Chase

Mo’s Son Ben

Lucky Friend Ian

The kids loved both creations, and so did the grown-ups. We all agreed that the Liberty Lasagna was more fun and young – and the Nutty for Pop-Tarts was suitable for a more mature crowd.  Maybe even a future dinner party?  The only person who lost this competition was me.  I was wrong – you CAN improve on tradition.

What a blast!  We have scheduled the next bake-off for Back-to-School in September.  It seems like we might have started a new tradition for both our families — using the delicious tried and true foods we all know and love in fresh new ways.  Doing so guarantees we all stay fun, young, and healthy at heart.

Find other delicious recipes using all kinds of Pop-Tarts here.