Oven-Fried Chicken Fingers (serves 12 kids)

2 1/2lb skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

3/4 tsp salt1/4 tsp black pepper

7 cups cornflakes (7 oz), coarsely crushed

Condiments: honey mustard sauce and homemade ketchup

1. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 2 large shallow (1”) baking pans.

2. Gently pound chicken between sheeys of plastic wrap with the flat side of a pounder or a rolling pan until the chicken is 1/3" thin. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1/2" strips.

3. Stir together butter, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Put cornflakes in another shallow dish. Working with 1 strip at a time, dip in butter, then dredge in cornflakes, pressing flakes firmly to help adhere. Transfers coated to baking pan.

4. Bake until chicken is golden and cooked through, ~15 min. and switching pans in oven halfway through baking. Cool chicken in pans on racks to room temperature (crust will firm up as it cools).

Fruit Juice "Gummies" (makes 16)

1 cup fruit juice (pure juice, not a fruit-flavored drink) or nectar, such as Goya, Mott's, or Kern's, chilled or at room temperature

Note: These are made from peach, pear, and guava nectar, but you can use any fruit juice you like except pineapple, kiwi, and papaya, which won't gel properly.

1 1/4 oz package gelatin

1. Lightly coat 16 tartlet molds* or mini-muffin tins* with oil.

2. Place 1/4 cup of the juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin. Let sit for 1 minute.

3. Meanwhile, in a small pan, bring the remaining juice to a boil. Add it to the gelatin mixture, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved.

4. Spoon the mixture into the molds. Chill in the refrigerator until

set, 2 hours.

5. Pop the tartlets out. Serve them cold or at room temperature within 2 hours, or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*Plastic or metal tartlet molds are available at surlatable.com. Once the mixture is set, an 8-by-8-inch baking dish also works; just cut it into squares with a knife, or into shapes with a cookie cutter.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches (makes 6)

Use a pre-roasted chicken to make this recipe fast!

6 soft rolls, slotted

6 oz creamy blue cheese, spread evenly among the rolls

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine everything except the rolls and cheese in a small bowl. If desired, you can add flavorful accents e.g. a few chopped toasted pecans or dried cranberries

2. Spoon chicken mixture into rolls.

3. Wrap sandwiches tightly in foil and chill before packing

Peanut Butter, Banana and Date Sandwiches (serves 2)

2 whole wheat pita breads

8 Tbsp chunky or smooth old-fashioned peanut butter6 pitted dates, chopped

8 tsp honey2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

Lightly toast the pita breads; cut each in half crosswise and open pockets.

2. Spread 2 Tbsp peanut butter on one inner side of each pita pocket.

3. Sprinkle chopped dates over peanut butter, dividing equally; drizzle honey over.

4. Divide banana slices among pita pockets. Close pitas, pressing slightly to adhere.

Power Bars with Dried Fruit and Peanut Butter (18 bars)

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

3 cups puffed whole grain cereal (such as Kashi)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup chopped pitted dates

1/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries

1/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Mix cereal, walnuts, dates, cherries, and raisins in medium bowl. Combine peanut butter, honey, and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking constantly until mixture bubbles vigorously and thickens slightly, about 1 min.

3. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture in bowl; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press to compact. Bake until just golden around edges, about 10 minutes.

4. Cool completely. Cut into 2 1/2" x 1/2" Bars. Store in single layer between sheets of foil in airtight container at room temperature.

Tuna Dip with Lemon & Capers (3 cups)

2 6-oz cans solid white tuna packed in oil, drained well

2 10-1/4 oz package soft tofu, drained

3 onions, minced

1 carrot, shredded fine

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Crackers or assorted crudites

1. In a bowl stir tuna with a fork until finely flaked. In another bowl whisk tofu until smooth.

2. Stir tofu and remaining ingredients into tuna until combined and season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve dip with crackers or crudités or wrap in lettuce leaves and wrap tight in plastic wrap.