I have several friends who repeatedly tell me how much they love to cook, and many will even go so far as to say that they find it relaxing.

They are either liars, or my idea of relaxation is very different from theirs.

My idea of relaxation involves a beach, a beach chair, and me sitting in said beach chair with something in my hand that tastes like pineapple and makes me stop caring about the jelly roll which continually insists on poking its head out from under my tankini.

It does not involve wandering with two kids through a grocery store trying to decode the psyche of the store planner, guessing where he might think the most lucrative place in the store for sun dried tomatoes might be, followed by hours of chopping, measuring, stirring, burning and finally cursing something that, no matter how promising it may smell, inevitably tastes like a lightly salted flannel shirt.

We eat out a lot.

However, I have found a few easy perfect-for-summer snacks that have been kid approved by the World’s Pickiest Eater, my 2-year-old daughter. I promise they’re easy but if you still want to avoid the kitchen and swing by Yo My Goodness I won’t judge.

In fact, I’ll probably see you there.

Fruit Smoothies

1 cup yogurt – I like Yoplait Original Pineapple – I try to get as many calories in my kids as possible
3 strawberries – we try to do locally grown organic food when we can and it’s a great time to hit up your local Farmers’ Markets!
1 banana
6 ice cubes
Handful of spinach leaves (Sneaky, huh? They can’t taste, see or smell it)

Then you just throw it all in a blender and hit go. Really any combination of yogurt and fruit works, and if your kids are older they might like to have a hand in helping to create their own unique concoction.

Fruit Popsicle

Same story as above, but pour the smoothie into little Dixie cups and insert a Popsicle stick when they’re partially frozen.

Frozen Grapes (from my friend Angie)

Me: So you mean, you just put some grapes in the freezer?  That’s lame.  Readers are going to think I’m a big loser if I try to pawn this off to them as a healthy summer snack.

Angie: You don’t understand… the water or juice or something crystallizes on them and turns them into magical goodness.

In the words of my daughter: “They’re soooo yummy!”

Frozen Orange

Cut off the top of an orange and scoop out the innards like a pumpkin. Put the insides along with a little orange juice into a blender and blend it up. Pour it all back into the orange and stick it in the freezer. Fun and no clean-up necessary.

Banana “Ice” Cream

Ingredients

2 large very ripe bananas
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tbs milk or half & half (optional)

Directions

Peel bananas and slice into 1/2 inch discs. Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a parchment or wax paper covered baking sheet. Freeze for 1-2 hours until firm, then transfer to a plastic bag. Freeze at least 8 hours or more until solidly frozen.

Puree banana slices in food processor until chunky, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add milk or half & half (if using) and vanilla. Continue to puree until the mixture reaches a smooth, soft serve-like consistency. Serve immediately.

I know, I know. Most of you who aren’t culinarily challenged are probably thinking about how lame these are. But if you tend to shy away from anything with ingredients or instructions like me, maybe these can be some fresh ideas.

Feel free to share your own favorites below!

Hannah Mayer is author of the award-winning blog sKIDmarks and is currently working on her first novel, Cute Little Bundle of Crazy.  Her famous macaroni and cheese was just named “Best Lunch Ever” by her 2-year-old and 10-month-old daughters, even though it was straight from a box and she merely followed the package instructions.

You can hang out with her on Facebook, Twitter, or just randomly drop by her house.  She loves that.