School’s out and the kids are delighted! I did point out that school has basically been out since March, but apparently there have been way too many online tasks and Skype calls for it to classify as a complete break. I think they’re looking forward to 11 weeks of not feeling conflicted, doing one thing, without knowing or feeling as if they should be doing something else. Not so much nagging from me about the iPads either! When you’re a working parent, especially if you are doing some work from home, summer with the kiddos can be a little challenging. How to occupy them without going bankrupt over camps or losing them to screens entirely?Fortunately for me, our angelfish turned out to be a mating pair and we have ten baby angels swimming around with a new set on the way. Add that to the two cats, two bunnies and three other fish and we’re basically a zoo. If you’d like an annual membership, please let me know. We are actually considering breeding the bunnies, too … and when I say “we”, I actually mean the kids are and that I am trying frantically to resist. Who doesn’t want six to 12 balls of fluff jumping around in an epic display of cuteness? (I have tried to explain that it translates to an enormous quantity of poop too, but they are adamant it’s worth it. Wish me luck haha!) The other challenge is the ongoing drama of the 24-hour kitchen. It’s difficult to prevent constant snacking or raiding of the treats. As I’ve written about before, two of the easiest ways to control this is just not to have the treats in the house (have them when you go out occasionally instead) and also to keep lots of healthy options in plain sight! A couple of my kids favourites include frozen watermelon (cut into wedges and freeze on a Popsicle stick), guacamole and fresh veggies/chips, Nutrifit banana bread (see last week’s recipe) and hummus. When it comes to hummus, there are plenty of amazing store-bought options — try Bermy Fresh or Miles’ own! However, this is also a really easy recipe for your kids to follow by themselves if you trust them with a blender! Give it a whirl and enjoy! Healthy hummusIngredients:2 14/15oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed with liquid reserved1/3 cup chickpea liquid (or water)½ cup tahini ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil2 lemons, juiced2 garlic cloves, crushed1 tsp paprika or cumin½ tsp salt1, Pop the chickpeas in your blender and make sure to reserve the liquid. If you have digestive issues, I would use water instead as this liquid does contain enzyme inhibitors which can make you a little gassy. 2, Add the tahini, olive oil, fresh lemons, garlic, paprika or cumin and salt to the blender. Roasted garlic is amazing if you want to try it.3, Blend in a high-speed blender for a really whipped hummus. Add more chickpea liquid or water if you want it smoother, or if it gets stuck on the blades.4, Serve with a combo of healthy chips and fresh veggie sticks. For healthier chips, try the Lundberg brown rice chips or the Saffron Road lentil chips.• Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: www.natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram