How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel (20 page)

It's summertime, right? So there's no way you want to be heating up your house with a hot oven for ages. This is Bella's best recipe for no-bake cookies. At least,
I
think they're the best, and I'm pretty sure Daz agrees because he ate half the batter before we even had a chance to finish.

Enjoy!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED:

-1/2 cup of some kind of nut butter (I like crunchy peanut butter, but if you're allergic, you can substitute in whatever kind you like!)

-1/4 cup butter

-1/3 cup honey

-1 cup of oats (make sure you get the “quick cook” flake kind,
not
the “steel-cut” kind)

-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

-1/2 cup dried fruit (my favorite is dried cranberries, but you can also use raisins, chopped dried apples, or even dried cherries)

-1/2 cup of chocolate chips (the best part)

-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (optional, but super healthy!)

-nonstick cooking spray

-a small pot

-a clean drinking glass

-a cookie sheet

-waxed paper

-spoons

WHAT TO DO:

1.
With a grown-up's help if you need it, start by melting the nut butter, butter, and honey in a small pot. You only need to have the heat on low for this, but make sure you don't burn yourself! Stir it all up with a spatula until its smooth.

2.
Remove the pot and turn off the stove. Add in the remaining ingredients, stirring the whole thing together until it looks like a gloopy, sticky mess. This is normal!

3.
Layer a cookie sheet with the wax paper. Now use your spoons to scoop globs of batter into mounds on the sheet. I like to make them about the size of a golf ball, but if you want bigger cookies, that's okay too. Do this with all the batter.

4.
Once you've filled up your cookie sheet, spray the bottom of a clean drinking glass with nonstick cooking spray. Very
carefully
squish each glob flat with the glass, until it's about 1/2-inch thick. They will look like cookies now!

5.
When you've flattened all the globs, stick the whole cookie sheet into the fridge. It will take them about an hour to set, so distract yourself. Or if you're like Daz, wait four minutes and steal them from the fridge early. Either way, they taste great!

Thank you for reading
!

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How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel
by Jess Keating.

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My Life Is a Zoo
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How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied
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As always, this one goes out to Kathleen Rushall. Every book I write may be different, yet the one thing that doesn't change is how incredibly grateful I am to have you as my brilliant agent and partner-in-crime. You're the best!

To Aubrey Poole, Jillian Bergsma, Kathryn Lynch, Rachel Gilmer, and everyone behind the scenes at Sourcebooks—your enthusiasm, keen eyes, and hard work never go unnoticed and I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you've done to get these books out into the world.

To the Nerdy Book Club, and the amazing kidlit community! I can't thank you enough for welcoming Ana and the gang with open arms, and supporting books and literacy at every turn. Your tweets, emails, letters, and blogs are a writer's dream. I've always said that book people are some of the most generous, spirited, and thoughtful people around, and you prove me right every day!

To my awesome parents and family, for a lifetime of love, support, and full bookshelves.

To Carter, Alina, Lauren, Julie, Liv, Adrienne, and Josh, as well as my amazing #TeamKrush buddies! You all inspire me, and I'd be lost (and likely very bored!) without you.

To Justin, for being an awesome husband and best friend.

And once again, to my wonderful readers! Thank you for taking Ana's adventures and bringing them to life in your minds and hearts. I hope she inspires you to let your true selves shine.

Jess Keating was nine years old when she brought home a fox skeleton she found in the woods and declared herself Jane Goodall, and not much has changed since then. Her first job was at a wildlife rehabilitation center, where she spent her days chasing raccoons, feeding raptors (the birds, not the dinosaurs!), and trying unsuccessfully to avoid getting sprayed by skunks. Her love of animals carried her through university, where she studied zoology and received a Master's degree in Animal Science, before realizing her lifelong dream of writing a book for kids about a hilarious girl who lives in a zoo.

She has always been passionate about three things: writing, animals, and education. Today, she's lucky enough to mix together all three. When she's not writing books for adventurous and funny kids, she's hiking the trails near her Ontario home, watching documentaries, and talking about weird animal facts* to anyone who will listen. You can email her at [email protected], or visit her online at www.jesskeating.com.

*Did you know a blue whale's tongue can weigh as much as an elephant?

How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied

Jess Keating

Ana Wright's social life is now officially on the endangered list: she lives in a zoo (umm, elephant droppings!?), her best friend lives on the other side of the world, and the Sneerers are making junior high miserable. All Ana wants is to fade into the background.

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

Coming Soon:

How to Outfox Your Friends When You Don't Have a Clue

October 2015