My name is Kate Berry and I am a writer, photographer and mum, and run a blog-turned-magazine called Lunch Lady. I started it in August 2013, after my then nine-year-old Maya was being bullied at school for eating homemade lunch. I started the blog with the hope to inspire parents and carers to make delicious lunches for their children, as well as help Maya get her spark back. Lunch Lady is full of wholesome family recipes and reflective thoughts on parenting and family life.

Cut to last year and publishing partners Louise Bannister and Lara Burke (who founded Frankie magazine) got in touch, wanting to turn my blog into a magazine! Of course, I said yes! We are now just putting the final touches on the fourth issue, and this month are excited to be sharing some of my favourite family recipes as part of Tasty Tuesday. All of the upcoming recipes are perfect for school lunches, family treats or afternoon snacks. They are all kid friendly – I should know, I have tested them on my own daughters many times!

First up are these chocnana pops. Sometimes a recipe which requires an oven, a mixer or even a spoon can be too much for me to cope with. Endless steps and processes with so many variables can cause my creation to cock up at any given moment. But when the steps are chop, freeze, roll, freeze, you’re on a no brainer sweet treat winner. And they’re pretty good for you too, as the main ingredient is banana!

INGREDIENTS

4 bananas

8 icy pole sticks

1 packet of good quality ethical dark chocolate

Your choice of sprinkles (coconut, crushed peanuts, almonds, bee pollen, dried berries)

METHOD

Peel and chop your bananas in half.

Pop an icy pole stick in the cut end of the banana.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay your nude banana pops on top.

Put them in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate, then take your bananas out of the freezer.

Dunk the top 3/4 of your banana into the chocolate then roll in your choice of sprinkles.

Lay the banana flat on the baking paper and once you’ve finished all the bananas, pop them back in the freezer for a couple of hours. Yum.