Little Entrepreneurs Need A Good Meal After A Long Day Of Business
Barbecued chicken and potato salad. Ice cream cones and fresh berries. Lemonade stands. Ah, the tastes of summer.
Kids will tell you that they set up lemonade stands just to make money, but don’t you believe it. A lemonade stand is a rite of summer: a great adventure, a nice diversion on a hot afternoon, a good activity when kids are bored.
Youngsters want an exciting way to earn some spending money. They don’t want to dig weeds or clean the basement. They can wash your car only so many times.
One out of three American adults operated lemonade stands when they were kids, according to a survey by Minute Maid. Most charged a nickel per cup; today, the going rate is 25 to 50 cents.
I’ve seen lemonade stands on busy streets, on obscure side streets and outside stores. Kids set up with tons of enthusiasm and visions of thirsty customers.
“Why do people wave as they drive by?” ask my 7-year-old and her friend. “Because they want you to know they see you and they appreciate it, but they aren’t going to stop for lemonade,” I explain.
That answer satisfies them, although they wish more people would stop. I do, too, since I have to scrounge around for loose change to become their only customer in the last half-hour.
If you’re half-inclined, stop and give these kids five minutes of your time and a quarter from your pocket. It’ll reinforce a valuable lesson on making their way in the world, however small the scale.
When your little entrepreneur comes in for dinner after a hot afternoon at the lemonade stand, serve these Sloppy Franks with baked beans and sliced fruit. And to drink? Take a wild guess.
Sloppy Franks
Adapted from “Betty Crocker’s Cooking With Kids” (Macmillan)
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion, optional
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 pound low-fat or nonfat hot dogs, cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 hot dog buns, split
Heat oil in skillet. Cook green pepper and onions in oil, stirring a few times, until onion is tender.
Stir in barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, and hot dogs, then simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring a few times.
Fill buns with sloppy frank mixture. Serve.
Yield: 8 sandwiches.
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