When COVID-19 guidelines to “Stay Home, Work Safe” sent kids of all ages into online classrooms, one of my daughters challenged her students to find ways to use math at home. That same week, I read an article by Vince Young, a student in our local southwest Houston schools who got a football scholarship to the University of Texas and played pro for a short time. In his story, he talks about overcoming a lot of really complicated challenges as a teenager, including food shortages. When he mentioned syrup sandwiches, I remembered how my own mother stretched everyday ingredients into ‘treats’ for me and my brother.

Here are three “Math Snacks” for families stuck inside. Each one is safe for careful teenagers to make on their own. A spreading knife is the kind you use to spread butter, peanut butter, etc. on bread. None of these recipes requires a sharp knife.

• Vince Sandwich (peanut butter and syrup filling)
• Cinnamon Apple
• Baggie Fudge