When you get hungry what do you want? I look for flavor—something delicious, something I can count on. I want snack food! From savory to sweet, here are five easy snack foods that have never let me down.

Great Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted

1 tomato, finely chopped

2 tablespoons red onion, minced

½ bunch cilantro, chopped fine

Pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

Blend avocado meat and other ingredients in a bowl.

Sprinkle with the lemon juice to keep from darkening.

Chill before serving with corn chips.

Corn Relish Appetizer

1 jar (8oz) corn relish

3 tablespoons fresh horseradish

1 pint small curd cottage cheese

1 stack of saltine crackers

Mix the cottage cheese with the horseradish and spread liberally on cracker, top with a spoon of corn relish.

Pepperoni Pie

This can be an appetizer or a meal with the addition of a green salad and some bread or corn muffins.

8 ounces shredded muenster cheese

1 egg

¾ cup flour

1 stick pepperoni, chopped in blender or processor

½ teaspoon oregano

Mix half the cheese with the egg. Then put all together in a greased pie plate and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top and bake for two more minutes. Very easy.

How About a Date?

12 pitted dates

½ cup cream cheese

12 walnut or pecan halves

Fill date with cream cheese and top with nut.

Berry Good Slump

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cups of berries (blueberries, raspberries, even strawberries or sliced peaches)

½ cup sugar (preferably brown)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix above ingredients together and set aside. Butter a shallow baking dish and place the berries evenly across the bottom.

In a separate bowl mix together the topping:

¾ cup flour

½ cup sugar

½ stick butter, softened

Mix together until crumbly and sprinkle over berries. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm with a little cream.

Dale Carson, Abenaki, is the author of three books: “New Native American Cooking,” “Native New England Cooking” and “A Dreamcatcher Book.” She has written about and demonstrated Native cooking techniques for more than 30 years. Dale has four grown children and lives with her husband in Madison, Connecticut.