Santa Claus

Meet our cute little Santa Party Popper.

I’ve taken to calling anything on a short stick a “popper” because you can pop it into your mouth and enjoy in one or two bites.

These guys are a dessert for the kids to help make after dinner one night or in preparation for a little party.

*Note: Santa Party Poppers should be assembled within an hour of when you plan to serve them, because the bananas will brown being out in the air too long.

To make 10 Santa Poppers you will need:

10 regular sized marshmallows (not minis)

2 additional regular sized marshmallows cut into eights (for puff on Santa’s hat)

10 one inch tall banana chunks

10 red mini M&Ms

1/2 cup chocolate chips (for melting)

10 strawberries cut to appropriate size for a hat

Before assembly, slice each full sized marshmallow in half lengthwise. You will need 2 halves per Santa.

To assemble, slide the small marshmallow bit (from those cut into eights) to the top of a decorative toothpick. Next, slide the strawberry (flat side down), one half marshmallow, the banana, and lastly the other half marshmallow.

Make sure you slice your banana into chunks evenly and straight to ensure that they do not lean or tip over once assembled.

Tip: Sliding the bottom marshmallow on with the sticky side down will allow it to stand up better on the serving plate because it will stick!

Next, melt your half cup of chocolate chips in the microwave. I melted mine for a total of 45-50 seconds on high, stopping to stir every 20 seconds.

Once melted, spoon chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip a TINY triangle off one of the corners. You will pipe the chocolate out through this hole.

Pipe two eyes and dot for his nose on every Santa. I placed the nose dot right above the bottom marshmallow.

Place a red M&M on each chocolate dot and press to stick down for Santa’s nose.

Once this step is complete, refrigerate for 10 minutes and serve (see *note above)

The kids will love this dessert, and you can feel good knowing it is mostly fruit. The only refined sugar they will be getting is the equivalent of 1 1/8 marshmallow and a tiny bit of chocolate.

(Linking up HERE)

Looking for some healthy snacks to serve this Christmas?

Get the kids into the Christmas season with these fun snacks and lunches!

#1: Veggie Christmas Tree

Use cut celery arrange on an angle to create the shape of the tree. Slice a baby carrot into wheels for the ornaments. Cut a yellow pepper into the shape of a star for the top of the tree.

Create the trunk by rolling a slice of deli ham into a one inch wide roll-up and folding it in half. Slice the bottom off to create a straight line if you wish.

My favorite part of this snack are the snowflakes. I created them by slicing some string cheese into wheels, then carefully slicing little triangles out of them (from the outside in).

Serve with a little ranch for dipping, and enjoy!

(My kids ate this whole snack up! So much good fiber and protein!)

Variations:
Use cucumbers for the tree (sliced in “sticks”)
Use a carrot or two for the trunk and cherry tomatoes for the ornaments
Use yogurt for the snowflakes

#2: Santa Panini Sandwich

I made this snack by first making a turkey and cheese panini sandwich on our Cuisinart Panini grill.

After placing it on the plate, I spooned some cottage cheese around the bottom of the plate and left a little gap where Santa’s mouth would be. Note: the sandwich is placed with the rounded side of the bread down.

Next, I created his hat and nose with some strawberries. Finish the look of the hat with a little whipped cream and finish with some raisin eyes.

This one was a favorite!

#3: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

I made Rudolph out of a peanut butter sandwich. Leave the round (top) part of the bread in tact, then slice into an oval for the main part of the body as shown.

From the remaining portion, slice four thin legs and a head. Think of cutting the shape of a shoe for the head. Add a raisin eye, a strawberry nose, and two pretzel antlers.

A little pine tree made of sugar snap peas completes the look of Rudolph’s flight through the air!

#4: Cottage Cheese Snowman

Meet one of the first creative snacks ever created.

Our sweet snowman has a cottage cheese body , raisin eyes and buttons, 1/2 a baby carrot for a nose, and celery sticks for arms.

Scoop the cottage cheese onto the plate with a small spoon into three circles. Slice your baby carrot in half and add for his nose. Place his eyes and buttons on, and finish with arms. Done!

You can’t get much healthier than this for a festive winter snack!

Variations:
Use pretzels for his arms to look more like sticks
Use yogurt for his body
Use blueberries for his buttons

#5: Holiday Wreath

My daughter Grace asked for a wreath for lunch. I decided to go with celery for the greenery as opposed to lettuce or cucumbers, which, depending upon your child’s taste buds, you could definitely use. My girls love celery, so I went with that.

Next I added carrots and grapes sliced up for the “berries” of the wreath. You could use cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, or even strawberries here, but I used what I had on hand.

The bow was made out of a slice of ham. I cut one full slice from the deli into quarters, and rolled each up as big as I wanted it to be for the parts of the bow.

Once all that was done, I snapped the photo.

Before I served it, though, I had the idea to add some background “snow”!

This is how I served it, and, as usual, it was gobbled up!

Which version do you like better? I really can’t decide. This second one is definitely more filling for lunch, though, and the girls do love their cottage cheese. So for that reason alone, I know my kids would vote version 2!

(Linking up HERE)

Santa Party Poppers

Healthy Christmas Snacks for the Kids

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