strawberries

Breakfast Made Beautiful

February 25, 2014 by Amy Hudson

Here at Creative Kid Snacks, we make a lot of funny food and plate art. Breakfast can be made to look like Hello Kitty, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a snail, a whale, or even Mickey Mouse.

Sometimes, however, a simple yet beautiful presentation is all it takes for your children to know that they are special and that you value spending time with them in the morning. This breakfast would be sweet to serve in the morning after a sleepover party, or as a tea party meal. Perhaps a Saturday morning family breakfast? It would also be a great way to simply say, I am glad we get to spend the day together.

This breakfast features healthy, vitamin-packed fruits and protein-rich eggs. Eating a meal like this for breakfast will help the kids to have the energy they need throughout the whole morning.

Ingredients:

Fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)

Eggs and country ham

Cheddar cheese (optional for the scrambled eggs)

Directions:

Scramble eggs and diced country ham. Top with cheddar cheese if desired. Spoon into small bowl or ramekin in the center of a plate. Slice grapes and strawberries in half so that they will lay flat on the plate. Arrange them in a beautiful floral pattern around the eggs – or use any design you like. The end result will be a beautifully appealing, healthy breakfast.

Health Benefits of this Dish:

Eggs are considered to be one of the most perfect sources of protein. Protein is vital for kids to enjoy sustained energy throughout the day and build muscle as they grow. Some people worry about the cholesterol found in eggs. As I learned from this Cholesterol article by The Exercise Coach (where I love to work out), cholesterol is not what causes heart disease. I was surprised to learn that it is actually sugar, which causes inflammation, which leads towards all of the problems related to heart disease. It is far better for you to eat an egg than to eat a bowl of sugary cereal. SOO much better!

Raspberries are higher in fiber than even blueberries. They are a great source of antioxidants, and can even help to regulate your mood. Check out this article to learn more.

Blueberries are another antioxidant-rich superfood, boasting a low glycemic index, and providing an excellent source of vitamin K. Read more here.

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Learn more about this blog here.

Santa Hat Poppers

November 13, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Looking for cute Christmas Party Food? Today’s Santa Hat Poppers would be the perfect Christmas Party food for kids. Make these Santa Claus inspired party poppers for your next holiday party or put them out at your next playdate to get the kids excited for Christmas.

By the way, you’ll probably love these other cute Christmas Party food ideas for kids: Grinch Party Poppers, Santa Party Poppers, Popcorn Snowman Cups, Snowman Party Poppers

Santa Hat Poppers

Ingredients: (6 poppers)

10-15 oz block mozzarella cheese (sliced from a large block)

6 fresh strawberries

6 round crackers (Ritz, Toasteds, etc.)

Directions:

Using a large block of mozzarella cheese from the grocery store, slice 1/8- 1/4 inch slices of cheese. You want the slices to be large enough to be able to punch two hat bases (using 2 inch cookie cutter shown below) out of each slice.

Use a cookie cutter shaped like a flower or a circle (the one shown here is about 2″ wide), and punch out little bases for your Santa hats. A flower has a cute look once the hats are assembled because it looks like fluffy white fur.

Your bases are now ready!

Slice the stem off of your fresh strawberries. Try to use strawberries with a width that would allow you to see your cute little hat base and not cover it up entirely, or look too small on the base you made.

I punched one more “flower” or Santa Hat base out than I needed, and sliced the little round edges into semicircles for the tops of Santa’s Hat.

I love to use the little plastic toothpicks from the dollar store. They are not too sharp, and look adorable to hold these little guys together. Note: Make sure the top semicircle of cheese is thick enough to allow the toothpick to go through without the cheese falling apart. The block mozzarella cheese I used worked great and did not fall apart. I kept my semicircle cheese hat toppers to at least 1 cm thick.

Although the Santa Hats look great and are ready to eat by step 5, I would suggest placing a cracker beneath each one. The saltiness of the cracker tastes great with the cheese, and also the cracker makes for each pick-up from the plate. This part is optional, but that’s my recommendation.

Your Santa Hat Poppers are now complete and ready to put out at your Christmas party or play date! The kids will love them! Mine sure did!

Enjoy!

Make sure you also check out these fun Christmas Snacks and Lunches:

Grinch Party Poppers

Santa Party Poppers

Popcorn Snowman Cups

Snowman Party Poppers

3 Kings Lunch

Baby Jesus in the Manger

5 Healthy Christmas Snacks for Kids

Jingle Bells Lunch

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Learn more about this blog here.

Hello Kitty Breakfast

November 7, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Hello Kitty has become so popular with little girls lately, and mine are no exception. We have Hello Kitty pajamas, Hello Kitty purses, Hello Kitty shoes, and even Hello Kitty backpacks. We also love to celebrate Hello Kitty by making cute snacks. In the past we’ve made Hello Kitty Sandwich and a Hello Kitty Bagel. Make sure to check them out!

Today, we would like to show you our Hello Kitty Breakfast – Hello Kitty Oatmeal

Hello Kitty Breakfast

Ingredients:

1/2 – 3/4 cup cooked oatmeal – (we use instant)

2 fresh strawberries

2 slices banana

2 chocolate chips

Directions:

Arrange your prepared oatmeal on a plate in an oval shape. Next, slice two ears from a round banana slice by creating a tip like a triangle on each one. Lay the ears atop the oatmeal at the top corners of the oval you have made. Next, find a small banana slice and place 3/4 of the way down the oval of oatmeal to be Hello Kitty’s nose. To make her bow, slice a strawberry in half, then place the tips of the two triangles together to look like a bow. Slice the bottom tip off of your other strawberry and place in the center of the bow to look like the knot. Use the remaining strawberry to slice thin whiskers for Hello Kitty. Place along the sides of the face. Finally, add two little eyes using chocolate chips.

This breakfast is sure to please any Hello Kitty Fan!

Health Benefits for Kids

Oatmeal is a great choice for breakfast for the kids. It is filling, full of fiber, and even protein. Read this article to learn more about all of the health benefits of oatmeal. Strawberries add a punch of vitamin C and antioxidants, and bananas are a rich source of potassium.

Other Hello Kitty Food

Hello Kitty Bagel Lunch

Hello Kitty Sandwich

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Learn more about this blog here.

Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Party Ideas

March 8, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Lori from our Facebook page has a birthday party coming up. Her little girl loves both Hello Kitty and Strawberry shortcake. She asked for some ideas for either of those themes. Perhaps seeing some inspiration will help her make that decision . . . or maybe she’ll decide to combine them!

These ideas are a mix of my own and other party planners far more talented than me! Let’s start with Strawberry Shortcake for today.

Strawberry Shortcake Party Ideas

Strawberry Shortcake Fruit Platter

Place two small bowls of balled watermelon along with one small container of green grapes in the top section of a platter for Strawberry’s hat. Garnish the top of the hat with a strawberry. Next, place a bowl of fruit dip below the hat for her face. To make Strawberry’s face, I used two blueberries as eyes, a strawberry for her mouth, a few strawberry leaves (you could also use mint) for her eyelashes, and several mini chocolate chips for her freckles. Finish by filling in the space around the face with whole strawberries as hair. This is sure to be a hit!

Individual Strawberry Shortcake Cups

Another healthy option for the party is to serve little cups of Greek yogurt (you could use vanilla or control the sugar content a bit more by swirling your own honey into plain Greek yogurt), then topping with chopped strawberries along with a few graham crackers for dipping. Greek yogurt will be a nice little source of protein for the kids to eat in the midst of the rest of the party food.

More Strawberry Shortcake Ideas

Make these mini strawberry shortcake poppers from Snappy Gourmet

Serve these gorgeous white chocolate dipped strawberries and dipped oreos from Wonderfully Made Events.

Serve a refreshing strawberry lemonade along with water bottles covered with adorable printable wrappers; by Wonderfully Made Events.

You can also have the kids make their own Strawberry Shortcakes. Jill from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons has a super easy and adorable recipe.

Don’t these strawberry shaped cake pops by Wonderfully Made Events look fabulous?

Use bright pink, red, and green decorations to create a festive look for your (sure-to-be) amazing Strawberry Shortcake Party.

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Learn more about this blog here.

Butterfly

March 4, 2013 by Amy Hudson

When Spring starts to peek around the corner after Winter finally ends, it’s fun to embrace the feeling of new life, warmth, brightness, and outdoor fun. Nothing says new life to me like a butterfly! The butterfly snack we have for you today is refreshing, super healthy, and beautiful for the kids to enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 piece string cheese. (You can also use just half of one, sliced lengthwise).

8-10 green grapes, sliced in half

3 strawberries

1 baby carrot

Directions:

To make this guy, simply place a piece of string cheese in the center of the plate. Next, slice your green grapes in half and lie them on the plate as the outline of the butterfly’s two wings. Slice strawberries and fill in the outline formed by the grapes. Next, slice two round slices from the end of a baby carrot. Slice two thin sticks, and slice a tiny bit off each stick. Arrange antennae as shown, place two tiny carrot bits on the string cheese for eyes. Enjoy!

Continue the Fun with a “READ.PLAY.EAT” activity

READ.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is such a classic story book! Just like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is an Eric Carle staple I’ll bet most of us have in our bookshelves (if not memorized) and read often. I know it’s been a favorite for my girls.

The story is told of a caterpillar that hatches from an egg, grows, and eats and eats and eats until he is so full that he becomes big and fat. He builds his cocoon, stays inside for more than two weeks, and becomes a beautiful butterfly. It’s the classic metamorphosis story.

PLAY.

Create a “beautiful butterfly” with your child that they can play with over and over again. Follow the simple steps shown below:

My girls love to make these, and they only take about 5 minutes. I love them because they aren’t messy, and they don’t involve too much skill on the parent’s part! We have quite a collection, and my oldest daughter Grace plays with hers often. She loves to hold the butterfly by the stick and swing him around to flap his wings.

It is also fun to make each one unique and different. One thing we have done is make a butterfly for everyone in the family. The kids have fun deciding which colors, patterns, and designs best reflect each person. So fun!

EAT.

Make a healthy caterpillar for lunch!

Very Hungry Caterpillar: Creative Kid Snacks

Take a large strawberry and slice to create his head. Next, create his eyes by using little bits of pineapple cut into circles and place sliced green jelly belly candies in front. Form his body with green grapes , carrot feet, raisin mouth, and ham antennae. He is walking on an oatmeal ground and taking in the cheddar cheese sun!

If you enjoyed this, check out our other animal snacks, as well as our nature themed snacks. The kids will love them! I know mine did!

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Learn more about this blog here.

Hello Kitty Lunch

February 20, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Hello Kitty is a beloved character that I used to watch when I was a young girl, and who has now made a comeback. My four year old daughter carries a bright pink Hello Kitty backpack to school with her every day.

With Hello Kitty‘s recent surge of popularity, we had a request by a Facebook friend to share some Hello Kitty inspired food.

Hello Kitty Lunch

Ingredients: 1 half bagel, 2 T whipped cream cheese, 2 blueberries, 1 slice banana, 6 thin slices apple, 1 strawberry, and 1 raspberry.

To create this easy and cute Hello Kitty, I used a half bagel spread with a thin layer of whipped cream cheese. I cut a small section from the top to create her ears. Next I added two blueberry eyes, a small banana nose, and thinly sliced apple whiskers. For her bow, I sliced one strawberry in half for the two sides of the bow, and used a raspberry for the center.

That’s it. A delicious and fun lunch with a great variety of wonderful fruit.

Here is another Hello Kitty Lunch we’ve created in the past.

See the blog post about this Hello Kitty here.

And coming up soon I have a Hello Kitty Breakfast! WooHoo!

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Learn more about this blog here.

Heart Warming Oatmeal

February 5, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Do your kids love oatmeal as much as mine do? Fresh berry oatmeal or oatmeal with fruit preserves is even better, right? Make a Valentines Day breakfast for your kids that they will love to eat!

Oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts for kids. It keeps them full and has more protein than other grain-based breakfasts. It’s something to feel good about feeding the kids. What’s better, if you top it with some organic berry preserves (such as Costco brand), the kids will love you forever!

Step 1: Prepare Oatmeal and Strawberries

Cook oatmeal as directed and place into a bowl.

To create heart strawberries, slice strawberries in half from top to bottom so they lay flat. Then, carefully slice a small “V” into the top center to look like a heart. Use the little fruit hearts as a garnish to your dish.

Step 2: Create Jam Heart

Place several tablespoons of berry preserves into a microwavable container – preferably one from which you can pour later! Microwave for 30 seconds.

Next, use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to help you make your heart. Press the cookie cutter slightly into the oatmeal, then pour in your warm preserves, filling the shape.

Step 3: Remove cookie cutter and serve

Carefully pull your cookie cutter straight up from the oatmeal – leaving your beautiful heart-shaped jam in the center.

Congratulations! You have now created a Valentines day breakfast full of flavor that the kids will love!

Take a look at our other Valetine’s Day Snacks

Valentines Day Pancakes

I love you yogurt breakfast

Guess How Much I Love You? Snack

Valentines Day Apples

P.S. – Also check out Super Healthy Kids’ Valentines Day Oatmeal for another great idea!

(Sharing HERE)

Valentines Day Pancakes

February 3, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Valentines Day is almost here! How about a sweet little breakfast for your Valentine? Make these easy Valentines Day Pancakes!

To create this little plate, simply prepare two medium or one large pancake on your skillet. Next, take your heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out as many little hearts as desired.

Next, give the hearts a little personality, which is what we do on Creative Kid Snacks! I used chocolate chips for their eyes, and a small slice of a strawberry for their mouths. How sweet!

As a finishing touch, I added little whipped cream polka dots around the plate for a little something special for my little Valentines.

Enjoy! (Sharing HERE)

Check out our other Valentines Day Food.

Guess How Much I Love You? Snack

Valentines Day Apples

I love you yogurt breakfast

Guess How Much I Love You?

January 30, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is one of my girls’ favorite books. With a simple message about the great measure of the father and son bunny’s love for one another, it is a perfect Valentines Day read. The story ends with the father bunny saying to the baby bunny, “I love you to the moon and back”.

Take a few minutes and read the story while snuggling with your child, then make this lunch.

To make the rabbits, I used some turkey folded up into small squares for their faces. I added ears using raw almonds, and used chocolate sprinkles (I know, I was lazy) for the eyes.

Next, I sliced several strawberries in half and cut a small “v” out of the center to look like a heart. I laid them on the plate to look like they were ascending and descending from the moon.

I sliced a banana into a small crescent shape to use for the moon, and finally used some greek yogurt to create the stars, the arrow going to the moon and back, and the bottom portion of the bunnies’ faces.

Below is the super easy technique I used.

I love using yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, for decorating a plate and creating a great design that would be hard to do using just food.

Of course, you can make this same snack out of anything you wish! If you have a bunny shaped cookie cutter, you could easily make the two rabbits out of a sandwich. You could also make the arrows using thin strips of banana if you don’t want to use the yogurt. The moon could be made out of pineapple, cheese, or a yellow pepper.

Use your imagination!

Check out our other Valentines Day and Love inspired snacks! You’ll LOVE them . . . I promise!

Valentines Day Apples

I love you breakfast

(Sharing HERE)

Santa Party Poppers

December 7, 2012 by Amy Hudson

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)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Health Benefits of this Dish:

Santa Hat Poppers

Ingredients: (6 poppers)

Directions:

Make sure you also check out these fun Christmas Snacks and Lunches:

Hello Kitty Breakfast

Ingredients:

Directions:

Health Benefits for Kids

Other Hello Kitty Food

Strawberry Shortcake Party Ideas

Strawberry Shortcake Fruit Platter

Individual Strawberry Shortcake Cups

More Strawberry Shortcake Ideas

Ingredients:

Directions:

Continue the Fun with a “READ.PLAY.EAT” activity

Hello Kitty Lunch

Ingredients: 1 half bagel, 2 T whipped cream cheese, 2 blueberries, 1 slice banana, 6 thin slices apple, 1 strawberry, and 1 raspberry.

Step 1: Prepare Oatmeal and Strawberries

Step 2: Create Jam Heart

Step 3: Remove cookie cutter and serve

Take a look at our other Valetine’s Day Snacks

Check out our other Valentines Day Food.

Valentines Day Apples

I love you breakfast

Best of

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