Ladybug Apples

November 25, 2013 by Amy Hudson

My oldest daughter checked out a great book at her school library recently. It is a great book all about ladybugs. The book goes into great detail about ladybugs’ life cycle, body structure, defense mechanisms, uses as natural pest repellants in agriculture, and much more. I learned a lot after reading this book with her! In honor of learning all about ladybugs, we decided to make a special treat to eat after lunch.

Ladybug Apples

Ingredients:

1 apple (we used Honeycrisp)

4-6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

2 cheerios

Directions:

Slice the apple into two halves, just outside the core. You will have two halves to make into little ladybugs. Place chocolate chips into a small glass bowl and microwave for one minute, stirring with a rubber spatula at 20 second intervals. Once chocolate is melted, spoon into a plastic zip baggie and slice a tiny corner off of the bag to use for piping the chocolate. Pipe a “T” across the back of the ladybug’s back – one central line along the back, and one line to divide what will look like the back from what will look like the head area. Fill in the head with chocolate, drizzling it in with the piping bag, then smoothing with a knife, then add little dots around the rest of the back. Add two cheerio eyes, repeat for the other ladybug, and chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.

Easy, fun, and delicious dessert to celebrate learning new things! Enjoy!

If you liked these little guys, you may also want to check out our other animal creations.

(Sharing HERE)

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Ballerina

September 30, 2013 by Amy Hudson

I have two little ballerinas in the house. Grace has taken ballet and tap classes for a couple years, and dance has been one of her favorite things to do outside of school. The recitals, where she gets to wear her costume, complete with poufy tutu, ballerina bun, and makeup – then ending with her getting a bunch of flowers and applause, are the highlight for her. When recital time came around this last spring, we decided to make a little snack to celebrate it.

Ingredients:

1 slice colby jack cheese

1 slice deli ham

1-2 cubes of watermelon

yellow bell pepper

1 dried blueberry

red grape

Directions:

Slice a piece of colby jack cheese into the shape of a ballerina’s head, arms, and torso. We put the arms in the air as the ballerina twirled on her toes. Next, lay a thin slice of watermelon cut to the shape of a top onto the ballerina’s chest area. Add the two legs made from two thin slices of cheese, then lay the deli ham over top to look like a cute tutu. Add two little toe shoes using bits of watermelon, a hair bun and top of yellow bell pepper, and a watermelon bow. Slice a dried blueberry in half for her eyes, and add a thinly sliced red grape for her mouth. So sweet!

If you love cheese, make sure to check out our other adorable snacks made with CHEESE! I’m sure you’ll find a favorite or two!

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Octopus

August 18, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Looking for a healthy and fun after school snack for the kids? Try this fun little octopus, which they’ll be sure to love.

Ingredients:

1 slice cheese (any kind)

8 baby carrots

1 red grape

2 black beans or raisins

Directions:

Slice your piece of cheese into a large, oval head with a bit of a neck on the bottom. Lay that on the plate towards the top. Next, slice your baby carrots into 5-7 circular sections each. Throw all of your little carrot circles into a small bowl. Arrange eight legs coming out of the octopus’ body, starting with the larger sized carrot rounds and ending the leg with the smaller sized carrot rounds. This will look more realistic. Add two black bean eyes, and slice a thin section off of a red grape that has been sliced in half. Place onto your octopus to look like a happy smile.

Did you enjoy today’s snack? Check out a whole bunch more SUPER HEALTHY AFTER SCHOOL SNACKS! Try them all with your kids this fall!

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Back to School Snack Ideas

July 17, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Creative and Cute Back to School Snacks for the Kids

After the 4th of July comes and goes, summers for me have always taken a speedy nose dive into fall – which means back to school. I suppose that being a school teacher before staying home with my girls has continued to remind me of the ever-repeating school cycle.

This fall, my oldest will be heading to kindergarten (Sniffle)! Actually, I’m really very excited for her. I know she will thrive in school setting; she absolutely loves to learn and loves making new friends. I’m thankful to have reasons to actually look forward to her being able to start school!

In honor of the start of a new school year, we have a back to school snack for you today! Make this snack the day before school begins, or after the day is out, whichever you feel like!

Creative and Cute Back to School Snacks for the Kids

Ingredients:

1 slice of colby jack or cheddar cheese

1 tbsp jam (spooned into plastic baggie for piping)

2 slices banana

1 small section of apple

Directions:

Slice cheese into a rectangle, then slice corners off of the top of that rectangle as shown above to use as the main body of the bus. Next, slice a small square with a corner sliced off to place at the front of the bus. Add 2 banana wheels. Take a small plastic bag with jam inside, snip off a tiny corner of the bag, and pipe two lines accross the bus as shown. Next, pipe small dots of jam onto bananas to look like wheels. Finally, slice a section of an apple into several small thin squares. Arrange on bus to look like windows.

In the version shown above we placed the apples skin side down. If you like, you could also serve the snack with the skin side up, as shown here:

Creative and Cute Back to School Snacks for the Kids

Which version to you like better? Let the kids decide!

Other Back to School Snacks We Love:

We’ve also scoured the great world of the web to find some other back to school snacks that are sure to get the kids excited for fall!

Click on either the photo or the title to be taken to the source for directions on how to make each awesome treat.

Back to School S’mores

Cheese Stick Pencils

Oreo – Apple Snack Stacks

Back to School Bus Twinkies

Back to School Party (includes all kinds of cute food)

One of my favorites from the Back to School Party

Back to School Banana Bus

Giant School Bus Chocolate Chip Cookie

ABC Lunch

Edible Crayons

What other cute ideas do you have for celebrating the start of school? Leave your links in the comments below! I’d love to add them to my Pinterest boards for future inspiration!

(Sharing HERE)

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Finding Nemo Snack

May 6, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Finding Nemo is one of Disney’s most beloved movies. Even my two year old, who is scared of some of the other Disney movies at her age, likes Finding Nemo (although she does hold her sister’s hand during the shark part when we watch it at home). We love all of the characters, including Dory, Marlin, Squirt, Crush, Mr. Ray, and, of course, Nemo.

Finding Nemo Snack

Ingredients:

2 baby carrots

1 green grape

1 slice of cheddar cheese

1 T of yogurt (plain, Greek, etc.)

1 raisin or currant

Slice a baby carrot in half lengthwise, and lay each half on the plate. This will be Marlin and Nemo’s bodies. Take another baby carrot, slice in half lengthwise, and slice two triangles out of one of the halves. Place these triangles onto the back of each body for tails. Next, spoon a tablespoon of yogurt (I love to use plain Greek yogurt here, it’s got the most protein, and it’s actually better that it’s not sweetened, because it’s being served atop a carrot!). Snip a tiny corner off of the bag, and pipe yogurt onto the fish’s bodies, making two stripes on the body, one on the tail, then an eye and a smile for each fish. Finish the look by using the remainder of the yogurt to pipe little waves across the top of the plate to look like the fish are under water.

Slice a green grape in half lengthwise. Next, slice each half into thin sections, and arrange on the plate to look like sea plants. So simple, yet so adorable!

More Fun and Healthy Disney Snacks

Check out the other Disney snacks we’ve made. Making your child’s favorite Disney characters using healthy foods is a great way to delight them as they eat, and encourage them to gobble up all of that healthy stuff you’ve used to make them! Here are some examples:

Winnie the Pooh

Mickey Mouse Breakfast

Tangled

Lion King Lunch

“Up!”

Mike Wazowski

Peter Pan Veggie Tray

“Under the Sea” Snack

Thanks for checking out our Disney-inspired snacks!

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game

May 2, 2013 by Amy Hudson

How many baseball fans do we have out there? Kids in little league? T-ball? I’ve got a few fun ideas for you today inspired by one of our favorite game-day snacks: Beer Nuts!

…………………

I was so excited when Beer Nuts offered to send us some of their nuts to see what cute snacks we could come up with. I asked for their classic peanuts, and a bag of almonds because they are one of the more nutritious choices out there.

(Yay for yummy Beer Nuts!)

About Beer Nuts

Beer Nuts, by the way, are specialty nuts with a unique glaze on them that has a sweet and salty flavor. The original skin-on peanuts were an accidental hit when their creator, Edward G. Shirk, who owned a small confectionary store called the Caramel Crisp back in 1937, occasionally made them available for free as an incentive to purchase one of his other products. These tasty redskin nuts became so popular that Shirk decided to go from selling them over the counter by the scoop to package them up and making them available for widespread distribution. That distribution started in local taverns, and the glazed peanuts were named Beer Nuts, as they became known as the perfect accompaniment to a glass of beer. Nowadays they are a popular snack at baseball stadiums, circus, and other sporting events.

Now, let’s get on to what fun we had with these guys!

“Skin-on Peanut and Almond Butter”

I was excited to find out that research has shown substantial amount of extra health benefits in peanut skins! These benefits include things like antioxidants (equal amounts, if not more that fruits and vegetables), anti-inflamatory properties, anti-aging compounds, even lowering blood sugar levels. Read all about it in this article.

Most peanut butter is made with blanched, or skinless, peanuts. This article explains why. One of the reasons listed is “if not handled properly, the natural oil in the peanut skins could may become prematurely stale and cause off flavors when the peanut butter is being made”. Fair enough, but when we have a full pound of skin-on peanuts at our disposal, let’s go for a great-tasting peanut butter!

“Skin-on Peanut and Almond Butter”

2 cups Beer Nuts original peanuts

1 cup Beer Nuts brand Almonds

Combine ingredients in a Vitamix machine or food processor. Continue mixing until a smooth, warm peanut butter consistency is reached. Mmmm.

This peanut butter is perfect because the Beer Nuts have that special “slightly sweet. slightly salty” coating on them already, so no additional ingredients (including oils, sugars, etc.) are required to make a great-tasting, delicious snack.

The girls and I ate this all up in a couple days by dipping apple slices into it or spreading it onto celery sticks.

Baseball Mitt Snack

The next fun thing we did with our Beer Nuts is make a baseball mitt. To make it, simply spread your Beer Nuts brand peanuts onto a plate and arrange to look like a mitt as shown. Leave a small round circle in the center of the mitt. Next, spoon 5-6 tablespoons of yogurt into the round opening. Use a butter knife to smooth out the dome of yogurt you have created. (We used plain Greek yogurt. I’m telling you, it’s absolutely astounding what kids will eat if it’s presented in a creative way)! Complete your look by adding thinly sliced bits of strawberry to look like the red stitches on a baseball.

Add more fresh strawberries and yogurt and serve in individual cups for a little fruit/yogurt/nut parfait!

“Hitting a Home Run” Snack

A third fun idea we had was to make a baseball bat and ball. This size snack is a better serving size for just one. When your child mixes the yogurt, strawberries, and peanuts together, they get a little parfait perfect for them!

Simply arrange your Beer Nuts brand peanuts on your plate to look like a bat as shown. Follow the same directions as above for the baseball. You can finish the look with a couple yogurt motion lines on either side of the ball to look like you are seeing the impact of the bat and ball. We made those lines by scooping a tablespoon or so of yogurt into a plastic baggie, snipping off a corner of the bag, and piping it onto the plate where we wanted it.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out our other sports-themed snacks!

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Creative Valentine’s Day Snacks for Kids

February 13, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Valentine’s Day can be such a fun day for the kids. Why not make it even more special by showing your love to them with a creative snack or meal? Following is some of my favorite Valentine’s Day food that you can serve all day.

Breakfast

Heart Warming Oatmeal

This is a fun and tasty way to start off the day. Ever since I made this the first time, it has become a staple in our house! Click here to see how we made it.

Valentine’s Day Pancakes

If your child is a pancake lover, then give them a memorable pancake breakfast using heart shaped cookie cutters to make everyone in your family. See how this breakfast was made here.

Lunch

The Giving Tree

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to talk about real love and the ways people show it to one another. Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and make this adorable lunch to go with it. See how we made it along with some questions to get your kids talking about love here.

I Love You to the Moon and Back

Here is another book-inspired lunch. Check out our post about the message of the story and how to make the snack that goes with it here.

Snacks

I Love You

Although I’m categorizing it as a snack, this dish is filling enough to be a lunch for some kids. With refreshing strawberries, grapes, celery, and calcium rich cheese and yogurt, this dish says I love you in more than one way. See how to make it here.

Valentine’s Day Apples

A super fun snack the kids will go nuts over is this simple apple snack. Use a cookie cutter to slice apples into heart shapes, add some peanut butter and some crunchy cereal – and the kids won’t be able to contain their love for you! See all the details about this snack here.

We hope you have a great Valentine’s Day!

Angels we have heard on high

December 26, 2012 by Amy Hudson

This healthy and fun little snack celebrates the birth of Jesus as recorded in Luke 2:8-14. Read the story of the angel choir appearing in the heavens to announce that baby Jesus had been born, and then make this snack to continue the celebration!

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2: 8-14

Ingredients:

2 hard boiled eggs2 baby carrots1 t cottage cheese2 raisins1 strawberry1/s banana1 slice white cheese1 t miracle whip or mayo

Directions:

Slice hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolk. Place one half yolk onto top corner of plate for moon. Place remaining yolk from the 2 eggs into a small bowl and mix with mayo. Spoon mixture into a zip baggie with a corner sliced off, and set aside. Slice bottom off of egg white halves. Use sliced off section to cut triangular arms/wings for the angels. Arrange all on the plate as shown. Slice baby carrots in half lengthwise. Slice in half again width-wise. Use for shepherd’s bodies. Slice one of the carrot quarters into thin strips for the shepherd’s arms and legs and arrange on the plate as shown. Slice little rectangles with tiny triangles sliced out for sheep’s legs. Top with 1/2 teaspoon of cottage cheese each to look like sheep bodies.Top angel’s bodies with banana slices for heads, then add raisin eyes and thin strips of strawberry for a smile. Now take piping bag with egg mixture in it and pipe hair and halo for each angel. Use a pizza cutter to slice remaining slice of white cheese into lots of tiny pieces. Sprinkle around the plate to look like stars.

Nutritional Benefits of this Snack:

Eggs are full of benefits, including being rich in protein, vitamin B, and omega-3’s. See more about health benefits of eggs here.

Grinch Party Poppers

December 4, 2012 by Amy Hudson

The Grinch is one of Dr. Suess’ most beloved characters, and at Christmas we love to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.

Just like we love to make Christmas trees, wreathes, snowmen, Santa, and reindeer for snacks this time of the year, we also love Mr. Grinch.

Today’s snack is a perfect finger food to put out for the kids at a Christmas party.These would also be perfect for a Christmastime sleepover, featuring popcorn, the Grinch movie, and these scrumptious little poppers.Healthy, cute, and super fun, you know these little guys will be a hit.Here’s how to make them.

Step 1: Collect your ingredients and assemble Grinches

(Depending on how many Grinch poppers you would like to make, you will need that many of the following): -slice of white string cheese (at least 1/3 inch thick)-strawberry-banana slice (at least 1/3 inch thick)-green grape (with bottom sliced off so it lays flat)-melted chocolate. (1/2 of a Hershey’s bar, broken into pieces and microwaved until melted, stirring at 20 second intervals will be plenty to make up to 25 poppers) Assemble each Grinch by sliding each piece up a plastic toothpick. I get mine from the dollar store. They come in a package of assorted colors with little hearts on the top. They are the perfect size, and not too sharp for the kids to eat off of.

Step 2: Melt Chocolate

Depending on how many poppers you are making, melt the appropriate amount of chocolate. I used a simple Hershey bar in this recipe.

1/2 of a Hershey’s bar, broken into pieces and microwaved until melted, stirring at 20 second intervals will be plenty to make up to 25 poppers.

Step 3: Pipe Grinch faces

Place your melted chocolate into a piping bag with a very small tip attachment; or do it the easy way by using a ziploc bag with a tiny snip off of one corner to pipe your faces.Make 2 eyes with frowning eyebrows above them. Next, make a wide smile with bumps and a little point at the bottom middle.

Step 4: Chill, serve, and enjoy!

Chill in the refridgerator for at least 15 minutes.

My little girls LOVED these guys. I made about 10 of them for today’s post, and they had to be cut off after 4 each! (They still hadn’t had their lunch yet)! TIP: Pipe Grinch faces onto grapes and chill in advance if you want to work ahead and prevent the rest of the ingredients from being out in the air too long. (Sharing HERE) Follow us on Facebook / Pinterest

4 easy play date snacks

November 19, 2012 by Amy Hudson

I have some easy, healthy, and fun snacks for your next play date.

Now that the weather is cooler, we will be hosting more play dates here at the house as opposed to meeting our friends out at the park, pool, or outside entertainment.

I thought I’d share a few ideas of healthy and cute foods to put out for the kids to inhale munch on as the moms chit chat!

#1: Peanut Butter Dipping Fun

Provide some peanut butter for dipping and some peanut butter friendly items like celery, apples, graham crackers, and bananas. Each kid can get their own little cup of peanut butter too – those individual ones would be great, and they could collect their dipping stuff from the main serving platter too!

#2: Skewers

Just about anything served on a skewer is irresistible to the kids!

I made these to include awesome vitamin packed fruits as well as protein rich ham and cheese for calcium.

Collect items for your skewer, such as grapes, pineapple, strawberry, ham, string cheese chunks, etc. Arrange in an adorably cute pattern.

Cut the pointy end off of the skewer, and serve!

#3: Fruit Flowers

These happy little flower snacks take less than a minute to throw together.

With a clementine orange arranged as flower petals, grapes as a stem and leaves, and some cereal beneath it all, a sweet and healthy snack is ready for as many as you need!

#4: Happy Friends

Create some happy little friends using some rolled up turkey or ham for legs, a slice of cheese for a body, carrot arms, banana hair, and blueberry eyes with a grape mouth.

You can make these guys with anything you have on hand. You will be a hit with your kids’ friends by offering them such a fun little friend for a snack!

(Sharing HERE)

Ladybug Apples

Ingredients:

Directions:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Other Back to School Snacks We Love:

Finding Nemo Snack

Ingredients:

More Fun and Healthy Disney Snacks

About Beer Nuts

“Skin-on Peanut and Almond Butter”

“Skin-on Peanut and Almond Butter”

Baseball Mitt Snack

“Hitting a Home Run” Snack

Breakfast

Heart Warming Oatmeal

Valentine’s Day Pancakes

Lunch

The Giving Tree

I Love You to the Moon and Back

Snacks

I Love You

Valentine’s Day Apples

Luke 2: 8-14

Ingredients:

Directions:

Nutritional Benefits of this Snack:

Step 1: Collect your ingredients and assemble Grinches

Step 2: Melt Chocolate

Step 3: Pipe Grinch faces

Step 4: Chill, serve, and enjoy!

#1: Peanut Butter Dipping Fun

#2: Skewers

#3: Fruit Flowers

#4: Happy Friends

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